Politics
Idaho Legislative Turkey Trot Redux
September 29, 2011 
We previously questioned the propriety of a visit to Turkey by no less than 10 Idaho legislators and their spouses recently–especially after finding it was funded mostly by the Pacifica Institute, an organization with a less than stellar reputation on Google. More thought prompts the following questions:
#1–Would the legislature appropriate funds to send 10 of its members on the “goodwill” trip to Turkey?
#2–If the answer is “no,” why did they accept the foreign sightseeing package which couldn’t even be disguised as a “campaign contribution?”
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© 2011 Boise Guardian. 
Sep 29, 2011, 1:30 pm
Would something like this fall under “gifts” and Title 18 and Chapter 13 of State Code? http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title18/T18CH13SECT18-1356.htm
EDITOR NOTE–Clancy, you got the right section of the law! The problem is with the exceptions and interpretations and whether or not the beneficiary is “subject” to the legislature–when they live out of state. The city person who turned them down last year felt he would have been in violation had he accepted. Legislators apparently saw no issue with taking the gifts for themselves and their spouses.
Sep 29, 2011, 4:53 pm
Obviously this can’t be a boondoggle that was intended on influencing the Legislature in Idaho. Three of the six making the trip were Democrats. Any lobbying group with half a brain (if lobbying was at all the purpose of the “hosts”) would have known 50% of its effort was a total waste from that standpoint.
Sep 30, 2011, 7:09 am
Dave, given that Turkish law holds it unlawful to insult or denigrate the government of Turkey, their strict censorship, even blocking YouTube, etc., the bigger question should be why did these legislators honor Turkey by visiting there at all?
Until some of these stone age countries (and Turkey is not the worst) move into the civilized world we should ignore them.