At least this is the kind of thing the opposition party should do.

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, floated a politically doomed idea the other day: Idaho should raise taxes temporarily in order to limit the budgetary damage to public schools, higher education and Medicaid.

Her proposal: Impose a 5 percent income tax surcharge, for Idahoans with a taxable income of more than $50,000. (The Statesman's Dan Popkey wrote about the idea earlier this week.) The surcharge would raise about $44 million.

Would you like some whine with that salmon?

That’s what you will get from both sides of a debate over the building of a copper, gold and molybdenum mine in the mountains of Alaska above Bristol Bay’s rich, productive salmon fisheries. Several Seattle restaurants are serving up a warning about the Pebble Mine along with their wild salmon dinners in a program offered up by Trout Unlimited.

SKIING
Sun Valley Resort is sure looking good with snow. The resort received about five inches of snow Saturday and with all its snow-making equipment is a sure bet for opening Thanksgiving Day.

Check out the photo provided by Sun Valley Resort. The resort is reporting 32 inches on top; 28 inches at mid-mountain and 24 inches at the base. See www.sunvalley.com for more details.

YURTS

Brian Murphy
bmurphy@idahostatsman.com

The coaching carousel has begun. It is officially rumor mill season in college football.

UNLV: Idaho coach Robb Akey and former Boise State coach Dirk Koetter are among the names that are being thrown around at UNLV, which fired Mike Sanford. Fresno State coach Pat Hill also makes the list. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dan Hawkins’ name pop up if he is let go at Colorado.

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

Boise State sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore is sixth this week in the ESPN.com Heisman Watch, the HeismanPundit.com poll and the ESPN.com Heisman Predictor standings.

Gov. Butch Otter has made pretty clear his approach to Idaho's continuing budget crisis.

Limit the damage to public schools, even if that means taking money from state savings accounts. Continue to make cuts elsewhere — including Medicaid and higher education. Hold the line on tax increases that could fund education or Department of Health and Welfare programs.

How does Otter's plan really square with the taxpayers? Will public opinion cause a change in course?

The fight over the slickspot peppergrass underscores the challenge for managing the Endangered Species Act in the 21st Century.

Scientists concluded that grazing on public lands is low on the list of threats to the annual flowering bush that grows in wet areas of Southwest Idaho’s sagebrush steppe desert. Yet its listing will have more impact on ranchers on public lands than any other group.

Roger and I really like this time of the year. Ok, there's a whole bunch of hunting and fishing going on, but it's also the time when we scout area stores for outdoors gift ideas for the holidays.

We hit a lot of the stores last week for ideas and we'll have them in Idaho Outdoors on Nov. 19. I'm amazed I get out of the stores without spending my life savings because I'm a gear nut.

Sophomore and Eagle High graduate Halley Kreminski scored two goals, including the game-winner with less than two minutes remaining, to lead the No. 2-ranked Pilots to a 2-1 victory against the Washington Huskies in an NCAA second-round game Sunday in Portland. Kreminski has 10 goals this season, despite starting only once.

— Prog-rock jam-band Umphrey’s McGee nearly peeled my face off when I saw the Chicago outfit in concert last month in Seattle. Now the Umph will make its Boise debut Jan. 19, 2010, at the Knitting Factory in Boise. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at Ticketfly for $17.50 advance, $20 day of show. The promoter says Umphrey’s McGee plans to play two sets for nearly three hours. That's a whole lot of sonic ferocity from lead guitarist Jake Cinninger, who continues to hone and develop a unique, flashy style.

— Singer-songwriter Howie Day is making a comeback of sorts. He’ll headline Jan. 20. Serena Ryder opens. Tickets are $17.50 advance at Ticketfly, $20 day of show.