Spokane7
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Both Samuelson and Otter secured office by less than convincing margins. Samuelson won a four-way race in 1966 with 41.4 percent. Four years ago, with the state prospering and his 
party having delivered tax relief, Otter won the governor’s office with 52.7 percent, the worst showing since 1994. Like Samuelson, Otter has had a contentious relationship with his own Republican Legislature. Last spring, Otter vetoed 36 bills. That’s second place for the most vetoes in a single session. The record - 39 - belongs to Samuelson in the 1967 session. And both men share a gift for the gaffe. In Samuelson’s case, it was an awkward, unfortunate speaking style that earned him the moniker “Big Dumb Don.” With Otter, it’s political fumbles that have fomented a reputation for incompetence/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Are you beginning to think that Gov. Butch Otter, who as a congressman toyed with the idea of selling off public lands to pay for Katrina relief and now wants to make state parks pay for themselve, is too reckless as Idaho’s top executive?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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misc on February 02 at 9:48 a.m.
“…and his party having delivered tax relief”
She means tax shift. Risch can call it whatever he wants, but it was still a tax shift.
Sisyphus on February 02 at 10:10 a.m.
I wouldn’t have gone that far but Marty makes a good case. Yesterday they were floating the idea of increasing the timber harvest on state land even though it wouldn’t increase revenue because of bad timber prices now that the real estate bubble has burst. Its starting to look a lot like political payoffs rather than solving our fiscal crisis.
Hereford on February 02 at 12:45 p.m.
Don’t get too excited about Allred, either. His big push for getting rid of tax exemptions has got Otter licking his chops: how can you even suggest raising taxes on Idaho families and small businesses during the worst economic slowdown since the Great Depression? The fact that the Democratic caucus was singing backup on this issue does make you question just how independent-minded Allred really is.