Liberal Otter haters hate facts even more than they hate Otter....

Otter loves his explanations and I have no doubt he believes them. It's too bad he included a lie - or at least a misdirection - that if the economy turns around they will be in a good position to address the legitimate needs of state government. He has no intention of doing that. Otter has consistently cut state workers benefits and is now going after salaries, this having previously touted the need to increase salaries as a reason for cutting benefits. At least Mr. Otter is investing in roads so our undereducated populace can move easily to places where they might be able to make a living wage.

Ironically, the Statesman's silly straw poll question up today acknowledges that 2/3 of the 1.2 billion dollars in stimulus money will be spent on education. Yet the Statesman's editorial board complains today that $45 million in discretionary spending is not also being spent on education.

Let's quit kidding ourselves about the ROI of education dollars. Reality represents what is rather than what we desire it to be, and the reality of public education is a public disgrace. I see nothing in Otter's spending priorities to suggest he is intent on dismantling Idaho's public schools, and if anything too much good money is being thrown at the systemic failures of a crippled institution.

I think the Statesman deserves all the criticism it's going to get for its actions. They took the worst possible scenario and played it for everything it's worth. How about some civil debate, KR, without the hype?

Regardless if some facts were not clear...it is A) The public servant's responsibility to inform the public...which until the "liberals" were around nobody asked for clarification or information. and B) To address the issues that Idaho is facing and come up with solutions...Okay so this is the best Otter is capable of...water...roads and cutting education...just because those are the ways that he chose to spend the money does not mean that here were not highly progressive, effective ways to tackle this budget and stimulus issue of which I personally don't find the guy capable.

I put san francisco for a reason.

“And it will provide local school districts with greater short-term budget flexibility to address other needs – like teacher salaries.”

“We cannot cover long-term, ongoing expenses with one-time money. Salaries and other personnel costs for state employees are a continuing expense. Once the stimulus money is gone, we will be left with the same budget dilemma we have now. The old saying “penny wise and pound foolish” could not be more appropriate.”

So which is it?

I find it interesting that that much money is going to education, we are still cutting back, and laying off 122 first year teachers. So we are going to have 122 more unemployed individuals with worthless degrees that they spent a lot of money on. Those degrees pretty much are useful for teaching and thats it. What are we going to do with the students that now don't have teachers? Pack more into a classroom so they get even less one on one attention from their teacher effectively making our schools more useless than they already are? I don't see how this is helping at all.

Why not ask some of the teachers getting ready to retire to go into early retirement? We won't be losing as many teachers and not as many people will be losing their income (assuming they have saved for retirement) and it will not create a bigger problem than we already have on our hands. I am sorry, but maybe our government needs to learn to spend their money more wisely rather than just make cut backs and tax us more.

Butch give up your $4k a month in housing because you refuse to live in the governors mansion and that wll save 2 teachers a year right there. I am sure it could be used some other wise ways. That is just an example.

By the way need we remind that $4k a month is more than what most people in the state make? thats not counting your normal salary.

Why the people of Idaho ever elected Otter is beyond me. His big stink when he was first in office was to increase the pay of state employees so they would quit leaving for the private sector. It now appears to be a ploy to reduce state employee's benefits.

"But in the meantime, my preference is to apply this limited amount of money primarily to creating private sector jobs and opportunities to build the infrastructure for our long-term prosperity rather than protecting state government jobs with taxpayers’ money."

The above statement seems to contradict his statement early in his term above boosting state employee's pay. Also what the heck do you mean protecting jobs with taxpayers' money. That is the dumbest statement ever. All state employess including yourself and your housing allowance comes from the pocket of tax payers. You finally gave up your housing allowance how about your salary now Butch. Idaho's congress had to not accept the pay raise that they had previously voted for themselves.

The Stimulus money is here as a stop gap until the economy gets going again. I am not sure how building road and infrastucture will not increase maintenance budgets in the future. If you are so concern with future expense, then build a bunch of roads is probably not in Idaho's best interest at this time.

I think the Governors pants are so tight they are cutting off the blood supply to his brain, which it seems he sits on, if he would have us believe that he is going to increase school funding vs highway repair, he is talking out of both sides of his mouth and his lips are moving therefore he is probably lying.

1st lets make sure you voters understand that at least Butch was not found playing the various games in airport bath rooms like the idiot that you folks voted in for many seasons!!! Butch is right on some things and wrong on others but in reality that makes him a normal person. He is trying what he feels is right. I know Butch and his brothers and his one brother used to work for me. He is not always right but isn't that the normal for a human. being. I also voted for Obama. I try to be objective and not emphasize the negative. Think about that with your brains and not your political retoric.

I'm neither political party. I do come from a conservative background, but I certainly don't believe in running government into the ground either. Which is exactly what the Legislature and Governor Otter have done. Just like with the National budget, their cronies are allowed to do whatever it is they want, unregulated and unwatched. Money that will again be put into the 'General Fund' will be moved to the 'One Time Fund' and spent how it will do their personal finance and campaign needs, with do the most good. Yes, make no mistake, they want the public school system moved to the private sector and the Governor along with the Idaho Legislature will sacrifice as many children as they need, in order to accomplish this 'mission'. It's a National goal for the Republican party and this state wants to be first to do it. As the oldest Legislature in America, representing a state with a high population of aged, their only care, the only thing they prepare for, the one thing and only thing that matters is paying the least amount of taxes possible, while making sure they do everything possible to get their PAC money and stay reelected. So business like the Utilities are given a free pass on raising rates, when ever and however they see fit, but boy our taxes remain low. They don't care that the aged, poor and disabled who live on a fixed income can no longer afford to heat their homes, pay for the supplies their children need for school, or have absolutely no affordable housing. Idaho is crumbling due to a failed philosophy and people who refuse to step up and make the changes necessary to help our citizens. These failed politicians who have killed capitalism in America, purport to be experts in finance and personal integrity, yet they do nothing, absolutely nothing for Idaho, except run it into the ground. Just like they did with America's finances. I'm past caring what they say, or think. Vote Independent, or watch Idaho continue to fall into the pit of darkness...

story on the $4,500 he was getting for living at home.

Tried to reduce it by $500 to make it look good, like he was taking a cut on our behalf? I think the public finally complained enough that legislators sent Otter a message & he gave up the whole $4,500 a month.

I sent a response to Russ Fulcher letting him know what I think. I've sent several to the White House telling Obama all about the shell game we have for representation in Idaho & America. If the Tax Commission isn't a dead give away, in more ways then one, I don't know what is. The liquor business, with another of Otter's buddies running it is no different then when the mob was running it.

If he was any kind of a man, Gov., or wanna be Texas Ranger, he'd pay back all he received in the $4,500 live at home housing scam, but you won't see that any time soon.

Like Congress NOT putting an end to auto pay raises & AIG continuing to hand out millions of our tax $ in bonuses, while US soldiers die the the war started by the two crooks Bush & Cheney who already slithered out the back door after breaking US, we won't see any signs of responsible leadership by republcians or democrats when it comes to money.

Bush & Cheney were all about going to Iraq, didn't want to fight terrorist on or soil, all about national security. Now that we've allowed China the upper hand in trade & T bonds, they want assurances their money is safe. Interesting they have more say in America, like illegal immigrants through agri corruption, then American taxpayers whose jobs are now in China using oil we once bought for a reasonable price.

The question I have is how secure as a nation are we now? Clinton has to beg China to continue to buy T bonds or we could lose ground in the current financia mess. We're not only being held hostage by the banks, Wall Street, AIG, & our representatives, now China can tell US what is happening in international waters because our representatives traded our jobs away! If we're in so deep now that China can push US around where will we be in a year or two?

Gov. Kempththorne was all about securing the capital, spent how much? Lucky Peak & Arrowrock would have been the target. More great leasdership, couldn't balance a checkbook, pay for a haircut, or property taxes, that Gov wasted our $ on foolishiness as well. Like Risch, Kempthorne moved up to do more damage & we never learn.

We lose how much in property taxes on the old Simplot mansion, {not that Simplot ever paid any} while Otter was receiving $4,500 a month to live in his own house? I demand he pay it all back & we get rid of the manion or turn it into a museum/bed & breakfast like somebody wrote in an editorial, so people can pay again see how it feels to look down on US. Give people an opportunity to feel like politicians, corporate CEOs, bankers, & such.

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Gilligan inhaled