I'm spending a lot of time searching these days for voices of reason, voices of proven integrity and voices respected by a broad swath of citizens.
In the past few days, two such voices have penned their thoughts about America in general and about a statewide issue appearing on the Idaho ballot in next week's general election.
I'm glad we still have such voices. We need to hear them now more than ever.
I know there are more out there. I hope additional voices rise this next week as we Americans face an election, sure to define us as a proud and principled nation or not.
I truly believe that our voting next week will define our destiny, probably more dramatically than any election in my memory.
I hope you'll take time to read the messages of these two individuals----one a national hero, the other, an Idahoan who has served our state well.
And, please vote!
________
from the Washington Post
Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger is a safety expert, author and speaker on leadership and culture.
Nearly 10 years ago, I led 154 people to safety as the captain of US Airways Flight 1549, which suffered bird strikes, lost thrust in the engines and was forced to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River. Some called it “the Miracle on the Hudson.”
But it was not a miracle. It was, in microcosm, an example of what is needed in emergencies — including the current national crisis — and what is possible when we serve a cause greater than ourselves.
On our famous flight, I witnessed the best in people who rose to the occasion. Passengers and crew worked together to help evacuate an elderly passenger and a mother with a 9-month-old child.
New York Waterway took the initiative to radio their vessels to head toward us when they saw us approaching. This successful landing, in short, was the result of good judgment, experience, skill — and the efforts of many.
New York Waterway took the initiative to radio their vessels to head toward us when they saw us approaching. This successful landing, in short, was the result of good judgment, experience, skill — and the efforts of many.
But as captain, I ultimately was responsible for everything that happened. Had even one person not survived, I would have considered it a tragic failure that I would have felt deeply for the rest of my life.
To navigate complex challenges, all leaders must take responsibility and have a moral compass grounded in competence, integrity and concern for the greater good.
To navigate complex challenges, all leaders must take responsibility and have a moral compass grounded in competence, integrity and concern for the greater good.
I am often told how calm I sounded speaking to passengers, crew and air traffic control during the emergency. In every situation, but especially challenging ones, a leader sets the tone and must create an environment in which all can do their best.
You get what you project. Whether it is calm and confidence — or fear, anger and hatred — people will respond in kind. Courage can be contagious.
Today, tragically, too many people in power are projecting the worst. Many are cowardly, complicit enablers, acting against the interests of the United States, our allies and democracy; encouraging extremists at home and emboldening our adversaries abroad; and threatening the livability of our planet.
Many do not respect the offices they hold; they lack — or disregard — a basic knowledge of history, science and leadership; and they act impulsively, worsening a toxic political environment.
As a result, we are in a struggle for who and what we are as a people. We have lost what in the military we call unit cohesion. The fabric of our nation is under attack, while shame — a timeless beacon of right and wrong — seems dead.
This is not the America I know and love. We’re better than this. Our ideals, shared facts and common humanity are what bind us together as a nation and a people. Not one of these values is a political issue, but the lack of them is.
This current absence of civic virtues is not normal, and we must not allow it to become normal. We must rededicate ourselves to the ideals, values and norms that unite us and upon which our democracy depends. We must be engaged and informed voters, and we must get our information from credible, reputable sources.
For the first 85 percent of my adult life, I was a registered Republican. But I have always voted as an American. And this critical Election Day, I will do so by voting for leaders committed to rebuilding our common values and not pandering to our basest impulses.
When I volunteered for military service during wartime, I took an oath that is similar to the one our elected officials take: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
I vowed to uphold this oath at the cost of my life, if necessary. We must expect no less from our elected officials. And we must hold accountable those who fail to defend our nation and all our people.
After Flight 1549, I realized that because of the sudden worldwide fame, I had been given a greater voice. I knew I could not walk away but had an obligation to use this bully pulpit for good and as an advocate for the safety of the traveling public. I feel that I now have yet another mission, as a defender of our democracy.
We cannot wait for someone to save us. We must do it ourselves. This Election Day is a crucial opportunity to again demonstrate the best in each of us by doing our duty and voting for leaders who are committed to the values that will unite and protect us.
Years from now, when our grandchildren learn about this critical time in our nation’s history, they may ask if we got involved, if we made our voices heard. I know what my answer will be. I hope yours will be “yes.”
________
Before you read Shawn's piece, here's a "hot off the Press" on this Oct. 30: Joe ParrisVerified account @KTVBJoe
New this morning -- Idaho Governor @ButchOtter is now endorsing Prop 2, the Medicaid expansion ballot initiative. In a release sent out (very) early today, Otter said in part, “Allowing the healthcare coverage gap to persist any longer is not an option,”
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________
from the Sandpoint Reader
Don’t believe misleading facts about Proposition 2
By Sen. Shawn Keough
Reader Contributor
The official voters’ guide from the State of Idaho for November’s ballot contains several arguments against Proposition 2 (Medicaid Expansion) that are false or misleading. Among them: that Medicaid Expansion will lead to cuts in funding for public schools.
Without a doubt, due to the nature of our Idaho Constitution’s
requirement for a balanced budget, ALL items in our state budget
“compete” “against” each other. Always have, always will.
That said, my argument in favor of Medicaid Expansion – beyond the humanity of it – is that we “taxpayers” are already paying for this medical care for the “gap population.”
We pay for it through our property taxes when these folks must turn to the county indigent fund to help them pay catastrophic medical care bills. We pay for it through the State’s Catastrophic Fund (AKA Cat Fund) which are our sales and income taxes. We pay for it by paying higher costs for our own care at hospitals, doctors, dentists and other medical services.
And, we who can afford health insurance pay for it through the higher insurance premiums we pay on our policies, because insurance companies are in it for the profit. They will always pass the costs to their policy holders and to the doctors, hospitals and others they contract with.
So, although a large percentage will come from the federal taxes we send to D.C. the portion we will pay at the state will come out of the General Fund. Now, will it cut public schools? Beyond the irony of the Idaho Freedom Foundation actually being concerned about the funding for our public schools, I would say that — even though we can and should do more — the Idaho Legislature’s commitment to public school funding is clear: the K-12 budget always comes first and all other budgets come afterward.
And, the K-12 budget is and has been between 48 percent and 52 percent of the entire general fund budget for over 20 years!
A couple of other items: Our state economy as reflected in our state general fund income has been increasing since the recession and is currently on an 8-percent-plus growth line.
Additionally, should Medicaid Expansion pass, there will be growth in the economy due to added jobs in the medical field, which in turn will pay more taxes than received today.
And, perhaps most importantly, the folks in the “gap” are the working poor. They are working! They are working two and three jobs to keep themselves and their families going! They are in the workforce today and want to stay in the workforce.
These, typically, are the folks working in the service businesses the rest of us expect to be there. The clerk at the retail store, the coffee shop, the hardware store — you get the picture.
And finally, if your roof has a leak, usually, you fix it before it gets worse and you must replace the entire roof — which is more expensive.
With Medicaid Expansion people will get the preventative care they need which will diminish the burden on our system caused by them waiting until their health gets so bad they go to an emergency room.
Medicaid Expansion is just plain common sense: fiscally and humanly.
Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, has represented District 1 as state senator since 1996. Keough announced last year she would retire after this, her current term in office.
Reader Contributor
The official voters’ guide from the State of Idaho for November’s ballot contains several arguments against Proposition 2 (Medicaid Expansion) that are false or misleading. Among them: that Medicaid Expansion will lead to cuts in funding for public schools.
Sen. Shawn Keough.
That said, my argument in favor of Medicaid Expansion – beyond the humanity of it – is that we “taxpayers” are already paying for this medical care for the “gap population.”
We pay for it through our property taxes when these folks must turn to the county indigent fund to help them pay catastrophic medical care bills. We pay for it through the State’s Catastrophic Fund (AKA Cat Fund) which are our sales and income taxes. We pay for it by paying higher costs for our own care at hospitals, doctors, dentists and other medical services.
And, we who can afford health insurance pay for it through the higher insurance premiums we pay on our policies, because insurance companies are in it for the profit. They will always pass the costs to their policy holders and to the doctors, hospitals and others they contract with.
So, although a large percentage will come from the federal taxes we send to D.C. the portion we will pay at the state will come out of the General Fund. Now, will it cut public schools? Beyond the irony of the Idaho Freedom Foundation actually being concerned about the funding for our public schools, I would say that — even though we can and should do more — the Idaho Legislature’s commitment to public school funding is clear: the K-12 budget always comes first and all other budgets come afterward.
And, the K-12 budget is and has been between 48 percent and 52 percent of the entire general fund budget for over 20 years!
A couple of other items: Our state economy as reflected in our state general fund income has been increasing since the recession and is currently on an 8-percent-plus growth line.
Additionally, should Medicaid Expansion pass, there will be growth in the economy due to added jobs in the medical field, which in turn will pay more taxes than received today.
And, perhaps most importantly, the folks in the “gap” are the working poor. They are working! They are working two and three jobs to keep themselves and their families going! They are in the workforce today and want to stay in the workforce.
These, typically, are the folks working in the service businesses the rest of us expect to be there. The clerk at the retail store, the coffee shop, the hardware store — you get the picture.
And finally, if your roof has a leak, usually, you fix it before it gets worse and you must replace the entire roof — which is more expensive.
With Medicaid Expansion people will get the preventative care they need which will diminish the burden on our system caused by them waiting until their health gets so bad they go to an emergency room.
Medicaid Expansion is just plain common sense: fiscally and humanly.
Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, has represented District 1 as state senator since 1996. Keough announced last year she would retire after this, her current term in office.
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