[Vision2020] S.J.R. 107

[Mark Solomon]

Ted,

One possible downside is the result of the various tax cuts of the 
last few years: the tobacco money has been routinely used to fill the 
funding gap left by the reductions in income tax revenues. We hear 
all the time from the governor (past and present) and the majority 
party legislators that we are now exceeding tax revenue forecasts so 
those cuts must be working and presumably they don't "need" to keep 
raiding the tobacco/public health fund. This conveniently overlooks 
the simple facts that to balance the budget for the past five years 
or so they have starved public education, higher education and state 
employee compensation (last year was the first time in that period in 
which state employees saw a raise and even that barely kept up with 
COL adjustments for the one previous year). A reasonable guesstimate 
of the unfunded needs of the state dwarfs the entire current state 
budget.

This is a long way of saying that under the current political 
leadership in Boise, removing the tobacco fund from the general 
budget revenue sources could be used as an excuse by leadership to 
further starve or cut state funded obligations.

But who knows, maybe that leadership will change on Tuesday.

Mark S.

At 11:41 PM +0000 11/5/06, Ted Moffett wrote:
>Bruce-
>
>Thanks for your response on S.J.R. 107.
>
>As far as I can ascertain, voting "Yes" on S.J.R. 107 appears to be 
>reasonable.  But legislation can have many unexpected and hidden 
>consequences, as we all know, and is sometimes presented to the 
>voter deliberately to hide these consequences.  I was expecting 
>someone might be in the know about the possible unexpected or hidden 
>consequences of a "Yes" vote on this issue.
>
>Ted Moffett
>
>On 11/5/06, Bruce and Jean Livingston 
><<mailto:jeanlivingston at turbonet.com>jeanlivingston at turbonet.com> 
>wrote:
>
>My understanding is that Idaho received a proportionate share of 
>money received from tobacco companies as part of a national 
>settlement of class action lawsuits against tobacco companies.  If 
>my understanding is correct, the money has been used by the 
>Legislature on general state spending in times of state government 
>economic hardship, and has not been spent on health and education 
>issues that relate to tobacco smoking as the settlement was 
>originally intended.  The issue on the ballot is an attempt to 
>create a separate endowment for this money, isolating it from the 
>State's general fund and preserving it for use in tobacco related 
>uses of anti-tobacco education and to alleviate negative impacts of 
>tobacco caused illnesses on our health care system.
>
>The Lewiston Tribune had this editorial regarding it this morning:
>
>SJR 107: Another amendment, but a less controversial and less 
>dangerous one, this creates a permanent endowment fund that would 
>receive 80 percent of Idaho's revenue from the multistate settlement 
>with tobacco companies. This will protect that share of the receipts 
>from being used for ordinary state spending, as has happened in the 
>past. It's a smart move, and deserves your support.
>
>Perhaps Reps. Trail or Ringo, or someone else in the know, might 
>elaborate on this, as I am writing from a general feeling or vague 
>recollection, and although I think that I am speaking accurately, I 
>might inadvertently be mischaracterizing the facts in some fashion.
>
>Bruce Livingston
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:starbliss at gmail.com>Ted Moffett
>To: <mailto:vision2020 at moscow.com> Vision2020
>Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 11:59 AM
>Subject: [Vision2020] S.J.R. 107
>
>
>All-
>
>My team of Boston lawyers kept on the payroll to explain complex 
>legal language that might mislead is on vacation...
>
>This might not be the hottest political issue or race on the ballot, 
>but can anyone offer their opinion on S.J.R. 107, which will create 
>something called the Idaho Millennium Permanent Endowment Fund for 
>tobacco settlement funds, etc.?
>
>Ted Moffett
>
>
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