Congress may actually pass an economic stimulus bill this week, which is good news for the short-term needs of the country. There is no question the economy is tottering, and could easily tip over from recession to depression, so a bill that focuses on saving jobs and creating jobs is desperately needed. The good news is that the bill will definitely help achieve some of those aims. The bad news is that it will lay a crushing debt burden on taxpayers for the future, which can only be addressed if government becomes far more efficient in the use of tax dollars than it has in the past. That could very well force, down the road, what many of us have wanted for years, a smaller, more efficient government. But somehow, that doesn't seem likely. Because Congress hasn't figured out that the model for government is, and should be, changing. And the best example is the stimulus package. Despite billions of dollars in cuts, it still contains way too much pork. And some of the cuts (to make way for that pork) seem to make no sense, such as dropping $40 billion to help keep schools from having to fire teachers. That's counter-productive. The bill is supposed to save or create jobs, not leave them threatened. Both sides of the aisle bear the blame. The Democratic leadership rolled over on way too many pet projects among its members, losing sight of the long-term goal of the bill. And Republicans kept insisting on sticking to the same failed policies of the past, and playing the same old games where personal and party political power carried more weight than the needs of the nation. One GOP leader actually admitted his goal for the bill, and the amendments he introduced, were designed to divide the Democrats and make them look bad. So much for caring about the people of this country. Both parties should be ashamed. It is time for Congress to look up from its myopic and petty party power games, and its proclivity for pork, and look at the desperate state of the nation, focusing solely on programs that stand a good chance of meeting the goal of keeping people working. Making things work should be a bipartisan issue. This bill should be about America, not the Republican or Democratic parties. -- Kelly Everitt

Please be 'fire wise'

Posted Wednesday, August 21, 2013, at 8:17 AM

Even though about half the state of Idaho seems to have burned down, both federal and state public lands officials have expressed concern about careless use of fire by people recreating on those lands.

Currently, Stage 1 fire restrictions are in place throughout this region. That essentially means (as a short course to the regs) that no fires should be set anywhere other than in an approved fire ring, pit or grill area, and people must make certain those fires are completely out before they leave. The rules are even tougher on smokers. You can find details on the regs on any public lands website or by running a search for "stage 1 fire restrictions idaho."

Unfortunately, far too many people aren't following those rules and, perhaps even more importantly, are simply being sloppy with their campsite fires. You'd have to have been in a cave for the last couple of years not to understand how dangerous and destructive fires can be when they get out of control -- and these days the tiniest spark can set off a fire.

So, if you head out onto the desert or into the mountains to enjoy some end-of-summer recreation, be hyper-conscious -- in fact, downright paranoid -- about fire. You don't want to be the person held liable for all the firefighting costs and losses associated with a major fire.

Be responsible and fire-wise.

-- Kelly Everitt

Comments

View 2 comments

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

Well said. It would be nice to see how many people have been held fiscally responsible for the fires they started. That might help encourage a few to follow the restrictions closer.

-- Posted by B Mullen on Wed, Aug 21, 2013, at 8:16 PM
Smokey the Bear used to be pretty effective on warnings. Fires are scary things and they get out of control very quickly.

-- Posted by KH Gal on Thu, Aug 22, 2013, at 10:22 AM

Respond to this blog

Posting a comment requires free registration:

If you already have an account, follow this link to login
Otherwise, follow this link to register