[Vision2020] excellent Tribune editorial

[Bill London]

Here's another excellent editorial from Trillhaase at the Tribune.
Remember this when the Republicans say the only way is to cut schools and other basic services.
Remember this when the Republicans say they hate waste and love the unfettered free enterprise system -- while supporting welfare for the rich by ignoring the options Trillhaase suggests.
BL

-----------------------------------------   
Idaho's governor can choose a third way
Lewiston Tribune
Marty Trillhaase
January 10, 2010

Monday, Gov. C. L. (Butch) Otter will outline a budget that offers Idahoans a bleak choice:

Hack away some more at schools, colleges and universities, health care programs and basic government services.

Or raise some cash.

With the economy in a tailspin last year, lawmakers cut $400 million from the budget.

Then the unprecedented happened. State tax revenues fell for the second time in a row. Even with another round of budget holdbacks last fall, Idaho's spending is unsustainable. 

It's propped up with one-time federal stimulus and reserve dollars. 

Looking a year ahead, the governor and Legislature can spend every dollar in the bank and still wind up an estimated $100 million to $175 million short.

Idaho's conservative governor has ruled out a tax increase.

But he owes Idahoans another option, one that just happens to be consistent with his governing philosophy.

Otter doesn't like taxes. But he supports user fees.

Most citizens pay taxes, regardless of whether they use the programs those taxes support. For example, a childless couple pays income, sales and property taxes that will pay to educate children from other families.

When someone pays a user fee, he can reasonably expect something in return. A motorist pays fuel taxes, which then provide him with highways and bridges.

On those grounds, Otter last year unsuccessfully sought to increase higher fuel taxes and registration fees to pay for needed highway and bridge improvements and repairs.

What about the reverse when programs that ought to rely on user fees instead draw from general tax dollars? Scattered through state government are programs that serve a select few but are subsidized by the rest of us:

l The state owns 157 cottage sites at Payette Lake and 354 lots at Priest Lake. Collectively, they're worth $252 million. The people who rent these sites for vacation homes pay $4.3 million. They should be paying $8.3 million to $15.7 million more. Split the difference and impose a $12 million surcharge.

l Even after two rounds of budget cuts, the taxpayer still spends $24 million providing the state's agriculture industry with research and extension. Assess a surcharge or user fee to pay for it. 

l Disband the state Department of Environmental Quality and the nation's clean air and water laws would be enforced in Idaho - by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Idaho businesses prefer working with DEQ. But they fall about $14 million short of covering the program's full cost. Increased fees would make up the difference.

l Irrigators use 85 percent of the water in this state. They pay about a third of the cost of administering water rights and resolving water conflicts. Taxpayers provide $12 million. There's also talk of asking taxpayers to kick in another $3 million toward recharging the East Snake Plain Aquifer as a way to help resolve disputes between southern Idaho farmers who draw water from a canal and those who pump it from a well. Why not impose higher water user fees and free up $15 million?

l The people who frequent Idaho's 29 state park sites fall about $6.3 million short of covering their costs. Raise fees, seek more support from the federal government and mothball some parks.

l Every year, anywhere from $250 million to $399 million in taxes go uncollected. Invest $10 million in new collectors, auditors and financial staff, and the State Tax Commission will net $64.5 million.

l Just joining a national campaign aimed at empowering the 45 states that impose sales taxes to collect taxes on Internet and catalog purchases could net Idaho $3 million - and 20 times that amount when Congress takes action.

l Adopt the one tax increase Otter has entertained - delaying for a year the next installment in Idaho's phased in grocery sales tax credit. That's worth another $15.5 million.

Add it up and you have $154 million.

If the governor still insists on cutting schools, it's because he wants to - not because he has to. - M.T.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20100110/a8464761/attachment.html