Letters to the editor: DMV, our problems, Yadon’s column, Social Security, environment | Idaho Statesman

DMV problems

I recently renewed my driver’s license at the office on Benjamin. I understand that there is a wait time. I understand that it takes a while to process everything for the new star driver’s license. What I do not understand is why it took four hours to do this. I was fully prepared for two hours. Did not bring any snacks, knew that I could get water if I needed it. But four hours to do a simple 10-minute process is absurd. At one point I counted 15 stations that were empty of employees helping people. What is the rationale for this? If there is a crowd of people and there are empty spots, find an employee who can help. It is inconsiderate and inappropriate to make a citizen wait four hours to renew a license. I am retired but what if I was an individual who had to take time off of work? There were lots of young kids in the waiting room. To Ada County, to the supervisor of the department, I would respectfully request that you hire extra help. It is a sign of respect to the people you serve.

Click to resize

Solving problems

It would be nice if people could put aside their differences and fix the problems that need fixing like homelessness, poverty, suicide — because we need to promote jobs and opportunity and affordable housing but also preventive health care. We have a problem with obesity and diabetes, and one way is to ban growth hormones and too much antibiotics in the food we eat, because it needs to be natural and at a affordable prices to buy it. Because what is happening is more diseases and over-medicated patients, but also the food is causing development of young people through the growth hormones. We need to be more tolerant of others and help vets to overcome PTSD and other issues by creating more doctors, nurses, counselors to meet their needs and health care. We need to find a solution to hunger because a healthy nation is a strong nation. All these issues could be solved if we come together and apply ourselves to fixing it rather than always fighting. We are in the 21st century and we should be solving problems, not creating them, and our health care should be on top of their game as with everything.

Pastor Yadon

I’d like to encourage Pastor Yadon (Oct. 21 religion column) to turn off Fox News and reconsider his view of the Kavanaugh hearings. The presumption of innocence is indeed a vital principle in our legal system. However, this was not a criminal trial. It was a confirmation hearing, where more than 99 percent of the population would be rejected. It was a chance to measure the neutrality, temperament and judicial philosophy of the candidate. The bar should be very high for the highest court in the land. Kavanaugh fell far short under the pressure of that hearing. He didn’t even pretend neutrality and his temperament nicely reflects the man who nominated him.

Finally, Pastor Yadon asks us to pray for a standard of justice where we can all find safety. That’s fine, but let’s also vote for one, because most of the population are at far greater risk than Judge Kavanaugh.

Social Security

GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has been on the news lately announcing that Congress “will have to” cut Social Security and Medicare benefits to retired U.S. taxpayers in order to reduce the federal deficit, which he claims is not because of Trump’s tax cuts for the rich — but because of Social Security and Medicare. But McConnell has failed to mention the $285 trillion ($285,000,000,000,000) that Congress “borrowed” from the Social Security Trust Fund during George W. Bush’s administration to fund the war in Afghanistan. So when is this $285 trillion going to be repaid? And why is Congress threatening to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits when the SS Trust Fund is owed this money?

Environment

I didn’t vote for Donald Trump but I was more than willing to give him a chance to prove himself. I’m not going to go into his massive tax cuts for the wealthiest among us or his constant lying and name-calling or even his preference for the most corrupt and cruel leaders on this planet. What I will talk about is his destruction of anything environmental. To the benefit of multimillion-dollar companies, he has rolled back regulations that protect our air, water and our open spaces, as well as our coastlines. Do I need to point out the fact that if we don’t take care of this planet we live on, none of this other stuff will ultimately make any difference whatsoever?