 |
CHRIS CARLSON Carlson Chronicles |
Few Idahoans know Jeanne Buell. She lives outside Worley, just off of Highway 95 as one heads south towards Plummer. She is the vice chair of the Idaho Democratic Party, has long labored in the trenches working hard to advance the principles that guide Democrats. She tells-it-like-it-is mincing no words, thereby endearing herself because of candor.
She has decided its time to hang up the bridle and put the saddle on a saw horse. She wants to spend more time with her grandchildren. As she exits, though, she is taking one last shot at the idiocy of Idaho Republicans who are being led down the path to mediocrity by a governor and a legislature unbelievably out-of-touch with the real world.
She conceived and is the driving force behind four “generic” ads demonstrating how bad things are in Idaho. At her own expense she paid for the script writing and production of the ad concepts, had dozens of dvd’s made and sent them off to numerous political action committees (PAC’s) pointing out what an inexpensive media buy the markets that cover Idaho are.
Jeanne is inviting these PAC’s to “invest in Idaho” where a little bit of money can go a long ways, i.e., they’ll have a much better return on their investment and can really make a difference.
Working with her good friend, former Kootenai county State Senator MaryLou Reed, they came up with four generic ads lampooning and spearing several of the mind-boggling pieces of legislation passed in the last session and signed by Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter.
Following all the applicable rules, Jeanne is also making the generic ads available to Democratic candidates in Idaho who can easily “Idahoize” the ads and get them on the airwaves.
The first ad goes after the mentality that saw passage of the “Ag/Gag” law. Set aside that the courts will declare this one unconstitutional. Just imagine the reactions of others across this nation, especially the numerous dog and cat owners. It was easy to find on YouTube footage of a dog being beaten to death, a cat being tortured, a horse being starved. The narrator (a former North Idaho Collge prof) says “in Idaho the person filming this travesty is guilty of a greater crime than the one committing the travesty. Whose interests does this serve?”
One can hazard an easy guess that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) may be quite interested in investing in this ad.
The ad also points out every major business in Idaho cut out a portion of this turkey for themselves. For example, it is also illegal to film fetilizer run-off polluting a stream, or a recently cut timber sale generating turbid water.
Many people viewing any one of these four ads will have a hard time believing a legislature and a governor can be so beholden to the special interests and so blatantly ignore the public interest.
The second ad goes after the guns on campus issue and drills down on the matter of how do the police have an ability to differentiate between a good guy and a bad guy if both have weapons drawn? The split second an officer may have to decide is a somewhat vague point as opposed to the fact that an Idaho Legislature totally obedient to the National Rifle Association lobbyist passed this questionable piece of legislation despite unanimous opposition from all the state’s college and university presidents and the vast majority of all law enforcement.
The third ad is about the Legislature’s failure again “to add the words” banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It features two young men talking about the brother of one who is gay and is denied service at an Idaho restaurant because he and his partner walked in holding hands.
One suspects there are numerous, well-financed Human Rights PAC’s that will leap at the opportunity to buy in on this one.
The fourth ad is the best: Two young mothers are deploring the state of public education in Idaho and the starvation diet Governor Otter has put schools and teachers on. When one says she is a fourth generation Idahoan but is seriously thinking of moving because of the handicap students are enduring you can jut see the message resonating.
Jeanne Buell warrants a “profile in courage” for the considerable expense she has incurred as she makes one last major investment in the future of the state she loves.
She is living proof that one person can truly make a difference.
Share on Facebook
