123Idaho's blog

There will be an open seat on the Caldwell, Idaho City Council.

Since David Clark just announced this last night, it appears that the news outlets haven't picked up the story yet. (as of 9:50 a.m. MST)

From his Facebook page:

Dear friends and family, life is full of adventures and challenges and I am going though an adventure right now. For the past few months, I have been communicating with a company called www.web.com. They build websites, social media and SEO for businesses. It has been a great partnership and they have recently offered me a permanent position in their Houston, Texas office as a Sales Branch Manager, responsible for the entire Houston area. I will have many people under my wing and this is a big step for me.

Normally it would take a lot for me to tear up my Caldwell roots for a move like this, however web.com delivered. The offer was too sweet to say no. Therefore, I accepted their offer and I am moving to Houston Feb 11. I know this is a shock to some of you, but this is a natural progression in my career right now. Life here in Idaho for the family will remain somewhat the same. Marcee will run the event center and the social media business will be ran out of Houston. Another major change for me is resigning from my passion, the Caldwell City Council. This was the most difficult decision to make, but it needed to be made in order for the Citizens of Caldwell to be served right. My last council meeting will be February 4th.

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For many Republicans, this is a good weekend to get away from it all.

With hundreds of thousands of Democrats traveling to nation's capital for President Barack Obama's inauguration activities, Republicans and supporters of last fall's GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, are leaving town, or staying put and trying to avoid the crowds.

After failing to recapture the White House for a second straight presidential election, many are not exactly in a partying mood.

"It's a good time to lay low," said John Feehery, the president of Quinn Gillespie Communications and a former top congressional aide.

As Democrats prepare to mark Obama's second inauguration on Monday by bundling up along the parade route or dressing up for balls, Republicans are spending the long Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend with quick vacation getaways, quiet time at home or trips to the movie theater.

Read the full story.

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"  read more »

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Efforts to save the nation from going over a year-end "fiscal cliff" were in disarray as lawmakers fled the Capitol for their Christmas break. "God only knows" how a deal can be reached now, House Speaker John Boehner declared.

President Barack Obama, on his way out of town himself, insisted a bargain could still be struck before Dec. 31. "Call me a hopeless optimist," he said.

The nation’s decision makers continue to wrestle with the consequences of going over the “fiscal cliff” at year’s end, which may translate to cuts in federal funding in many state budgets.

The trickle-down effect could cause more problems for state courts that have fallen victim to massivefiscal cliff budget shortfalls during the recession, according to G. Alan Tarr, a professor of political science at Rutgers-Camden.

“When revenues decrease as they have during the recent recession, states have to look for places to cut in order to balance their budget,” says Tarr, an internationally noted constitutional scholar. “Some states cut across the board and others pick out areas in which funds aren’t being well spent. In any case, state courts tend to get hit, which precipitates concerns about the administration of justice.”

Tarr opines on the issue in his article, “No Exit: The Financial Crisis Facing State Courts,” recently published in the Kentucky Law Journal.

Tarr directs the Rutgers-Camden Center for State Constitutional Studies. He has consulted with numerous state legislatures and Supreme Courts on the complexities of state constitutions. says a majority of funding for state courts – which makes up about 2 or 3 percent of a state budget – accounts for salaries for judges, clerks, and other core personnel. Therefore, Tarr says budget cuts to the courts tend to take the form of reducing personnel.

“The cuts in turn have forced state court systems to adopt measures to reduce costs, such as cutting hours and employees, which jeopardizes the administration of justice,” Tarr says.

In his article, Tarr notes that in fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011, state budget shortfalls have totaled more than $530 billion, leading to dramatic reductions in funding for state courts.

If cuts have to be made at the federal level as a result of the so-called fiscal cliff, they will include funding that goes to the states, creating more of a burden on entities like the courts, Tarr says.

“The problem for state courts is that there are many other worthwhile uses for this revenue within the state budgets,” he notes. “The courts are competing against education, Medicaid, and other state functions.”

Tarr says the American Bar Association became very concerned about funding for state courts and in 2011 formed a task force to look at the fiscal issues affecting the courts and what could be done about them.

“There are two possibilities,” he says. “The states can increase the portion of the state budget that goes to the courts, or can increase the pool so that they get the same percentage, but there’s more revenue.”

In any case, Tarr says there is no light at the end of the tunnel for underfunded state courts.

“The state courts are, for the foreseeable future, going to continue to face declining funding,” he says. “They’ll have to find ways to work more expeditiously to continue to deliver the administration of justice.”  read more »

Many people have asked where they can go to sign the Luna recall/referendum petition.

Here is a list of local locations:

http://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/article_39e5e10c-6cef-11e0-90d0-001cc4c03286.html
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Petitions are also available online. Click here.
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Read more at: recalltomluna.org

Randy Stapilus has an interesting piece on the decline and fall of education in Idaho.

Here are some excerpts:

As an independent body supposedly put in place to advocate for the best interests of education, the Board of Education has in recent years been nothing more than a lap-dog for Idaho’s governors, especially Otter, who have been eviscerating education budgets, K-12 and higher ed, for years. Ponder this fact: the recently proposed Idaho higher education budget takes state support for colleges and universities back to where it stood in 2000. At the same time, mom, dad and the kids face sky- rocketing tuition and fees.

Forty years ago, the kind of people then serving, Democrats and Republicans alike, would have resigned en masse if they had been blindsided like the present board was by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s radical reform proposals not to mention the unfunded mandate they represent for local school districts.  read more »

Who said that you are entitled to it?

The constitution (granted, I never dun read it but a friend at the bar told me) merely says something about ensuring the general welfare.

It doesn't say that the government will stop somebody from robbing your house.

Think about it: for hundreds (or at least maybe dozens) of years Idaho survived the good old fashioned way. If somebody started trouble on your farm, grandma went out with the shotgun and pumped some lead in him.

So why do ya'll expect us to fund an Idaho State Police Department?

Watch this video for concrete proof of our position:

 read more »

Crossposted on Daily Kos

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Someone needs to ask Wayne Hoffman!

According to KBOI:

It's 80 pages of purported waste and ineffectual government spending.

It's called the 2011 Idaho Report on Government Waste and it's put out by the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit governmental watchdog group. Inside the huge report is page after page of citations, research and advice from experts who say various programs in Idaho's schools, pension programs and urban renewal plans are ineffectual across the state.

Wayne Hoffman is Executive Director of the group.

"I still read it and I get angry," Hoffman said. "I'm sitting here looking at all these expenses tax payers are putting their money into and I'm saying why? Why are we doing this and what can we do?"  read more »

Why sports on 43rdStateBlues?

Community building is a key component of group blogs such as this one. And such refreshing changes of pace probably bring together commenters who wouldn't otherwise interact.

Further, as you will notice in 123idaho's crosspost on Daily Kos, the discussion quickly branched into related political topics including gangs and crime, quality of life in Boise vs. Palo Alto, the efficiency of California's governmnent, education funding in Idaho, salaries of football coaches in comparison to the rest of us, and more.

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With two recent high profile coaching departures, Idaho Statesman columnist Brian Murphy calls him The One Coach BSU Can't Lose.

But Stanford has officially asked to interview Boise State football coach Chris Petersen.

Speculators have spoken of the 30 degree winters in the Bay area vs. the 70 degree winters in Boise.

Petersen makes $1 million now vs. $2 million on the table in Palo Alto.

And he is a northern California native.

Heisman candidate Andrew Luck will return to the Cardinal, and they have a real shot at winning a national championship.

Commenters under a Brian Murphy editorial in the Idaho Statesman discuss the likely possibility that Petersen will soon leave the Broncos and take the Stanford job:  read more »

By Mike Journee

A Boise State University survey of Garden City’s health care needs found that inaccessible health care resources, financial hardship and a lack of insurance are the largest barriers to adequate resident health care in the community.

The community health needs assessment, conducted by Boise State School of Nursing students in conjunction with the Garden City Community Clinic (GCCC), is part of a GCCC effort to assess the health needs of the Garden City community in order to provide data that will help inform and direct the development of the GCCC.

The survey results and recommendations were presented to GCCC advisory committee and other community health care stakeholders, including consumers and providers, in a presentation today at the city hall in Garden City.

“We recognize that sustainable solutions require community engagement, so before we determine what the community needs, we decided we should ask,” said Hillary Roethlisberger, director of local operations at GCCC, which is operated by Genesis World Mission. GCCC provides medical services to low-income and uninsured patients by utilizing the volunteer work of health care professionals. “We will use this information to decide what programs to develop and how to do it so that we can continue to provide some of our hardest working residents – the working poor – with the care they need to continue to work.”  read more »

Even in the heat of an election cycle, it is always good to take a break for some recommended reading.

EXCERPT (reprinted with permission):

In his introduction to Queer Popular Culture: Literature, Media, Film, and Television, Thomas Peele writes:

The tension in Take Me Out, results from deception. In an act of multicultural acceptance (with social class as the marker of cultural difference), Kippy Sunderstrom, Darren Lemming’s best friend and teammate, tells a lie. Sunderstrom writes a letter of apology to Lemming and attributes that letter to another teammate, Shane Mungitt. The reason for the apology is that Mungitt, at a press conference, refers to Lemming as a "faggot." Sunderstrom writes the letter, and says that Mungitt did, because he can’t believe that Mungitt actually feels that way. Sunderstrom believes that Mungitt only used the word as a result of his cultural difference, a cultural difference that Sunderstrom attributes to a lack of exposure to more contemporary ideas. The lie that Sunderstrom tells, though, backfires; rather than working to change Mungitt’s views about faggots and others whom he perceives as different from himself, it only puts Mungitt in a position to accomplish much greater violence.  read more »

Daily Kos is such a popular forum that it has been called "an internet within the internet."

But such massive use brings downsides.

Sometimes, a blogger is lucky if a newly written diary stays on the screen for even a few minutes, due to the sheer volume of participation.

So the blogs' founder Markos Moulitsas wisely instituted a diary rescue feature. Through this method, select entries of importance can get another run on the big screen.

That's why all of us here at 123idaho were delighted during a recent search to find that at least a couple of our diaries regarding the Gem State were picked up by Daily Kos in-house writer Meteor Blades in his Green Diary Rescue thread.

A lot of important things happen in Idaho. And it is always good when our state receives international attention for issues other than the ones that keep late-night comedians in business.

From a Daily Kos Green Diary Rescue last summer:

123idaho wondered if we are making the best decisions for Idaho’s families and natural legacy?: "Whether your summertime rituals involve an annual hike up a favorite trail or Sunday evenings at the old fishing hole, the great outdoors are one big reason most of us choose to live in Idaho. From our pristine lakes and rivers to abundant, accessible public land to clear blue skies, we are blessed with scenic and recreational riches. We also know that these gifts were given to us to use wisely, and that we are called to be stewards of the air, land and water that both feed our souls and help us keep food on our tables. Just as we all shoulder a great deal of individual responsibility for our actions, as lawmakers, we know that decisions made in the Idaho Legislature can affect our environment. Are we making the best decisions?"  read more »

Now stop staring:

No one has been able to say how long U.S. Forest Service Officer Scott Cairnes and Deputy Derek Hamm stood watching the trio, but in Cairnes’ report he wrote that he saw Dennison and Adkins engage in three sex acts and then Adkins and Walsh began to fondle Dennison.

Sheriff fires deputies caught naked in forest

"I regret that I have but one vote to give Mr. Labrador," writes Dan Welker on the Facebook page of Labrador for Idaho. "Great position statement. Now lets go get you elected!"

Welker is referring to the 1st Congressional District Candidate's position statement on illegal immigration.

"I agree with Dan," added Angela Ippolito-Cross "I regret that I have but one vote to give Mr. Labrador."

But apparently, Republican words regarding their candidate are not worth the blog windows they are printed on.

According to KBOI:  read more »

UPDATE: White Man's Party: The Strange Career of Republican Racism talks about this problem. It is a must read.

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Our post Hostility to minorities is held by the far right majority of the Republican Party was picked up by several reference sites, including Topix.com.

In this discussion, kodbager writes (among other things):

Here's a valid question. As a "minority" ... just what the hell is it that really distinguishes YOUR want's and wishes from that of MINE???  read more »

Maybe Harry Reid should consider adding the thought: I don't know how any woman could be a Republican, OK? ... Do I need to say more?

A Minnesota Republican Party operative yesterday waded into one of the signature political issues of our time: "Who's hotter — Republican women or Democratic women?" writes Rachel Rose Hartman on Yahoo News.  read more »

No matter the group, one can almost feel the seething disgust the GOP has for people they don't like.

Simply put, there is one party that welcomes people of all colors and faiths, and there is one that does not.

- brooklynbadboy

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Harry Reid really touched a nerve when he said: "I don't know how anyone of Latino heritage could be a Republican, OK?" ... "Do I need to say more?"

Out of necessity, 1st Congressional District Republican candidate Raul Labrador, who was born in Puerto Rico, weighed in:

“Harry Reid’s latest race-baited words are simply unacceptable to all members of the Hispanic community and I fully expect his party and Walt Minnick to condemn these terrible comments immediately.” he said

Calling Reid's comments "ill-tempered," and "ignorant," Labrador issued the following statement:

I cannot believe an elected leader of Harry Reid’s stature can continue to make racist comments about huge numbers of Americans. Harry Reid’s latest race-baited comments are simply unacceptable to all members of the Hispanic community. Denigrating the entire Republican Hispanic community, including myself, is simply outrageous. Contrary to Senator Reid’s beliefs, the Latino community is perfectly capable of making choices of political affiliation that are in its best interests, including being Republicans.  read more »

And see the crosspost with a poll on Daily Kos:
Labrador Scores! Labrador Lies! Labrador Spins!

After commenting under the original story below, we realized that this issue deserves its own cohesive post.

Why do we feel like this, now three part saga, is going to have many more parts?

To begin with:

LABRADOR SCORES  read more »

"U.S. House hopeful Raul Labrador’s cash-strapped campaign has moved to downtown Boise to conserve resources, setting up a new headquarters outside the congressional district he wants to represent," the Idaho Press Tribune Reports.

Give Labrador credit for being frugal. He's promoting Idaho grittiness and thrift!  read more »

Former Congressman Tim Walberg is in the midst of an expensive and competitive primary in Michigan's 7th district, as he tries to reclaim the seat he lost to Democrat Mark Schauer in 2008.

Clearly, if one thing has been made clear this electoral cycle, Republican candidates are required to exercise proper fealty to the teabagger movement,

writes Steve Singiser on Daily Kos.  read more »

UPDATE: In late March, 1st Congressional District Candidate Raul Labrador, then an underdog contender against National Republican Congressional Committee-favored candidate Vaughn Ward, told a group of conservative activists that Republican leaders in Washington were responsible for the rise of the Democratic congressional majority, and mentioned House Republican Leader John Boehner by name, Politico reports.

"The problem is that John Boehner and the establishment in Washington D.C. failed us a few years back. That's why we have Obama and a Democratic Congress right now," Labrador said to applause. "If they would have stood up on principles from the beginning, we wouldn't have Obama in the White House right now."

A Democratic source provided POLITICO with an audio recording of Labrador's remarks, which came during a question-and-answer session with the Treasure Valley Pachyderms, a local GOP club.

But Washington, DC is not like good ole Idaho, and Labrador is now attempting to soften his anti-insider stance.

It will be interesting to see how the candidate, who built his house on being extremist and divisive, wades through these treacherous waters on the big stage.

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Did you watch the Republican delegation on the night Obama won?

Several Idaho Republicans won that night too.

And the big boys, Otter, Risch, Simpson etc. all exchanged various rounds of "thank yous" and gave gratitude to colleagues.

But one name was noticeably absent from the thank you list:  read more »