Dorr’s Stance Simply Goofy

Fellow legislators weren’t laughing with state Rep. Tom Dorr, R-Post Falls, last week. They were laughing at him - for good reason. They didn’t understand why a legislator would oppose $2.5 million in property tax relief for his own county. Nor can I - even after hearing Dorr’s explanation. He didn’t want liquor taxes to be used to replace property taxes for North Idaho College. Kootenai County is one of only three counties in Idaho that support community colleges with property taxes. Said Dorr: “To take money from something like that (liquor) that is known to be and documented to be so destructive and to funnel it into something that is as positive and constructive as community colleges, to me, is inherently wrong.” What’s inherently wrong here is that Dorr hasn’t learned much in his 1-1/2 sessions in the Legislature. Liquor taxes are mixed into almost every state budget, as the sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Ron Black, R-Twin Falls, pointed out. I admire principled stands. But goofiness? Never.

Liquor link doesn’t bother this brother

Christian conservatives don’t always flock together, however. Sen. Gordon Crow, R-Coeur d’Alene, went to great lengths lobbying for a special liquor license for the Clark House on Hayden Lake. Crow crafted legislation allowing such licenses for “any food, beverage and/or lodging facility with at least five rooms in a building at least 75 years old that’s been on the historic register at least 10 years, is within 500 yards of a natural lake of at least 36,000 acre-feet of water when full with at least 32 miles of shoreline in a county with a population of at least 65,000.” No Idaho business but the Clark House need apply. A tailored bill doesn’t bother me - if taxes on Clark House hooch provide property tax relief and if a plague of drunken drivers is not turned loose on winding South Hayden Lake Road. Crow should talk to Dorr before Dorr rants against property tax relief again.

Don’t piddle in his yard, Fido

Finally, Rep. Jeff Alltus, a third Christian conservative from Kootenai County, has won special recognition from an Idaho Statesman columnist. With tongue firmly in cheek, writer Dan Popkey awarded Alltus a “Dirty Harry Award” for opposing tougher animal cruelty laws. In his Feb. 27 column, Popkey quoted Alltus as saying: “If I have a dog and he’s peeing on my front lawn and I want to take him in my back yard and shoot him, it’s my private property.” And if Kootenai County has legislators who are embarrassing their constituents, what then?

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