Dump Labrador, vote Farris

Are you aware that Congressman Raul Labrador recently voted to renew a sweeping, G.W. Bush-era law that allows our government to trample our constitutional rights in the name of "national security?"

The legislation, known as the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, was ostensibly designed to target people on foreign soil who don't enjoy our constitutional protections.In practice this allows our government spy agencies to store vast amounts of electronic information about people. Due to loopholes in the law, this information collection includes massive amounts of warrantless spying on innocent Americans.

The FISA Amendments Act was to expire unless renewed before the end of the year. Rather than carefully review the effects of the law or seek ways to safeguard our constitutional rights, a majority of the House, including Raul Labrador, rubberstamped a five-year extension of the law, allowing our government to trample our constitutional rights in the name of "national security." Feel safer?And yet he claims to protect individual freedoms. Really?

Not surprising from someone who signed Grover Norquista^’s pledge to never raise taxes. Ever. And why should he? Idaho, in 2010, saw $1.64 returned to the state for every $1 we paid to the federal government. In effect, he supports taxing other states to fund ours. And this is the government that all Republicans claim is the problem. We can change that by voting for those who will work for us, not Grover Norquist. Vote for Jimmy Farris for Congress and get a congressman who will work for us!.

EDWARD KARASEK

Sandpoint