Can You Seal Coat a Spine?

I've heard stories of a guy in the Idaho Legislature in the early 70s who was known for wearing a bright yellow jacket and voting "Hell no!" on legislation. I'm told he's governor now, but sometimes I wonder if he's the same guy.

When discussing transportation funding back in July Butch Otter said, "Folks, I'm sorry, but we've got to have it (higher taxes)."

But now that the legislative session looms, Otter is backpedaling. He told a meeting of the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho on Wednesday he wants more efficiency and accountability from the Idaho Transportation Department first.

That's all fine and good, indeed an entirely appropriate thing to ask for, but the core issue remains. Roads all over the state are either inadequate, dangerous, or both. As I mentioned back in July, we could address this issue now, without higher taxes.

Accountability seems to be a recurring theme in the Otter Administration, but it's an accountability defined as, "Watch yourself, or I'll come out there and taunt you a second time."

Meanwhile, Otter's fellow Republicans are already poo-poohing his agenda, just like they did last year. Otter's plan to put the brakes on property tax increases by placing a ceiling on assessment growth pegged to inflation (until the property sells, which will undoubtedly trigger a rather significant jump in many places) is "going to be a tough sell in the Legislature," says GOP state Sen. Joe Stegner of Lewiston, for example. So, like the 2007 Idaho Legislature, the 2008 Idaho Legislature is likely to be a whole lot of nothing.

It's bad enough that this state has to deal with a Legislature run by flat-earth troglodytes year after year, but at least the governor is in a position to put the screws to them from time to time. Otter doesn't; the fire in the belly he may have had in the 70s is gone. Cecil Andrus certainly wasn't afraid of taking the Legislature to task.

Oh right, Andrus was a Democrat. My bad.