Dear Senator Nonini: As an Idaho taxpayer and a believer in “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” I am opposed to my tax monies being used to support any religious school. Your tuition tax credits bill will siphon $10 million a year from public funds in a scheme which smacks of money laundering.

Somewere in that $10 million is one of my dollars. What is to prevent a parent from donating money to a religious school for a scholarship benefiting his/her child? Then we taxpayers get to reimburse said parent dollar for dollar for the kid’s free private education.

Small town public schools have served my family well and have enabled professional and masters degrees. Religion was provided by church and Sunday school. I want my dollar to go to public schools. The finest thing our legislators could do for this state is to develop the best public schools in the country. Instead of taking funds from public schools how about borrowing the curriculum of cute little Alex’s private school and help all children be better educated? Then Idaho would attract businesses that want an educated workforce and also improve our national D-grade in every social and economic measure.

Would your bill include scholarships to Muslim, Hindu or Church of Scientology religious schools? What about an Aryan Nations school? Oh, and if your bill passes and is litigated, do we taxpayers also get to pay to defend it?

JANET CALLEN

Coeur d’Alene