Urban renewal law in Idaho has removed voter oversight of just about all capital projects. Citizens get no vote and no oversight of how their urban renewal property tax dollars get spent. UR agencies have remained immune from any and all efforts to let the voters have a say in how their money gets spent. It is the worst form of taxation without representation we have in Idaho.
Just ask yourself, when was the last time you got to vote on any bond election, other than a school bond, in your city.
Blight removal, the original intent of the law, has been cast by the side of the road in this virtual takeover of all big dollar city projects. There is no control of these boards by voters and no cap on how far they can go into debt without your approvals.
This legislation is taking the motto Esto Perpetua, and making it real. The government using tax dollars to grow government; WOW is there really any stopping this run away train?
If, as you say, the "rail to nowhere" was "ridiculous," then the federal government making the (non-)funding decision did the right thing.
I know, it would kill you to admit that anyone in government did anything right, but there it is.
While you're at the promotion of charter schools, you could apply some of your talent for mining public records by coming up with an analysis of public school funding, and how charter schools as a whole enhance the system. Or not.
Seriously... All you big brother advocates that want the nanny state forcefully injecting your kids, my kids and anything that moves with vaccines have lost your cotton picking mind! The state should have NO say in which doctor I go to or don't go to, whether I have or don't have insurance, and whether I wish to poison, oops I meant vaccinate my children with these harmful mercury shots or not. It is something that parents should decide after seriously studying the matters, not just taking a public poll to see what the masses are in favor of this week whether they have any specific knowledge on the topic or not. Visit W W W Vac Truth dot Com and discover the truth of the matter. See the film on Google Video Generation Rx amongst others. This is none of your business big brother. There are plenty of Idahoans that will not stand for this. This is Idaho. I wouldn't advise busting your way into our doors while foaming at the mouth to forcefully inject our children. Parents please, investigate this issue for yourself. You don't need anyone else forcing your views on the matter that typically have no information on it either, to include the police, law enforcement, your healthcare provider etc.
If Cassandra was texting she was already breaking the law. Idaho Drivers Manual currently states:
Inattentive Driving: While driving, you must give your full attention to the safe operation of your vehicle. Failure to do so may cause you to be cited for inattentive driving.
That statute, if she was texting, did not stop her so what exactly do you believe a specific law will be likely to stop? I don't have a cell phone that I can text on and if I make a call I pull over while I dial and if the call needs me to pay attention I don't drive until the call is completed.
Isn't it also reckless to make a law without complete intention and knowledge of the consequences?
Common sense should tell you that it is next to impossible to pass a law for an activity that is not easily discerned by the external observer (sic police). Common sense should tell you that make such a law viably enforcable it will be necessary for law enforcement to require the surrendering of a wireless communication device when demanded. That has farther reaching implications than merely texting. Will there be a limit to the information gathered by law enforecemt when they survey the communications on a wireless device? If someone has texted a threat to someone earlier in the history displayed on a wireless device be protected? Common sense should tell you that the inattentive driving statutes on the books now are sufficient to convict a person of any activity which has caused an accident if it is observed. Freedom takes many avenues in our society and the restriction of a liberty may take on far reaching unintended consequences.
I went to school in both the San Mateo and Salt Lake County school systems. In 1960 I felt like I was being held back by the kids in class but by 1964 I was taking Algebra and Physics in a small junior high in Salt Lake. I had opportunities in school until the great experiment of flexible scheduling and equal time to each student. At that point I was expected to finish classwork with business math and had a very hard time stepping back in my studies to a level that was below my current education. At that point my grades fell and I became a discipline problem for both my school and parents.
Fast forward to today. I did finish coursework at the university level and have had to take control of my own actions but that step took much longer due to the lack of discipline in school. Education funding has increased by 106% according to many studies by major educational and economic groups while the average income for the American Taxpayer has only increased by 66%, that is over the last fifty years to be accurate. But the likelihood of the next great breakthrough in medicine and science is probably not going to be by a student or graduate of a public institution of learning. Math and the core sciences are being held in disdain by educational/teaching unions because the mass majority of teachers taking the fields today don't understand the subjects. How can we keep pouring money into a system that is destined to fail in the mission we expect? Teachers not only have to want to teach but want to keep their own education flourishing. The idea of teachers having in-service education, seminars and continuing education was for them to remain on the top of the game as far as their subjects were concerned. Today the in-service seems to be geared more to the union remaining the power and driving force of government.
Look at the make up of most state legislatures and you will see a great number of "educators" in their ranks right along side of the slip and fall lawyers.
We the people must take charge of our destiny by running for offices, forcing the educational systems back to the job of teaching our children to excel not simply feel good about animals and people. Suicide rates have risen in our youth since these policies were put in place, yet we hear that these are the programs that will save the children. What fool actually believes that the State is better at child rearing than parents? What value system is better than the one they learn from their family? The families values may not be what the child eventually decides is his values but it is at the child's decision when he/she reaches maturity and should never be that of the state or our country's culture and history will be totally lost.
It is time that We the People make certain that we take responsibility for our children's destiny and not rely on government solutions. The cut to educational budgets throughout the nation may be the best present for liberty that we have seen in the last hundred years.
Texting while driving should be illegal. It is inattentive driving, if not even reckless driving, and laws should be initiated to reflect this and be enforced. If a person has been drinking, they are given a DUI test for blood alcohol levels. How hard is it for a police officer to check a cell phone to see if it was being used at the time of an accident? I was recently rear ended after sitting in my car for a minimum of 20 seconds behind other stopped vehicles. I feel that if the person who had hit me had their cell phone checked, it would show they were possibly on their phone.As it is, this person will likely get away with no reprimand, even after my hospital stay and thousands of dollars of my money is spent on medical and mechanical expenses.
When teachers actually get a pay cut and not just a reduction in their COLA it will be a first! Again, private sector employees are taking pay cuts and few employers are paying 100% of an employees health and dental insurance. It is time that teachers get the treatment the private sector takes and not believe they are saints and martyrs! These are folks that most likely took the job of teaching because they like the part time work! If they were actually doing what they tell us they are doing we wouldn't be worrying about a generation having issues with making change at the 7-11 or whether the next big thing will be developed in China! Get over it teachers! And people that simply think they are a gift really need to get an education.
I am so very sick of government employees telling people that they deserve or that they want or that they feel they are being singled out. It is garbage that they don't make commensurate wages when compared to the private sector. If that were true they would work for the private sector. In fact government jobs pay more, much more when you factor in the paid time off, health and dental insurance and other benefits including PERSI.
Most of the private sector jobs have had cuts and elimination of benefits yet government jobs see pay increases and increases in benefits and if the taxpayers complain we are told we are ungrateful! Garbage!
I know for a fact that in my job I am paid well, not great but well, for my talent level and experience. The state employee with the same qualifications and experience is being paid 20% more in hourly wage. I have taken a hit in benefits, insurance and paid time off, but when the government employees are given the hint there may be time off they whine line ten year old children that haven't had a nap.
It is time that the government employees get the picture and realize the taxpayers are being squeezed much harder than government and we are paying their wages. The argument of they are paying their own is ridiculous! If they were being paid just what they contributed they would be better off flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant.
And don't get me started on teachers and their "low paying" part time jobs. Teachers are getting paid $25-60K, depending on tenure and time in grade, for 180 days of work and on top of that get insurance and paid time off they are making much more than their salary.
PERSI must either go private or we need to reduce the amount the state contributes to less than 50%. Private sector employers do not contribute more than single figure percentages of an employees wage or contribution, depending on the plan, but the PERSI is receiving double digit percentages!
Either PERSI comes to a reasonable, in line with private sector plans, funding or it needs to be abolished! Thanks to a government worker I lost my entire retirement plan 10 years ago and I had no right of appeal or avenue of grievance! I will probably only receive social security IF ANOTHER GROUP OF GOVERNMENT WORKERS DOESN MESS THAT ONE UP FURTHER!
"Performance Pay" as they call it for teachers is ridiculous. People who talk about that have NEVER been in a Title One school dealing with poverty, child abuse, learning disabilities, and neglect. Who is going to teach there when their pay is based on their "performance" in the classroom? How do you rate their ability to inspire, challenge, and teach these kids? When was the last time you saw an "inspirational" film that deals with teachers and working with children of poverty at the elementary level? As a teacher at at a Title One school, I would love to make more money, but I fear for the students left behind by good teachers simply because they can't get them to perform on a state test.
I can't believe anyone but an addicted "texter" would care if there are any statistics regarding accidents. Apparently there are plenty of statistics based on the reports I have seen. I think it is idiotic and selfish for anyone to be texting and driving. I saw some female on Dr. Phil and she had no intention of stopping and kept her eyes off the road for up to 90 seconds. A lot can happen in 90 seconds. I think they should be treated like DUI drivers which is lock them up and throw away the key.
Now I have mixed emotions to talking on cell phones (even though I don't own a cell phone) as that can end up being a slippery slope where "big brother" decides we can't eat in our cars, listen to the radio, look at a passenger or any of a number of things that is done by our multi-tasking abilities. Texting is something completely different as it usually takes more time away from paying attention to the road than the 2 second glance down to the volume control on the radio.
We shouldn't be giving state retirees a COLA when the Social Security formula for us poor people feels we don't need or deserve a COLA for 2010 or 2011. I am tired of the common man carrying government workers on our bloodied backs until they are dead. They need to suck it up and do with what they get like the rest of us.
It is not the system that is broken. It is the people. You get what you pay for. Get the petition done and bring it to a vote. That is the only way to deal with the WECRD "bored." Wait 10 more years to build and they will want a 20 million dollar puss pond. Lets put it to a vote and be done.
Nobody is keeping you from the phone to call the Truth Squad. Do some leg work yourself. Stop wondering why and do something. That is the problem with all of this. People are lazy. If you want something done that has not been done then do it. Get off your butt and do it. Everyone sits and waits to be saved. That is the problem.
We already have a law about inattentive driving. Let's enforce it - apply it when needed and forget this stuff of simply adding another layer of laws to what has already been created to solve such problems. Just passing another law does not make us any safer. Its only strict enforcement of existing laws that will help.
As an example: How many dog laws does your community have? Do you still have dog problems? Of course you do because they don't enforce what is already on the books. This will be the same thing.
It would be nice if one of our elected officials would look into the legality of the WECRD's actions. I know that the prosecuting attorney has been asked a number of times to look into the secret meetings that the WECRD board has, and other violations of Open Meeting Law and she has chosen to do nothing. The state Attorney General has also refused to even investigate. This whole situation shows the rampant arrogance that is so prevalent in our elected officials. No matter what party, they should all be voted out over the next couple years in favor of individuals that understand they work for the public.
Expenses at 26% of income, is for an office that is open three days a week for four hours a day. The combativeness of the board members and employees is appalling. Type in WECRD on you tube to see some of this yourself http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=wecrd&search_type=&aq=f . Hopefully this thing will be dissolved and the board of directors will be thrown in jail.
The total disregard of the laws by this group is a travesty. For 10 years we have been forced to pay for whims of a board that has only 1 elected official. Ms. Marsh is the only member put in office by vote, the other two were appointed. The board has manipulated the law to avoid having the voters determine its membership. This is taxation without representation.
The total disregard of the laws by this group is a travesty. For 10 years we have been forced to pay for whims of a board that has only 1 elected official. Ms. Marsh is the only member put in office by vote, the other two were appointed. The board has manipulated the law to avoid having the voters determine its membership. This is taxation without representation.
I plan to be there in Boise to hear Ron Paul speak. Thank you for bring the good doctor to Idaho.
http://twinfallsrepublicans.blogspot.com/
Urban renewal law in Idaho has removed voter oversight of just about all capital projects. Citizens get no vote and no oversight of how their urban renewal property tax dollars get spent. UR agencies have remained immune from any and all efforts to let the voters have a say in how their money gets spent. It is the worst form of taxation without representation we have in Idaho.
Just ask yourself, when was the last time you got to vote on any bond election, other than a school bond, in your city.
Blight removal, the original intent of the law, has been cast by the side of the road in this virtual takeover of all big dollar city projects. There is no control of these boards by voters and no cap on how far they can go into debt without your approvals.
This legislation is taking the motto Esto Perpetua, and making it real. The government using tax dollars to grow government; WOW is there really any stopping this run away train?
If, as you say, the "rail to nowhere" was "ridiculous," then the federal government making the (non-)funding decision did the right thing.
I know, it would kill you to admit that anyone in government did anything right, but there it is.
While you're at the promotion of charter schools, you could apply some of your talent for mining public records by coming up with an analysis of public school funding, and how charter schools as a whole enhance the system. Or not.
Seriously... All you big brother advocates that want the nanny state forcefully injecting your kids, my kids and anything that moves with vaccines have lost your cotton picking mind! The state should have NO say in which doctor I go to or don't go to, whether I have or don't have insurance, and whether I wish to poison, oops I meant vaccinate my children with these harmful mercury shots or not. It is something that parents should decide after seriously studying the matters, not just taking a public poll to see what the masses are in favor of this week whether they have any specific knowledge on the topic or not. Visit W W W Vac Truth dot Com and discover the truth of the matter. See the film on Google Video Generation Rx amongst others. This is none of your business big brother. There are plenty of Idahoans that will not stand for this. This is Idaho. I wouldn't advise busting your way into our doors while foaming at the mouth to forcefully inject our children. Parents please, investigate this issue for yourself. You don't need anyone else forcing your views on the matter that typically have no information on it either, to include the police, law enforcement, your healthcare provider etc.
If Cassandra was texting she was already breaking the law. Idaho Drivers Manual currently states:
Inattentive Driving: While driving, you must give your full attention to the safe operation of your vehicle. Failure to do so may cause you to be cited for inattentive driving.
That statute, if she was texting, did not stop her so what exactly do you believe a specific law will be likely to stop? I don't have a cell phone that I can text on and if I make a call I pull over while I dial and if the call needs me to pay attention I don't drive until the call is completed.
Isn't it also reckless to make a law without complete intention and knowledge of the consequences?
Common sense should tell you that it is next to impossible to pass a law for an activity that is not easily discerned by the external observer (sic police). Common sense should tell you that make such a law viably enforcable it will be necessary for law enforcement to require the surrendering of a wireless communication device when demanded. That has farther reaching implications than merely texting. Will there be a limit to the information gathered by law enforecemt when they survey the communications on a wireless device? If someone has texted a threat to someone earlier in the history displayed on a wireless device be protected? Common sense should tell you that the inattentive driving statutes on the books now are sufficient to convict a person of any activity which has caused an accident if it is observed. Freedom takes many avenues in our society and the restriction of a liberty may take on far reaching unintended consequences.
I went to school in both the San Mateo and Salt Lake County school systems. In 1960 I felt like I was being held back by the kids in class but by 1964 I was taking Algebra and Physics in a small junior high in Salt Lake. I had opportunities in school until the great experiment of flexible scheduling and equal time to each student. At that point I was expected to finish classwork with business math and had a very hard time stepping back in my studies to a level that was below my current education. At that point my grades fell and I became a discipline problem for both my school and parents.
Fast forward to today. I did finish coursework at the university level and have had to take control of my own actions but that step took much longer due to the lack of discipline in school. Education funding has increased by 106% according to many studies by major educational and economic groups while the average income for the American Taxpayer has only increased by 66%, that is over the last fifty years to be accurate. But the likelihood of the next great breakthrough in medicine and science is probably not going to be by a student or graduate of a public institution of learning. Math and the core sciences are being held in disdain by educational/teaching unions because the mass majority of teachers taking the fields today don't understand the subjects. How can we keep pouring money into a system that is destined to fail in the mission we expect? Teachers not only have to want to teach but want to keep their own education flourishing. The idea of teachers having in-service education, seminars and continuing education was for them to remain on the top of the game as far as their subjects were concerned. Today the in-service seems to be geared more to the union remaining the power and driving force of government.
Look at the make up of most state legislatures and you will see a great number of "educators" in their ranks right along side of the slip and fall lawyers.
We the people must take charge of our destiny by running for offices, forcing the educational systems back to the job of teaching our children to excel not simply feel good about animals and people. Suicide rates have risen in our youth since these policies were put in place, yet we hear that these are the programs that will save the children. What fool actually believes that the State is better at child rearing than parents? What value system is better than the one they learn from their family? The families values may not be what the child eventually decides is his values but it is at the child's decision when he/she reaches maturity and should never be that of the state or our country's culture and history will be totally lost.
It is time that We the People make certain that we take responsibility for our children's destiny and not rely on government solutions. The cut to educational budgets throughout the nation may be the best present for liberty that we have seen in the last hundred years.
Texting while driving should be illegal. It is inattentive driving, if not even reckless driving, and laws should be initiated to reflect this and be enforced. If a person has been drinking, they are given a DUI test for blood alcohol levels. How hard is it for a police officer to check a cell phone to see if it was being used at the time of an accident? I was recently rear ended after sitting in my car for a minimum of 20 seconds behind other stopped vehicles. I feel that if the person who had hit me had their cell phone checked, it would show they were possibly on their phone.As it is, this person will likely get away with no reprimand, even after my hospital stay and thousands of dollars of my money is spent on medical and mechanical expenses.
When teachers actually get a pay cut and not just a reduction in their COLA it will be a first! Again, private sector employees are taking pay cuts and few employers are paying 100% of an employees health and dental insurance. It is time that teachers get the treatment the private sector takes and not believe they are saints and martyrs! These are folks that most likely took the job of teaching because they like the part time work! If they were actually doing what they tell us they are doing we wouldn't be worrying about a generation having issues with making change at the 7-11 or whether the next big thing will be developed in China! Get over it teachers! And people that simply think they are a gift really need to get an education.
I am so very sick of government employees telling people that they deserve or that they want or that they feel they are being singled out. It is garbage that they don't make commensurate wages when compared to the private sector. If that were true they would work for the private sector. In fact government jobs pay more, much more when you factor in the paid time off, health and dental insurance and other benefits including PERSI.
Most of the private sector jobs have had cuts and elimination of benefits yet government jobs see pay increases and increases in benefits and if the taxpayers complain we are told we are ungrateful! Garbage!
I know for a fact that in my job I am paid well, not great but well, for my talent level and experience. The state employee with the same qualifications and experience is being paid 20% more in hourly wage. I have taken a hit in benefits, insurance and paid time off, but when the government employees are given the hint there may be time off they whine line ten year old children that haven't had a nap.
It is time that the government employees get the picture and realize the taxpayers are being squeezed much harder than government and we are paying their wages. The argument of they are paying their own is ridiculous! If they were being paid just what they contributed they would be better off flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant.
And don't get me started on teachers and their "low paying" part time jobs. Teachers are getting paid $25-60K, depending on tenure and time in grade, for 180 days of work and on top of that get insurance and paid time off they are making much more than their salary.
PERSI must either go private or we need to reduce the amount the state contributes to less than 50%. Private sector employers do not contribute more than single figure percentages of an employees wage or contribution, depending on the plan, but the PERSI is receiving double digit percentages!
Either PERSI comes to a reasonable, in line with private sector plans, funding or it needs to be abolished! Thanks to a government worker I lost my entire retirement plan 10 years ago and I had no right of appeal or avenue of grievance! I will probably only receive social security IF ANOTHER GROUP OF GOVERNMENT WORKERS DOESN MESS THAT ONE UP FURTHER!
"Performance Pay" as they call it for teachers is ridiculous. People who talk about that have NEVER been in a Title One school dealing with poverty, child abuse, learning disabilities, and neglect. Who is going to teach there when their pay is based on their "performance" in the classroom? How do you rate their ability to inspire, challenge, and teach these kids? When was the last time you saw an "inspirational" film that deals with teachers and working with children of poverty at the elementary level? As a teacher at at a Title One school, I would love to make more money, but I fear for the students left behind by good teachers simply because they can't get them to perform on a state test.
I can't believe anyone but an addicted "texter" would care if there are any statistics regarding accidents. Apparently there are plenty of statistics based on the reports I have seen. I think it is idiotic and selfish for anyone to be texting and driving. I saw some female on Dr. Phil and she had no intention of stopping and kept her eyes off the road for up to 90 seconds. A lot can happen in 90 seconds. I think they should be treated like DUI drivers which is lock them up and throw away the key.
Now I have mixed emotions to talking on cell phones (even though I don't own a cell phone) as that can end up being a slippery slope where "big brother" decides we can't eat in our cars, listen to the radio, look at a passenger or any of a number of things that is done by our multi-tasking abilities. Texting is something completely different as it usually takes more time away from paying attention to the road than the 2 second glance down to the volume control on the radio.
We shouldn't be giving state retirees a COLA when the Social Security formula for us poor people feels we don't need or deserve a COLA for 2010 or 2011. I am tired of the common man carrying government workers on our bloodied backs until they are dead. They need to suck it up and do with what they get like the rest of us.
This should be a slam dunk and you think we should study this? I agree with the legislators on this one
It is not the system that is broken. It is the people. You get what you pay for. Get the petition done and bring it to a vote. That is the only way to deal with the WECRD "bored." Wait 10 more years to build and they will want a 20 million dollar puss pond. Lets put it to a vote and be done.
Nobody is keeping you from the phone to call the Truth Squad. Do some leg work yourself. Stop wondering why and do something. That is the problem with all of this. People are lazy. If you want something done that has not been done then do it. Get off your butt and do it. Everyone sits and waits to be saved. That is the problem.
We already have a law about inattentive driving. Let's enforce it - apply it when needed and forget this stuff of simply adding another layer of laws to what has already been created to solve such problems. Just passing another law does not make us any safer. Its only strict enforcement of existing laws that will help.
As an example: How many dog laws does your community have? Do you still have dog problems? Of course you do because they don't enforce what is already on the books. This will be the same thing.
http://www.kboi2.com/news/truthsquad/submission
http://www.kboi2.com/news/truthsquad/submission there it is go for it .
Why hasn't someone turned this over to the Truth Squad?
The system is not broken. What is broken is the integrity of the elected and appointed officials.
It would be nice if one of our elected officials would look into the legality of the WECRD's actions. I know that the prosecuting attorney has been asked a number of times to look into the secret meetings that the WECRD board has, and other violations of Open Meeting Law and she has chosen to do nothing. The state Attorney General has also refused to even investigate. This whole situation shows the rampant arrogance that is so prevalent in our elected officials. No matter what party, they should all be voted out over the next couple years in favor of individuals that understand they work for the public.
Expenses at 26% of income, is for an office that is open three days a week for four hours a day. The combativeness of the board members and employees is appalling. Type in WECRD on you tube to see some of this yourself http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=wecrd&search_type=&aq=f . Hopefully this thing will be dissolved and the board of directors will be thrown in jail.
The total disregard of the laws by this group is a travesty. For 10 years we have been forced to pay for whims of a board that has only 1 elected official. Ms. Marsh is the only member put in office by vote, the other two were appointed. The board has manipulated the law to avoid having the voters determine its membership. This is taxation without representation.
The total disregard of the laws by this group is a travesty. For 10 years we have been forced to pay for whims of a board that has only 1 elected official. Ms. Marsh is the only member put in office by vote, the other two were appointed. The board has manipulated the law to avoid having the voters determine its membership. This is taxation without representation.