<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div></div><div>Courtesy of KHQ at:</div><div><br></div><a href="http://www.khq.com/story/16420424/apnewsbreak-idaho-debates-growing-31m-cash-stash">http://www.khq.com/story/16420424/apnewsbreak-idaho-debates-growing-31m-cash-stash</a><div><div> </div><div>------------------------------</div><div id="WNStoryHeader" style="margin-bottom: 13px; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; "><h3 class="" style="display: block; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; clear: both; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: bold; ">APNewsBreak: Idaho debates growing $31M cash stash</h3></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: 12px; "><div id="WNStoryBody" class="" style="font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 15px; display: inline; "><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Lawmakers, veterans officials and Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter are grappling with how to spend a $31 million cash balance at the Division of Veterans Services that's been growing because federal reimbursements exceed Idaho's costs of caring for military members.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">There's now a $31 million cash balance, an amount that's more than doubled since 2007.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">There were discussions over the money in the 2011 Legislature, but not everybody knew about it - including House Health and Welfare Committee Chairwoman Janice McGeachin.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">She would have preferred to have known about the money, especially at a time when Medicaid insurance for the poor, aging and disabled was trimmed by $35 million.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Idaho Veterans Services administrator David said Friday he's submitted a plan, but details won't be released until Otter's budget becomes public Jan. 9.</p></div></span><div>------------------------------<br><br><div>Seeya later, Moscow.</div><div><br></div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Spokane, Washington</div><div><br></div><div>"If not us, who?</div><div>If not now, when?"</div><div><br></div><div>- Unknown</div></div></div></body></html>