Budget cuts will mean sacrifices

District 5 lawmakers hold last town hall meeting before legislative session begins

Rick Thomas; Staff writer, Coeur d'Alene Press

Published: December 20, 2009

POST FALLS - In one last town hall meeting before Idaho's 2010 legislative session begins in January, District 5 lawmakers warned that budget cuts will mean sacrifices for just about every-body. "We're reaching into every pocket," said Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls. He joined Representatives Frank Henderson and Bob Nonini for two hours of brainstorming with 20 members of the community at the Post Falls Library on Saturday morning, and all agreed balancing the budget as required by the state constitution will mean every entity funded by the state will need to tighten its belt.

"We will have to do more than the typical hold-backs to balance the budget," Hammond said.

Consolidating state agencies, or even eliminating some, will be among the options considered, he said.

"We're going to have to cut a lot," Henderson said, to applause from Steve Reid of Coeur d'Alene.

Idaho should not have missed the opportunity it has had to set an example as a conservative Republican state, Reid said.

"There are a lot of ideas out there that could have shown other states the way," he said. "We squandered it."

But, said Henderson, Idaho is in better shape than other states because of the mandated balanced budget. He agreed with Reid that more charter schools and school vouchers are good ideas that take time to get approved.

"Some things have to go to hell before you can get them done," Henderson said.

With 53 percent of the state's budget dedicated to K-12 education, it will once again be a challenge to convince the Idaho Education Association to agree to concessions, Nonini said.

"There will be a lot less money appropriated for education because we just don't have it," he said.

Fred Ebel of Post Falls pointed out stories from the Dec. 9 edition of The Press, one about ways the state is considering to save money, and another on North Idaho College's request for $35 million in capital investment, including $7.5 million for the education corridor.

He agreed with the proposal in the first story to sell the Governor's mansion, but not with the latter.

"I pay taxes to the state of Idaho," Ebel said. "I don't want to do it again with property taxes."

Henderson reminded him that it is the NIC board he needs to take that up with.

Harold Hacker of Coeur d'Alene suggested the former Stimson sawmill property purchased for the education corridor should be sold to private developers to put it back on tax rolls. He also objected to the $3.5 million funding for the Kroc Center provided by the city.

"I had to pay taxes for that," he said. Hacker said when he lived in California and legislators tried to overturn voter-approved Proposition 13 limiting property taxes, "We were ready for it," and suggested there should be an impact fee of $4,000 to $5,000 per home for schools.

He also asked why drug offenses result in stiffer penalties than driving under the influence of alcohol.

"The alcohol industry controls that," he said. "It's not like that in California."

That prompted a reminder from Hammond: "This isn't California," and that drug courts are doing a good job of preventing repeat drug offenses and keeping people out of jails and prisons.

Bruce Noble of Post Falls suggested tax incentives for renewable energy could entice industry to the state.

Nonini agreed the state has ample resources, ranging from geothermal and wind in the south to woody biomass in the north, but federal laws sometimes make it difficult to maximize their potential.

Other suggestions were providing tax credits for private schools that would cut public school enrollment, for which the state pays $6,000 per year per student.

The legislators promised another town hall meeting after the session convenes, sometime in February.