“Sine Die” or “Mento Mori”?

It can be very lonely being a conservative even in a “conservative state”. I have spent the last week talking to many conservatives across our entire state about the condition of the conservative movement in Idaho. Thanks to organizations like the Idaho Freedom Foundation, The Gem State Patriot and talk shows like The Kevin Miller Show conservatives have a voice. We have had successes in the field of education by bringing to light the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) —I wrote about the difference between curriculum and pedagogy in a previous article. Health care and education policy and politics in Idaho share a common predicate: Corruption—cronyism—and collusion. Health Care and the Public Health and private health care of the people of Idaho have been compromised since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Covid. Communal solutions to mitigation and command top-down policies that closed schools, churches and businesses were hurtful to Idahoans and provided less protection and access to care than what happened in States that followed more traditional type 3 mitigation strategies.

Conservatives argue from a platform or morality and ethics based on Biblical and Natural Law principles that inform our arguments about liberty. Liberals have no platform from which they argue from. Even those who argue based on what they believe to be a humanistic position, have an ill-defined predicate for their positions. Many times, their positions are based on “feelings” and a self-indulgent moral superiority. Ayan Rand, an atheist, believed in Natural Law and understood the need for moral foundations of government based on Stoic values of virtue. We must continue to be true to our principles as we move forward. We do have a few politicians in our State that demonstrate these values, but too many of those working in government and representing us have adopted political pragmatism as their “modus operandi”. Campaigns being financed by special interests who hold more sway over all branches in and of government—including the judiciary than “WE The People”. Campaigns being financed by people and organizations that government is charged with regulating is more of a problem in Boise than it is in Washington. $5000 from a lobbyist like the IMA/IHA/IACI provides more value at the State level than it does to someone running for the US Senate like Mr. Crapo who receives 90% of his corporate financing from out of State—some out of country.

But back to loneliness. Many of the conservatives from across the State that I talked to last week mentioned the same problem. We are fighting each other and not fighting the enemy—RINOs and Dems. Over 30 years ago a group of businessmen and future politicians formed a political network that to this day has influenced Idaho politics in ways that have continually become more aligned with the Kasich-Romney-Jim Jones—Brad Little, wing of the Republican Party, than the Goldwater—Reagan—Trump— Raul Labrador wing of the party. IACI (Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry), Idaho Hospital Association (IHA), and the Idaho Medical Association (IMA) do not represent the values of Idaho working people and Idaho families. I once asked one of the organizers of this network why he didn’t run for office. His answer was full of bluster and truth: “First of all I am a felon, and I can’t run. Secondly if I did run and win, I would be one vote amongst many. The way this is set up I can control many politicians at the same time, with half the work”. A wise and pragmatic man I say. He is still controlling Idaho politics from the grave! Certainly, one of my life’s heroes, but we conservatives should look to him and our RINO adversaries for a model of how to create a political conservative “network” of influence. For independent individualists this is difficult for conservatives to accomplish.

The RINOs are just standing back and letting us “eat our own”. As the conservative movement in Idaho moves forward, we must first form a network of influence. We must stop destroying each other. I truly believe that conservative principles are what most people and Idaho families believe in, but a bait and switch has occurred. Watching the last days of this legislative session, when good Bills go to die in the Idaho Senate, I wish Idaho government supported the will of the people in ways like Republican Governors and legislators are doing in Texas and Florida.

The Promise from our Governor and Legislators before this session was:

1. Cutting the Grocery Tax
2. Property Tax Relief
3. Income tax relief
4. Removing Critical Race indoctrination programs and teaching from the curriculums and pedagogy in our schools—thanks to the IFF we made a start in this process
5. Holding the (DHW) accountable for its $4.2billion budget—no outside audits prior to JFAC voting on the budgets. If JFAC were a corporate board, they would be investigated by the SEC!

At the end of the session the Governor and RINO leadership will stand before Betsy Russell, Melissa Davlin, and others in the FAKE MEDIA and say something like: “This has been a tough session, but we got a lot accomplished for the people of Idaho”. Betsy will offer a limerick and Idaho Reports will pontificate about the State of Idaho affairs. Same old stuff. My friend will continue to smile from the grave. His strategic vision of a network of stakeholders continues to control Idaho politics.

I have a limerick to offer, but my editor has refused to post it.

Just compare what our Republican legislators and government has accomplished for we the people with what Governor DeSantis and Florida and Texas have accomplished. We are treading water and they are racing forward.

United We Stand, Divided We Fall