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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Visionaries:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bob Huntley, a spectacular individual who ran for
Governor in 1998, told me that when he served in the Idaho legislature the Joint
Finance and Appropriations Committee would communicate with the Revenue and
Taxation Committee when there was a need for more revenues. I have always
thought that would be appropriate, but the system doesn't work like that
anymore. The majority party on the JFAC committee may moan a bit about
lack of revenues, but they certainly wouldn't advocate for any increase at
all.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My colleagues and I put forth a number of proposals
to help with revenue. Some included such things as delaying implementation
of consolidated elections ($4 million), delaying reduction of the insurance
premium tax ($6.7 million), freezing build-up of the grocery tax credit except
for very low income levels ($9.4 million). You may recall that Judy Brown
and I proposed an income tax surcharge for those making over $50,000 TAXABLE
INCOME. ($40 million) All of the above were ignored by majority
party members.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But there is something even worse, in my
opinion. At the beginning of the session, it was not clear whether the
feds would renew increased reimbursement rates for Medicaid. (FMAP)
There was a pot of money in the Millineum Fund that was set aside to cover in
case those rates weren't approved. (about $73 million) When it
became clear that the feds WERE going to re-approve those enhanced rates, my
colleagues and I on JFAC proposed that we use about $30 million of the $73
million to address critical needs. We proposed using $20 million for
Medicaid, which at the 80%-20% federal match rate would have been
significant. We were not allowed to bring it up because it was not
officially on the agenda. That was true, but even thought it was late in
the session, another meeting could have been scheduled the next day. Note
also that a message was sent to the Governor's office, asking if he would
support the idea, and his response was negative.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The bottom line: don't believe anyone in the
legislature who says there were no choices. We had choices, didn't make
them, and now people are paying the price.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Representative Shirley Ringo</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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