[Vision2020] Fwd: Legislative Newsletter IX
Donovan Arnold
donovanarnold@hotmail.com
Mon, 31 Mar 2003 20:02:37 -0800
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>Representative Trail,</P>
<P>I am sorry to hear about your grandson's condition. My thoughts and prayers will be with him, you, and your family.</P>
<P>I want to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to the people of Moscow, Latah County, and the University of Idaho. You are one of the few republicans that I vote for because you are truly dedicated to helping people and are motivated by the right reasons.</P>
<P>However, I must strongly object to the appointment of Gary Young to take your position.</P>
<P>Young does not have the reputation deserving of such a position. I have been deeply angered by many of his bigoted and narrow minded statements at the University of Idaho during his visits. </P>
<P>Young was resoundly defeated in the last election. As a matter of fact I think he was the only sitting republican deafeated in the entire northwest. His attitude and immature reactions to losing are further proof of his inability to properly represent the people of Latah County. </P>
<P>Please do not ignor the will of the people you represent who voted this man out of office for a reason, has no respect from the student leadership at the University of Idaho, and has proven for two years that he does not represent the interests of the people of Latah County and the students and they proved it in the last election. </P>
<P>Donovan Arnold</P>
<P>Moscow Native</P>
<P>Voter</P>
<P>Former ASUI Senator</P>
<P>UI Student<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Tom Trail <TTRAIL@MOSCOW.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>To: vision2020@moscow.com
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: [Vision2020] Fwd: Legislative Newsletter IX
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 07:57:47 -0800
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER XI MARCH 24-28/03
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>>Dear Constitutents:
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>>The 57th session of the Idaho Legislature may establish a new
<DIV></DIV>>>record for the
<DIV></DIV>>>longest session in trying to arrive at final approval for a budget
<DIV></DIV>>>and tax
<DIV></DIV>>>increases to support the budget. I will be leaving the
<DIV></DIV>>>Legislature on April
<DIV></DIV>>>3rd. Our grandson, Matthew, age 15 months has been suffering from
<DIV></DIV>>>Russells
<DIV></DIV>>>Syndrome since birth, and he had a recent setback. We feel our
<DIV></DIV>>>place is with
<DIV></DIV>>>Matthew and his family. Former State Representative Gary Young
<DIV></DIV>>>will fill in as
<DIV></DIV>>>my substitute. Gary know the legislative ropes, and will support
<DIV></DIV>>>my position
<DIV></DIV>>>on supporting the Governor's budget and the tax increases necessary
<DIV></DIV>>>to do the job. You can contact Gary at my desk phone (208)
<DIV></DIV>>>332-1202 or use my state e
<DIV></DIV>>>mail # ttrail@house.state.id.us. I want to thank Gary for filling
<DIV></DIV>>>in for me.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> 1. Budget for Public Education-Many legislators campaigned to
<DIV></DIV>>>support public
<DIV></DIV>>> education. It appears that the conservatives were willing to
<DIV></DIV>>>support a
<DIV></DIV>>> appropriation of $920 million--the exact amount that the
<DIV></DIV>>>state approved for
<DIV></DIV>>> fiscal year 03.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> However, when one considers that we hadd about $60.8 million
<DIV></DIV>>>in dedicated
<DIV></DIV>>> funds last year and that projectons are for no more than
<DIV></DIV>>>$41.9 million
<DIV></DIV>>> this year then we are faced with an additional $20 million
<DIV></DIV>>>shortfall for
<DIV></DIV>>> public education. Part of the problem comes about because of
<DIV></DIV>>>no carry over
<DIV></DIV>>> funds, loss of revenue from endowment funds, increased
<DIV></DIV>>>transportation costs
<DIV></DIV>>> inflation, property tax replacement, and additional medical
<DIV></DIV>>>costs for staff
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> The impact of this $20 million shortfall is reflected in
<DIV></DIV>>>terms of three
<DIV></DIV>>> budget alternatives--$920/$930/and $943--the Governor's
<DIV></DIV>>>budget. Every
<DIV></DIV>>> school district in the state loses under the $920 and $930
<DIV></DIV>>>million senario.
<DIV></DIV>>> It is only when we reach the Governor's $943 million budget
<DIV></DIV>>>for public
<DIV></DIV>>> education that districts break even. Under the $920 and $930
<DIV></DIV>>>million
<DIV></DIV>>> senario this would represent reductions at the local school
<DIV></DIV>>>district of
<DIV></DIV>>> from 1.5% to 2.5%.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> Much talk has taken place about the "big" increases for
<DIV></DIV>>>public education
<DIV></DIV>>> over the past 20 years. A major reason for increases is the
<DIV></DIV>>>significant
<DIV></DIV>>> number of unfunded federal and state mandates that have
<DIV></DIV>>>forced local
<DIV></DIV>>> and at times the state to increase funding for these
<DIV></DIV>>>mandates. One example
<DIV></DIV>>> is that in 1974 Congress mandated the Special Education
<DIV></DIV>>>Program, and
<DIV></DIV>>> promised to pick up 70% of the funding. This promise was not
<DIV></DIV>>>kept and last
<DIV></DIV>>> year the State and Districts had to pick up 84% of Special
<DIV></DIV>>>Education costs.
<DIV></DIV>>> As Pogo said, "The Enemy is Us."
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> 2. Higher Education Budgets--I support the Governor's budget for
<DIV></DIV>>>Higher
<DIV></DIV>>> Ed. Anything less would be devastating after the 10%
<DIV></DIV>>>holdback of last
<DIV></DIV>>> year. We also need to pass the facilities bonding proposal
<DIV></DIV>>>of the Governor
<DIV></DIV>>> This would enable the U. of Idaho to build the $11 million
<DIV></DIV>>>Teaching-
<DIV></DIV>>> Learning Center, and it would create 300 construction jobs.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> 3. Taxes--Conservatives are now talking about an omnibus sin tax
<DIV></DIV>>>bill which
<DIV></DIV>>> depending on what sins you tax and by how much could raise
<DIV></DIV>>>$100 - $120
<DIV></DIV>>> million. Sin taxes are risky and consumption of whatever sin
<DIV></DIV>>>you tax
<DIV></DIV>>> usually drops off during the initial stages of the new tax.
<DIV></DIV>>>The sin tax
<DIV></DIV>>> approach plus a one percent sales tax would probably raise
<DIV></DIV>>>enough
<DIV></DIV>>> revenue to support the Governor's budget, and I will support
<DIV></DIV>>>this approach.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> 4. Other Bills
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> a. Resolution to Pull the U.S. Out of the U.N. was deep
<DIV></DIV>>>sixed in committee
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> b. HB169 A--Changes in the Rape Statues will be voted on in
<DIV></DIV>>>the Senate
<DIV></DIV>>> probably on Monday.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> c. HB391--This is the new grass burning bill. The bill
<DIV></DIV>>>includes penalit-
<DIV></DIV>>> ies of $10,000 for violations of growers. The bill was
<DIV></DIV>>>voted out of
<DIV></DIV>>> the Ag Affairs Committee. We've asked for an Attorney
<DIV></DIV>>>General's
<DIV></DIV>>> Opinion about the bill. If the bill has some
<DIV></DIV>>>constitutional flaws
<DIV></DIV>>> then I'd find it hard to support it. A companion bill
<DIV></DIV>>>being intro-
<DIV></DIV>>> duced in Rev and Tax would provide a $100 tax credit/acre
<DIV></DIV>>>for a period
<DIV></DIV>>> of ten years if a grower would agree not to burn
<DIV></DIV>>>bluegrass. The
<DIV></DIV>>> credit would be marketable, and if the grower broke the
<DIV></DIV>>>agreement they
<DIV></DIV>>> would have to pay back all credits to the state tax
<DIV></DIV>>>commission. This
<DIV></DIV>>> is a proposal that looks promising and one that I would
<DIV></DIV>>>support.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> d. HB359--This bill would have established a merit pay
<DIV></DIV>>>system for new
<DIV></DIV>>> teachers in Idaho, a system based largely on "student
<DIV></DIV>>>Performance."
<DIV></DIV>>> Most people felt this meant student test scores. Several
<DIV></DIV>>>teachers
<DIV></DIV>>> pointed out that paying some teachers more than others
<DIV></DIV>>>based on
<DIV></DIV>>> student test scores would create an unwanted environment
<DIV></DIV>>>of competition
<DIV></DIV>>> in schools. Factors such as the influence of the family,
<DIV></DIV>>>soci-
<DIV></DIV>>> economic factors, English as a second language, etc.
<DIV></DIV>>>were factors
<DIV></DIV>>> that at best of times would not provide a level playing
<DIV></DIV>>>field to
<DIV></DIV>>> make reliable and valid evaluation of teacher's
<DIV></DIV>>>performance. The
<DIV></DIV>>> bill was held in committee by a 9-8 vote.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> I'll be sending out a final wrap up Newsletter of the Legislature
<DIV></DIV>>>in another
<DIV></DIV>>> three weeks.
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>> Rep. Tom Trail/Dist. 6
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>--
<DIV></DIV>>Dr. Tom Trail
<DIV></DIV>>International Trails
<DIV></DIV>>1375 Mt. View Rd.
<DIV></DIV>>Moscow, Id. 83843
<DIV></DIV>>Tel: (208) 882-6077
<DIV></DIV>>Fax: (208) 882-0896
<DIV></DIV>>e mail ttrail@moscow.com
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>_____________________________________________________
<DIV></DIV>>List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the
<DIV></DIV>>communities of the Palouse since 1994.
<DIV></DIV>>http://www.fsr.net
<DIV></DIV>>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
<DIV></DIV>>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
<DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Add photos to your e-mail with <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMZENUS/2746">MSN 8.</a> Get 2 months FREE*.</html>