Oh, say can you sing?

I've enjoyed the Olympics immensely. Our American athletes have not disappointed--too many remarkable performances to name here, but it's been an extraordinary showing. But what's up with our athletes not singing (or mouthing) our national anthem on the medal stand?

I can't even imagine what goes through the mind of someone who's trained tirelessly for years to arrive at the pinnacle of an athletic career. It must be heady, emotional, joyful, surreal, ______. But are they so overcome with emotion that they can't sing our country's patriotic hymn? Or do they not know the words? Either way, it irks me, particularly when athletes from other nations are seemingly much more inclined to proudly sing their anthems.

The corrosive effects of one-party rule

Need further evidence that Idaho's ruling party (controlling 75% of the Legislature and all statewide constitutional offices) has amassed far too much power? Check out the latest attempt to politicize Idaho Fish & Game, while at the same time carry out the governor's mandate that all state employees speak in one voice (the governor's voice). In a nutshell: state employee speaks out against a project supported by Republican legislators, legislators complain to the governor, governor then sees to it that employee (in supervisory role) is demoted.

The Idaho Press Tribune reprinted this pointed editorial from the Post Register.

Single-party rule deprives Idahoans of accountability and the open exchange of ideas and opinions. In three and a half months of door knocking, I've met almost no Republicans who disagree with me. Our democratic institutions are strengthened by checks and balances. Of course, in order to restore such checks and balances here, Idaho Democrats need to do a better job of convincing voters that we share their values and will protect and uphold the public interest rather than being beholden to special interests.

I'm making that case, one voter at a time. But I don't hesitate to remind people that the last thing our state needs right now is one more Republican in the Legislature.

"Our kids will be angry with us"

This is a sobering reality for any parent. As much as I strive to be a good parent, I will inevitably make mistakes, some of which my children may not easily forget as they grow older.

But what Thomas Friedman is referring to in a recent op-ed about global warming (and "global weirding") is an entire generation of young people who will harbor well founded resentment for the enormous ecological crises they're inheriting and the crippling costs of restoring the planet (and humanity) to health.

It's strange for me to think that at some point in recent years I've crossed over to the other side of the generational divide; after all, I can still belt out The Who's "My Generation" at the top of my lungs. And it angers me that my parents' and grandparents' generations did little to curb our addiction to oil, adopting reactive rather than proactive measures to previous oil shocks/crises. Why didn't Washington lean on Detroit 30 years ago to push for dramatic and vastly accelerated fuel economy improvements, for starters? Why have we been subsidizing the fossil fuel industries for all these years? And how did we ever let Dick Cheney run the country?

Similarly, my own daughters might someday ask me what I did as consumerism transformed out planet into a giant dumping ground. I'd like to think that in addition to certain personal and lifestyle choices I've made, the work I've set out to do as an aspiring legislator might someday exonerate me at least partially in the eyes of my own children.

Our state needs an energy policy (actually we have one--what's needed is the political will to implement its recommendations). We need to spur investment in renewable energy sources. We need to support innovation around green technologies and a promote a clean energy economy. Our community colleges ought to be training people for green-collar jobs (i.e. wind turbine technicians/repairmen). Our public schools and universities should be engines for sustainability. Our state and local governments must direct development that allows for accessible transit; walkable, mixed-use communities; bike lanes; and housing that's close to job centers. We need to step up and provide financial incentives for ordinary citizens to start capturing solar power from their rooftops.

There's much to be done. If our children our angry with us 20 years from now, we'll know we came up short. That's a day of reckoning I'd rather avoid.

Elections do matter. Spread the word.

Does whistleblowing even work in Idaho?

When a state government is so dominated by a single party, does anyone even hear the sound of a state employee blowing the whistle on possible malfeasance or violations of the law?

Every Idaho citizen ought to be concerned about the claims of a Tax Commission whistleblower who's crying foul about special and secret deals (tax breaks) that were struck with out-of-state businesses. Whether laws were broken or not, it would appear that the whistleblower raises valid concerns with the way this issue has been investigated. In his letter to Gov. Otter, veteran auditor Stan Howland poses questions about whether any of the investigations in this matter have been truly independent, citing the many conflicts of interest of those involved.

In a state where power is so concentrated in the hands of a single party--a party that goes to great lengths to protect its own--you have to wonder if we lack the checks and balances necessary to properly follow up on the allegations of a whistleblower. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden (a Republican) has demonstrated an independent streak and a willingness to put aside politics in upholding the law. I would hope that the AG's office could address Howland's concerns and conduct a truly independent investigation.

Read Howland's letter to Otter, as well as his response to the AG's report, with detailed rebuttals of many of the AG's findings. No matter your politics, you can't help but wonder if Idaho's taxpayers have been done a dissservice by the Commissioners and whether anyone in the majority party is truly committed to getting to the bottom of this matter.