And hope for the best.
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A happy holiday to all.
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A guest opinion from Michael Strickland of Boise.
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light." - J.K. Rowling
From Special Olympians to great scientists to achievers of all types who don't fit the traditional mold, I have always had an interest in promoting access for those who are differently abled. Step into the world of words without the constraints of traditional print. For those facing the challenge of reading large fonts or grappling with the physical act of holding a book, a literary escape awaits in the heart of Idaho. The Idaho Talking Book Service (TBS) serves as a source of light, offering the joy of literature to those facing obstacles in traditional reading.
The TBS emerges as a beacon of accessibility, offering a treasury of audiobooks that transcends barriers. This invaluable service, administered by the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL), extends its embrace to residents struggling with visual or physical limitations, opening the door to a vast collection of tales that traverse genres and themes. I have always been excited about this gateway to stories, where the pages turn with the gentle hum of narration, echoing the promise of a literary journey free for every Idahoan in need.
The TBS is an audiobook library service that is convenient and available at no cost to any Idaho resident who is blind, has a perceptual or reading disability, or is unable to read standard print due to a visual impairment or physical disability. To utilize the service, a person must have a qualifying condition, which can be certified by a medical professional, social worker, librarian, activities director in a care facility, or others.
The TBS loans audiobooks and magazines, and provides an easy-to-use player for the audio cartridges. Materials are mailed to and from the user's residence at no charge. There are more than 100,000 fiction and nonfiction titles in the collection -- everything from westerns and romance to mysteries and biographies. Also available are titles with an Idaho theme or connection, which are recorded locally.
Each participant's service can be as automated or personalized as the user and/or their caregiver would like. Whether it means having materials mailed to an alternate address when the family heads south for the winter or increasing the frequency of books, the TBS customer service representatives (CSRs) help ensure the users' needs are met. And if those needs change, the service can easily be altered to meet them. In addition, there is no complicated phone tree to navigate before reaching an actual person to speak with. The TBS CSRs are based in Boise and eager to help patrons by phone or via email every weekday. Patrons simply call or click, and the TBS staff responds. Plus, they love talking about books and giving reading recommendations.
Another feature of the service is the Braille and Audio Recording Download, known as BARD, through which books and magazines can be downloaded directly to the user's device. A TBS CSR can help a caregiver access BARD for the patron, and there's no wait time for the next great read.
Maybe you know someone who might benefit from the TBS, but you aren't sure. Visit your local public library and ask a staff member to show you a TBS player. You'll experience the player's large and user-friendly buttons and see how simple it is to use. The player has a power cord and a battery, so it can go everywhere a TBS user does -- on a road trip or just outside to the garden. The library will also have TBS marketing materials.
A patron receives their audiobooks on a cartridge. When they are ready to return the cartridge, the patron or their caregiver simply turns the mailing card over, slides it into a slot, and puts the cartridge in their outgoing mail. No trip to the post office or postage required. The materials are mailed "free matter for the blind."
As the spoken words weave tales of adventure, romance, mystery, and more, the Idaho TBS not only transcends the limitations imposed by print but also fosters a community where stories become bridges between hearts. In this auditory realm, where the written word transforms into whispered narratives, the power of imagination knows no bounds. The Idaho Commission for Libraries continues to champion accessibility, ensuring that every resident with a qualifying condition finds solace in the symphony of audiobooks. So, let the stories echo in the minds of Idahoans, transcending barriers and fostering a shared love for literature that reverberates far beyond the realms of the tangible pages. The Idaho Talking Book Service stands as a testament to the belief that everyone deserves the magic of storytelling, no matter the obstacles they face.
The Idaho Talking Book Service is very straightforward for patrons and/or their caregivers to use and there is no cost associated with the program. TBS can provide a lifeline for Idahoans who have become isolated. Staff receive countless cards, letters, and emails from family members of TBS patrons who praise the service for giving something valuable back to their loved one. Through its commitment to accessibility, the TBS breaks down barriers. In a world where isolation can often loom large, the Idaho Talking Book Service serves as an oasis, offering not just literature but also a sense of belonging and connection.
If you think the TBS can help you or someone you know, visit https://libraries.idaho.gov/tbs for more information. Or call the Idaho Talking Book Service at 800-458-3271.
An open letter to Idaho's U.S. senators, from Charles Graham of Moscow, Idaho.
Dear Senators Risch and Crapo,
You are respected lawyers and leaders in the U.S. Senate. As a former lawyer, I ask you to break your silence and speak out publicly against the ever-intensifying attacks on the integrity of our courts, judges, Department of Justice, and judicial system as a whole.
As lawyers, you know better than anyone else the vital role courts play in preserving the rule of law under the Constitution. You are in the best position to condemn the increasingly vitriolic attacks by former president Trump and others. Your silence is dangerous. It tacitly condones and legitimizes indefensible conduct, leads to unacceptable normalization of the more and more frequent physical threats to judges and prosecutors, and makes even more likely the “bedlam†Trump warns of if the courts rule against him. These attacks and threats are a danger to the nation. You should call them what they are, and call out those, including Trump, who propagate them.
You are also among those most able to speak with authority about the vital necessity of keeping the Department of Justice independent, and about the essential role of its attorneys general and special prosecutors in determining whether to seek indictments, and then of grand juries, comprised of ordinary citizens, to decide based on the evidence whether the facts justify an indictment.
There is no longer any doubt that a vindictive Mr. Trump would do his best to subvert an historically independent Justice Department and convert it to an instrument of retribution against those he thinks have wronged him and might stand in his way, including his perceived political enemies, judges, prosecutors, civil servants, and the media. These are the tools of authoritarianism. Trump openly says he will use them if he regains the presidency. You know the dangers for our democracy and the rule of law.
You may say that under our electoral process it is for the voters to repudiate Trump, to reject his efforts to appropriate for himself powers the founders would never have entrusted to the office of President. But it is you, as lawyers and lawmakers, who best understand the dangers. It is time for you to speak out with moral clarity, to denounce these attacks on the institutions of our democracy, and to place the future of this country above whatever political expediency you may think justifies your silence.
And welcome to 2024.
We're planning to add a few features this year. So keep checking in.
(image/Public Domain Pictures)
This is a guest opinion from Mary Souza, who served in the Idaho Senate for 8 years, retiring last year. If you are concerned about outside influences controlling your legislators, please share this column with friends. Email: MarySouzaUnfiltered@gmail.com Free Newsletter sign up go to Facebook @ MarySouza-Uncanceled and Unfiltered
During my 8 years serving in the Idaho Senate, I was incredibly impressed with the respectful nature of the Senate’s legislative process. Decades of tradition insured thoughtful decorum so ideas could be debated, often vigorously, but without personal attacks. After coming from the “blood sport†politics of North Idaho back then, I was relieved to find such rational behavior among my peers in the Senate and appreciated it throughout my time representing CdA.
But now with the new batch of legislators, the whole atmosphere in our state’s capitol has degraded. Some seasoned legislators call it “the death of decorumâ€, and others tell me they are suffering from PTSD after just one session with some of the new crew.
Many of the problematic newbies are close associates of Idaho Freedom Foundation, Citizen’s Alliance of Idaho, and some of the rogue central committees like ours here in Kootenai County. Are they purposefully trying to break our system of governance?
I’m very aware that Brent Regan, chair of the KCRCC, and others in his power group, are students of Saul Alinsky, the 1940s community organizer idolized by both Obama and Hillary. One of Alinsky’s most potent lessons is “disrupt the system." To demonstrate this lesson, he famously considered giving a group of low income volunteers big bowls of beans to eat before paying their way into an elite symphony concert. You can imagine what would have happened. Yes, they would have disrupted the system.
Is that what the IFF/KCRCC new legislators are trying to do? I hope not because our system was very good. Everyone could feel safe expressing the views of their district on any bill. We have 35 districts in Idaho and each has its own priorities. It is essential to maintain a level of respect and decorum so ideas and information from all parts of our state can be shared openly.
Last month, the ProTem of the Senate, who is “The Bossâ€, finally ran out of patience. He sent letters to three of the new Senators: Scott Herndon from Bonner County, Brian Lenny from Nampa, and Glenneda Zulderveld from Twin Falls. They were warned about their behavior and Lenney and Zulderveld were removed as Vice Chairs of committees, although they were all allowed to stay as members of the committees. (Herndon was not a Vice Chair)
I have a copy of all the letters. The Pro Tem wrote to Sen. Lenney: “It has been brought to my attention that on countless occasions you have aggressively attacked, disparaged, and degraded fellow members of the Senate, members of Senate leadership, and members of the general public. Further, you have continually disrespected and harmed the legislative process by violating the rules governing decorum. Although we expect Senators to advocate zealously on behalf of their constituents, Senators must do so in a manner that protects the integrity of the process and ensures the people’s business may be done in an efficient and effective manner.â€
Senator Zulderveld’s letter was very similar, also stating “…you recently posted an article written by you that openly attacked the integrity of your fellow members of the Idaho Senate…degrading and disrespectful of our colleagues.â€
And Senator Herndon’s letter said, “…you posted an article degrading and disparaging every Senate member serving on JFAC…Members of JFAC are tasked with setting the budget for the entire state, which requires countless hours…Your statements are unnecessary and inexcusable.â€The Pro Tem also questioned Herndon’s work ethic and the very few budgets he had worked in committee. On the FreedomBros podcast (below), Herndon was outraged by this. He brags that he “carried†5 budgets on the Senate floor, which does not mean he actually worked on them. Don’t be fooled. I served on JFAC, there are a huge number of budgets to review line by line, with working lunches and early mornings. It’s exhausting. Herndon didn’t do much, and presenting 5 budgets on the floor of the Senate is embarrassingly low.
So, upon receiving these letters, what did the Senators in question do? They went on social media and attacked the Pro Tem. I forced myself to watch a podcast called “Freedom Brosâ€hosted by Dustin Hurst, former IFF staff. All three of the Senators were there, and after a great deal of personal chit chat, they finally got to the issue of the letters. Herndon and Lenney were the most outraged. They claimed the Pro Tem of the Senate does NOT have the right to discipline them or remove them from their Vice Chair positions.
They are wrong.
It is true that every Senator is elected by the voters of their districts. But during the organizational session before the legislature starts, all of the members of the Senate, including the Democrats, vote to elect a Pro Tem, and also vote to adopt the Rules of the Senate (that’s Rule 5), I’m looking at my copy of those rules right now. In Rule 19 it says the committee assignments shall be made under the direction of the Pro Tem. Further, Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure, which rules most legislatures in our country including ours, states on page 394, “A legislative body has the right to regulate the conduct of its members and may discipline a member as it deems appropriate, including reprimand, censure or expulsion.â€
So, good readers, there’s a wise saying about behavior that perhaps our rogue Senators should keep in mind: “Disrespect will close doors that apologies cannot open.â€
I know that you, as voters, expect our Idaho government to operate in an organized, effective manner to make sure YOUR priorities are respectfully, thoughtfully, debated and passed into law if approved. You deserve it, so don’t be fooled by bluster of those demeaning others then posing for the spotlight. Please vote carefully.
The day to give thanks has arrived once again. Have a good day as the holiday season begins.
(image/Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, Wikipedia)