Idaho Statesman: Beware: Legislative ‘scientists’ at work

The Idaho Statesman has published an editorial about the recent “Wolf Disaster Declaration” recently passed by the Idaho House and sent to the floor for a vote in the state Senate:

Our View: Beware: Legislative ‘scientists’ at workIdaho Stateman Editorial Board

Boyle says Idahoans feel physically and psychologically threatened by the wolves — a message echoed, in less-than-measured tones, in the bill itself. “The uncontrolled proliferation of imported wolves on private land has produced a clear and present danger to humans, their pets and livestock, and has altered and hindered historical uses of private and public land, dramatically inhibiting previously safe activities such as walking, picnicking, biking, berry picking, hunting and fishing.”

Not exactly. Wolf attacks are extremely rare — and certainly in relation to the region’s population of fearmongering political panderers.

Strong language in the editorial, but not enough to pacify what looks soon to be their bloodlust fantasy codified into state statue.

13 thoughts on “Idaho Statesman: Beware: Legislative ‘scientists’ at work

  1. As I have been saying for almost a decade now, this anti-wolf hysteria is in part real but a large part calculated move by the Republicans to divert attention and most importantly, politically significant emotion, away from sorry condition of the state’s economy, health, education system, and opportunities for its citizens to advance.

    While Idaho is hardly alone among the states, it has become a miserable place to live if you are not economically advantaged. When I moved back to Idaho in 1971, it was a state that was advancing environmentally, the average person was seeing an increased standard of living, and Idaho’s biggest export was no longer its children. Given a generation-and-half this has all been lost.

    I think the wolves will survive in the state, although possibly in low numbers, but a sick child from a family with only average means who has a severe, but easily cured illness, probably will not.

    1. Ralph,

      How can that be? 😉 According to Rob Mckenna, (possible gubernatorial candidate in WA) Butch Otter has helped turn Idaho into a business “nirvana”, and that Washington State needs to follow his lead! Rob was praising him at an event over here in WA a few weeks ago. Mckenna specifically referenced a uranium enrichment facility that Butch successfully lobbied for that was also considering Washington State as a possible location. The event planners were apparently so enamored with Butch that they made him the keynote speaker.

    2. I’m not sure if this is me or not but the modern day Republican Party bears no resemblance to Kemp, Dole, or Lowell Weicker even. These people are vicious, driven totally by ideology. It’s very scary. The last few days we have had to listen to these Repubs talk about how the Democrats didn’t pass a budget last year. If I remember correctly Reid had a deal with Mcconnell until he pulled one of his obstructionist manuvers. You notice how the Cantor types don’t like the obstruction now

      1. The intellect of the Republican party (augmented by those who claim Tea Party affiliations) surely has gone down over the last fifteen to twenty years. No brains, no insight, no morals, and surely no vision for the future. As some D’s, it seems, have moved more to the center, some R’s keep moving right and have become more dogmatic, which is why the government is on the verge of a shut-down. I think some of this began about the time a village in Texas lost its idiot, who brought along with him an obstreperous, arrogant, asshole Secretary of Defense (Rumdumb) that got us into wars we had no business getting into. How many billions have been spent on those fiascos, while losing credibility on the world stage that will take decades to repair?

      2. This ideology includes that “rapture” thing. The big problem there is that it says that it will destroy all the earth and kill everybody on the planet and the ideologues will be “taken up to heaven” and the rest will perish… well if more than half the population of the planet doesn’t “believe” in this ideology, the ideologues have to ensure that this prophecy comes to pass so if the rest of the population isn’t buying it, the ideologues will have to make sure they take everyone else with them or else they can’t have their “rapture” event. Makes sense to me. They want the world to end so they can have their rapture, therefore, they must make sure that everyone/everything else gets destroyed to fulfill this prophecy. A strong case for Atheism.

      3. WM, I am no Republican, but I find myself missing Bill Buckley and others of his intellect, wit and reasoned positions. It just seems the conservative thought in this country has devolved into fear mongering, lying, and shameless manipulation of anger to accomplish an increasingly corporate elite agenda.

        At least Buckley made sense even if I didn’t agree with him

  2. Most people don’t know that Idaho has the lowest union participation rate in the USA (less than 5%). Some Republicans would have you believe that a state’s health is inversely proportionally to union participation. Look at food stamp usage in Idaho and you will see that the premise is not accurate. Like all political parties, the Republicans are very selective in their message in each state. For Idahoans it is the wolf that is psychologically damaging the populace.

  3. One of the commentors on the story-

    “We don’t need no stinkin science, or data, or facts…We don’t need any accurate information or study to verify why we don’t like something”. WOW. He should run for the state legislature

  4. too much emphasis on the biological science and not enough on the political science has left professional wolf advocates at a disadvantage in political venues. there is no biological emergency, but there certainly exists political urgency – that’s why bills like these are viable at the statehouse.

    as for the article – as much as i may agree with the general sentiment of the statesman editorial board here, i find their coverage of the issue over the years to be hypocritical in that regard. the local media, including the statesman, has never made an attempt to cover this issue in any balanced or objective fashion.

  5. What is the initial conventional wisdom and perception of Virgil Moore as the new director of IDFG, replacing Cal Groen? Any thoughts by those who have worked with him, or observed his nature during his rather lengthy tenure with the Department?

  6. I wonder if this “Wolf Disaster Declaration” thought process was similar to the one(s) used back at the beginning of the 20th century to persuade people that wolves need to be eliminated? To me it sounds pretty similar, but I was not around in the 1920s-1930s.

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