Presidents don’t matter? Maybe if you only care about stocks. And democracy?

Wall Street may not care about elections, but you do

In his July 17 op-ed about the presidential election not really affecting many of us, Peter Crabb takes aim at Wall Street. There are other voices saying the same thing — namely Wall Street bankers, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, etc. However, this election is about something much more damaging that will affect many, many of us.

Crabb does mention, albeit very briefly and almost in a whisper, that the executive branch has become more powerful than it should be. Hasn’t he studied the people Trump would put in that power? Start with J.D. Vance and Stephen Miller and the Heritage Foundation guys. Isn’t Crabb worried about Trump’s affinity for autocrats? Isn’t Crabb worried about the fears of our allies?

Wall Street, Dr. Crabb, may be okay no matter what the outcome. We on Main Street have more serious concerns.

Steve Rostron, Boise

More lanes on State Street

I am writing to express my support for 5 lanes on State Street between N 8th and N 14th Streets. This is a major route in and out of downtown Boise and is used daily by commuters and residents.

Creating 5 lanes with special turn lanes at intersections with arrows is the safest option. Flashing lights around the Walk/Don’t Walk signal can increase pedestrian awareness. Reroute cyclists to alternate streets like Jefferson or Bannock and add bike lanes to discourage them from using State Street or the sidewalks.

If State Street is effectively reduced to 2 lanes, it will create a significant bottleneck, frustrating drivers and significantly increasing travel time. It will also be very difficult for emergency vehicles with fewer lanes, as cars will have difficulty pulling over to let them pass. Drivers may choose to avoid State Street and the side streets, which will not make it any safer for cyclists, pedestrians, children or animals. Think of all the people who will be negatively affected if State Street is reduced to 2 lanes.

Mary Armstrong, Boise

You know a person’s character through his friends

Where have our morals gone? How do we justify voting for a convicted felon to be the leader of this great country?

Trump has the highest turnover in the history of the presidency. Fourteen Trump aides, donors and advisers have been indicted or imprisoned. He is the only president who has been linked to convicted criminals and is now a criminal himself, having been found guilty by his own colleagues on 34 counts!

His legal troubled associates include Steve Bannon, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Rudy Guiliani, Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, Peter Navarro, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell and many more. Are these the people we want in our government? Who are overthrowing our democracy?

Think carefully when you vote. It is not the man, but the good, competent people around him that make him great. Joe Biden may be older, but he knows government and is an honorable man and he has very qualified, moral people working for him and the American people. Save America, vote Biden/Harris.

Cory Samson, Boise

Private property rights are of the utmost importance

Many people have recently moved into this valley and built homes and neighborhoods next to or on farmland. Now some of those same people are protesting the Powers Butte Solar Project in Canyon and Ada counties, saying they want to “save our farms.” This is not “our” farm, it’s mine. And my family has the right to sell our land investment, just as anyone has the right to sell theirs.

I have been in the dairy business since we moved to Kuna in 1958. It has been a good life. We have seen many changes and improvements over the years. But I am 81 years old.

We decided to sell our land now because land prices are high. We chose to sell to Savion Energy instead of residential developers because they made a good offer and we felt it would be better for the community. A solar plant would not impact schools, traffic or the water table like a residential development would.

Property rights are highly valued in Idaho. Some people’s “preference” for how my land looks now should not affect my family’s fundamental right to develop our land as the regulations allow.

Steve Beus, Kuna

Anyone under 75 for president

It’s time to take Grandpa’s car away. This is a difficult decision, but it’s one that thousands of families face every year. Grandpa has always been a careful and considerate driver, and he would never want to hurt anyone. But he’s starting to show his age – he’s losing focus, his vision has blind spots, and his reflexes are no longer sharp. Ideally, Grandpa would realize this and voluntarily turn over his car keys.

But he is stubborn and proud, so it is the family’s job to tell him that he can no longer be a responsible driver.

This is the situation that both political parties are facing today. There are whispers that the Democrats want to oust President Biden as their nominee. They should. Unfortunately, there is no talk of shortening Donald Trump’s race. If Joe Biden drops out, Trump will be the oldest person to ever run for president—older than Biden was when he was elected in 2020. America deserves better than two old men who are past their prime running for the most important job in America and the world.

William Rice, Boise

If Trump wins, prepare for the return of corruption

The recent decision by the United States Supreme Court to grant former President Donald Trump immunity from prosecution for actions taken in the course of his official duties amounts to an endorsement of all plans to dismantle the U.S. government as outlined in Project 2025.

This is a parody of all the lives sacrificed to free people from autocratic dictators during the American Revolution, which freed us from the tyranny of a king, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, and the war on terror.

This also ends the separation of powers that the founders of this country put forward in their efforts to establish our great country.

Project 2025 is a blueprint, generated by former Trump administration employees, for eliminating the regulatory agencies or replacing their staff with Trump loyalists. These will be people with no expertise in the areas covered by the agencies. The experts who led those agencies will be replaced by political appointees. Could this also apply to the U.S. military?

William Brudenell, Boise