Idaho has an image problem
Guest Editorial by Steven L. Taggart
Years ago, I went to the D.C. area to work for a Republican congressman. I would tell people I was from Idaho. And, I can’t tell you the number of times people confused our state with Iowa. I often would reply that Idaho is the potato state, not the one known for corn.
I was often startled by what folks knew about our beautiful state. It wasn’t the soaring majesty of the Sawtooth Mountains or the beautiful lakes in North Idaho or the starkness of Craters of the Moon. Besides the famous Idaho potato, the most common reference I heard was to Richard Butler and the Aryan Nations in North Idaho. Of course Idahoans were not nasty Nazi racists yet Idaho’s public perception was tainted by Butler and crew.
I fear we are in a repeating loop of negative attention.
I am willing to bet that if you asked 1,000 random Americans of whom they know of associated with Idaho, the most prominent names would by Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell and Bryan Kohberger. Now, many might say .. Lori Vallow came from Arizona .. Chad Daybell’s roots are in Utah . . And Bryan Kohberger was actually living in Washington State at the time of the horrific Moscow, Idaho killings.
All, irrelevant. Vallow’s two highest profile trials were in Boise, over events that occurred in the Upper Snake River Valley, the murder of her two children, and the taking out of her lover’s wife. She has been featured by national news programs, in a multitude of podcasts and even documentaries.
Chad Daybell’s trial is tightly tied to Idaho with the murder of his wife in the Rexburg area and Lori’s two children buried in his backyard. The coverage during his trial was unreal. I was able to attend his trial two afternoons, and a plethora of national news outlets covered the trial.
Kohberger’s gruesome murder of the four University of Idaho students by a knife and his recent plea has been ultra-high profile the past week or so, featured on the front page of publications like the New York Times and leading national broadcasts.
Adding to the recent weirdness associated with Idaho is the attention on the sad, deranged killing of the firefighters in Coeur d’Alene.
This kind of negative attention is leaving a deep scar on our state’s reputation and image. Idaho is so much more than a place where weird, wacky people commit strange crimes. It is impossible to stop a lunatic from committing a high-profile crime. And, I think Idaho law enforcement and prosecutors have been highly professional in handling all four matters. But, Idaho needs to be known for its positives, not its oddities. Our overall reputation attracts business investment, solid move-ins and provides opportunities for our residents elsewhere. We need to patch up our image.
The path forward is simple: Play to Idaho’s strengths and minimize negative impressions.
Idaho is filled with fascinating, capable folks . . Entertainers, entrepreneurs, athletes, and many more. Those need to be the face of Idaho, not criminals.
Our community leaders might want to look at our neighbor to the south for ideas. Utah used the 2002 Winter Olympics to reshape the state’s image. Landing a major world event is hard, but it is far easier to attract niche events. For instance, the 2025 Fly Fishing Women's Championship will be held in East Idaho this month. Similar events, done well, can have widespread positive vibrations.
Our political figures should restrain themselves a bit. Maybe don’t push ideas merely for national attention but focus on good policy. Maybe Idaho should be known for education innovation, economic opportunity, and recreational excellence, rather than the latest hyper-partisan issue.
Idaho’s image has been scarred the past few years. But, we can shift the direction upward by being what we truly are: A place of stunning beauty, plenty of great people, and a spot with a bright future. That is the true Idaho.
About the Author
Steve Taggart is an attorney in Idaho Falls and has worked in Republican politics since his teens, both in campaigns and for elected officials, including running a congressional office.
While I totally agree with Mr. Taggart's premise of Idaho's unwarranted, tarnished reputation, I can't help but reflect on my own acquaintances and friendships from out of state. Mr. Taggart is a well respected Republican lawyer and real estate entrepreneur -- he deals in different social circles than the common "American" that has an opinion about our home state.
As I listen, Idaho is more known for its choices, not its occasional mass murder case. Idaho is remembered for being the first state to crush trans-gender athletes, its strict forced-birth no-exceptions laws, its place at #51 in funding for public schools, its ultra hard stance on marijuana amidst four neighboring states that are open, its bathroom laws, its library book bans, its fight against people's ballot initiatives, its laws against cameras on farmland, and its historic support of frontier scofflaw renegades. "Idabama" comes to mind.
That's what other Americans mention to me when I say I'm from Idaho. We are the 2nd fastest growing state in the Union by percentage -- I would love to believe it's our outdoorsman heaven, our friendly, independent neighbors, and our four delightful seasons. But as more and more of my neighborhood fills with conservative Californian refugees, I fear the reason is the political atmosphere where an energized party faction is taking a stranglehold against civilized advancement of working class families.
I recently moved to the Boise area from N Idaho. I was struck while there when on a pleasure drive into the national forest to encounter a militia group who were at a minimum, menacing and were probably dangerous, although I left before a determination was made. My neighbors had an open contempt, fear of and hatred toward Mexican Americans and Blacks. T shirts worn in public places bore nazi symbols. There were clear threats to the gay pride activists in Coeur d’Alene. The school system was fairly abysmal but a large percentage of parents home schooled (if filling out workbooks for two hours , 5 days a week counts for education). So please don’t try to suggest that Idaho doesn’t deserve its reputation for backwardness, homophobia, ignorance and, worst of all, violent tendencies.