Federal government is choking nation's spirit

On Jan. 20, we heard a lot of words about the American spirit — as though a good spirit emanated from Washington, D.C. The reality here is that Washington has choked our spirit.

The spirit most relevant to Idahoans is the pioneer spirit that values the renewable natural resources necessary to give rural counties a sustainable economic basis; not just tourist stopovers or real estate investments for the rich and snooty.

North Idaho’s cancer is within our timber industry. Producing only lumber and some sheet goods, it is very one dimensional, having little wood products industry. Any new entrepreneurship, new technology use, and financial support to develop ways to laterally develop wood products has been discouraged over many years by federal land managers, with the key assassin being the Endangered Species Act The ESA framers may not have realized it would be used to control land use in forested areas, rather than actually bring back the depleted species in suburban areas, or polluted places. There is only one way to look at the ESA. It is the enemy of Idaho and the people of Idaho.

Many seem reticent to believe North Idaho has been staked out as the botanical zoo for the elitist “do-gooder” who dominates federal meetings and pulls the strings at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. They’ve managed to take control of Idaho’s wildlife and timberland — two thirds of Idaho. In short, two-thirds of Idaho’s future.

The federal tyrants have convinced Idahoans that this is not our land. How ridiculous! The Constitution gives them no such ownership. Idaho is capable of policing and “owning” its own state. Is it only a matter of time before “federally owned” states seize their identity back, and their land? We hope so.

MR. and MRS. TONY BROWN

Naples