Talk radio...

I like listening to talk radio. It helps me stay informed and sometimes I just don't want to listen to music on my way home.

Yesterday I was actually driving to my parents house that evening and Nate Shelmn on 670 KBOI New/Talk from 4-7. I have mixed feelings about Nate. He is a hit or miss type person.
On the way to my parents house, Nate was talking about the memorial scheduled for the 4 police officers in Washington. Nate explains that there will be a couple of police officers from Ada County going to the memorial. They were talking a car, van, and trailer (trailer contained their motorcycles). Not bad so far right?

Nate then explains these police officers were being paid and reimbursed to expense. This is what I have an issue with. The paid portion. They are using tax money to fund the trip. Nate's opinion was in support of sending the officers. According to Nate, this was the best way to represent us and show our support for the Washington officers/community. Nate can see why people (like me) would oppose the trip.

While speaking with a fellow supporter, the caller and Nate decided it was selfish and mean to oppose the trip. With those comments, I just had to call. I oppose the trip not out of selfishness or meanness, but because it is wrong and irresponsible.

With the condition of the economy and the deficites in the budget, can we really afford to pay for the reimbursement of the gas, hotel, food? They complain the police do not receiving enough funding as it is. If they can afford to pay for these extras, they need to stop complaining.

Plus, the money that was paid for reimbursement had to come from somewhere. That money that was not planned for in the budget and had to be pulled from somewhere. Now there is a
shortage in that program/account. More money will need to be generated to replace the shortage. How do the police get funded? Taxes!! What happens when they need more money?
MORE TAXES!! Who likes more taxes? Nobody. I can guarantee if the taxes were raised and this was the cause, no one would be in support of this trip.

Taxes paid by Idaho citizens are meant to provide services for the Idaho citizens. I guess it is selfish just to think of the thousands of people who rely on those officers to help them.
I also feel it was wrong for them to be paid. If they wanted to use vacation or pay their own way, that is fine. You should not use the taxes paid by us to fund the trip. Yes they would be paid if they were still here working, but that is it. They would be working protecting out streets. What if we had disaster and those handful of cops could have made difference?

I brought up that point while talking to Nate. He asked me do I really feel less safe with those police officers gone? My response was yes. Nate then asked if I would be lying with that response. I honestlly said no. Sometimes it make all the difference with just one person. What is there were an emergency or disaster. Just one makes a lot of difference.

(Side note here. I was just listening to the podcast of the show last night. A gentleman called in after me and explained they agency who are sending officers would not allow for any vacancies on patrol. That would mean paying replacements, so instead of one salaray, you are now paying two!!)

In this same direction, I feel it would have shown a greater respect for those fallen officers if the Idaho cops would stay here and do their job. It seems to reason those fallen officers who loved what they did, would have preferred fellow officers to stand in their place and continue to do
what they no longer could. Did I explain that right?

I feel this would have been better if we funded this privately. If we collected the funds privately, that demonstrates how we really care. We did it willingly, instead of having the chiefs make the choice for us.

I have the feeling that the money could have been better spent then sending some officers up there. Those who support the trip say it makes the family feel better knowing someone was there. A body in a crowd that they might not see or even recogonize as apposed to a physical monument, erected in park/bldg/etc, that they visit and phsycially see everyday? Wouldn't the daily reminder offer better support compared two 1 day?

And my final point, what about those local cops who have died? Did they send a convoey when Linda Huff was gunned donw in Cour de Lane? Do we evern remember if there were there?! NO!!

Why do we not send members of the military unit when an Idaho soilder's body is returned? If some some, why not all? Cause if you do, we would be like California and have NO MONEY FOR ANYTHING!!

If we lived in a more suprlus time or in a perfect world, I would be all for sending the officers and military personal. I guess I am selfish.