Idaho Legislative District 6 Republican Committee

Blog

  • Self Governing

    by Gresham Bouma

    Our system was built on the concept, the idea, of God-given rights. Our Constitution was written to be the framework that would implement the political philosophy of our Declaration, which is the most succinct and beautiful expression of political truth ever written. “ that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men”. I would like to point out that rights are just a positive statement of the law. The law that says “Thou shall not steal” is simply the other side of the coin that says you have a God-given right to keep your own property.

    Too many of us conservatives just want government to leave us alone, so in practice we also ignore it. But that obviously does not work. In fact, we were given a system which was to be government of the people, for the people and by the people. We were to be self-governing, which means we have a critical role to play in government. When we do not play our essential role in our system, like a king abdicating, we give our power over to others who obviously rule over us. But that is not what our system was supposed to be, and only liberty can produce a healthy, just, and prosperous society. And liberty is smothered by the ordinary, organic and incessant growth of government and its bureaucracies. So I hope all of you play your critical rolls in self-government and demand that your government do less and take less, and leave more for your children and grandchildren. Any society that is allowed to keep the wealth it creates, and leave that wealth to its children will become incredibly prosperous, but that requires a constant, diligent defense of your liberty. You can’t have both big government and big liberty. I know which of those I want for my grandkids. What about you?

  • The True Nature of Capital Gains

    by Gresham Bouma

    VP Harris’s proposal to tax unrealized capital gains brings up an important subject. Most people realize how incredibly destructive it would be to tax unrealized capital gains, as it would take a wrecking ball to personal finances and capital markets. However, it also raises a deeper issue that many people don’t fully understand—the true nature of capital gains.

    According to the IRS, any increase in nominal value is considered a capital gain. The problem with this definition is that many capital gains, perhaps most, are simply a result of inflation. Genuine capital gains occur when the value of an asset appreciates due to the growth of a business or other productive activities. However, much of the capital gains we see today stem from monetary inflation, which is fueled by government overspending, borrowing, and excessive money printing.

    When governments print more money, they dilute the value of the dollar, robbing those who hold savings in dollars and pushing up prices of assets. This inflation-driven increase in asset prices creates the illusion of wealth, but in reality, it is just a reflection of a weaker currency. To make matters worse, the government then claims that individuals have “profited” from these nominal capital gains and taxes them as though they have actually increased in wealth.

    Thus, government-induced inflation creates nominal capital gains, and the government uses these gains as an excuse to levy taxes. It’s a vicious cycle—one where the government’s initial act of devaluing the currency becomes a justification for further financial extraction from the public. It’s akin to an abuser using the bruises from the last beating as an excuse to do it all over again.

  • Integrity in Affiliation Explained

    By Dorothy Moon, IDGOP Chairwoman
    Every two years, the Idaho Republican Party asks primary candidates to sign the Integrity in Affiliation Form. This simply asks if candidates have read and support the Idaho StateConstitution and the Idaho Republican Platform.

    Sounds simple, but nothing is ever simple in today’s media and political environment.

    Some, apparently troubled with the notion of supporting the Constitution and the Platform, call this a purity test or a tribunal. It’s nothing of the sort. This is an opportunity to share with the voters your position on the foundational documents of our party.

    Voters deserve to know if a candidate supports the Constitution and the Platform, and if not, why? Maybe you don’t agree on everything. Maybe you disagree with Article I, Section 2, Point I of the Platform that calls for the repeal of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. Maybe you think income taxes are great, in which case you can sign the form with the caveat that you disagree with that particular plank.

    Maybe you don’t think something in the Platform goes far enough. That’s fine, just say so.

    What is the Idaho Republican Platform, anyway? Was it handed down from Heaven, signed by Abraham Lincoln himself? Of course not. The Platform represents the political positions of the Republican grassroots.
    Every two years, delegates gather in a beautiful Idaho city to debate new planks for the platform. Changes or additions are first debated in the Platform Committee and then ratified by the Convention as a whole.

    This tradition goes back to the beginning, when the first Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia, PA. Those delegates created a platform that promoted the same ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that their (and our) ancestors had fought and died for. It called on Congress to ban slavery, calling it a relic of barbarism.

    Today, the Idaho GOP Platform upholds the same timeless tenets of freedom and liberty. It calls for fiscal responsibility, low taxes, sound currency, state sovereignty, citizen involvement in government, and an absolute right for parents to choose how to educate their own children. It stands in support of agriculture, water, natural resources, and energy production, as well as the Idaho National Laboratory.

    The Idaho GOP Platform recognizes the sanctity of the family, the innocence of children, and the right to life from conception. It supports the absolute right of self defense as enshrined in the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution.

    Our Platform is a statement of who we are and what we believe as Republicans. We haveasked all candidates in the Republican primary to submit the Integrity in Affiliation Form, which we will publish soon. Voters will know who supports Republican values.

  • What Makes A Republican a Republican?

    By Dorothy Moon, IDGOP Chairwoman
    In Idaho, becoming a Republican is as easy as checking a box on a form, and we welcome all who support time-tested Republican values. What are those values, really? What is it that makes a Republican a Republican? 

    Ask around and you’ll hear lots of opinions about what true Republicans believe. The left-wing media has all sorts of ideas, as do Democrats (and those that support Democrats, like Jim Jones). Why let them tell you what a Republican should be? Let’s go back to the beginning. 

    Our party formed from the ground up as men and women sought moral clarity in a divided nation. The principle that all are created equal was written into our founding documents, but slavery made a mockery of those words. The original Republican platform of 1856 reaffirmed the self-evident truth that all people are endowed with the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that the purpose of government is to secure those rights.

    Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, said, “Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere.”

    Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery to become one of the great American orators, said, “The Republican Party is the ship, all else is the sea.”

    When big corporations first began to threaten the freedom of individual men and women with monopoly power, it was Republican Teddy Roosevelt who fought to ensure fairness: “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.”

    Yet when government sought to control free enterprise in the name of central planning, it was Republican Calvin Coolidge who held the line against socialist ideas: “It will be the part of wisdom to give business a free hand to supply its own remedies.” 

    These timeless principles inspired Republicans in Idaho to pass laws to protect unborn children, who are the most vulnerable human beings in existence. Republicans ensured that parents have the ability to remove obscene materials from public schools and libraries, where our children learn and grow. Republicans have taken a firm stand against ranked choice voting, which is intended to confuse the electoral process. 

    For 170 years, the Republican Party has stood firm on the words of the Declaration of Independence, the foundation for the greatest and most free nation in history. Today, unchecked progressivism once again makes a mockery of those words. The Idaho Republican Party will never stop fighting for faith, family, and freedom. If you believe in those values, then we welcome you to the fight.
  • Communication Platform and Website for Precinct Committeemen

    Communication Platform and Website for Precinct Committeemen

    Looking for a platform for Precinct Committeemen? Communicate with PC’s all over the US and find out what they are doing in their state to clean up and strengthen the Republican party.

    https://share-link.pilled.net/group/PrecinctStrategy/1

    A Precinct Committeeman support website PrecinctStrategy.com by Dan Schultz is a great place to start if you are thinking about becoming one or are already one looking for ideas and support.

    What is the Precinct Strategy?

    The Precinct Strategy is a grassroots effort to help people like you and me become Precinct Committeemen. Precinct Committeemen are voting members of the party who represent their community and make up the foundation of all political parties. 

    Fewer than one in one hundred members of a political party can be internal voting members, and parties cannot exist without the influence and power of these Precinct Committee members.

    The goal of the Precinct Strategy is to help the Republican Party succeed in three ways by:

    1. Influencing the policies and overall direction of the Republican Party
    2. Deciding who represents the Republican Party when running for public office.
    3. Electing leaders of the Republican Party who truly represent the people.

    Be a patriot and get into party politics by becoming a Republican Party Precinct Committeeman!

    https://www.precinctstrategy.com

    If you are interested in becoming a Precinct Committeeman, contact Debra at idahogopld6@gmail.com. Remember only you can prevent RINO’s from gaining traction in the Republican party.

  • The Need for Rating and Vetting Candidates

    The Need for Rating and Vetting Candidates

    Are you frustrated when you vote for a Republican and they turn out to be weak principled RINO’s? (Republican in name only.) When they pander to the liberal Democrat for more votes? Rating and Vetting is a process to find the right candidate to back and recommend to voters before they get into office. The LD6RC has implemented a vetting and rating program whereby candidates are rated by the Precinct Committeemen.

    It involves contacting those candidates running for office. We search for and rate men and women of good character, virtue and integrity, who will uphold the Idaho Republican Platform and traditional values. The questionnaire is intended to provide a view into the candidate’s character, values, political philosophy, personal experience, leadership style and will be used to evaluate fitness for office by the Legislative District 6 Republican Committee (LD6RC) membership.

    Our R & V committee interviews the candidates who participate and bring our findings to the LD6 committeepersons who then discuss and debate before voting for who they believe will represent their counties faithfully.

    In this way we hope to keep our Republican party RED!

    If you are interested in serving your LD6 county as a precinct committeeperson or volunteer, contact idahogopld6@gmail.com.