Speaker tests patience at tax hearing
Chuck Thomas of Citizens for Annexation Reform finally pushed it too far Wednesday at the property tax hearing.
Thomas had testified repeatedly to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on various property tax bills over the previous three days, usually returning to the theme that developers are getting a free ride and foisting the costs of growth onto everyone else, regardless of the topic of the specific bill at hand. Wednesday, he told the panel that a “cartel” of developers, Realtors and the Association of Idaho Cities is the bad guy in all this, saying, “They own over 50 percent of our legislators.”
That was when Revenue and Taxation Chairwoman Dolores Crow, R-Nampa, cut him off, admonishing him to address the bill at hand, which was about removing a cap on property tax replacement funds for schools. Later, Thomas was back up at the podium, speaking against a bill to eliminate the “forgone balance” in local government property tax increases and make new construction allowances from the 3 percent local government budget cap into a temporary, one-year deal. Crow told Thomas, “I have to tell you again to stick to the bill,” and Thomas responded that he was – because he was talking about the impact of growth on schools. “Well, excuse me, but I don’t agree with you,” Crow responded. “Let’s stick to the business at hand, please.”
Finally, Thomas wanted to come up and testify again, this time in the closing moments of the hearing, on a bill no one else had testified about. It was Rep. Mike Moyle’s bill to allow any 25 local taxpayers to demand an election to force a cut in local budgets, which would go through if a majority vote supported it. Crow said, “I don’t think we want to hear from you again today, thank you,” and that was that. The hearing was over.
Start packing?
Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, had a quick comeback to Judith Brown of the Idaho Center on Budget and Tax Policy on Wednesday when she told lawmakers that Idaho actually ranks low compared to other states in local government spending and therefore shouldn’t further limit local government spending in its effort to provide property tax relief.
“In terms of total local spending, Idaho ranks 35th out of the states,” Brown told the Revenue and Taxation Committee.
Roberts responded, “I wonder, if all the states decided to move out in the middle of the ocean, would we follow suit because that’s what the majority of states decided to do?”
Steady as he goes
The Idaho Transportation Department had just finished briefing the Senate Transportation Committee on how it sets speed limits, when committee Chairman Skip Brandt, R-Kooskia, had this question about a 55-mph stretch of Highway 55 near Shadow Valley Golf Course:
“When I’m heading home, I’m either holding up traffic or they’re going past me, and I’m going 55. … Is that an area that’s been studied lately?”
Senate President Pro Tem Bob Geddes had the quick answer: “Just by you.”
Never mind
Rand Lewis of Coeur d’Alene made a bit of a splash by sticking his toe into the water of the 1st District congressional race, saying he’d be announcing that he’ll join the crowded field as the third Democrat and ninth candidate overall seeking the open seat.
But on Wednesday, Lewis had this to say in an e-mail: “After much thought and discussion, we have decided that we do not have enough time to mount an effective campaign in the next three months. With that in mind, we are going to pursue a strategy to participate in the 2008 campaign. I appreciate your patience.”
So just forget about that earlier announcement – the pool is back to two Democrats and six Republicans.