<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal>Visionaries,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Reps. Wendy Jaquet (D-Ketchum)
and Grant Burgoyne (D-Boise) have a bill, which has been printed, to review all
<b>sales tax exemptions</b> every 8 or fewer years and close those that are not
justified. This bill is in the House Rev and Tax committee and it is very
uncertain whether Rep. Dennis Lake, the chairman, will give it a hearing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>The bill, HB 396, can be read at <a
href="http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2010/H0396.htm">www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2010/H0396.htm</a>.
I like the bill’s inclusion of criteria for judging the worthiness of
exemptions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>I strongly support reviewing exemptions.
However, I also think it is important to recognize that doing so will not
resolve our current budget crisis. With an 8-year cycle, or even a 5- or
3-year cycle, it will take some time for any significant change to occur.
For the current mess, we need a short-term fix right now, not a few years from
now.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>If you feel strongly about this
bill or about the concept of reviewing exemptions, and would like it to have a
public hearing, please let Chairman Lake know at <a
href="mailto:dlake@house.Idaho.gov">dlake@house.Idaho.gov</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Judy<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>