<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div>Those were the days, my friend . . . </div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Soundbites/Shirley_Ringo.mp3">http://www.tomandrodna.com/Soundbites/Shirley_Ringo.mp3</a></div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">Courtesy of today's (July 30, 2017) Lewiston Tribune with thanks to Shirley Ringo.</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">---------------------------------</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><div id="AppleMailSignature"><b>Worried about Spence</b></div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">I worry about William Spence. During several of my years in Idaho's Legislature, I enjoyed interacting with this reporter from the Lewiston Tribune. He seemed somewhat progressive. But an individual who works around Idaho's Legislature too long must be careful lest the extremely conservative rhetoric begins to sound sensible.</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">Spence's June 29 Up Front commentary signals that he may have reached the point of no return.</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">Centered around a discussion of land use planning, he cautions people to be wary of "sweet old ladies" who brandish sharp knives. Spence claims these little old ladies are perfectly willing to trample on someone's property rights to defend the future of the valley where they live. His conclusion is that government should not be "aspirational." Rather, government should handle basic services such as public safety and national defense.</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">For example, Spence finds guidelines objectionable that prevent a farmer from subdividing his (sic) land into 1- to 5-acre parcels. This is an unfortunate oversimplification of a complex issue. Land ownership is a responsibility. Land an individual owns will not always be in his or her possession.</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">People have no right to trash land they own. Water they foul travels downstream. Land is necessary for food production. A certain amount of open space must be preserved for the enjoyment of people and habitat for nature's creatures.</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">Spence equates land-use planning with sticking a knife in somebody's back. Sad. In fact, our aspirations for land stewardship are an investment in the common good.</div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">Shirley Ringo</div><div id="AppleMailSignature">Moscow</div></div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="AppleMailSignature">---------------------------------<br><br><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div> </div></div></div></body></html>