[Vision2020] is V2020 doomed?

[Tom Hansen]

Thank you very, very much, Mr. Solomon.

 

Does anybody know whether or not the book "Idaho's Constitution: The tie
That Binds" can be found at either Bookpeople or the UI Bookstore?

 

I suspected that Moscow's "political and economic influence" developed roots
long before last January 3rd.

 

I have always been an easy mark when it comes to state and local history.

 

If I may make two recommendations:

 

1)  O Palouse - A documentary (DVD) of the history of the Palouse region.

 

2)  "Up the Swiftwater" by Sandra Crowell and David Asleson - A pictorial
history of the upper St. Joe River region. 

 

As you so eloquently reflected:

 

"There was no timber industry to speak of, no north-south road, and very few
Republicans."

 

If only . . .

 

Seeya round town, Moscow.

 

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

 

************************************************

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety."

- Benjamin Franklin

************************************************

  _____  

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Mark Solomon
Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2006 7:14 AM
To: Donovan Arnold; Jerry Weitz; Michael; vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] is V2020 doomed?

 

A quick review of Idaho history should serve to remind us that
Moscow/Latah's "political and economic influence in the state" was due to
the demographics of the 1800's. When Idaho entered the Union in the post
Civil War era, the major population centers were the mining districts of the
state (primarily the Silver Valley), the main trading centers situated along
major transportation hubs (still largely river or Oregon Trail focused :
Lewiston and Boise), some dryland farmers in the Palouse and the beginnings
of irrigated ag along the Snake in the south. There was no timber industry
to speak of, no north-south road, and very few Republicans. To a large
extent, Idaho was Democratic, as in Southern Democrat in post Civil War
America. When it came to setting up the new state's infrastructure, the
north with it's large population block was able to secure the capitol in
Lewiston (the terminus for upriver navigation on the Snake), the state
hospital in Orofino (Orofino used to be a gold mining town before
Weyherhauser and the green gold of timber came in the early 1900's), the
teachers college in Lewiston (now LCSC) and the state university in Moscow
(whose moderate Republican leaders banded with the Dixiecrats to prevent the
Mormons of south Idaho from dominating the state. South Idaho got the prison
in Boise and the School for the Deaf and Blind in Gooding (another Oregon
Trail connection although I can't recall if that happened at the same time
as statehood). ISU was eventually established in Pocatello (a Democratic RR
town), but that was much later.

 

For an excellent account of how the state came to be formed, I recommend UI
Law Professor Dennis Colson's book on writing the Idaho Constitution:
Idaho's Constitution: The Tie That Binds

 

It was a marriage of convenience that lasted, for Moscow, a surprisingly
long time. Lewiston lost the capitol quite quickly when the instruments of
state power were "stolen" and transported to Boise via the only connecting
route: downriver on the Snake and then over the Oregon Trail via Pendleton
to south Idaho (a trail any one who has to go to Boise from Moscow has
travelled more than once if you've had the misfortune of needing to be in
Boise, with a car, when a rockslide closes Highway 95).

 

What has diminished Moscow's influence in the state has far less to do with
the internal workings of our community than the explosive growth of the
state capitol (with all the attendant power that implies along with it's
setting aside the mainline RR and an Interstate highway), the race hate
politics of the 60's, 70's and 80's that saw tectonic shifts in the major
parties political platforms with Southern Democrats realizing they are now
Republicans, the national shift from moderate to radically conservative
Republicans and a winner take all mindset first seen here in the
Church/Symms race in 1982, white flight from other states in the 80' and
90's to almost lily white north Idaho north of the C'dA Reservation, and the
boom in second home/retirement homes in the ski/river/lake areas of the
state as the baby boom generation reaches it's economic if not age maturity.

 

There are great challenges facing us. A city council and mayor who have been
in office for less than six months did not create our problems. Unlike
Donovan, I remain hopeful they are able and willing to face them. Thanks
Jerry for summing them up so succinctly.

 

Mark S.

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20060603/19271bca/attachment.htm