Letters for Oct. 11, 2024

Support voting rights by voting ‘yes’ on Prop 1

Proposition 1 may be the most consequential matter on the Idaho ballot. Idaho Primaries were closed by the majority party in 2011. A bipartisan alliance and more than 2,000 dedicated volunteers, like me, collected signatures to get open primaries on the November ballot, no small task.

Like me, you might be annoyed if

• Your ballot in the partisan closed primary had only a few nonpartisan races on it because you are an independent.

• The primary winner was elected by a small percentage of the total electorate.

• The election was basically decided after the primary, showing that party bosses have more power than voters.

• Elected officials wasted time on extreme partisan ideas rather than solving real problems.

Prop 1 offers solutions to these issues with an open primary and ranked choice voting in the general election:

• Candidates will have to appeal to a wider population.

• All voters get the same ballot with the top four candidates advancing to the general.

• In the general, the voter can rank the four candidates. Since the winner must receive more than 50% of the votes, there can be instant runoffs distributing the votes of the lowest vote-getter until a candidate reaches that mark.

• The winner will have broader support and be more accountable to the voters.

Thank you for supporting voting rights and more representative leadership in Idaho by voting “yes” on Prop 1.

Judith A. Butler

Hope, Idaho

Give doctors safe place to practice

For months now, Karen Matthee has addressed the loss of our doctors in Idaho. She will do something about it and that’s why I’m voting for her on Nov. 5.

She brought Bonner General Health staff to my women’s group to discuss how the hospital is working to restore labor and delivery. She understands the problem is complex and requires financial support from local, state and federal sources. She also understands, as the chief medical officer stated, that the Legislature will need to create an exception to the abortion ban to protect the health and fertility of a patient so OB-GYNs feel it is safe to practice here.

Currently, our pregnant moms are driving to Coeur d’Alene for OB-GYN appointments and delivery. OB-GYNs there know that if a complication arises, a patient can be whisked across state lines for treatment in minutes. Still, doctors face each day dreading emergencies knowing they can intervene only to prevent death – not organ loss, paralysis or loss of fertility. This goes against everything they’ve been taught.

Send Karen Matthee to Boise in November, and she will help untangle this health care crisis created by the GOP supermajority. Trust Karen Matthee. Trust our doctors.

Lee Christensen

Sandpoint

Washington alone shouldn’t have to pay price

In response to Richard Steele’s letter (“Vote no on I-2066, I-2117 for your grandchildren,” Oct. 6) regarding ballot Initiatives 2117 and 2066: Why are Washington residents being held accountable for what is a global problem? Why are we getting stuck paying the price for this in the form of higher gas prices, higher energy prices and, yes, higher prices on all our daily essentials? When this cap and trade program first went into effect in January 2023, my heating oil cost shot up 80 cents a gallon to a total price of $6 a gallon and I endured the coldest house that entire winter my heating oil vendor informed it was due to the carbon tax adding this extra 80 cents. I am not the only one with oil heat, as I am told.

I tried to reach out to Gov. Jay Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson and my state legislative representatives, not a one responded back.

And why are all the gas pumps at the Idaho state line filled up with cars licensed in Washington? I know mine is one of them that goes there, and there have been times I have saved as much as 60 cents a gallon. The Spokane Journal of Business had a front-page caption titled “Idaho fills up.”

So, what good has come out of this rip-off that only we in Washington pay the price for? Hear ye, all vote “yes” for Initiative 2117, I beg you, please.

Jan Busch

Cheney