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<div>From Betsy Russell's (Spokesman Review Boise reporter) blog. The
Legislature convenes in special session next Friday.</div>
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<div>Mark</div>
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<div>********</div>
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<div><font color="#000000">Demos say Idahoans prefer their plan, Risch
discounts poll<br>
<br>
Idaho Democrats have conducted a statewide poll that shows 60.5
percent of Idahoans prefer their property tax relief plan, and only
10.5 percent like Gov. Jim Risch's proposal better, with 17 percent
undecided and 12 percent refusing to say. Risch dismissed the poll,
saying it mischaracterized his plan.<br>
<br>
It's a hot topic, as we're just a week out from when the
Legislature will gather in a rare, one-day special session with just
one bill on the agenda: Risch's tax reform bill. It would eliminate
the school operations property tax levy to cut property taxes for all
taxpayers by $260 million; raise the sales tax a penny to 6 percent to
make up $210 million of the lost school funding; and take $50 million
from the state's $203 million budget surplus to make up the last
bit. The Risch plan also would put $100 million from the surplus into
a savings account for schools to hedge against future revenue
shortfalls. The Democrats are pushing an alternative plan, to
eliminate the school levy only for homeowners, and take $104 million
from the surplus to replace the lost school funding. That plan
wouldn't increase the sales tax, but assumes the $104 million in
surplus money still would be available in future years to continue
funding schools. If not, it could force a future tax increase. The
Risch plan assumes that $50 million of the surplus would be available
in future years for school funding.<br>
<br>
Here's how the poll, conducted by GSI Research of San Francisco on
Monday, characterized the two plans:<br>
<br>
"Next week, the Legislature will convene for one day to talk about
property tax relief. There are two plans currently being discussed:
The first plan would use the surplus and raise the sales tax to 6
percent. Forty percent of the property tax relief would go to Idaho
homeowners, the other 60 percent would go to big businesses and
out-of-state property owners. The second plan would use the surplus to
target 100 percent of the relief to Idaho homeowners without raising
the sales tax. Big businesses and out-of-state property owners would
receive no benefit. If you were asked to vote, which plan would you
support?"<br>
<br>
Brad Hoaglun, communications director for Risch, said, "If that were
presented to me, why would I want to pay sales tax? 'Yeah, let's
tax those out-of-staters, I don't want to be taxed.' That's too
easy, and it's a mischaracterization of both plans." Chuck Oxley,
spokesman for the Idaho Democratic Party, disagreed. "When you tell
people, do you want this plan or this plan, they choose having a plan
that gives all the relief to the homeowners," he said.<br>
<br>
According to state Tax Commission figures, the Risch plan would divide
its $260 million in property tax reductions like this: 40 percent to
homeowners, 24 percent to other residential property owners, and 36
percent to owners of non-residential property, including industry,
commercial operations, farms, timber, mining and utilities. Both sides
shift those numbers around to support their arguments. Risch says
owners of residential property, whom he maintains are mainly
middle-income Idahoans, get 64 percent of the benefit under his plan,
because he counts non-homeowner residential property into that total.
The Democrats lump that group in with businesses to get to 60
percent.<br>
<br>
Boise State University political science professor emeritus Jim
Weatherby said the use of the terms "big business" and "out of
state" in the poll question are "hot-button items that would give
a negative connotation to the Risch plan."<br>
<br>
"They are beneficiaries," Weatherby said. "I think the problem
is trying to explain in two lines a piece of complex tax legislation."
However, he said, "If these results are anywhere near correct, it
does show that Gov. Risch and the Republicans have a real selling job
to do among the electorate."</font></div>
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