Treasured Valley

Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

One of the big bills coming out of the legislature this year is the ban on texting while driving, a bill that some say is pretty much unenforceable*. Some commentators say that this bill is just political posturing, as we’re sure to see this all over campaign literature come this fall and others say it’s like putting a band-aid on a gushing bullet wound — a feel-good law that doesn’t have any real bite.

When I was reading my latest Wired magazine I came across a commentary piece from Clive Thompson on texting while driving and the need for public transportation — and all I could think about was how this applies to what is going on in the Treasure Valley…right now.

To sum it up (but please, read the whole thing): texting is a part of our daily lives now, nothing can change this, but what we can do to cut back on traffic fatalities due to inattentive driving is to beef up our public transportation system — in theory this would also cut back on DUI offenses as well. You’d think by now that government would know it is smarter to try to control the flow of its people, instead of trying to dam them up at every point. Of course, this doesn’t hold much weight in our uncontrollable urge to lock people up (at a profit mind you) for every conceivable thing we don’t agree with. Society is going to do what society is going to do, no government can control that.

Now, I’ll give you that this is nothing new. I think the vast majority of Treasure Valley residents realize that our public transportation system is woefully inadequate. But perhaps when talking about texting and driving you can just add it as another bullet point in the fight for a real public transportation system for the Treasure Valley.

The Treasure Valley is in a unique spot in all of this because of our small size and mix of urban cores with suburban sprawl, we are the perfect incubator for exactly this type of urban experimentation. Can we cut back on inattentive driving and DUI accidents by developing a working public transportation system? I don’t know about you but I’d rather spend our limited tax dollars on light rail and buses than more prisons and judges. This of course would require local government bodies and our state government to work together to plan for the Valley’s future, something that probably won’t be happening anytime soon.

*For the record, I support amending the current inattentive driving laws to explicitly describe texting, Twittering, Facebooking or whatever — beyond that we don’t need a new law with all of this grandstanding. If you’re caught reading the paper, putting makeup on, watching a movie while you’re driving you’re putting others at risk, but these things don’t need their own laws, they just need to be clarified under existing laws.

Hey, I guess at least you can say they were against government control of industry before they were for it.

KTRV Fox 12:

Value Liquor

It is not a secret; times are tough, and people are cutting back everywhere. However, there is one buy that isn’t being sacrificed: liquor. Idaho has now caught on to a new booze buying trend, and is making some changes. The bottom line is bottom shelf liquor, which is also known as value liquor.

We’ve all seen it: the 750 milliliter bottles of Popov, or good old Evan Williams. Some changes by the state Liquor Division mean those value bottles will now cost you 5% more.

[...]

This comes after Dyke Nally of the Idaho State Liquor Division said yesterday that he opposes privatizing the state’s control over liquor. I guess that whole tedious capitalism thingy-idea-ma-jig… it’s bad thing after all.

Quick fact for you: in California you can go to Costco and buy a half-gallon of Crown Royal for around $26 (give or take a few bucks, it’s been a while), here in Idaho, it’ll run you $57 and you have to buy it at a state-run liquor store. One state has a state controlled liquor system and one has a privatized system, I’ll let you guess which is which.

What irritates me is the hypocrisy of it, on one hand you have the legislature voting for a useless bill decrying government run health care (a bill which will needlessly cost the state money) and on the other hand the state is raising prices on a good that they won’t allow to be privatized and allow the free-market to dictate the price.

Just something to mull over when you’re sipping that Scotch at happy hour tonight.

Watch Peter Morrill, IPTV General Manager this morning when he talks to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) about the survival of Idaho Public Television.

You can watch it online at Idaho Legislature Live from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. this morning.

Read more: Saving Idaho Public Television.

Click here to contact members of JFAC and let them know how you feel about IPTV.

Read the rest of this entry »

It only took 3 years and Mayor Dale to cast a deciding vote, but now Nampa residents can go to their favorite eating or imbibing locations on Sundays and enjoy a cocktail as responsible adults.

• Idaho Press-Tribune: Nampa establishments gear up for Sunday liquor sales. Nampa bar and restaurant owners say Sunday liquor-by-the-drink sales — banned in Nampa until this coming Sunday — will serve as a much-needed economic boost. The Nampa City Council voted 3-2 to lift the ban, with Mayor Tom Dale casting the tie-breaking vote.

Read the whole story.

While Canyon County residents have been able to buy liquor by the bottle at state-run outlets since December of 2008 they have been unable to buy liquor-by-the-drink at restaurants or bars. Thus sending much needed tax dollars to neighboring Ada County.

Thankfully, Nampa City Council decided that I should be able to enjoy a margarita with my dinner should I choose too. Unfortunately two city council members, Martin Thorne and Stephen Kren don’t think that citizens should be able to make that decision for themselves — they would rather decide for them.

One of the big issues in the Statehouse right now is that Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter wants to cut funding for Idaho Public Television which could mean that rural Idahoans could see their service significantly reduced and  it could mean the end of Idaho Legislature Live (a service that the state should be providing no matter what).

Here are some links to see what everyone is saying about the proposed cuts to Idaho Public Television:

• Defunded IdahoPTV Would Cut Legislature Live as Well. Idaho Public Television has been an institution in this state since 1965. Beginning in Moscow, the organization has expanded over 40 years to reach 97 percent of Idahoans, according to its Web site. Their programming has been able to reach into even the more isolated, rural communities of the Gem State.
• I Want My IPTV. Love your Idaho Public Television? Here’s your chance to show your support for continued state funding of the free channel. Friends of IdahoPTV have started a statewide campaign, aptly named Save Idaho Public Television, to show legislators the support that the organization has across the state. Organizers are asking the public to contact their legislators, especially members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, by Wednesday, Jan. 27. Why so soon? That’s when the committee will take its first look at Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s proposed phase-out of state funding for IdahoPTV—currently $1.7 million per year.
• Kevin Richert: Will Idaho Public TV get the ax? Here’s my best guess. Parks enthusiasts raised cain over Gov. Butch Otter’s ill-advised plan to shut down the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. On Friday, Otter blinked, patching together a plan to keep Parks and Recreation alive.
• AnchorMommy: Up on my soapbox: DON’T CUT IDAHO PUBLIC TELEVISION. I normally don’t spout off much about politics here on AnchorMommy, but right now, I feel I have no choice. Something very disturbing is happening in my beautiful home state of Idaho: funding for Idaho Public Television could soon be phased out — for good.
• Why Idaho Public Television Isn’t Like Oregon’s. Idaho Public Television is also more efficient than most of the other public broadcasting systems to which it can be compared.
• Nonprofit encourages Idahoans to support public TV. A group of donors who support Idaho Public Television are mounting a campaign to try to save the network’s state funding. Friends of Idaho Public Television launched a Web site last weekend asking Idahoans to contact their legislators and members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee.
• The hidden costs of budget cuts…: Idaho is discovering the hidden costs of budget cuts, as major cutbacks in the state budget threaten to cost more than they’ll save. One example: The $1.6 million the state would save by cutting off funding for Idaho Public Television may be less than the amount IPTV has to repay the federal government for portions of $4 million in grants.

Updated, more links:

• Save Idaho Public Television. No other media organization in Idaho provides access, information, and the opportunity to participate in state government. As a longtime advocate and supporter of Idaho Public Television, I am more than troubled by Governor Otter’s proposal to phase out all state support for IPTV. During my sixteen-year tenure as state superintendent of public instruction I saw firsthand how this important asset was used to enhance the curriculum and enrich classroom instruction for students across the entire state.
• Kevin Richert: Republican: Idaho Public TV should not be ‘dismantled’. Jerry Evans, a Republican and former state schools superintendent, is criticizing GOP Gov. Butch Otter’s proposal to phase out Idaho Public Television funding. “IPTV should not be treated more favorably than other state agencies or be exempt from today’s economic reality, but the system doesn’t deserve to be dismantled,” Evans said in a guest opinion issued this morning.

Ironically, you can watch the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) discuss the proposed cuts live online tomorrow, Wednesday the 27th on Idaho Public Television’s Legislature Live website.

Make sure you go to Save Idaho Public Television where with a couple of clicks you can send an email to all the members of JFAC. You can also find another collection of links related to IPTV on their news page.

Save Idaho Public Television on Facebook.

Idaho Public Television on Facebook | Twitter.

Idaho Reports on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Dialog on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

One thing I love about TREASURED VALLEY readers is that most of you are here for different reasons — some of you are here for the morning news, some here for pictures of food, some click to read about beer and some of you are here to get your Idaho politics fix. And yes, I do think that the Daily Politics Brief is the most comprehensive Idaho politics roundup you’ll find in Idaho each day — from broadcast media, to editorials, to bloggers, to sitting legislator’s personal blogs, you’ll find news and opinion from all sides of the political spectrum in the Daily Politics Brief.

That being said, the Daily Politics Brief is only here in the morning and for some of you that isn’t enough. So I thought I’d give you a away to get your fix throughout the day — which, while the Legislature is in session there is plenty of news showing up throughout the day.

Now, these aren’t the only sites out there covering Idaho politics by any means, there are a lot of them that do an excellent job, these are the ones that are updated throughout the day often as stories are breaking.

• Boise Weekly’s City Desk. In the mist of covering the day to day activities of the Statehouse, Nathaniel Hoffman and Andrew Crisp also cover the stories that other media outlets won’t touch. They cover the happenings at the Statehouse with brevity, tiding wit while articulating the story from the viewpoint of the people whom Statehouse decisions affect. You can also follow Under the Rotunda on Twitter here.
• The Spokesman-Review’s Eye On Boise from Betsy Russell. You want instant news? Eye On Boise is the place to be — Betsy Russell is not only one of the most knowledgeable reporters on the beat, but she is undoubtedly the fastest. You can follow Betsy on Twitter here.
• The Spokesman-Review’s Huckleberries Online from blogmaster D.F. Oliveria. While you may have to sort through some North Idaho local politics, HBO also regularly posts stories on state politics in the Gem state. Boasting the most active (and, thankfully, regulated) comment section, it’s a great place to engage in politics pugilism if you’re up to the challenge. Updated throughout the day it’s a good choice to stay up-to-the-minute on Idaho politics.
• Idaho Legislature Live from Idaho Reports. Wanna cut out the middle man? Just pop on over to Idaho Legislature Live and you can watch the House, Senate and JFAC in real time on your computer monitor. You will also want to follow Idaho Reports host Thanh Tan on Twitter, she regularly sends updates throughout the day — you can follow her here.

(Updated: in my haste I forgot an unforgettable)

• Also check out Kevin Richert’s blog Commentary at the Idaho Statesman. Kevin is always providing an editor’s viewpoint to the news of the day and is active with readership, something you don’t see that often. You can follow him on Twitter here.

Like I said, these are just the places you might want to check out of you’re needing a fix throughout the day, there are plenty others that cover Idaho politics as well, New West Boise with great stories from Idaho editor Jill Kuraitis and contributor Sharon Fisher. You’ll also want to regularly check out the Idaho Politics blog from the Idaho Statesman which is updated by a host of Statesman reporters.

I also hope you’ll continue to read the Daily Politics Brief here at TREASURED VALLEY, your one-stop shop to stay up-to-date on Idaho politics.

Last night Larry Craig made a short appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

You can check it out here on Hulu — it’s the second segment (clip may be NSFW depending on where you’re at).

Drumroll please…

It’s Keith Allred, founder of The Common Interest.

From NewWest.Net Boise:

Keith Allred, Democrat, to Form Committee for Idaho Governor’s Race

Allred leads a respected nonprofit, nonpartisan citizen’s group called The Common Interest.

By Jill Kuraitis

Keith Allred of Eagle is expected to appoint a political treasurer and file the required C-1 form with the Secretary of State which will mark him as a Democratic candidate for governor in 2010, NewWest.Net has learned.

Allred, a public policy negotiator and leadership expert who has won respect and praise from both parties, can’t officially file for office until March 8, but a preliminary fundraising committee is the usual signal that a candidate will run.

[...]

Make sure you read the whole story from Jill Kuraitis at NewWest.Net Boise.

While Allred is definitely behind the fundraising curve he should be an excellent (and viable) candidate in what promises to be an exciting race for the Governor’s seat. Gov. Otter is expected to face a messy primary challenge from Sharon Ullman and with Jana Kemp running as a Independent the general election will be a three-way which can favor the second-in-the-running candidate.

An interesting, and unexpected development indeed.

Updated:

Here are some other reactions:

• Eye On Boise: Allred looking at governor’s race. Keith Allred, founder of the non-partisan The Common Interest citizen group in Idaho and a Harvard professor and mediator, is expected to file initial paperwork today to begin exploring a run for governor of Idaho as a Democrat. “He is not a candidate because he hasn’t filed his C1 yet,” said Betty Richardson, chair of the Idaho Democratic Party’s candidate recruitment committee. “However, I would expect that a filing will take place later today.”
• Kevin Richert: Keith Allred is (reportedly) the Democrats’ mystery candidate for governor. In one of the shortest-lived mysteries in Idaho political history, Democrats appear to have their “secret” candidate for governor. And he’s an interesting pick: Keith Allred, a former public policy professor at Harvard who returned to his native Idaho to head up the respected (and nonpartisan) good-government group The Common Interest.