krichert's blog

The recession: Otter's defining issue

Kevin Richert — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:43:16 -0500

Butch Otter has struggled to get results in his first two years as governor.

And now it is obvious he will govern through an economic downturn that will dominate the agenda for the final two years of his term.

As I attended Otter's press conference Monday, and listened to him detail a plan that will cut $103.5 million from this year's budgets, I was listening to a governor who has been forced to scale back his expectations.

Online letters to the editor: What do you think?

Kevin Richert — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:46:39 -0500

Every month, I get a tally of how many letters we published in the Statesman.

This morning, I got two numbers, reflecting the 325 letters in print, plus 207 election-related letters published online.

This grew out of necessity: an 11th-hour influx of election-related letters. But it has me thinking about how we should handle letters in the future.

Western governors hurry to seize the energy initiative

Kevin Richert — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:56:27 -0500

Western governors are urging President-elect Barack Obama to move quickly and boldly on a federally funded energy initiative.

Fine, we don't have the best state quarter — but do we really have the worst?

Kevin Richert — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:49:11 -0500

It's not easy being a self-appointed apologist for the Idaho quarter.

But here I go again.

As we pointed out on Tuesday's Opinion page (with a tip of the hat to D.F. Oliveria at Huckleberries Online), the Web site WalletPop.com asked its visitors to rank the 50 state quarters. Yup; we're No. 50.

Rural Idaho and urban Idaho: Time to play 'Let's Make a Deal?'

Kevin Richert — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:56:11 -0500

We generally know urban Idaho's legislative agenda: transportation, transportation, transportation. Cities and urban legislators want more taxing and funding option for highways and public transit — often hitting resistance from their rural counterparts.

History tells us rural Idaho's legislative agenda: water, water, water. Rural lawmakers have built their political careers navigating the turbulent eddies of water rights legislation. Urban lawmakers have pretty much been on the sidelines of the debate.

A download-worthy podcast from BSU

Kevin Richert — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:32:14 -0500

This is worth your listen: Boise State University President Bob Kustra's recent radio interview with Bruce Dold, editorial page editor of the Chicago Tribune.

Dold offers the backstory behind the Tribune's historic endorsement of Barack Obama (the Tribune's first endorsement of a Democratic presidential candidate). Of course, I can't help but be interested in that. But Dold's insights into Obama, based on years of dealings with the president-elect, are definitely interesting.

Link here to get to the audio.

Will Idaho tap into the new economy? Indications are mixed

Kevin Richert — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:17:11 -0500

When in comes to building a new economy — global, knowledge- and innovation-based jobs — Idaho is about as middle-the-road as it gets.

Idaho ranks No. 26 in the 2008 State New Economy Index, compiled by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., and The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Up in smoke? The $82.2 million in a state government lockbox

Kevin Richert — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:57:42 -0500

Since 2007, the state of Idaho has quietly locked away about $65.9 million into an endowment fund — which cannot be used to pay for universities, economic development or public health programs during a recession.

Don't blame the state, though.

You signed on.

An obscure 2006 constitutional amendment created the Idaho Millennium Permanent Endowment Fund, a savings account for the bulk of future payments from a national tobacco settlement.

Student fee increases — the last and perhaps worst option

Kevin Richert — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:23:17 -0500

Aside from some of our more obvious infrastructural must-haves — from rebuilt highways and bridges to unsightly but needed power transmission lines — our nation also needs to rebuild its primacy in higher education.

Where the United States once produced 30 percent of the world's college graduates, we now account for 14 percent, futurist Glen Hiemstra said at Wednesday's Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook Forum. Competing in a global economy, America needs to figure out how to get more of its young people through college, Hiemstra said.

When lawmakers won't police themselves

Kevin Richert — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:50:29 -0500

For those of us in the Greek chorus clamoring for open government, a recent study on government integrity comes as no surprise.

Idaho ranked a dismal 44th in the nation in an "integrity index" released by the Chicago-based Better Government Association.

Idaho's score was a mixed bag — its whistleblower law tied for ninth in the nation, while its open meeting law ranked 44th. But Idaho's low ranking can be attributed in large part to lawmakers who have been unwilling to police themselves.