The fiscal package working its way through Congress is approaching $1 trillion.  Someone once told me that a million dollars of $10 bills would make a stack 8 inches tall and that a billion dollars of $10 bills would go 8 feet over the Washington Monument.  How about a trillion dollars of $10 bills?  I don’t know.

I grew up in Louisiana. In the shadow of Huey Long, and in the era of Edwin Edwards.

I begin with a plug for the Idaho legislative Web site.  I look at state legislative Web sites around the country quite a bit, and Idaho’s is a very good one.  There is a lot of useful data on this Web site, including all the text of all the bills introduced and where each bill is in the process, all the committee assignments and daily agendas and a short bio for each legislator.  Some of the biographical data is summarized below.  Here is the link to the Web site.

I was very proud of my state representative, Darrell Bolz, for proposing the resolution to have the state legislature forego their pay raise and other benefit changes during the next two years.  Some will try to argue that this is just symbolic window dressing that will not have a significant effect on the overall budget.  But symbols do matter and the state legislature should go even further to show that they are willing to make sacrifices along with their constituents.

During this legislative session, five of Idaho’s smartest political experts will offer their perspective on what’s going on in Idaho politics. Today’s post is from David Adler:

During this legislative session, five of Idaho’s smartest political experts will offer their perspective on what’s going on in Idaho politics. Today’s post is from Don Holley:

During this legislative session, five of Idaho’s smartest political experts will offer their perspective on what’s going on in Idaho politics. Today’s post is from Stephen K. Shaw:

During this legislative session, five of Idaho’s smartest political experts will offer their perspective on what’s going on in Idaho politics. Today’s post is from Gary Moncrief:

Idaho Democrats have developed a slogan (People Over Potholes) to respond to Governor Otter's budget.   The saying is catchy, alliterative and creates a clear picture in one's mind.  The problem is the slogan is also misleading, simplistic and disingenuous.  The choices before the state legislature are not between potholes and people.  Reducing policy to a jingle rarely leads to progress.