Idaho, let's move forward not backward

Being a daily reader of the Bee for 20 years, I rarely comment on issues but some of the recent headlines have just been too much.

1. Bonner General losing their OBYGN care because of choices of the Idaho Legislature is just sad and wrong. My wife, our two children, and her mom were all born in Sandpoint (BGH/Page House) — that is over 75 years of care, erased by legislators who think they know more about female care than patient and doctor. This will also put an undue burden on all EMS providers with the nearest hospital being Kootenai Health during emergency births. They made some slight adjustments to the original bill but not enough according to Senator Herndon, who can't wrap his head around the elimination of rape and incest. Can you imagine the emotional trauma a young lady would have to go through to carry full term during one of those circumstances? One reason you did not receive my vote last election cycle.
2. The back-and-forth on the fairground's property has been misleading from the start. This property was originally slated to be an armory for the National Guard in the mid-2000s. The Courthouse on First Avenue went through a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2011-13 to serve as the Justice Center that all taxpayers paid for already. We do not need another one. The need for community youth programs that would be served by the RV park for 4-H or an ice rink would serve our community 10-fold compared to housing criminals.

CLINT FRANK

Sandpoint