Safe Haven Drawer is a sad waste of money

Dear Editor:

 In another state or even a larger city such as Boise, Nampa, or Caldwell, I could might be able to see this as a possible good. There are even some stories of success in other places around the country. 

 In Weiser though, it is at best a waste of $29,000. (Did you know that is more than 50% of the yearly median income of a family of four in Washington County according to the Census Bureau?)

 These funds that could have been used to provide desperately needed maternity or early childhood care will instead be used to get the Weiser hospital a bit of good press while allowing those who declare themselves “Pro-Life” to point at something and pretend they’ve done something helpful for anyone.

 With some research, I could only find one news story about Idaho from 2024.

 You likely read about it. An 18-year old girl made the two hour drive from Twin Falls to Blackfoot to surrender her newborn, only to be arrested and charged with a felony because the infant was sadly dead. Instead of much needed help, that girl now has a scarlet letter that will follow her for the rest of her life as a constant reminder of her desperation and loss from a horrific experience I can’t even comprehend.

 So, congratulations to our city on being home to something that will likely never be used. Even worse, if it is used, a precedent of punishment has been set instead one of care and compassion. That care and compassion could have before prevented abandoning a child from becoming a necessary consideration in the first place.

 But hey, at least we’ll probably have the most expensive fancy drawer in southwestern Idaho.

Grant Schoeneweis

Weiser, Idaho