Lead for the people, not the party

Open letter to Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature.

It’s time to lead for the people, not the party.

I’ve lived in Idaho for nearly 60 years (and I am not much older than that). I remember a time when our state was a shining example of what it meant to be a community — where people helped each other regardless of political belief, where neighbors could disagree and still stand by each other, and where respect, kindness, and cooperation were at the heart of how we lived.

Idaho has never been the hardline, far-right conservative state it is becoming now — that newcomers say it has always been. That is not the Idaho I grew up in, nor the one I raised my family in. Back then, our leaders listened to the people. They worked across the aisle. They cared more about the well-being of Idahoans than ideological purity or political games.

Today, it feels like that Idaho is slipping away. We’ve become a state where only one way of thinking is tolerated, and where fear of “rocking the boat” overrides the courage to do what is right. There’s a growing narrative that Idaho has always been this extreme, but I’m here to tell you — it hasn’t. Idaho used to be about people. It used to be about balance, respect, and believing in each other.

I’m urging you to bring that Idaho back.

Our state should not be known as a place of division, exclusion, or extremism. We should be leading with integrity, compassion, and bold, people-first leadership. That’s what made Idaho great. That’s what still could.

Please consider the legacy you’re leaving. Let it be one that future generations can look back on with pride — not one that continues the trend of silencing dissent and dividing communities.

KARI SACCOMANNO

Sandpoint