Briana LeClaire was a founding director of the board of the Idaho Freedom Foundation when it opened in 2009 as a free-market lobbying and policy shop. After a year, LeClaire left the board and for two years has been the education policy analyst for the group that advocates school choice, including private school vouchers and home, virtual and charter schools. IFF backed Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s “Students Come First” laws, which are subject to repeal by voters in November. IFF Executive Director Wayne Hoffman said he fired LeClaire Tuesday. “I really don’t feel it is appropriate to discuss employee matters in the press,” Hoffman said. “I will tell you that I have a duty to our donors and my board. I try to honor that duty and our donors' generosity through responsible and thoughtful management of Idaho Freedom Foundation. That means making tough decisions”/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: Dustin Hurst left for a job in Helena, Mont., recently and now Wayne Hoffman has fired Briana LeClaire. What's up with Idaho Freedom Foundation?

And that makes the 2012 Senate’s session-ending ethics rule change that much more puzzling and worrisome. The Senate passed a rule that says ethics complaints are to be confidential until such time that the bipartisan ethics panel finds probable cause to move forward with a full-blown investigation of a complaint. Under the new rule, a complaint can be brought in secret, reviewed in secret and dismissed with the permanent promise of secrecy, so long as the Senate Ethics Committee lacks a majority vote finding that probable cause exists of an ethics violation. Indeed, under the new rule, it is a violation of the Senate’s ethics rules to disclose anything about the workings of a confidential Senate ethics matter—the senator involved, the nature of the complaint or the reasoning for a dismissal. Senate Democrats, who voted against the rule change, called it a “gag order.” They’re right about that/Wayne Hoffman (pictured), Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: It's been awhile since I've said this. But I agree with Wayne on the Idaho Senate's ethics “gag order.” How about you?

In the final few days of this legislative session, as capitol reporters were scurrying to wrap up stories on the big budget items regarding teacher pay, tax cuts and restoring the state’s “rainy day” fund, they unexpectedly found themselves grappling with a far more personal issue: namely, should they vote in our May primary. The issue was instigated by the belief that Wayne Hoffman of the Idaho Freedom (how ironic is this?) Foundation was about to use the Republican Party’s new closed primary arrangement as a means of discovering — and then proclaiming to all who care — the bias of the media. The closed primary shindig inflicted upon us requires us to either register as a Republican to vote in the Republican primary or to request a Democratic ballot. That choice immediately becomes a public record — able to be discovered by all and then communicated to everyone/Publisher John Pfeifer, Twin Falls Times-News. More here. (Ag Weekly photo: Dan Pfeifer)

Question: Publisher John Pfeifer goes on to say that he will encourage his political and government reporters to exercise their right to vote — and damn the critics who'll take note of which ballot they select. Do you agree with his approach?

A reporter from the New York Times recently asked me about a piece of Nanny Government legislation and, with childlike innocence, conveyed his belief in fairy tales that might include fields of frolicking unicorns, pots of gold at the end of rainbows and the “the conservative Idaho Legislature.” The reporter asked me to predict the fate of a bill to ban minors from using tanning beds—a bill that we very much opposed.  “But that bill doesn’t stand a chance, right?” posed the reporter.  “After all, Idaho’s Legislature is the most conservative in the nation.” “What makes you think it’s the most conservative in the nation?” I asked.“Well, it’s the most Republican,” the reporter replied.“What makes you think it’s the most conservative?” I prodded. Of course, you can’t blame the reporter in this case. Many in the state, too, have heard the Myth of the Conservative Idaho Legislature. We almost believe it is true/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: If the Idaho Legislature isn't conservative, what the heck is it?

Wayne Hoffman, the head of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, says his group has never planned to research track whether — or how — reporters vote in the May 15 party primaries. On Wednesday, Hoffman took issue with an Idaho Press Club newsletter column written by Betsy Russell of the Spokane Spokesman-Review — and my subsequent Saturday column — which said that Hoffman had hinted at looking at reporters' votes. Hoffman said he has said the voting information could be valuable “from a news organization transparency standpoint,” and could have informational value to readers. But he said his conservative but nonpartisan lobbying group has never planned to look for the data. “We don't do primary election stuff,” Hoffman said in a voicemail/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Thoughts?

With any luck, the Legislature will go home within a week. But will lawmakers take some positive actions in their remaining days in Boise to promote free markets and limited government? It might be surprising, but there are, in fact, several good pieces of legislation pending before lawmakers. Here’s a short wish list of actions lawmakers should take before adjourning: 

• Pass the wind generation moratorium.
• Cut taxes and limit future tax and spending increases.
• Continue urban renewal reform.
• Three bills that have passed the House and are awaiting Senate action would help with health insurance.
• A House-approved bill that would help students use online learning to advance through their school work sooner is on the Senate’s calendar.
• Full column here

Question: Do you support this agenda of Wayne Hoffman and the Idaho Freedom Foundation?

Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, welcomed her new colleague, Jim Rice of Caldwell, Friday with an apology: The first bill that the new senator would vote on was one that would terminate the state’s end-stage renal disease program. “It’s not fair” that Rice’s first vote would be one that could eliminate a government program, said Broadsword. Broadsword’s apology is puzzling. The state’s renal disease program is notorious. The Legislature’s Office of Performance Evaluations said the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation had poorly managed the program, that more than $116,000 had been paid out to ineligible program participants. Another $49,000 went out to a dozen participants who were also enrolled in Medicaid. The Legislature’s review of the agency found that program runs inconsistently among its staff and regions. However, congrats to Broadsword for sponsoring a bill that eliminates a government program that is so badly managed. Her bill passed unanimously/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: Do you consider most government programs to be extremely wasteful?

Somewhere, someone in Idaho is working day and night on his technological innovation. Maybe out of a dimly-lit garage. I have no idea what this innovation is. Nor do you. Nor does government.  That’s the beauty of the free market. The governor and the members of the Legislature and of the business community who support the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) believe they can outperform and outthink the uncertainty of the markeplace. They’ve come up with a plan, expected to be voted on Monday in the Idaho House of Representatives, which would help facilitate the commercialization of high-tech research at our state colleges and universities. I won’t get into specifics of how that works, because there are no real specifics/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: The Idaho Freedom Foundation was the lone voice to speak against the IGEM proposal. Who's right, the Legislature or Wayne Hoffman?

If Little Sally draws a picture of Stick Child, Stick Mommy and Stick Daddy under a Crayola Unmellow Yellow sun, will teachers be instructed to probe for more information, to make sure that the family wore SPF 30? Increasingly, the government assumes that parents aren’t smart enough to make proper decisions for their children. The government increasingly assumes the role of parent and, increasingly, that role is accepted as normal. It’s not. … In Idaho, state lawmakers are debating a bill that would ban minors from using tanning beds. On Thursday, the House Health and Welfare Committee heard from a steady stream of dermatologists, school teachers and other do-gooders who believe the government should ban youngsters from using a tanning bed/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: Can you give small examples of what you consider to be “nanny government”?

I have to wonder if some state lawmakers are serious about defending the state's sovereignty and the notion of limited government. Witness a bill that was before the House Health and Welfare Committee a few days ago: The measure in question would expand the role of state government in the upbringing of children. Under Idaho law, the government already has a program to swoop in and offer early childhood services for “at risk” infants and toddlers with disabilities. Under the changes being pondered by the Legislature, support would be offered up to children from birth to age 5 who have “special needs.” Of course, the Department of Health and Welfare insists that such an expansion of its role isn’t an expansion at all, that the words  “special needs” are merely a kinder, gentler way of describing an array of human frailties in which the government may offer support.  And those children who are at risk? Why, that includes every possible combination of ailment under the sun/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: Do you view this issue the same way that Wayne Hoffman/IFF does?

The recent decision by legislative leaders to lock the doors leading to House member office space is troubling and contrary to the vision of openness embodied by our state’s founders and by the designers of the Capitol as it existed in1919. Legislators used to roam and mingle with the citizenry. They had to. By architectural design, the only exit from the House and Senate chambers, prior the renovation and expansion, was through the Rotunda. Now, legislators can remain tucked away behind closed doors all day every day, never having to interact with the public. They can take the back stairs or elevator to their offices in the basement level and re-emerge in a committee hearing room without ever using the common areas where the real people hang out/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: I agree with Wayne Hoffman that the lockout ordered by House Speaker Lawerence Denney is more bothersome than Occupy Boise encampment. How about you?

In November, I couldn’t resist blogging about the Idaho Freedom Foundation, after a fund-raising pitch from the limited-government lobbying group wound up in my inbox. At the time, foundation honcho Wayne Hoffman told supporters that the group $30,000 short on its 2011 fund-raising goals. While Hoffman is steadfastly unwilling to talk details about who funds his group, he made it a point this morning to send his fundraising followup to my inbox. I’ll leave it to you readers to either sigh with relief or groan in resignation. Either way, this seems to fall just a tad short of the tear-jerker finish in “It's a Wonderful Life”/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: Are you glad to know Idaho Freedom Foundation is financially stable for another year?

I have an amazing job that lets me travel the state to talk about free markets. During these travels, I get to hear from and talk to numerous local elected officials who truly care about their communities. Unfortunately, many of these officials think they have a supernatural understanding of their local marketplaces and the ability to manipulate these markets to be whatever they want them to be. It really doesn’t matter where I go: Nampa, Boise, Pocatello, Ketchum, Post Falls or Sandpoint. Every town has self-proclaimed economic gurus who are making judgments about how to use taxpayer dollars to achieve unparalleled levels of economic prosperity/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: What role should local government play in economic planning?

Wayne Hoffman, the controversial leader of Idaho Freedom Foundation, rallied supporters at Red Lion Templin's Restaurant in Post Falls Tuesday night. Hoffman showed Milton Friedman's “Free to Choose” program during the meeting, attended by a larger-than-expected crowd.

• DFO: I'm reposting this today b/c I forgot to include link Friday PM

During the Thanksgiving weekend, I had a chance to drive the freeway to Portland. I haven’t had a chance to do that in several years, so the obvious change in the landscape came as an unpleasant surprise. Around the early evening hours, we made it midway through our journey, and across the darkened horizon, we could see nothing but red lights, flickering on and off, mostly in unison as far as the eye could see, from north to south. Returning to Idaho under the light of day, the culprit was plain: dozens upon dozens of wind turbines dotting the landscape. Ugly as thistle, these turbines have adulterated what used to be a stunning Western landscape. Those of us who have driven the rural outskirts in eastern Idaho know that wind turbines are also fouling up Idaho’s majestic scenery, aided by sales tax breaks and a property tax exemption for the land that hosts these ugly beasts/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: Do you share Wayne Hoffman's view that government incentives muck things up?

In the coming weeks, you’re going to be hearing a lot about the state’s budget – the fact that there’s a looming budget surplus and a host of government agencies begging for that money. At the same time, that surplus has ignited some desire to cut taxes. Lawmakers need to remember that when they vote to set a state budget and establish the tax policy that goes with that budget, what they’re really voting on is how much money to take out of the economy. They’re voting on how much money businesses, their employees, Idaho residents, charitable organizations and so on should not have because government supposedly needs it more. Some money is invariably necessary to provide services that fall under the heading of the “proper role of government.” … But it is important to remember that every penny that’s taken out of the private sector to run government programs and services and entitlements is a penny that isn’t available to the private sector for salaries and raises, to hire new employees or to make capital investments/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.

Question: Should surplus money in the Idaho state budget be used to cut taxes or to expand state programs?

Some school districts in Idaho are now required to provide certain financial data on public websites as a result of a 2010 bill pushed through the Legislature, but some officials say the task is simply extra work for employees. House Bill 699a, sponsored by Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, and the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a Boise-based free market think tank, mandates that school districts serving more than 300 students post vendor contracts, collective bargaining agreements and monthly expenditures on their websites. The information must be easily-accessible from a district web page. Officials had until Thursday to meet the guidelines, though Melissa McGrath, spokeswoman for the Idaho Department of Education, said the legislation doesn’t address enforcement of the law. Laura Rumpler, communication director for the Coeur d’Alene School District, says the law has added a burden to school officials, noting that adding the data to the website took about 20 hours in the last few weeks/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.

Question: Is this good legislation?

Idaho Freedom Foundation has unveiled a new Web site, AccountableIdaho.com, which is designed to hold elected officials at all levels accountable for spending and budget decisions. IFF introduces the new site: “Welcome to Idaho's only website for monitoring, tracking and analyzing the spending habits of your schools, highway districts, state and other taxing districts. It's your money and it's your right to see and understand how every penny is spent. AccountableIdaho.com is designed to help you keep our elected officials accountable, identify possible waste and help our public agencies recognize the importance of close monitoring of every expenditure.” You can see the site here.

Question: What do you think of the AccountableIdaho.com site?

Not sure how this one landed in the email inbox this afternoon, but here's a fundraising pitch from Wayne Hoffman's Idaho Freedom Foundation. According to the email, the free-market group is about $30,000 short of its 2011 fundraising goal. We hope the work we’re doing is valuable to you,” writes Hoffman. “If so, every donation counts. Please consider a contribution this season to us so that we can keep up the cause of liberty”/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.