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| published Monday, March 19, 2007 |
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The latest on the skewed priorities of the Legislature...
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| published Saturday, March 17, 2007 |
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“The real practitioners of social change, like Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, understood something very important. They knew that you don’t change a society by merely replacing one wet-fingered politician [those who put their fingers up to see which way the wind is blowing] with another. You change society by changing the wind…Change the wind, transform the debate, recast the discussion, alter the context in which political decisions are being made, and you will change the outcomes.” Jim Wallis, Sojourners
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| published Friday, March 16, 2007 |
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is being used by the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry to justify its proposal for yet another huge tax cut.
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| published Saturday, March 10, 2007 |
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When it comes to local control, forget about it. When it comes to business tax breaks, "Katie bar the door!" And tax relief for low and moderate income families? Now that’s social engineering. On Wednesday, the House Revenue and Taxation Committee rejected an effort led by Ada and Canyon County elected officials and the business community that would have allowed local residents to vote to tax themselves for public transit if they could get a 2/3 majority on a general or primary election day. Even that high bar was not enough for most of the committee which defeated HB246 11 to 7. Legislators resorted to the last refuge of scoundrels: questioning it to death. I have seen more complicated bills go through with barely a question. No, this is about tax philosophy and Representative Leon Smith, a Twin Falls Republican, had it about right, “We only give lip service to local control.”
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| published Wednesday, March 07, 2007 |
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Spokesman Review reporter Betsy Russell, one of the finest journalists in the statehouse, captured the tone of the debate on a narrow-minded bill to make English the "official language" of Idaho. We at UVI listended to the debate on line and were struck by the words of wisdom spoken by Sen. Edgar Malepaei of Pocatello in opposition to the bill.
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| published Monday, March 05, 2007 |
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Going further out on the ledge, some legislators still don't get it... This is Mike Flinn's interpretation
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| published Saturday, March 03, 2007 |
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That gave a pretty good indication of what kind of week was coming. Before the week was out the Legislature would complete budget setting, pass a major tax cut for business through the House, be deemed the state with the worst day care standards and pass no improvements, bring forward and pass anti-immigrant bills and kill one that would actually help some folks, take up more anti-choice legislation and try to capture the electoral nomination process for the right wing of the Republican process. Drink up.
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| published Friday, March 02, 2007 |
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to participate in the goings-on at the Idaho Statehouse while the Legislature is in session?
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| published Wednesday, February 28, 2007 |
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Lee Drutman published a great article for TomPaine.com (and has written a great book called The People's Business: Controlling Corporations and Restoring Democracy) where he notes that it is not just the lavish gifts and outings that big corporate lobbyists pay for to influence public policy. It is their overwhelming investment in being there at every step of the policy making process. (link to the full article)
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| published Monday, February 26, 2007 |
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The poster came to mind Thursday afternoon while I was listening to testimony on House Bill 81 from various anti-hunger advocates. A Boise Methodist minister, talked about the “mercy work” they do as a congregation and how a well structured credit would better get at the structural issues of poverty. HB81, as was pointed out in the Senate Tax committee, was “the winner in the four way beauty contest” to decide how to deal with the issue of sales tax on food. This bill would provide a credit of $50 to all Idahoans under 65 and $70 to seniors.
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