Letters to the Editor

KCRCC: Opportunity to restore unity 

Congratulations to the KCRCC and the Republicans in Kootenai county. 

Yes, congratulations to the body of the KCRCC. Yes, congratulations to Ron Jacobson, who defeated Ben Toews 63-9, and the new Executive Committee. They now have the opportunity to re-unite not only the KCRCC, but the entirety of Kootenai County Republicans. 

Just about every comment made by those who were nominated for positions on the Executive Committee recognized and spoke of the division and in-fighting of the KCRCC and Kootenai County Republicans. They expressed the desire to bring back the unity and civility. 

Hopefully, the root of the division, the rating and vetting of candidates in non-partisan and primary elections will be eliminated. Hopefully, the KCRCC will now do, as the national GOP, and let the people elect the candidates in the primaries and then the KCRCC will support the people’s elected candidates in the general election; as does the national GOP. Hopefully, the KCRCC will let the non-partisan and primary candidates run their own campaigns and allow the people to make their choices without divisive support of the “Rating and Vetting” committee.

Not that long ago (people who have been here more than 5-10 years remember) Kootenai County was a relatively united community. As with all communities, and as is people’s human nature, there were differences. However, those differences were able to be debated, discussed and dealt with in a civil manner without the nastiness, derogatory name calling and labeling of those who had differing opinions. 

Again, the KCRCC now has the opportunity to restore unity to the Republican party. 

ED DePRIEST
Hayden 

TAX CUTS: Winners and losers 

Idaho’s recent tax policies raise an important question: who benefits, and who pays the price? Since 2018, Idaho households have received an estimated $4.5 billion in combined state and federal income tax cuts. While tax relief can help families, the overwhelming share of these benefits went to high-income households. In fact, the top 20 percent of earners received nearly three-quarters of all tax reductions, while some low-income Idahoans actually saw their taxes increase. 

At the same time, federal policymakers reduced support for healthcare and food assistance programs, shifting more responsibility to states and local communities. Rather than preparing for these added costs, Idaho lawmakers continued to reduce state revenue through additional tax cuts and tax conformity measures. The result has been budget shortfalls, across-the-board agency cuts and growing pressure on schools, healthcare systems, and local governments. 

The costs of public services do not disappear when revenues decline. Instead, they are often shifted to Idaho families through higher property taxes, rising college tuition, increased fees and reduced access to essential services. Our school districts increasingly rely on local levies to cover basic operating costs, while our public colleges continue to increase tuition following state funding reductions. 

Strong communities depend on strong public investments. Quality schools, safe infrastructure, accessible healthcare and public safety all require sustainable funding. As Idaho policymakers consider future tax changes, they should carefully weigh the tradeoffs between tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy and the public investments that support working families and thriving communities across our state. 

LEN CROSBY
Post Falls 

FOSSIL FUELS: Reject compromised reps

The world as we know it today was built on the back of burning fossil fuels. Unfortunately, this process has come at a tremendous cost. Emissions from burning fossil fuels are rapidly warming our world at a rate that has never occurred in the history of our planet. Why, then, do we continue to burn planet-killing fossil fuels? 

One primary reason is the tremendous control the fossil fuel industry has over our government. The industry spends approximately $250 million dollars per year lobbying elected officials. The vast majority of this money goes to Republican officials and candidates. During the 2024 presidential campaign alone, oil interests gave more than $75 million to Donald Trump’s affiliated PACs. 

This lobbying money spent by the fossil fuel industry serves as a highly effective financial instrument, yielding unparalleled returns on investment by securing multi-billion-dollar taxpayer subsidies, rolling back environmental regulations and aggressively stalling clean energy competition. 

In addition, our federal government spends between $20 to $35 billion a year on direct handouts to the fossil fuel industry. These perks primarily include special tax breaks, deductions, cheap access to drilling on public lands and regulatory loopholes. 

We cannot expect meaningful climate action as long as our representatives are financially beholden to the very industry driving this crisis. It is time for voters to demand absolute transparency and use their ballots to reject candidates who prioritize fossil fuel payouts over our planet’s future. 

RON SADLER
Coeur d’Alene