Three months ago, he threatened to veto any highway funding bill that dipped into the pool of income and sales taxes - known as the general fund - that pays for schools, higher education and other government programs. But the governor had the best of reasons: It would set a precedent that, as he said later, would pit "pupils against potholes." But the House of Representatives was determined to do precisely that. At its insistence, lawmakers approved a $95 million transportation package - about one-fifth the amount required to fill Idaho's backlog - and then pulled so-called "surplus" from the general fund during the next two years. And how did Otter respond? Wednesday, he signed the bill. Even though he acknowledged calls for its veto. Even though he admitted the funding falls short of the need. And even though the governor acknowledged he was setting a new standard - what he described as having "the feeling of a slippery slope" - that is sure to haunt his successors in the years ahead. What is the point of making a veto threat if you're not going to carry it out?

Thoughts?