Good news reached me Monday morning: Moscow, Idaho, remains standing. After reading about last weekend’s events, we worried that we might arrive this week to smoldering ruins that you might see after raging battles.
I want to warn the beautiful city of Moscow, don’t park your fire trucks just yet. Hundreds of Idaho Democrats are descending on the Palouse for our 2014 Idaho Democratic Party State Convention.
We are an energetic, fiery bunch!
We are likely to have heated debates. We are likely to burn our lanterns late into the night. We expect the Friday night Latah County Democratic Street Party to be a barnburner too!
Then you have to consider our candidates.
They’ve been cooking up and down the campaign trail. These exceptional public servants have ignited the kind of passion and excitement that we need to burn down 20 years of failed GOP policies in Idaho.
Seriously though, Idaho Democrats are honored to have our convention in Moscow this year. We thank the city for being a gracious and welcoming host. We are pleased to play a role in boosting your local economy this summer as well.
My message to Idaho Democrats, and to all Idahoans who want to see Idaho run in a more efficient, transparent, fair and honest fashion, is that our candidates have the leadership skills, the experience and the integrity to make that happen.
We do not believe it is by accident that Idaho is last in per-capita income, near last in education investment, and second in percentage of minimum wage jobs. We believe this the result of decades of failed policies pressed upon us by Republican politicians who put themselves and their friends ahead of ordinary Idaho citizens.
We believe we can choose to do better. When Idaho Democrats are elected, we will do better.
Our candidates are focused on the prosperity of children, families, businesses and communities.
We know that when our elected leaders create a climate where rural schools are forced to go to four-day school weeks that our leaders are failing us. It is very hard to convince a business to locate in a community where the school week is so short. None of Idaho’s 41 rural school districts dropped to four days because they thought it would improve educational outcomes. They all did it because they were desperate to keep their doors open. Idaho’s Republican politicians did that.
Idaho Democrats have our priorities straight because we listen to the families and business leaders in our communities. While we are in Moscow, we invite folks from all over Latah County to visit with us and share your ideas for making our state better.
Whatever happens at our convention, I am confident that we will leave town after successfully conducting the business that we have come to conduct.
And, we will have a great time while we are doing it!
