Buttering Up The Legislature
It’d be nice if one of the North Idaho legislators had the guts to vote against making the potato our state vegetable. After all, a million Irish died in the mid-19th century because they relied too much on the potato. But don’t bank on any valiant stands. By now, the southern Idaho spud lobby has domesticated most of our solons. So, we’d best learn a few things about our future state symbol. First, “you should never bake an Idaho potato in aluminum foil because it steams the potato, making its texture soggy and mushy instead of dry and fluffy.” Secondly, Mr. Potato Head is now 45 years old. Finally, we Northerners can console ourselves with the fact that the first Idaho potato was planted north of the Salmon River, near Lapwai, by missionary Henry Harmon Spalding. That’s the closest a real Idaho spud has been to Coeur d’Alene in the last 160 years.
We want to know who’s buying legislators
State Rep. Jeff Alltus, R-Coeur d’Alene, deserves a pat on the head for admitting a campaign-finance violation - and a kick in the rear for not understanding the law’s purpose. Alltus was one of three North Idaho solons fined for failing to report large last-minute contributions before November’s election. Said Alltus, “I’m guilty. I would’ve complied if I’d known.” Good, so far. But then he added: “What good does it do?” Well, in a word, plenty. For years, major contributors routinely have waited until after the last pre-election reporting deadline to dump money into campaigns. That enables them to skirt the prying eyes of the press until weeks after the election when few care who gave what to whom. In Alltus’ case, he received $6,000 in the last two weeks of the campaign from his party. That kind of money can make a difference in a tight race. It needs to be reported.
No wonder D’s oppose Ten Commandments
House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt was put out that he had to vote on the Ten Commandments. On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 295-125 to support an Alabama judge who is defying orders to stop displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom. Seventy-nine Democrats and 216 Republicans, including Idaho Congressmen Helen Chenoweth and Mike Crapo, voted yes; 120 D’s, four R’s and an independent voted no. The resolution is nonbinding. Afterward, Gephardt, who voted no, said “it baffles me” why the House should be concerned with the matter. Do you suppose that the commandments’ indictment against lying, stealing and coveting makes the Democrats nervous?
, DataTimes MEMO: D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125, or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.