Are You Ready for Some Outrage?
Posted by Adam Graham in : Idaho Conservative, TheJulie at Red State Rebels shares this letter from former Idaho Legislator Ken Robison:
With a gain of six House seats, there should now be three instead of two Democratic House members on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.
But the Republican leadership team (Denney, Moyle, Bedke and Roberts) decided to give the Democrats only two, the same number as in the past two sessions.
With 72.8 per cent of the House membership, the Republicans are claiming 80 per cent of the House budget seats…
This is not just a disagreement between Republicans and Democrats. It goes to the essence of our system of Democratic and representative government.
If you want to make a big deal about it, Democrats can certainly feel free to do so, but they’ll continue to not talk about the issues that matter most to Idahoans and play partisan games to increase their microscopic minority. This is inside baseball over one seat on a comittee and if you think that’s worth making a stink about, go ahead. Meanwhile, let those who concerned about the issues that effect Idahoans be about the people’s business.
Comment by Julie in Boise [Member]
Hey Adam … what are the issues that matter most to Idahoans?
Decent wages? Yep, Democrats tried to raise the minimum wage last session, and the GOP wouldn’t even hear the bill until Democrats invoked a parliamentary maneuver.
Real property tax reform? Democrats put forth an alternative to Emperor Risch’s corporate welfare tax shift and the GOP wouldn’t even allow it to be heard during the one-day special session farce. Now, many middle-class Idahoans are learning the tax shift wasn’t such a great deal, and many older Idahoans may well get priced out of their homes.
This isn’t a partisan game on the Democrats’ part. It’s math, plain and simple. Idahoans elected six new Democrats to the House this year and the party therefore earned an additional seat on JFAC. By keeping the status quo, it means the people of Boise and Idaho Falls are not fully represented in the legislature’s most important committee.
The reactionary Republicans are the ones committed to inside baseball – and petty partisan bullying as well.
Comment by Adam Graham [Member]
Your proposal wasn’t heard because you guys are so darn partisan and are run by the North End and Blaine County.
As for the minimum wage, I’m sure the 2% of the people who actually earn it, cared. That has little to do with most people in Idaho who are earning $7.50-$12.00 an hour.
Comment by Andrea Graham [Member]
How many seats are on this committee total? 72/80 sounds fairly close to me. Unless a 72/72 could be worked out mathmatically, it’s petty to argue it’d better to have a 72/65 situation instead.
Comment by Adam Graham [Member]
It’s like twenty seats. Really we’re talking a 1 seat difference between what they want and what they got. It’s petty.