Flipping the quarter

Here it is 2007. We Idahoans have waited nine years for our 25-cent piece — hallelujah! If the designs were submitted to the Idaho Statesman last year were any indication of the quality of those submitted to the Fine Arts Commission, then a wonderful selection was available.

Last year's April deadline came and went, and we waited and waited, wondering when the Fine Arts Commission and then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne were going to reveal the chosen designs to the public for feedback. Other states up until then had done that, but not Idaho. Evidently, the commission and the governor thought they knew better than the people of the state what should represent our quarter.

The commission and the governor waited until it was too late to make design changes before releasing the design to the public. Was this intentional? They knew there would be an outcry because the chosen design means absolutely nothing to more than 90 percent of the people of this state.

The commission and the governor gave Idahoans the bird, a bird which no more represents the state than the man in the moon. Now we are saddled with "Dirkey's Turkey" on our quarter. Maybe all Idahoans should come to Boise when our quarter ceremonies are held, perhaps sometime in July, and show the commission and our former governor how much we really appreciate this.

GLENN D. SCHILLER

Emmett