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Campaign ‘96

Compiled From Staff Reports

Taxing believability

Gov. Phil Batt’s office issued the sort of news politicians love to advertise in an election year. It was notice that Idaho is 33rd in the United States and District of Columbia for the amount of taxes paid per $1,000 of income. Idahoans apparently pay an average of $1,820 in taxes while nationally each person pays an average of $2,298. It’s bittersweet, however. Idahoans pay 18 percent more in income taxes than the national average, but 21 percent less in property taxes. Relative, smelative. The bottom line to voters is that any tax is too high.

Used paper counts for more

People who recycle outnumber people who vote by a 2-1 margin in parts of the Pacific Northwest, Northwest Environment Watch reports. The group focused on Washington and Oregon, so there weren’t results available specifically for Idaho. Still, what’s good news for landfill space is merely more cynicism for politics. This is, after all, the nation where 67 percent of the people didn’t realize the U.S. Senate had passed a plan to balance the federal budget, according to a Washington Post survey. Another 30 percent didn’t even know whether their governor was Republican or Democrat. Suppose the election will pass unnoticed?

A week of ultimate strangeness

There is little doubt Idaho politics was struck by a full moon of sorts during the past week. First news surfaced that U.S. Sen. Larry Craig obtained his third waiver from the rule that says senators can’t accept gifts worth more than $50. Then Craig and his opponent, Democrat Walt Minnick of Boise, got in a verbal squabble over who has the high road in the gun-control debate. Craig, a member of the National Rifle Association board, believes results of a National Education Association questionnaire is the gospel on gun control. Minnick, meanwhile, says a senator who doesn’t own guns or hunt - as Minnick does - couldn’t possibly take aim at his position.

Weird Week 2: Day late, medal short

U.S. Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, raced to congratulate World War II veteran and St. Maries resident Vernon J. Baker almost two months after it was announced that Baker might receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. The fax machine also announced that Kempthorne is now deputy assistant majority leader in the Senate and was responsible for, among other things, developing “floor tactics.” Would that be carpet or vinyl, your honor?

Weird Week 3: Someone say ethics?

Finally, U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth announced she is asking for advice from the House Ethics Committee after apparently breaking rules prohibiting her from using her congressional office for fund-raising. Ever resourceful, Chenoweth issued a press release accusing the Sierra Club of snubbing her after the club declined to come to one of the fundraisers now in question.

All of this in a week. And this is only June.

Pressing questions

This one from us. Call our Cityline, listed at the end of the column, and tell us who your all-time favorite Idaho politician is and why. Results to follow in this column.

Web Site of the Week

It’s not flashy, but the PBS Election Coverage page is voluminous. It offers stump speeches from the candidates, links to their home pages and transcripts of recent political stories aired on public television. There’s even a chance to search the PBS Archives … Find it at http://www1.pbs.org/newshour/ election/.

Correction

Stop the Shipments, the initiative effort to prevent any more nuclear waste coming to the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, gathered signatures for its efforts at a garage sale recently. Last week’s political notebook incorrectly said the anti-nuke group also was running the driveway mart as a fund-raiser.

, DataTimes MEMO: Campaign ‘96 is published regularly during the campaign season and is compiled from staff reports. To submit information on a political event or a question you want the candidates to answer, write us c/o The Idaho Spokesman-Review, 608 Northwest Boulevard, Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814. Or call Cityline at (208) 765-8811 on a Touch-Tone telephone, then press 9893 to leave a message, your name and phone number.

Campaign ‘96 is published regularly during the campaign season and is compiled from staff reports. To submit information on a political event or a question you want the candidates to answer, write us c/o The Idaho Spokesman-Review, 608 Northwest Boulevard, Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814. Or call Cityline at (208) 765-8811 on a Touch-Tone telephone, then press 9893 to leave a message, your name and phone number.