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.
Yes Indeed, Going BACKWARDS in Ideas, Schooling, and Legislation, as My Memory in the USMC, We are Surrounded, SO WE GOT THEM WHERE WE WANT THEM, "WE ATTACK" !
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.
I'm a Washingtonian, but I have lived in Spokane since 1986 and previously to that was an Idahoan. Half my family lives in Idaho. Due to my approximation to N Idaho I keep up on Idaho issues. You've got a fascinating state there. So beautiful. Our favorite fishing hole is in the N fork of the CdA River. My mother's ashes are in the river near Grandjean. Payette Lake is my favorite lake in the world. We have regularly canoed the Thoroughfare.
I'm fascinated and horrified by the events that have happened in my lifetime in Idaho. The Aryan Nations, Randy Weaver, bombings in ID and Spokane coming from ID, horrific murder plots. The abuse of the NCAA women's BB team, and the abusive behavior of K County Sheriff Norris and his hired goons toward a woman who just wouldn't shut up. Back to the Aryan Nations and Richard Butler. You have heroes among you, but things are not getting better in Idaho.
In recent years you have had an out of state far right Republican Party take over. Dorothy Moon and her fellows. I'm sure the N ID and NE Washington Christian Nationalist, racist, American Redoubt crowd were happy to welcome them with their thuggery ways and bullying anyone who isn't MAGA. Went around calling some of the most Republican of Republican Idahoans RINOs because they weren't loyal MAGA.
I and many others have been hoping you would recognize the takeover and manipulation of Idaho. Some are. But meanwhile your medical system is breaking down. Your education system isn't valued and has long since been broken. You persecute the teachers who have a heart for your children.
You have wonderful, caring people. You have made terrible decisions for them, refused to help them feed their children, put your money into big trucks, abusing flags off the back, raised churlish young men.
Your problem is bigger than your image. We are waiting for your politicians to grow a spine and actually take care of Idahoans. We are waiting for your people to actually see who they are voting for, put their own interests first instead of believing everything they see on FOX.
Well stated! The truth is things will never get better in Idaho until the moderate Republicans and Democrats join with Independents to force the Idaho GOP under Dorothy Moon to open the primaries again like they were before 2012. The Idaho GOP has become incestuous so we shouldn’t be surprised at the results we’ve been getting.
I tell people to register as a Republican to vote in the primaries and vote independently, meaning vote for the person you believe will help build a better life for you and your loved ones.
Well you have blue Boise and the rest of the state is Idabama. Until the state can wean itself from the likes of Crapo and Risch nothing will change. At least Mike Simpson talks a good story but followed the rest of the sheep on the Bid Beautiful Betrayal Bill. Maybe the at large Mormon population will see what their chosen party and their leaders are doing to their chosen people, the Lamanites, and maybe change, but I doubt it. For those not versed in Mormon ideology, the Lamanites are one of four tribes that populated North America. They include native Americans and native People from Mexico as well, at least that was what I was taught.
I know of what you are Saying, RELIGION is a LEARNED and TAUGHT BEHAVIOUR, Yet in all of the Teaching "HUMANITY, EMPATHY" is lacking in the HERDS of HUMANITY in these IDEAS. Very SAD.
Sadly, I agree that Idaho has a negative image problem. Because the negative news you detailed is dramatic, it "sells" and therefore turning a new and positive page will be challenging. Let's keep pushing the good news!
What good NEWS? With the Leaders we have, and the Laws past, Closed Primaries as of 2011, These WHITE OLD MEN just Do as the TRUMPISM says, Challenge is an UNDERSTATEMENT, the next 6 months to a Year will Irreparably DAMAGE IDAHO and the Nation, IGNORANCE "IS NOT BLISS", it is SUBMISSION.
17-29, was in the US Marine Corps, and in , all over Alaska,
People Knew Idaho for 3 things;
#1-Potato, the Tater, Fries and Tots
#2- LDS, Mormons
#3- Aryan Nation, More commonly known as "NAZI Sympathizers"
Born in Caldwell, raised in Canyon, Owyhee, Payette Counties, Idaho has a WONDEFUL Wilderness, Forest and Desert Playground that the Nation has just become aware of in the 21st Century. Change is Inevitable, Backward, REPRESSIVE & Oppressive Change is Not NEEDED or Wanted By our Youth, Or they will do as I DID, "GET THE HELL AWAY", as I Learned in the Marines, and Alaska CHANGE COMES from STANDING YOUR GROUND & FIGHT.
Nothing Changes if you Hide your Head, Stay Silent, or Move away and IGNORE the Problem, Crapo, Risch, Fulcher & Even Simpson are TRUMPISM.
As of July 4th 2025 Trump Big BILL SIGNING, $170.7 Billion into a POLICE STATE Funding.
Idaho's Elected FIT this Police State CATEGORY. IF Idahoans DO NOT "FIGHT"; The FASCIST ACTIONS, will PREVAIL, and FASCISM is already Established in the North, LONG, LONG TIME AGO.
IDAHOANS Freedoms are in GRAVE PERIL, It will not Matter who you say your Party is, FASCISM DOES NOT CARE, LOOK at What TRUMP'S "FEMA" is Doing in the Texas Floods, "IT ISN't" , "FEMA" Funds are BUILDING ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ, With MORE on the WAY, and IDAHO LEADERS CHEERING THE WAY. What the HELL HAPPENED TO "IDAHO" ?
I agree, What the hell happened to Idaho? Being a born and raised Idahoan, life was pretty darned good in this state. Having lived in other states my return to Idaho in 1995 was a wonderful, now I am scared. I was too busy working and raising my daughter to notice what was happening, I take responsibility for my ignorance. now I am trying to figure out how to halt the Trump-ism and the help bring Idaho back from the extremist. Thank you Political Potatoes for giving me some direction and a voice.
The other things the public knows about Idaho are the Aryan Nations compound, which held mini-Nuremberg rallies for their faux Fuehrer, Reverend Richard Girnt Butler.
One time, the compound's ex-con security guards frightened a Native American family when their car backfired near the camp. The guards, paranoid as usual, assumed it was the opening of the Zionist Occupational Government's assault on their position, so they raced off in their pick-up trucks, armed to the teeth, to ensure that their Hakenkreuz was not replaced by the Hammer-and-Sickle, and their "Temple" and Fuehrerbunker were not replaced by a kosher delicatessen.
They pulled up on the Native Americans, shot out their tires, aimed their firepower at them, and interrogated the terrified woman and her children. After satisfying themselves that the Native Americans were not Jewish Bolsheviks (despite being "Redskins"), the Hauptscharfuehrer told them, "For this day, we will let your blood live." After a flurry of Hitlergruss salutes, the faux Fascists drove back to the compound, while the Native Americans sought out first the police, to address the criminal act, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, to handle the civil action.
That trial but a bunch of ex-cons whence they came, and forced Butler and his cronies to yield up large sums of money from donations and the title deeds to the property to the Native Americans. They sold the land to a local man, who bulldozed the Nazi watchtowers and temple, replacing it with a peace center.
They might have heard about the early 1900s assassination of former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg, blasted to bits by a bomb at the gate to his home in the Coeur d'Alenes, which set off a spectacular murder trial, with Clarence Darrow representing the miners' union leaders accused of the blast, and William Borah for the great State of Idaho.
The trial involved a lot of colorful characters, including Theodore Roosevelt, Ethel Barrymore, and Idaho's must lustrous figure, a young pitcher named Walter Johnson.
Want to know more? Read J. Anthony Lukas's last book, "Big Trouble," about this bizarre case.
I am confused by your economic optimism. Housing issues and the continued brain drain due to our medically repressive attitudes do not bring about prosperity. Sorry to burst your bubble about evil in Idaho - in the early 90s I was told by local law enforcement if you want to murder someone and get away with it move to Idaho. Not acknowledging reality and then dealing with it is a longstanding issue in Idaho.
All it takes is even a few incidents that make national news to detract from all the positive attributes of the state. I may catch some heat for this, but Idaho did itself no favors with the license plate touting, “Famous Potatoes”. That came off as corny and underwhelming.
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.
Yes Indeed, Going BACKWARDS in Ideas, Schooling, and Legislation, as My Memory in the USMC, We are Surrounded, SO WE GOT THEM WHERE WE WANT THEM, "WE ATTACK" !
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.
I'm a Washingtonian, but I have lived in Spokane since 1986 and previously to that was an Idahoan. Half my family lives in Idaho. Due to my approximation to N Idaho I keep up on Idaho issues. You've got a fascinating state there. So beautiful. Our favorite fishing hole is in the N fork of the CdA River. My mother's ashes are in the river near Grandjean. Payette Lake is my favorite lake in the world. We have regularly canoed the Thoroughfare.
I'm fascinated and horrified by the events that have happened in my lifetime in Idaho. The Aryan Nations, Randy Weaver, bombings in ID and Spokane coming from ID, horrific murder plots. The abuse of the NCAA women's BB team, and the abusive behavior of K County Sheriff Norris and his hired goons toward a woman who just wouldn't shut up. Back to the Aryan Nations and Richard Butler. You have heroes among you, but things are not getting better in Idaho.
In recent years you have had an out of state far right Republican Party take over. Dorothy Moon and her fellows. I'm sure the N ID and NE Washington Christian Nationalist, racist, American Redoubt crowd were happy to welcome them with their thuggery ways and bullying anyone who isn't MAGA. Went around calling some of the most Republican of Republican Idahoans RINOs because they weren't loyal MAGA.
I and many others have been hoping you would recognize the takeover and manipulation of Idaho. Some are. But meanwhile your medical system is breaking down. Your education system isn't valued and has long since been broken. You persecute the teachers who have a heart for your children.
You have wonderful, caring people. You have made terrible decisions for them, refused to help them feed their children, put your money into big trucks, abusing flags off the back, raised churlish young men.
Your problem is bigger than your image. We are waiting for your politicians to grow a spine and actually take care of Idahoans. We are waiting for your people to actually see who they are voting for, put their own interests first instead of believing everything they see on FOX.
We’re waiting to see too. The last legislative session made things much worse here.
Well stated! The truth is things will never get better in Idaho until the moderate Republicans and Democrats join with Independents to force the Idaho GOP under Dorothy Moon to open the primaries again like they were before 2012. The Idaho GOP has become incestuous so we shouldn’t be surprised at the results we’ve been getting.
I tell people to register as a Republican to vote in the primaries and vote independently, meaning vote for the person you believe will help build a better life for you and your loved ones.
Well you have blue Boise and the rest of the state is Idabama. Until the state can wean itself from the likes of Crapo and Risch nothing will change. At least Mike Simpson talks a good story but followed the rest of the sheep on the Bid Beautiful Betrayal Bill. Maybe the at large Mormon population will see what their chosen party and their leaders are doing to their chosen people, the Lamanites, and maybe change, but I doubt it. For those not versed in Mormon ideology, the Lamanites are one of four tribes that populated North America. They include native Americans and native People from Mexico as well, at least that was what I was taught.
I know of what you are Saying, RELIGION is a LEARNED and TAUGHT BEHAVIOUR, Yet in all of the Teaching "HUMANITY, EMPATHY" is lacking in the HERDS of HUMANITY in these IDEAS. Very SAD.
Sadly, I agree that Idaho has a negative image problem. Because the negative news you detailed is dramatic, it "sells" and therefore turning a new and positive page will be challenging. Let's keep pushing the good news!
What good NEWS? With the Leaders we have, and the Laws past, Closed Primaries as of 2011, These WHITE OLD MEN just Do as the TRUMPISM says, Challenge is an UNDERSTATEMENT, the next 6 months to a Year will Irreparably DAMAGE IDAHO and the Nation, IGNORANCE "IS NOT BLISS", it is SUBMISSION.
NOPE, NOT in my 70+ Years of travel from Home.
17-29, was in the US Marine Corps, and in , all over Alaska,
People Knew Idaho for 3 things;
#1-Potato, the Tater, Fries and Tots
#2- LDS, Mormons
#3- Aryan Nation, More commonly known as "NAZI Sympathizers"
Born in Caldwell, raised in Canyon, Owyhee, Payette Counties, Idaho has a WONDEFUL Wilderness, Forest and Desert Playground that the Nation has just become aware of in the 21st Century. Change is Inevitable, Backward, REPRESSIVE & Oppressive Change is Not NEEDED or Wanted By our Youth, Or they will do as I DID, "GET THE HELL AWAY", as I Learned in the Marines, and Alaska CHANGE COMES from STANDING YOUR GROUND & FIGHT.
Nothing Changes if you Hide your Head, Stay Silent, or Move away and IGNORE the Problem, Crapo, Risch, Fulcher & Even Simpson are TRUMPISM.
As of July 4th 2025 Trump Big BILL SIGNING, $170.7 Billion into a POLICE STATE Funding.
Idaho's Elected FIT this Police State CATEGORY. IF Idahoans DO NOT "FIGHT"; The FASCIST ACTIONS, will PREVAIL, and FASCISM is already Established in the North, LONG, LONG TIME AGO.
IDAHOANS Freedoms are in GRAVE PERIL, It will not Matter who you say your Party is, FASCISM DOES NOT CARE, LOOK at What TRUMP'S "FEMA" is Doing in the Texas Floods, "IT ISN't" , "FEMA" Funds are BUILDING ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ, With MORE on the WAY, and IDAHO LEADERS CHEERING THE WAY. What the HELL HAPPENED TO "IDAHO" ?
I agree, What the hell happened to Idaho? Being a born and raised Idahoan, life was pretty darned good in this state. Having lived in other states my return to Idaho in 1995 was a wonderful, now I am scared. I was too busy working and raising my daughter to notice what was happening, I take responsibility for my ignorance. now I am trying to figure out how to halt the Trump-ism and the help bring Idaho back from the extremist. Thank you Political Potatoes for giving me some direction and a voice.
The other things the public knows about Idaho are the Aryan Nations compound, which held mini-Nuremberg rallies for their faux Fuehrer, Reverend Richard Girnt Butler.
One time, the compound's ex-con security guards frightened a Native American family when their car backfired near the camp. The guards, paranoid as usual, assumed it was the opening of the Zionist Occupational Government's assault on their position, so they raced off in their pick-up trucks, armed to the teeth, to ensure that their Hakenkreuz was not replaced by the Hammer-and-Sickle, and their "Temple" and Fuehrerbunker were not replaced by a kosher delicatessen.
They pulled up on the Native Americans, shot out their tires, aimed their firepower at them, and interrogated the terrified woman and her children. After satisfying themselves that the Native Americans were not Jewish Bolsheviks (despite being "Redskins"), the Hauptscharfuehrer told them, "For this day, we will let your blood live." After a flurry of Hitlergruss salutes, the faux Fascists drove back to the compound, while the Native Americans sought out first the police, to address the criminal act, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, to handle the civil action.
That trial but a bunch of ex-cons whence they came, and forced Butler and his cronies to yield up large sums of money from donations and the title deeds to the property to the Native Americans. They sold the land to a local man, who bulldozed the Nazi watchtowers and temple, replacing it with a peace center.
They might have heard about the early 1900s assassination of former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg, blasted to bits by a bomb at the gate to his home in the Coeur d'Alenes, which set off a spectacular murder trial, with Clarence Darrow representing the miners' union leaders accused of the blast, and William Borah for the great State of Idaho.
The trial involved a lot of colorful characters, including Theodore Roosevelt, Ethel Barrymore, and Idaho's must lustrous figure, a young pitcher named Walter Johnson.
Want to know more? Read J. Anthony Lukas's last book, "Big Trouble," about this bizarre case.
I am confused by your economic optimism. Housing issues and the continued brain drain due to our medically repressive attitudes do not bring about prosperity. Sorry to burst your bubble about evil in Idaho - in the early 90s I was told by local law enforcement if you want to murder someone and get away with it move to Idaho. Not acknowledging reality and then dealing with it is a longstanding issue in Idaho.
I'd suggest not using the 'but.' It's negates what came before that but. 'However' works considerably more fluid without negativity.
Idaho has an image problem because the legislature and bigots and racists cause it. It is not just image, it is truth, unfortunately
All it takes is even a few incidents that make national news to detract from all the positive attributes of the state. I may catch some heat for this, but Idaho did itself no favors with the license plate touting, “Famous Potatoes”. That came off as corny and underwhelming.