Category Archives: Reflection

Harass, Uncivil, Who Cares

Posted on January 10, 2018 by ddxdx

My last session in the Idaho legislature leadership decided legislators needed training in “civility”. It was a required afternoon and I attended, though some skipped it. We all first met in the lunch room before being assigned to working groups. … Continue reading →

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Abortion: Can We Please Talk about it? Please?

Posted on March 21, 2017 by ddxdx

I’ve seen this from so many sides. I’ve been yelled at as a politician, I’ve delivered babies as a doctor, and I’ve investigated deaths of infants as county coroner. But none of this makes my perspective more valid than yours. … Continue reading →

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Packer John and Idaho Politics

Posted on February 24, 2017 by ddxdx

I have been wondering about Idaho and how voters here are so inclined to vote by party. Maybe they are everywhere, but I’m here so I tend to think about Idaho. A recent trip to visit my daughter in Utah … Continue reading →

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Idaho’s Uncounted Deficits

Posted on February 11, 2017 by ddxdx

Idaho conservatives are proud that the state runs a balanced budget and doesn’t do deficit spending like “the Feds”. But I have long maintained we do sustain deficit spending in three areas, we just don’t put these figures on the … Continue reading →

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Advice for Idaho

Posted on January 16, 2017 by ddxdx

Advice for Idaho from an Idaho Democrat: “What I stand for is what I stand on.”  Wendell Berry If you love where you live, stay put. Get to know your neighbors, your countryside, the history and the institutions. Ask yourself … Continue reading →

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Wile E Coyote and Party Loyalty

Posted on January 3, 2017 by ddxdx

Loyalty is a fine quality, but in excess it fills political graveyards. Neil Kinnock It has been encouraging to get all the emails, texts, condolence cards, and even phone calls after my election loss. There have been many hands on … Continue reading →

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Losing

Posted on December 4, 2016 by ddxdx

  So I lost my bid for reelection. I worked hard, didn’t take it for granted, but still lost. I’m trying to sort out how I feel. I’ve run for public office seven times now, thrice for county coroner (four … Continue reading →

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Fathers

Posted on June 19, 2016 by ddxdx

Our legislative leadership will sometimes schedule events to educate us or augment our skills as legislators. This last session we started with a half day mandatory meeting on civility. I guess they thought we needed the help. Early in the … Continue reading →

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Push or Pull

Posted on May 19, 2016 by ddxdx

It was August 2nd 1979 and we were about to head into a fire of incredible magnitude. But there was no smoke to be seen, just 4 or 5 helicopters in Bruce Meadows of the high central Idaho wilderness and … Continue reading →

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Pulling up Signs

Posted on November 12, 2014 by ddxdx

The morning after the election I drove my little pickup around to pull the signs I had pounded in and wired up weeks before. The results were just now sinking in; I had won, but I had a deep sense … Continue reading →

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