GOP’s Compton faces a newcomer

Ian Stenseng knows running against one of North Idaho’s well-known and distinguished politicians is a long shot.

He’s 24, works in Spokane, is a Democrat and has no health insurance.

Yet that’s exactly why he decided to challenge Sen. Dick Compton, R-Coeur d’Alene, for the District 5 Idaho Senate seat that represents people in Post Falls and south of the Spokane River to the Shoshone County border. The election is Nov. 2.

Stenseng wants to bring balance to the Idaho Legislature and give a voice to young adults just starting their families and careers – people like him who can’t find jobs locally, or jobs that pay well and have benefits.

“I decided to run to represent the average Joe,” said Stenseng, who grew up in a union family and has been involved in Democratic endeavors most his life. “Guys like me who can’t find work around here and have to work in Spokane and don’t have health insurance. I also didn’t like the idea of nobody challenging Senator Compton. Basically that means he’s not accountable to anyone.”

Compton, a former Kootenai County commissioner and retired IBM executive who sits on the Jobs Plus board, thinks maybe Stenseng set his goal a little too high.

“He’s to be congratulated for having the fortitude to step forward and offer himself up,” said Compton, 71. “But if I were to give him any advice, I’d tell him to try for the city council to try to get his feet wet.”

Compton, who grew up in Bayview and graduated from Spirit Lake High School, said it’s a noble cause to represent the young adults of Idaho but that voting for Stenseng would be to give up some of North Idaho’s power and influence. And Compton is confident he’s already working for that population by trying to attract good jobs to the area that pay a livable wage and benefits.

Stenseng said that groups like the local job-recruiter Jobs Plus focus too much on the business side and not the job side. He would like North Idaho to market itself better, especially trying to attract media, marketing and technology jobs. He also wants to see Idaho give more tax breaks to companies that provide good jobs and health insurance.

“We can’t continue to subside on Wal-Mart wages,” Stenseng said.

Compton said strong leadership is needed this session because of Idaho’s tough financial questions.

“We need to provide enough money for education and to fund our social responsibilities and provide money for higher education while at the same time balancing the budget,” Compton said. “In tough financial years we need the most creativity and imagination we can get.”

Stenseng said that imagination and creativity will come with adding young people to the legislative mix, which mostly is made up of retirees.

Stenseng grew up in Olympia and spent summers near Clark Fork where his mother’s relatives homesteaded. He graduated from Evergreen State College in Olympia in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in digital media. He works for imPro, an independent media production firm in Spokane. Those skills have helped Stenseng do most of the marketing and advertising for his campaign, whether it’s printing mailers, bumper stickers or T-shirts.

His other top issues are fully funding education and bringing balance to the Republican-dominated Senate, which has seven Democrats out of 35 seats.

He thinks current legislators have ducked their responsibility for funding Idaho schools.

Compton thinks his experience with county government and one term in the Senate make him the best candidate. He is the vice chairman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and serves on the Commerce and Human Resources and Local Government and Taxation committees. As a Republican, he has a better chance of building coalitions and getting things done – whether it’s water issues, lowering property taxes or reducing the cost of prescription drugs, he said.

“One of the most lonesome jobs in the Senate is to be there as a Democrat,” Compton said.

Both Stenseng and Compton agree that Idahoans need property tax relief and would support some type of deferred payment for long-time homeowners. And both support eliminating the sales tax on groceries.

Compton said the state would have to look at how to replace the revenue lost by eliminating the grocery tax.

Compton also has been participating on an interim water committee that is looking at water laws in Idaho, stemming from fights over water rights in southern Idaho. He said the issue could affect the state’s economy and how North Idaho water rights are handled in the future.

Compton said it’s critical for North Idaho lawmakers to ensure the Panhandle is equally considered in any water rights discussion and that North Idaho issues, such as protection of the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, are considered.

Stenseng said protecting the quality of life in North Idaho will help stimulate the economy.

“We need to improve education, infrastructure and our quality of life,” he said.