I used to live in Maine, a state as infested with progressives as Idaho is Red. In that state there is not even lip service to anything repblican in state government. As a result Maine is the highest taxed state in relation to income in the country and the economy is in the tank.

That said, I was once a member of the Portland Maine republican committee. When our fine Senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe voted with the dems on one of the numerous issues the local media loved, I sponsored a motion to have the committee write a sense of the committee letter to the goodd seators reminding them that they worked for us and were republicans. When I took the idea to the county I found that they were ready for me and had packed the meeting with every elected official in a 50 mile area to insure we mere peasants didn’t dare remind our demi god elected folk of their duties…

However– “The solution is to go to the voters as the constitution requires.” Amending the constitution can’t be done without going to the voters, either. Admittedly, it’s only a simple majority after a 2/3 approval by each legislative body. However, that, too, could be changed by amendment. My point remains.. amending the constitution is not always a bad thing…even though it is in this case.

Also expressed (again) my opposition to HJR004, local option sales taxes. You all may remember that this is proposed by the same folks who brought us empty taxpayer subsidized busses and now want to use a local option sales tax to bring us a billion dollars worth of empty light rail cars. You just have to admire the hutzpah of those who are trying to convince us that more people in this valley makes it a better place to live!

EDITOR NOTE–Rod, the damage is done in the senate. We need to try for common sense in the HOUSE before they too pass the bad amendment.

I do agree with Chadwick and support this amendment to the extent that it applies to removing the need for a 2/3 favorable public vote for capital expenditures for things like vehicles, road grading equipment, etc.

At the same time I cheer the Guardian for his successful windmill tilting when he took down the parking garage and the police station. With the latter, the city actually found a pretty good alternative on the west end of town. And they did it within budget. The 2/3 vote requirement is a substantial impediment and too bad we did not have a similar requirement for state lawmakers because Gov. Kempthorne and Roy Eiguren convinced the Idaho legislature to plunge the U of I into debt on the University Place fiasco.

The section as amended is absurd for its length.

They simply “drank the Kool Aid on this one!

And all of us that aren’t in elected office get to clean up the mess they are creating via their inability to “just say no”.

This is the very same individual that put together the infamous IDAHO COUNTIES CAPITAL FINANCE CORPORATION deal for Canyon County and the illegal purchase of the Jerome Farm property. A “straw man” deal for counties to circumvent the taxpayers and voters. This crooked deal went to the Idaho Supreme Court via some really ticked off Canyon County taxpayers. The county civil attorney was less than forthright to the supreme court about actual ownership of the property and did it with a stright face during oral arguments last December.

Good news is that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of standing for citizens on Article 8 section 3. Bad news is that what we call “citizen legislators” at the state level are now about to take an entire section of the Idaho Constituion away from us.

I particularly like the first sentence of this bill. It is over 500 words long. I have read this thing several times and simply do not understand what it says. How does this get past the very people we elected to represent the people? THE GOLDEN RULE.. those with the gold make the rules.

The train has left the station on this deal at the state legislature. The only hope is that when it goes for the 50% plus one vote at the polls it won’t get past the voting public.

Simply disgusting!