It was a busy week with Karen and I embracing our Grandparent’s role, we had 7 year old Clio as our house guest for a full week. She is a pleasure and you will hear no complaints—well any issues are around getting Clio to all of her sports and
school events. We also want to get to all of Hank’s baseball games and Margie is playing softball. Throw in some piano lessons and chess and you have very busy children. I am convinced that parents and their support groups getting the kids involved in productive activities makes a life long difference. As we old folks like to say, one day the kids will appreciate all that is done to get them ready for the real world.
There are so many Idaho children without an adequate support system. Many of them will end up short of the education required to gain a successful and rewarding career. If we are going to insist that they must exist under most any circumstance, seems like we should assure they become additive to our community. The State does a lot to support Public Education and thankfully finally added kindergarten to the required training. The facts will show that pre-K is another key to a great educational start. Idahoans insisted on Medicaid Expansion, driven by a citizen initiative in 2018, today nearly 425,000 vulnerable Idahoans have the benefits of health coverage, nearly 40% of all children in Idaho. Recent Idaho budget decisions removed 57,000 children from eligibility, the highest percentage in the nation. Idaho can do better.
I attended the Boys and Girls Club Gala. The Wild West Auction supports the now 8 clubs in Ada County. The Club was started in Garden City by then Mayor Ted Ellis. It continues to grow with the demand. Clubs provide kids with a safe place to go after school, healthy meals, positive role models, and a brighter future. Mayor Ted used to tell me they provide hope. The night raised several hundred thousand dollars which will be invested wisely. There are many other not for profit groups that offer support to the children in our communities. If you have a few dollars you don’t know what to do with since the DOW hit 40,000-in this terrible economic time-check out the organizations that are giving hope to kids in Idaho.
Karen got a beautiful bouquet from the girls she raised. They were lucky to have a Mother who invested time in building their skills for the future. The grand-kids call her Ooma and she is back in their classes reading. doing art work and offering a helping hand.
Let’s save Idaho from the far right and restore its rightful claim in our State Song.
In the chorus.
“There’s truly one state in this great land of ours,
Where ideals can be realized.
The pioneers made it so for you and me
A legacy we’ll always prize.”
Idaho is too great for Hate. Mike