I like it that our government structure is close to us who are governed.
If I have a problem with my neighborhood zoning laws, I like that I can talk to my city folks and try to figure it out.
Some of you may belong to a Homeowners Association, HOA. This is the most local form of government sanctioned under Idaho law. When you buy your house, you agree that this entity, of which you are a part, can regulate you. That’s what government is, communal self-regulation.
Our county is the next level up. If there’s a problem there, I can just go to the courthouse and let my commissioners know.
But some functions are not well served on the county level. They need a statewide basis, standards, and support.
Idaho has recently decided that public defenders are best served with a broader base. The US Constitution requires that all accused have adequate representation in our courts. But Idaho has counties with populations that range from over 500,000 to less than 1000. The taxpayer burden for public defense could bankrupt a small county in one year if they might suffer a crime spree.
Our legislature has wisely decided that funding this fundamental right should not fall on such a disparate tax base. Indigent public defense funding has been moved to be a statewide source. It has not been smooth, this shift. But I applaud the legislature’s recognition of the problem. And I hope they pay attention to the problem and keep trying to solve it.
Back when this state became one, county government was the fall back. Think back to the 1890’s. Horse and buggy, maybe some telegraph lines, a few railroads to haul the goods. But then cars showed up and Idaho got pavement. Now we have parking garages and fiber optic cables.
But we still have county coroners charged with investigating and determining the cause and manner of death. Does this make sense to you?
It doesn’t to Propublica. But don’t just listen to that muckraking Libbie rag, think for yourselves.
Does it matter to you how your neighbors die? Or is watching CSI enough for you?
Do you want that determination to be accurate?
Do you want to invest in that?
There is no cheap answer.
I was a coroner in a small Idaho county for 15 years. I quickly realized just how stupid this system was. I studied other states. I came to realize there were lot’s better ways to do this civic function. But I couldn’t think up a phrase like “Drain the Swamp” or a pilot for a TV show.
Cause and manner of death on a death certificate is primary data. It is an official document in many records. Shouldn’t that be the best information we can determine?
Don’t turn it over to doctors. I was (am?) a doctor.
My sister died from breast cancer. Her doctor was on vacation, so a partner filled out her death certificate. He listed her cause of death as “Lung Cancer” and he checked the box that she was a smoker, though she’d never smoked in her life.
Such could be the recorded truth, though it is not.
We can do better in this state. It wouldn’t take a lot of money. Believe me, I don’t like to spend my or your money foolishly.
But it needs the attention of our leaders. Our legislature met with our coroners last summer to try to understand this problem.
Can’t you see that elected county coroners ARE the problem. We are beyond the horse and buggy of 1890. We need to have government that is consistent with our current reality.
But maybe you and I just can’t agree on that reality.