One of the major disappointments of the last two sessions was the lack of meaningful tax relief for Idahoans. It might surprise people that the state government is rolling in money while the virus impacts the economy. But it is true, and that is the reason tax relief needs to be a priority. The tax cuts should include eliminating the …
Return budget surplus to Idahoans via tax relief
No time to read? We’ve got you covered. All of my articles are delivered in podcast form to make your life easier. Click below to listen to Episode 6: Gov. Brad Little recently announced that the state is on track to end the fiscal year with a budget surplus of more than half a billion dollars, or roughly 14 percent …
2014 session: 97 appropriation bills, $6.7 billion in spending
The following list shows the total dollar amount of appropriations for fiscal year 2015 voted for by each member of the Legislature during the 2014 legislative session. For fiscal year 2015, there were 97 appropriation bills signed into law. Combined, they totaled $6,694,176,800 ($6.7 billion) in appropriations. While some legislators (17 to be exact) voted in favor of every single …
The Modern-Day Mercantilism Act
Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D. Economics professor, and Idaho Freedom Foundation Board of Scholars Phone: 208-403-3609 The “Marketplace Fairness Act” allows states to collect sales taxes from online out-of-state retailers who sell products to residents of their states. Its advertised objective is to restore fairness because brick-and-mortar businesses must collect sales taxes, while competing with out-of-state businesses that don’t. It may …
Here’s to a happy New Year
Here’s to a happy New Year. Maybe that’s easy for me to say; I’m not among the people who thought the world was coming to an end on Dec 21. If you’re surprised to still be here, or that mankind still inhabits a spinning little blue ball in space, maybe your outlook on life isn’t as good as mine. Or …
Letter to Gov. Butch Otter on implementing a health exchange in Idaho and Medicaid Expansion
Dear Governor Otter: I’m writing this letter to encourage you to continue your opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). It is our belief that the state has not fully exhausted its legislative and legal remedies, and we believe there are opportunities ahead—but only if states continue their opposition to the creation of a federally-compliant state health …