[Vision2020] HJR 4 and 5

[Reggie Holmquist]

I, too, am having trouble seeing why a 2/3 vote is democracy, but a majority
vote somehow isn't.  And since when is over 50% of the electorate a "handful
of people?"

-Reggie

On Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 12:14 PM, Darrell Keim <keim153 at gmail.com> wrote:

> That was one of my thoughts upon reading D's comments this morning.  My
> other thought was that D either doesn't like or doesn't understand that we
> live in a representative democracy.  We elect representatives to vote on
> things for us.  D seems to advocate either:
> 1.  A pure democracy.
> 2.  More use of ballot initiatives (ala Tim Eyman in WA, or California).
>
> I like our system of representative democracy, and prefer not to circumvent
> it with countless ballot initiatives.  California would seem to be a good
> warning as to the dangers of too many initiatives.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 12:08 PM, Sue Hovey <suehovey at moscow.com> wrote:
>
>>   And since when is a required 2/3 yes vote democratic?  Those of us who
>> taught in antiquated school buildings for 30 plus years can certainly speak
>> to that....as could you who went there.
>>
>> Sue
>>
>>  *From:* Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>
>> *Sent:* Monday, October 25, 2010 11:58 AM
>> *To:* vision2020 at moscow.com ; ringoshirl <ringoshirl at moscow.com>
>> *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] HJR 4 and 5
>>
>>    "It's very limiting for these entities to need a 2/3 favorable vote
>> every time they need to make these purchases that they need for their
>> operations."-S. Ringo
>>
>> Democracy is so inconvenient isn't it?
>>
>>
>> I think it is good practice to have a 2/3 vote before incurring any debt
>> and bad practice to let a handful of people rack up a debt for future
>> generations and others to absorb. I think if something truly is needed and
>> debt needs to be incurred reasonable people will support it and it will
>> pass. We cannot just let hospitals go bankrupt and shut down let other
>> businesses, we need them.
>>
>> Again, people should not keep handing over their money and rights to an
>> increasingly smaller number of people that may have other interests than
>> your own in mind.
>>
>> Donovan J Arnold
>>
>> --- On *Mon, 10/25/10, ringoshirl <ringoshirl at moscow.com>* wrote:
>>
>>
>> From: ringoshirl <ringoshirl at moscow.com>
>> Subject: [Vision2020] HJR 4 and 5
>> To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>> Date: Monday, October 25, 2010, 5:32 AM
>>
>>  Visionaries:
>>
>> I support both of these.  It's very limiting for these entities to need a
>> 2/3 favorable vote every time they need to make these purchases that they
>> need for their operations. This does not affect Gritman.
>>
>> Shirley
>>
>> *
>>
>> H.J.R. 4
>> *
>>
>> “Shall Section 3C, Article VIII, of the Constitution of the State of Idaho
>> be amended to authorize
>>
>> public hospitals, ancillary to their operations and in furtherance of
>> health care needs in their service
>>
>> areas, to incur indebtedness or liability to purchase, contract, lease or
>> construct or otherwise acquire
>>
>> facilities, equipment, technology and real property for health care
>> operations, provided that no ad
>>
>> valorem tax revenues shall be used for such activities?”
>>
>> Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the State of Idaho: Section 3C,
>> Article VIII
>> *
>>
>> Legislative Council’s Statement of Meaning, Purpose and Result to be
>> Accomplished of Proposed
>>
>> Amendment:
>>
>> *
>>
>> This proposed amendment will allow public hospitals to acquire facilities,
>> equipment, technology and
>>
>> real property through a variety of means that aid the public hospital
>> operations, as long as the acquisitions
>>
>> are paid for solely from charges, rents or payments derived from the
>> existing or financed facilities and
>>
>> are not funded by property taxes. Under current Idaho constitutional
>> provisions, public hospitals, as
>>
>> subdivisions of the state of Idaho, have limited ability to incur debt
>> without the approval of a two-thirds
>>
>> vote at an election held for that purpose. This proposed amendment will
>> provide a limited alternative
>>
>> to that two-thirds vote requirement. The use of tax dollars to finance
>> these kinds of investments is
>>
>> prohibited.
>>
>> *
>>
>> Statements FOR the Proposed Amendment
>>
>> *
>>
>> 1. The proposed amendment will allow Idaho’s public hospitals, which are
>> primarily located in
>>
>> small towns and rural areas, to invest in new medical equipment,
>> facilities and technology to
>>
>> better meet the health care needs of patients in their communities,
>> strengthening Idaho’s entire
>>
>> health care system.
>>
>> 2. The proposed amendment will help give public hospitals the resources
>> they need to attract the
>>
>> best medical personnel, spur the economy by creating jobs, and increase
>> operational efficiency
>>
>> through long-term contracts.
>>
>> 3. The proposed amendment keeps in place the safeguards provided in the
>> Idaho Constitution in
>>
>> two ways. First, no tax dollars can be used to finance these investments.
>> Second, the amendment
>>
>> strictly forbids obligating taxpayers or any state, county or other
>> governmental entity with these
>>
>> investments.
>>
>> *
>>
>> Statements AGAINST the Proposed Amendment
>>
>> *
>>
>> 1. The existing Idaho constitutional requirement mandating a two-thirds
>> assent of the voters before
>>
>> a public hospital can enter into long-term debt is an important safeguard
>> for all Idaho citizens.
>>
>> 2. Adoption of the proposed amendment will limit the right of voters to
>> approve certain debt
>>
>> incurred by the public hospitals.
>>
>> 3. Changes to the Constitution should be made only for major issues of
>> interest to the state or in the
>>
>> event of a constitutional crisis.
>>
>> *
>>
>> H.J.R. 5
>>
>> *
>>
>> “Shall Article VIII, of the Constitution of the State of Idaho be amended
>> by the addition of a new
>>
>> Section 3E, to provide for the issuance of revenue and special facility
>> bonds by political subdivisions
>>
>> of the state and regional airport authorities as defined by law, if
>> operating an airport to acquire,
>>
>> construct, install, and equip land, facilities, buildings, projects or
>> other property, which are hereby
>>
>> deemed to be for a public purpose, to be financed for, or to be leased,
>> sold or otherwise disposed of
>>
>> to persons, associations or corporations, or to be held by the subdivision
>> or regional airport authority,
>>
>> and may in the manner prescribed by law issue revenue and special facility
>> bonds to finance the costs
>>
>> thereof; provided that any such bonds shall be payable solely from fees,
>> charges, rents, payments,
>>
>> grants, or any other revenues derived from the airport or any of its
>> facilities, structures, systems, or
>>
>> projects, or from any land, facilities, buildings, projects or other
>> property financed by such bonds,
>>
>> and shall not be secured by the full faith and credit or the taxing power
>> of the subdivision or regional
>>
>> airport authority?”
>>
>> Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the State of Idaho: New Section
>> 3E, Article VIII
>>
>> *
>>
>> Legislative Council’s Statement of Meaning, Purpose and Result to be
>> Accomplished of Proposed
>>
>> Amendment:
>>
>> *
>>
>> Currently, local governmental entities that operate airports and regional
>> airport authorities cannot
>>
>> incur indebtedness without the approval of a two-thirds vote at an
>> election held for that purpose. This
>>
>> proposed amendment will allow local governmental entities that operate
>> airports and regional airport
>>
>> authorities to issue revenue and special facility bonds to acquire,
>> construct, install and equip land,
>>
>> facilities, buildings, projects or other property. Voter approval will not
>> be required to incur such
>>
>> indebtedness, as long as the bonds are paid for by fees, charges, rents,
>> payments, grants or other
>>
>> revenues derived from the airport or its facilities. The use of tax
>> dollars to repay such bonds is
>>
>> prohibited.
>>
>> *
>>
>> Statements FOR the Proposed Amendment
>>
>> *
>>
>> 1. Public airports should have the ready ability to construct needed
>> facilities, such as terminals,
>>
>> runways, parking structures and hangars, which provide travelers with
>> better services and
>>
>> accommodations and attract industries to Idaho as long as the users pay
>> for these facilities.
>>
>> 2. Political subdivisions and regional airport authorities need the
>> ability to efficiently address
>>
>> operational needs as they arise. Adoption of this amendment will provide
>> this ability without the
>>
>> use of tax dollars to repay any debt or liability incurred.
>>
>> 3. The inability of political subdivisions and regional airport
>> authorities to incur indebtedness and
>>
>> liability without voter approval has been a contributing factor in driving
>> regional aviation-related
>>
>> industries to conduct business in neighboring states. If the proposed
>> amendment is not adopted,
>>
>> Idaho could continue to lose similar economic development opportunities.
>>
>> 4. Public airports are a vital part of economic development and commerce
>> in the state of Idaho. In
>>
>> 2009, aviation contributed an estimated $2.1 billion to Idaho’s economy.
>> Properties and facilities
>>
>> funded by special facility bonds will attract and expand industries, such
>> as maintenance, manu
>>
>> facturing
>>
>> and cargo operations, which will create new jobs and foster economic
>> development in
>>
>> Idaho. Modern and efficient airports are essential to Idaho’s prosperity.
>>
>> *
>>
>> Statements AGAINST the Proposed Amendment (H.J.R. 5 Continued)
>>
>> *
>>
>> 1. The existing Idaho constitutional requirement mandating a two-thirds
>> assent of the voters before
>>
>> a political subdivision or regional airport authority can incur debt is an
>> important safeguard for
>>
>> all Idaho citizens.
>>
>> 2. Adoption of the proposed amendment will allow political subdivisions
>> and regional airport
>>
>> authorities to acquire, construct, install and equip land, facilities,
>> buildings and projects that are
>>
>> not specifically limited to airport operations.
>>
>> 3. Buildings and land owned by the government are not taxed and therefore
>> provide no revenues to
>>
>> schools, cities, counties or other levying authorities. Adoption of the
>> proposed amendment could
>>
>> result in an increase in property exempt from taxation.
>>
>> 4. Changes to the Constitution should be made only for major issues of
>> interest to the entire state
>>
>> or in the event of a constitutional crisis.
>>
>> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>>
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