<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><font face="Calibri">"Impose a 6% fee on daily rental of motor vehicles.</font>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="">
</span>Increase the state tax on motor fuel – 2 cents per year for five
years.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="">
</span>Increase registration fees on cars and trucks.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="">
</span>Eliminate the ethanol exemption."</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">Why are we raising taxes during a recession? Why are raising taxes using regressive taxation?</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">Why not beat poor people over their head with a baseball bat and take the last few dimes they got?</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">I am sick of taxes being raised when you cannot afford even the basics of things. When your car breaks down, you got to pay for the fixin, and now we got to pay an additional 6% sales tax everyday while our car is broken? People with cars that break down are usually
ones that don't have a lot of money. Otherwise they would be buyin a better set of wheels <br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">Here is an idea, how about a tax on big profit companies that pay minimum wages to their employees? A big tax on corporations that use illegal labor? A big tax on larger employers that don't offer health care to their employees? A big tax on rich people? A big tax on the companies that ship jobs overseas? <br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">Just because it is easier to steal from the poor to pay for the rich, doesn't mean you should. <br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p
class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">Best Regards,</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">Donovan<br></font></p><br><br>--- On <b>Wed, 2/11/09, Shirley Ringo <i><ringoshirl@moscow.com></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;">From: Shirley Ringo <ringoshirl@moscow.com><br>Subject: [Vision2020] report from the legislature<br>To: vision2020@moscow.com<br>Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 4:25 PM<br><br><div id="yiv675020176">
<style></style>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Dear Friends:</font></div>
<div><font face="Calibri">February 11, 2009</font></div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">Legislative Report</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"></font> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">I often kid my fellow Democrats who go to fundraising auctions
looking for bargains.<span style=""> </span>They don’t
seem to understand the notion of fundraising.<span style=""> </span>Now, the final details of the federal
stimulus package are nearly hammered out. <span style=""> </span>As I hear some of my legislative
colleagues discuss the conditions under which they might be willing to accept
such funds, it occurs to me they fail to understand the basic notion.<span style=""> </span>Stimulus funds – they can be used to
slow job loss, help develop a trained workforce, build roads, bridges, school
buildings support K-12 and higher education.<span style=""> </span>They can also be used to help support
struggling families and help folks get timely heath care.<span style=""> </span>Under normal conditions, Idaho can
provide a reasonable degree of support to state agencies that provide these
services, and balance the budget.<span style="">
</span>Not now.<span style=""> </span>Of course there are
no guarantees this package will get us back on track, but there is plenty of
evidence that extraordinary measures are necessary. <span style=""> </span>We need to get money in the hands of
people who will use it and get moving.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;">
<font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">I serve on the Transportation and Defense Committee.<span style=""> </span>It has become clear to me that Idaho
does not have a revenue structure to support adequate maintenance of roads and
bridges.<span style=""> </span>Yesterday, during the
Transportation committee meeting, Governor Otter’s plan for raising more funds
was unveiled.<span style=""> </span>The Governor proposed
the following:</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><font face="Calibri">
</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="">
</span>Remove support for the State Patrol from the Highway Distribution
Account.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="">
</span>Impose a 6% fee on daily rental of motor vehicles.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="">
</span>Increase the state tax on motor fuel – 2 cents per year for five
years.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="">
</span>Increase registration fees on cars and trucks.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="">
</span>Eliminate the ethanol exemption.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">A good system of transportation is important, and work on roads and
bridges provides jobs.<span style=""> </span>However,
it’s a hard time to think of raising people’s taxes and fees.<span style=""> </span>It appears the federal stimulus package
proposes to send over $200 million to Idaho for construction and repair of roads
and bridges.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Calibri">Does anybody want to adopt a wolf?<span style=""> </span>There are many who are eager for wolf
delisting – they are eager for Idaho to manage the wolf population.<span style=""> </span>The question is currently in the hands
of the federal government.<span style=""> </span>I would
suggest that we need to give evidence that we will be responsible in our
approach.<span style=""> </span>Last year, the majority
of legislators passed a bill allowing ranchers to shoot wolves if they are being
“annoying.”<span style=""> </span>I think that language
lacks specificity – many of us would be in trouble if being annoying were
sufficient cause to make us a target.<span style=""> </span>In addition, I have not heard a
proposal from anyone concerning a very important funding issue.<span style=""> </span>When wolves are delisted, federal funds
for management will not continue to flow.<span style="">
</span>They <b style=""><u>may </u></b>be available
for an additional three years.<span style=""> </span>If
Idaho plans state management of wolves, funding the program will not be
insignificant.<span style=""> </span>An official from the
Office of Endangered Species told me he thinks the feds should continue to
shoulder the responsibility.<span style=""> </span>They
probably won’t do that.<span style=""> </span>Any Idaho
management plan won’t succeed without financial support.
</font></p></div></div><pre>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br> http://www.fsr.net <br> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br>=======================================================</pre></blockquote></td></tr></table><br>