Strange Idaho Republicans

Last evening at our monthly Democratic meeting our Superintendent of Schools appeared hat in hand as he does periodically to ask us to support the latest school levy. You see, here in Idaho the state does not really believe in education and therefore they do not provide sufficient monies to provide it. In rural areas like ours this means that if the levy fails all sorts of dire consequences ensue. Theoretically, I guess you could have a situation like ours where you would have no schools at all (or at least they would be so poor as to be even more useless than they are now).

The reason education in Idaho is in such poor shape is because Republicans have controlled our State legislature for years and they do not want to support education. Indeed, not too many years ago one of them even suggested we change our State Constitution so the state would not even be responsible for education. They have fought against spending for education year after year. It finally got so bad that the Judge who was in charge of hearing the charges actually had to order them to do something about it. They have procrastinated and argued and dilly dallied endlessly and still have done very little to improve things.

I think they not only hate education, they also hate children. They recently voted against a bill that would have provided some basic oversight over child care centers. You know, basic things like background checks against sexual perverts, minimum standards for child care providers, and so on (Idaho ranks dead last of all 50 states with respect to child care protections and standards). During the discussions of this bill one of our Republican representatives actually said, "if you provide them with education they will want jobs." Frankly, I didn't believe this but I am told it is true. He also said that public education is nothing more than "institutionalised child abuse." He didn't add, "in Idaho," although that must have been what he had in mind. He and some others argued that mothers should just stay home and take care of their children, there is no need for child care, pre-school, kindergarten, or such foolishness, as those things ought to be learned at home. In other words, he believes it is better for mothers (especially single mothers) to stay home and starve together with their children than for them to starve separately. Republicans also killed a measure that would have increased the sales tax by one cent with the money to be earmarked specifically for education. Had this passed the Superintendent would not have had to be asking once again for the levy.

The Superintendent and our local teachers complain often about their salaries, money for supplies and equipment, large classes, the usual complaints you hear from educators. What makes this so strange is that THE MAJORITY OF THEM VOTE REPUBLICAN TIME AFTER TIME! They vote against their own interests and then complain. This is true of teachers as well as administrators. When this was politely suggested to our Superintendent he was remarkably silent on the matter.

I have worked most of my adult life in education. I have NEVER voted against a school levy. You see, there is a problem here for people like me. Knowing what I know about the voting habits of our local educators I would like to vote against the levy. But then I think of the children. They are the ones who will suffer if the levy doesn't pass. Republicans know this, I guess, and so they continue to force us to "bail them out" time after time, refusing to rectify this obvious financial problem.

One of our long time Democrats, who has voted for the levy repeatedly over the years, announced: "I am not supporting the levy. I am sick and tired of bailing them out. This is a Republican problem. Let them solve it." Like Jack Benny when confronted with the demand, "your money or your life," I'm thinking it over.

Apparently there is no amount of corruption, lying, treason, incompetence, hypocrisy, greed and profiteering, to say nothing of war crimes, that will cause anyone in the House or Senate to take meaningful action against those responsible for such things. Bush/Cheney and everyone else seem to be willing to just bunker down and wait a week for the latest scandals to just blow over and be forgotten. By the way, I'm still waiting for the Gannon/Guckert story.