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LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER XII--MARCH 29-APRIL 3RD/2009
We are finally starting to vote on some appropriation bills, but it still looks like we will be here for two weeks before we close up shop. There
are still some potential struggles and fights with the Governor and the Legislature over salary and transportation issues. Here are some of the highlights of the week both statewide and locally.
1. Recession Hits Idahoans Hard
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51,000 Idahoans are unemployed and 125,000 qualify for food stamps. Yesterday I asked Director Roger Madsen, Department. of Labor, just what the impact on the 51,000 would be if they did not find any work until December 31, 2009. Here is the report from Director Madsen: The average weekly wage for Idaho is about $636. While realizing that some of the people counted as unemployed have not had jobs for a long time, there were 51,400 people unemployed in February on a seasonally adjusted basis and 59,300 unemployed on an unadjusted basis. Counting this week, there are 40 weeks left in 2009. Lost wages would total $1.3 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis and $1.5 billion on an unadjusted basis, assuming all the unemployed went back to work. The Department does not have an average figure for benefits. But the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates that 19.2 percent of the total compensation dollar in the intermountain West goes for benefits above actual wages and legally required deductions for Social Security and other programs. Based on Idaho's average weekly wage, that would equate to $151 a week for benefits. So the total for the benefits part of your question would be $310 million on a seasonally adjusted basis and $358 million on an unadjusted basis. This should give you some of impact on our citizens in these tough economic times.
2. Upper Lochsa Land Exchange Proposal
-- This has been in the local news lately. The Western Pacific Timber Co. has proposed the Upper Lochsa Land Exchange which would trade logged over property for part of the Clearwater National Forest some of which extends into Latah County. I recently received an e mail from Jim Peek, Nationally recognized wildlife specialist who lives near Viola. Jim is not happy with the proposed prospect of losing part of the Palouse Ranger District as part of the deal. He notes there is a strong argument that these public lands have recreational value including hunting, fishing, birding, camping, hiking and other recreational activities. This is one of the highest recreational use areas in the State.
If the deal goes through, the Western Pacific Timber Company would, based on their past record, sell much of the land as recreational sites.
Our tax dollars have already built the roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure in the area. Jim Peek notes that the lands are sold that public access will probably be denied those who enjoyed the area before any type of swap might be made. Senator Schroeder talked to officials of the Western Pacific Timber Co. and they said they would not guarantee public access. This is one of those situations where you can say, "follow the money".
The Latah County Legislative delegation has asked the County Commissioners to make a public statement regarding how they stand on the proposed land swap. Apparently they will make their announcement on April 8th. From my point of view, I oppose the swap at least for the Palouse Ranger District.
3. SB1148 --
Governor Otter's Expanded Liquor License Bill -- This bill has passed the Senate and the next hearing will in House Jud and Rules Committee on April 7th. The Governor is pushing the bill as an economic stimulus package for communities and counties who would be given the right (now given the Legislature in the Idaho Constitution) to issue many more hard liquor licenses. If approved Moscow's McDonalds, Wendys, and Taco Time could be serving hard liquor and even small food vans could be issued licenses.
This is a grand new social experiment that the Governor is proposing. It would require setting up a whole new agency to administer the program.
This is curious in light that the Governor has always spoken about smaller government. There is no groundswell of popular support and my observation is that it has been crafted to serve the needs of vested special interest groups.
My approach has always been that good public policy should be based on research, at least, in part. I've reviewed the research conducted by many major research institutions in the U.S. including Harvard University to indicate what the impact was in other areas when the number of liquor licenses and the number of hard liquor outlets increased. The research results indicated:
a. A high density of outlets is strongly related to violence regardless of a neighborhood's economic, age, or ethnic status.
b.
The density of alcohol outlets has been found to be related to other alcohol problems such as drinking and driving, higher DUI numbers, higher rates of motor vehicle deaths and pedestrian injuries, and child abuse and neglect.
c. Increased binge drinking occurs when there are more hard liquor outlets.
There are relatively high correlations in the studies reviewed that the outcomes listed above occur when the number of liquor licenses increases as
well as the number of outlets.
The sponsors of SB1148 do not list under their Fiscal Impact Statement the costs to the State and its Citizens: 1) the added cost of crime and violence, i.e. increased law enforcement costs, increased number of felony convictions, the cost of added time in jail, the damage incurred to their victims and families, and the added cost to our justice system; 2) the negative economic consequences to victims and their families who suffer the impact of being involved in accidents with the result of death or injury, 3) the impact on families and children due to the increased rates of child abuse and neglect, and 4) the damage involved through increased rates of binge drinking.
I, for one, do not want us traveling down the road to a "Great New Otterwellian Society and Social Experiment" hiding under the guise of an economic stimulus package for a
vested few.
Again, I'd appreciate your comments, concerns, and ideas. My phone is (208) 332-1184 and e mail
ttrail@house.idaho.gov
Representative Tom Trail
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