the unequivocal notion

…then 10 and now 25.

lol. This would be kinda awesome if it wasn’t costing Idaho taxpayers $30,000 a day to watch these people flex their egos.

Check out Bowers’ gush piece over Ralph Smeed in the Idaho Press-Tribune.

If Mr. “Buy Gold” Bowers ever wants to know why he lost his primary challenge last year, he really only needs to look into the mirror — rhetoric that isn’t becoming of a bratty 16-year-old really isn’t becoming of an Idaho Representative.

That, and it is pretty apparent that he is still harboring issues of insufficiencies that he feels the need to blame on the dirty hippies that occupy the grounds of College of Idaho.

Here are two Twitter feeds that you can use to follow the Idaho House’s debate on Gov. Otter’s proposed fuel tax increase.

Julie Fanselow @IdahoDems or Thanh Tan @IdahoReports.

Courtesy of Idaho Public Television you can also watch the preceding live using your PC on Idaho Legislature Live.

Updated:

Gov. Otter’s bill goes down in flames: 27-43

This is exactly what Otter and the moderates in the Legislature deserve — you help elect Conservatives to maintain a supermajority and then act all surprised when they bite you in the ass.

This state will never get anywhere with the likes of Stevenson, Wood, Thayn, Roberts, etc… etc… in the legislature. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend, indeed.

For the record: I support the tax increase, I think we do have to fix our roads and that in doing so it’ll benefit all Idahoans. It’ll get some people back to work, it’ll make our roads safer for Idaho families to drive on and it is going to cost a hell of a lot more the longer we put it off.

Bless the hearts of the Democrats — their hearts are in the right place on this one, but I just don’t agree. That being said, I’m glad they sided with the Conservatives to show the power circle that they can, and will be defeated.

Update II:

If the above sounds confusing read my comment below.

I couldn’t believe this when I read it in the paper today:

Idaho House’s Wood: ‘Loose cannonball’ bill dead

BOISE, Idaho - A bill to keep kids from becoming “loose cannonballs” in cars by requiring they stay in their safety restraints is going nowhere.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Joyce Broadsword, a Republican from Sagle, passed the Senate 19-15 Monday.

But like a similar bill two years ago, it’s not likely to get a hearing in the Idaho House.

Rep. JoAn Wood, House Transportation Committee chairwoman, says it’s too intrusive on families. Besides, Wood has got other priorities, like a new transportation funding bill from Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, due to be debated Tuesday.

[...]

Idaho could qualify for federal money to buy about 7,000 child safety seats for low-income families, if the loopholes were closed.

Republican Rep. JoAn Wood should be known as the woman who thinks there is nothing wrong with babies becoming projectiles in the event of a car crash. Beyond all the “freedom” crap about letting people decide whether or not their children should be protected while in moving vehicles, the car seat legislation would have provided car seats to 7,00 needy Idaho families.

Truly one of the most shameful actions of the legislature thus far — of course, the session isn’t over yet, so I wouldn’t put it past these people for someone to try and top her.

Not a lot of this politics crap actually makes me angry, but Jesus, to not even give the bill a hearing?! I mean, who does she think she is to not even allow the merits of this bill to be debated in the open House? Especially after the full Idaho Senate which is dominated by members of her own party passed the legislation earlier this week.

This legislation should be passed if not just to get car seats to the folks who cannot afford them. The party of “family values” my ass. All the meanwhile, Idaho’s media is fixated on a whether or not we’re going to pay a few cents more for gas — here’s a memo; we’re not. It’d take cajones the size of watermelons for a legislator to pass any legislation this year that raises taxes by a cent.

It’s not denying freedom to stop people from being criminally negligent in the death of their children.

More on Republican Representative Wood here.

Rep. Labrador talking to the Idaho Statesman about proposed bribery legislation:

“Labrador says bribery isn’t common in the Legislature.”

“Isn’t common”? So does that mean he knows of some instances, perhaps ones that haven’t seen the light of day? Oh, I bet we’re talking about past occurrences, yeah, that’s gotta be it. I also find it sad that the first offense would only be considered a misdemeanor, second offense being a felony. If there is someone out there knowingly bribing a public official in Idaho, both should be charged with hefty felonies.

The public trust of government is a fundamental cornerstone to any successful society, and violating that trust should carry an extremely tough penalty.

“The future of Idaho is not contained in the North End.”

Oy…

To be clear, Sen. LeFavour stated she was referring to rural Idaho.

Updated:

Idaho Statesman story here.

Update II

Senator Nicole LeFavour responds here.

Idaho bill: Retailers would be able to limit sales

This is a great bill, one that would eliminate the ability of the hoarders who go to stores and buy up all the rice, flour, sugar or whatever whenever they freak out. Makes sense doesn’t it? I mean, we don’t want someone to have control of all of the supplies in the actual event of an emergency.

What kills me is that this bill is inherently anti-free market, and Idaho’s Senate voted 35-0 to pass it.

I’m all for the free market, but in reality-land it has its limitations — we, both Idaho Republicans and Democrats obviously agree that the government must be involved at some point of the system. If we allow the free-market-laissez-faire-types to have their way there would be no oversight — and that just isn’t practical in a functioning society. E.g. price of rice goes up, first guy to Costco can come in, buy it all up and sit outside and sell it for whatever mark-up he deems prudent.

While I agree with the passage of this bill I hope any Republican Senator who has ever decreed that the free market is the only way to go gets a hell of a primary. The first time I hear one of these Senators talk about the free market and Obama is leading us into Socialism they can count on getting their very own post highlighting their hypocrisy that they can print out, frame and hang on their wall.

I’ll be interesting to see how the House votes on this one — I’d expect more of the free marketers in the House to have the courage stick to their guns.

I’ve listened to the clips provided by The MountainGoat Report before, but this is the first time I’ve really listened to it unfiltered.

Not only is Zeb a bigot, his callers have to the dumbest bunch of people I’ve heard in a long time (and I don’t say that lightly) — here I thought AM callers in the Treasure Valley were the bottom of the intellectual barrel. Well, they can’t hold a candle to these callers, not even the cesspool that is the Idaho Statesman comment section is this bad.

Man, people are on the verge of tears calling into his show because they are so angry someone cast a light on Bell and Rep. Stevenson.

You can listen to the show live here (show runs from 8am to 11am).

If you’ve got time, head to The MountainGoat Report and The Political Game and show them some support.

Updated:

Sen. Risch called in to finish out the show — talking points nothing more, nothing less. Ya know, I don’t agree a lot with Sen. Crapo or Rep. Simpson, but at least they aren’t hacks, for the most part they lay out original thoughts — not rehashed, debunked talking points like Risch does.

Why, give it to IACI’s interests in the form of tax breaks of course!

This, of course comes as no surprise coming from leaders of Idaho’s legislature. While we’re at it let’s give some more tax breaks to Micron and Hewlett-Packard, cause that seems to have worked out so well for us.

I love the line in the story from IACI president Alex LaBeau who says that they haven’t even discussed the proposal… right.

Updated:

Richert’s post on the subject.

…is it an issue to tell parents they have to keep their babies/toddlers/children in a car-seat — even if the baby’s done took a poop and needs a changin’.

“But they be takin’ meh freedom! I’m not FREE no more! Wolverines!”

I’m glad the House decided they would hear the bill this year.

*plus two or three other states.

Site just came up.

I haven’t had time to go through it all yet, but it looks like there are some odd ones, e.g. The Girl Scouts of Silver Sage would like $321,527 of taxpayer dollars to “offset lower receipts”.

I’m sure there are going to be some doozies in there, time to start connecting requests to donations.

Updated:

There is a lot of request for funding for “green-type” upgrades. I think that is a good think, improving efficiency at publicly funded buildings will lower taxpayer costs in the long run.

That was said by Rep. John A. “Bert” Stevenson, an elected Idaho Republican.