Political campaigns are easily on Americans’ top 10 list of things
they love to hate. They love to hate them so much, that fewer than 50 percent of people of
voting age nationally even bothered to go to the polls in the last three federal
elections.
That’s a shame. Like it or not, the people running for election are
the people who will spend our money and shape life in our cities, counties, states and
nation.
Granted, it may be as difficult as it has ever been in the history of the
country for voters to discern differences between candidates.
This is a complex age of complex issues where simple answers are scarce.
Voters eye candidates who deliver policy blather suspiciously and wonder where they will
ever find real answers for their lives.
Pessimistic? Maybe. But there are reasons to believe democracy isn’t
dying yet. Races for state legislatures and local offices, particularly in small states
like Idaho, are rooted in a populist tradition.
This newspaper contains candidate profiles and coverage of a non-partisan
candidates forum that was organized and sponsored by the Idaho Mountain Express. We
urge everyone to read and vote.
Below are endorsements of candidates in contested races. The newspaper
looks for thoughtful, well-informed candidates who support innovative approaches to gnarly
problems.
They should place a high value on Idaho’s environment, a good
economy, Social Security and Medicare. They should be more concerned about ordinary
Americans than corporations and the rich. They should support high-quality public
education, oppose school vouchers, and focus on paying down the national debt before
cutting taxes.
For President and Vice President of the United States, Al Gore and Joe
Lieberman (D): If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The economy is healthy and
the nation is making strides in education, environmental protection, a more equitable tax
system and efficient government. To upend the momentum of the last eight years now would
be like replacing the leading football team at half-time during the Super Bowl. Monday
morning quarterback, why would we? Voters should remember that eight years ago, the
nation’s economic engine was lugging and the middle class was suffering after nearly
a decade of Republican administrations. Besides, why would we elect George Bush (R) whose
knowledge of foreign affairs is visibly weak? That’s a little detail that could come
back to bite us.
For U.S. Representative, Second District, Craig Williams (D): For
comparison of the positions between him and incumbent Rep. Mike Simpson (R) check out
www.vote-smart.org on the Internet. These candidates are polar opposites on the issues of
who will benefit from tax cuts, campaign reform, prisons and programs for offenders,
school vouchers, the environment, health-care, foreign aid, and Social Security. If you
like George W. Bush’s ideas, you’ll love Simpson—he’s with him all the
way. Williamson is the flipside—he knows where government can and can’t help.
For District 21 State Representative, No Endorsement: Challenger
Dick Andreasen (D) offers the tantalizing prospect of bringing a little more balance to
the Republican-dominated Legislature, and supports dam breaching to restore salmon runs
and increases in teachers salaries to staunch the flow of more than a thousand Idaho
teachers to other states with better salaries. Incumbent Tim Ridinger (R) is a moderate
who has generally aligned himself well with Blaine County. Nonetheless, he is totally out
of step with the sensibilities of the area regarding endangered species. He supported the
muzzling of the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game biologists when he voted to create the Office
of Species Conservation within the governor’s office.
For Blaine County Commissioner District 3 (North), Sarah Michael:
This candidate brings legislative experience and a deep knowledge of the growth issues
facing Blaine County to the table. Michael is the valley’s chance to sidestep the
devastating impacts of sprawl, traffic and the high cost of living by meeting them head-on
with innovation. Unlike her opponents, Michael is not content with the "it’s
happened like that everywhere else, so it will happen here" approach to growth and
its impacts. She is the only candidate to support making county government more effective
by hiring a much-needed administrator.
For Blaine County Commissioner District 1 (South), Dennis Wright:
We were hoping challenger Jim Super would give us a lot of reasons to throw this incumbent
out. It didn’t happen. For perhaps the first time in his career, Wright passionately
outlined his vision for the future of Blaine County. It will grow a little slower and a
lot smarter. It will watch its pocketbook, but step up to funding needs like a good county
nursing home. Wright—a notoriously quiet and unassuming commissioner—needs to
lend some vigor to that vision when he brings it to the table in the next term.
