<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>Shirley,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks for the update.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My biggest concern here is the cuts made to the Department of Health and Welfare. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>"Health and Welfare budget resulted in an additional loss of roughly $30 million (federal funding) to help Idaho’s most vulnerable citizens."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>What is the total budget for H&W?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>What are the proposed program cuts to H&W?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Is there anyway to prevent these cuts from occurring?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>It sounds to me like they are removing assistance for children with disabilities to focus on building roads and filling in potholes. Is this correct?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Donovan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>--- On <B>Wed, 1/21/09, Shirley Ringo <I><ringoshirl@moscow.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">From: Shirley Ringo <ringoshirl@moscow.com><BR>Subject: [Vision2020] Report from the legislature<BR>To: vision2020@moscow.com<BR>Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 3:29 PM<BR><BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><FONT face=Calibri>January 21, 2009</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Visionaries:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>The Idaho Legislature has been in session for one and one-half busy weeks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>At the beginning of each session, a “Revenue Projection” committee studies trends and makes a prediction concerning the level of state revenues expected for the upcoming fiscal year.<SPAN> </SPAN>This committee consists of some legislators, the Governor’s Department of Financial Management, Associated Taxpayers, university economists, and others.<SPAN> </SPAN>Their projection is quite important, because it is usually the number the Joint Finance Committee uses to help determine the level of spending for the next fiscal year.<SPAN> </SPAN>Among the projections from members of this committee, the estimate from the Governor’s Department of Financial Management was seemingly fair and conservative. <SPAN> </SPAN>Without much explanation, the committee chose a projection $100 million lower.<SPAN> </SPAN>While
the level of revenues has not been strong, it is problematic to choose a number too low – since we are forced to balance the budget based upon that projection, the result may be a budget with even deeper cuts than necessary.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) voted to make the Governor’s holdbacks from the 2009 budget permanent.<SPAN> </SPAN>It is instructive to note what happens to budgets where state dollars are used as matching funds to leverage federal funds.<SPAN> </SPAN>2009 holdbacks of $23 million in the Health and Welfare budget resulted in an additional loss of roughly $30 million (federal funding) to help Idaho’s most vulnerable citizens.<SPAN> </SPAN><SPAN> </SPAN>As we move ahead into 2010, those in the Department of Health and Welfare express their determination to use their funds as efficiently as possible to help struggling families.<SPAN> </SPAN>With job loss that has and will occur, the number of needy families will increase.<SPAN> </SPAN>The challenge is
enormous.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>There are definite philosophical differences on how to proceed in these hard economic times.<SPAN> </SPAN>My personal preference is to look for all creative ways to support K-12 education, and higher education.<SPAN> </SPAN>This must be done to help the economy recover. <SPAN> </SPAN>Folks who lose jobs should have education readily accessible to help them prepare for other opportunities. <SPAN> </SPAN>The austere budgets currently proposed for education programs are unacceptable to me, as I expect they are to most of you. <SPAN> </SPAN>While we undoubtedly must tighten our belts, it is my hope that we can agree upon a combination of using “rainy day funds” and other sources of money to minimize losses to those programs.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>During the time between the 2008 session and this one, there was an audit of policies and practices of the Idaho Department of Transportation.<SPAN> </SPAN>Those who conducted the study have reported to the Department and to legislators.<SPAN> </SPAN>There were a number of suggestions that should lead to cost savings and better practices for maintaining Idaho’s roads.<SPAN> </SPAN>A significant finding was that our current system of funding is not adequate to maintain the roads we have.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Two unpopular policy changes that were unsuccessfully proposed last year promise to return.<SPAN> </SPAN>One involves changes in benefits for public employee retirees.<SPAN> </SPAN>The other involves Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s pay for performance plan.<SPAN> </SPAN>(iSTARS)<SPAN> </SPAN>We’ll watch these closely.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Be sure to contact me with your concerns or suggestions, and I will provide information to you on a regular basis.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Sincerely,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Shirley Ringo</FONT></SPAN></DIV></FONT></DIV></DIV><PRE>=======================================================
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