Money should have gone to help seniors

Dear Commissioners Rich, Rasor and Nielson,

As president of a Bonner County volunteer board, I was offended by your vote to dedicate $10,000 to the Pacific Legal Foundation’s initiative to delist the caribou as an endangered species. This is an issue that divides our county’s voters.

In contrast to your actions, I know how many volunteer hours are given to our board each week to care for our senior citizens who need our help. I could be wrong, but don’t think caring for abandoned seniors is divisive. I take exception to you decision to fund us at $1,500 a year, but are willing to throw $10,000 at a project over which there is so much disagreement and little prospect of success.

While more than 50 species have been delisted since 1967, the bases for delisting are few: the species is extinct or recovered, there was error in the original data, the animal was misclassified or there was an amendment to the Endangered Species Act. None of these bases are even remotely applicable to the caribou; chances that the suit will be successful are extremely low. Petitions to delist from Peter B. Wilson, representing the Greater Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce, Bonners Ferry, were denied in 1993 and 2000.

You are free, as are we all, to raise donations privately for lost causes (I’ve done it myself!). But this and other controversial positions should not be represented as county-wide, nor should they be funded with taxpayer dollars. It’s not the job of our commissioners engage in this kind of thing. I fear we have lost the ability to listen to each other, to respect each other’s opinions, and to compromise.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the dozens of volunteers who invest their time, energy and compassion in our county to make it a community.

NANCY GERTH

Sandpoint