Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater with Boise zoning code rewrite | Opinion

Zoning rewrite

Zoning is complicated. A 600-page proposal borders on the absurd when it comes to expecting the average citizen to understand what is being proposed. The fact that the zoning proposal has been in the works for years does not lessen the fact that many who are going to be impacted have no idea of what is happening and what will eventually happen to Boise and to their neighborhood. To claim otherwise is a falsehood.

Take a walk around Boise and in your own neighborhood and ask people what they think of the zoning proposal. Don’t be surprised by how many have no idea what you are talking about and what is being contemplated or pushed for Boise and their neighborhood.

It is a noble goal to address affordable housing, and that goal of any update in zoning makes sense.

Short-term rentals and carving up established neighborhoods does not make sense.

Do not throw out the baby with the bath water.

Mary Feeny, Boise

Affordable housing

I’m a small business owner, documentary filmmaker, and West Boise resident writing in favor of Boise’s long overdue modern zoning rewrite.

As a community volunteer with causes ranging from Kessler-Keener Foundation, Ballet Idaho and Leadership Boise, I’ve seen firsthand the need for more affordable housing options for all the diverse people who call Boise home. Some of our neighbors who will benefit most from the proposed changes include artists, entrepreneurs, students, and service industry workers who currently struggle to find an affordable place to live. Everyone deserves to call Boise home, and this ordinance is an important step toward getting serious about affordable housing in our community and living up to our Boise values.

Stephanie Cullen, Boise

Supreme Court

When you stock a lake with catfish, don’t expect to catch salmon. The U.S. Supreme Court has been filled with rank, far-right, political bottom feeders. The current majority has proven themselves to be corrupt, unapologetic followers of the Federalist Society’s agenda. These six justices lied their way through Senate confirmation hearings, pried out the cornerstones of jurisprudence and exposed themselves as unethical pursuers of riches. Shame on them and woe to our grand American experiment.

Ralph Sims, Eagle

Dyslexia

I was diagnosed with dyslexia from a young age. Getting diagnosed helped me get what I needed to learn to read. This is why it’s so important for other kids to get diagnosed with dyslexia early. We already have passed House Bill 731 in Idaho for dyslexia. It is not enough. We set aside $97,000. With this money we plan to educate all K-5 teachers, but we are only hiring one person to train them. This is only scratching the surface. We are giving teachers three 50-minute webinars, which is just not enough.

If one of my tutors had only watched a few webinars, I would not feel confident in their abilities to educate me. Most of my tutors have had way more education than that. I was fortunate enough to have a family that recognized I needed help and found me tutors when my school did not have teachers that were trained to help me with my dyslexia.

Every kid in Idaho deserves to learn to read. So I’m asking for you to stand up and speak out about getting more money, more time and more people to help kids learn to read.

Josie Ross, Boise

Dam breaching

Unless the lower Snake River dams are bypassed immediately and the natural river restored, we will lose our wild stocks of steelhead and salmon forever.

I am imploring the First Nations People to intervene and demand that their treaty rights be honored and this insult be reversed at once.

These dams provide only 3% of the total electric power generated and only then at peak flow of the river.

These shallow water reservoirs exhaust massive amounts of methane into the air. Constant maintenance of the channel and locks pour carbon dioxide into the air constantly.

This billion-dollar fishery is held hostage by a few wealthy grain farmers and river tour companies.

These fish deserve to live just because they do and not because of any benefit to us.

I am asking our president to get involved and do what is right.

Odos Lowery, Boise

Government overreach

Let’s talk about overreach.

When a man thinks it is fun to grab a woman’s genitals or rape her. When one ignorant person can ban books and control what teachers can teach. When people die because health care becomes a political football. When legislators tell us how many children we must have. When education is a dirty word. When voting is denied. When religion is an excuse for harming others. When assault gun sales are more important than the lives of our children. When violence and lies are “the norm.” Wow! Talk about overreach!

Sheila Robbins, Boise

Gambling

The state of Nevada in 1931 was the first to ignore what gambling does to destroy individuals and families and legalized it to lift the state out of the Depression.

That sorry-eyed excuse for a public policy was followed by a cascading wave of legalized gambling across the country that has since placed tens of millions of families far down into the depths of economic and emotional depression.

America next decided that legalized sports gambling should be our next great bet and we are implementing that policy across the country today.

Now comes news that up to 8% of 12- to 17-year-olds have a serious gambling problem. States are putting a Band-Aid on the problem by requiring public schools to introduce curriculum to teach about the risks.

Teenagers can hardly wait to do the stupid things that their parents do, so maybe this approach is too little too late.

Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah