The MountainGoat Report

Lost In Anger

Jared Hopkins of the Times-News reported the reaction Rep. Maxine Bell (R-Jerome) had to the thirty-five bills vetoed by Governor Otter this week as, in the waning days of the session, he attempted to bully the Legislature into passing a fuel tax increase to pay for road maintenance.

"One bill would’ve sent a message. Two bills would’ve sent a message. A bill a day would’ve sent a message.  But this message – the message was lost in the anger."

Capitol City Heats Up

Governor Butch Otter threw a hissy fit yesterday vetoing ten bills, sending a message to the Idaho Legislature, particularly the House, that he was not pleased that they failed to increase fuel taxes and other transportation fees to raise funds for road maintenance.  Today, the hissy fit grew by more than a factor of three as the governor vetoed twenty-five more budget bills when the entrenched House failed again to pass a gas tax increase, making this hot-for-April day in Boise even more stifling for legislators.

In day one hundred and counting—at thirty-five bills and counting—this legislative session is far from over.  Where it will end is anyone's guess at this point, but as Eye On Boise reports, Otter's message to the legislature is, "They need to know that I’m serious."

I think they get the point.

I think we all get the point and at $30,000 a day, sending the bill for the session over the $3 million mark, it could turn into an expensive game of chicken for taxpayers.  Meanwhile school budgets are being cut, state employees are facing pay cuts or layoffs and the poor, elderly and disabled are being told there isn't enough money to go around.

So the Republican legislature and the Republican governor keep shoveling taxpayer money into the furnace, raising the heat and the stakes in the capitol city until the other side caves.  Raise taxes or keep shoveling.  And all over what?  Road maintenance.

This is what the governor is willing to throw down over... not the poor, not the elderly, not the disabled, not you, not me, not your kids—road maintenance.  Maybe we could all chip in and buy the governor a new pair of jeans.  Obviously his have become too tight and there's nothing at all hot about that.

Fairness Rally

Rally 1 p.m. Saturday at Boise City Hall to promote "eliminating discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in matters of employment, housing, education, and public accommodations" and to protest the Idaho Legislature's refusal to amend the Idaho Human Rights Act to include these provisions.

Find out more here and if you doubt whether this legislation is necessary, read this.

Zeb's Supporting Cast - 4.03.09

Prominent Idahoans or agencies appearing on "Zeb at the Ranch" this week:

• Senator Denton Darrington (R-Declo) — Tuesday 3.31.09 with Vaughn Killeen discussing law enforcement issues.
• Vaughn Killeen, Idaho Sheriff's Association Executive Director — Tuesday 3.31.09 with Sen. Darrington discussing law enforcement issues.
• Charlie Howell, Jerome County Commissioner — Wednesday 4.01.09 with Doug McFall discussing new jail plans for Jerome County.  Post here.
• Doug McFall, Jerome County Sheriff — Wednesday 4.01.09 with Charlie Howell discussing new jail plans for Jerome County.  Post here.
• Adam Haynes, Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce — Thursday 4.02.09 discussing the business and networking project, Kickstand.  Post here.
• Representative Burt Stevenson (R-Rupert) — Thursday 4.02.09 discussing legislative issues.  Post here.

Zeb of the Week:

Zeb Bell, Senator Darrington and Vaughn Killeen discussed the issue of transgendered inmates on March 31.  Listen here; a partial transcript follows (not quite sure how to transcribe nervous laughter):

ZEB:  Yeah and you got another problem creeping up and I'm afraid it's gonna get bigger and we're gonna be addressing that on this program in the weeks to come and that's the transgendered—the people that don't know whether they wanna walk in the men's bathroom or the ladies' bathroom and I'm gonna be very blunt.

SEN. DARRINGTON:  Oh boy.

ZEB:  I see the day coming when... Oh yeah, you can say, "Oh boy," but you know doggone well I'm right.  The day's coming when we as taxpayers are probably gonna have to make another door with a question mark on it.

VAUGHN KILLEEN:  Well as the senator said, "Oh boy," but you might say, "Oh girl."

Zeb's Supporting Cast 3.27.09

Prominent Idahoans and agencies appearing on "Zeb at the Ranch" this week:

• Senator Denton Darrington (R-Declo) — Tuesday 3.24.09 with Megan Ronk discussing meth.  Post here.
• Megan Ronk, Idaho Meth Project executive director — Tuesday 3.24.09 with Sen. Darrington discussing meth.  Post here.
• Representative Bert Stevenson (R-Rupert) — Wednesday 3.25.09 discussing legislative issues, budget, water, wolves and more.
• Kae Cameron, Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce executive director — Thursday 3.26.09, discussing Chamber events and encouraging listeners to shop locally.
• Representative Scott Bedke (R-Oakley), House Assistant Majority Leader — Thursday 3.26.09 discussing legislative issues, budget, roads, teacher band-aids and more.

Zeb of the Week:

"Last summer I took a lot of heat—and I'm going to say this just the way it was said on my program.  And I was not the only one that said that this.  There were people on national levels that said the same thing—and it was a true fact—that Barack Obama was the first member of the Negroid race to become a candidate for president of the United States.  I said that last summer and I was criticized as a racist and everything else but many others had said the same thing and it's a true fact.  There was nothing racist about that.  But, I was hammered by the left and they came after me with every hammer and claw they could find.  But now, Joe [his caller], who's more offensive, our own president when he runs down the Special Olympics on Jay Leno?" — Zeb Bell, 3.23.09.

In Support of Confederacy?

“With them words, the states of this United States created
the federal government.”
Rep. Dick Harwood (R-St. Maries)

As reported at Eye on Boise, speaking in support of his state sovereignty resolution in the Idaho House of Representatives, Harwood also insisted that the United States is really a confederacy.  "His bill, HJM 4 passed the Idaho House on Monday on a 51-17 vote, and now moves to the Senate."

Zeb's Supporting Cast

"Every man is like the company he is wont to keep."
Euripides, Phoenix

Here are the prominent Idahoans or agencies appearing as guests on Zeb Bell's "Zeb at the Ranch" this week:

• Norm Semanko, Idaho Republican Party Chairman and Idaho Water Users Association Executive Director - Monday 3.16.09, discussing water issues.  Briefly mentioned here.
• Jennifer Egbert, American Red Cross of Greater Idaho, Twin Falls Office - Monday 3.16.09, discussing volunteering, donations and fundraising and services.
• Senator Denton Darrington (R-Declo) - Tuesday 3.17.09 with Justice Burdick, discussing the constitution and function of an Idaho Supreme Court justice.
• Justice Roger Burdick, Vice Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court - Tuesday 3.17.09 with Sen. Darrington, discussing the function of an Idaho Supreme Court justice and the Idaho Court of Appeals.  Posts here and here.
• Gerald Orthel, Idaho Power Agricultural Representative, Twin Falls area - Tuesday 3.17.09, discussing irrigation and pumping issues.
• Mike Todd, Idaho Fish and Game biologist, Wednesday 3.18.09, discussing wildlife and sportsman's issues.  Post here.
• Kae Cameron, Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce Executive Director - Thursday 3.19.09, discussing Chamber events.  Post here.
• Representative Fred Wood (R-Burley) - Thursday 3.19.09, discussing legislative issues.  Post here.

Zeb of the Week:

"What's right is right and wrong is wrong and they're painting in the middle.  I just don't understand this:  why we have to loosen and make lax of laws and regulations, and free speech is still free speech and we can speak out against these people and not be called hatemongers or bigots.  You know come on!  Let's stand up America!  Stand up before it's too late." — Zeb Bell, 3.16.09.

Stevenson: I Don't Recall

The saga of Idaho Rep. John A. "Bert" Stevenson (R-Rupert) and the derogatory comments made toward gay people last month on Zeb Bell's "Zeb at the Ranch" radio show takes another twist.  Today, Rep. Stevenson recounts a different view of Monday's meeting with leaders of Lion's Pride Idaho and the Southern Idaho Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual and Transgendered Community Center, two LGBT groups hoping to to open up a dialog with Stevenson and put a human face to the issue of discrimination.

In a press release, the groups stated they were "encouraged" by the meeting while recognizing that there is much work to be done in educating legislators and others on the issues.  The release also reported that Stevenson responded to questions about his radio comments by indicating he may have "overspoke."

While failing to report that Stevenson told the groups he was unaware that there are currently no federal protections against discrimination for gay people, the Twin Falls Times-News relates today that Stevenson's view of the meeting differs.

Rep. Bert Stevenson, R-Rupert, said Tuesday that a meeting Monday with a gay-rights group over his remarks during a recent AM radio show was "cordial," but he disagreed he "overspoke" as the group claims he said.

"We had a cordial meeting," Stevenson said. "They understand my position has not changed. They understand it was not personal and there are no hard feelings to them individually."

[...]

"I don't recall saying I 'overspoke,'" Stevenson said Tuesday.

Stevenson is scheduled to appear on "Zeb at the Ranch" again today at 9:30 a.m. . . . if he remembers.  Tune in.  Call in.

Update:  Bell confirms on the program just now that Stevenson will not be on at 9:30 due to voting conflicts.  Also, Lion's Pride and SIGLBT report that the complete quote from Stevenson was, "I overspoke...I wish I could have a mulligan but I'd have to play golf."

Groups Encouraged By Meeting With Stevenson

What follows is a press release from Lion's Pride Idaho and the Southern Idaho GLBT Community Center following a meeting the groups had yesterday with Rep. John A. "Bert" Stevenson (R-Rupert).

In case you haven't been following the story, get caught up here and here.

---

Idaho Rep. Bert Stevenson "Over Spoke" on Radio Broadcast

This afternoon members of SIGLBT Community Center and Lion’s Pride Idaho LGBT groups were encouraged by their meeting with Representative John A. "Bert" Stevenson. After discussing his on-air comments in late February, we were able to inform him that current State and Federal laws are inadequate to protect LGBT in the workplace. He commented that he did not know that there were no Federal protections in place. We learned from Rep. Stevenson that we have a lot of work to do change the Legislature’s perception of LGBT issues.

"We are encouraged by these events and hope to have more public discussions in the future. We feel that Representative Stevenson is very open to listen to any LGBT who wishes to knock on his door," says Donna Harwood, Owner of Lion’s Pride.

When asked what he would like to say to the LGBT community Rep. Stevenson said, "Be patient with us. We need to have identified to us [Idaho Legislature] the differences."

"Rep. Stevenson’s comments on the radio broadcast were obviously not well thought out and were ill informed. The education of Idaho’s Legislative body is going to be a lengthy process. It will take each one of us to reach out to our own lawmakers to make sure we move forward on this issue and the many other LGBT issues," said James Tidmarsh, President of the SIGLBT Community Center.

We presented Rep. Stevenson with a DVD copy of Voices in Exile: Stories of Lesbian Mormons, a documentary by an Idaho Director, a copy of Andrew Sullivan’s book Virtually Normal and "No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagon Around Our Gay Loved Ones" by Carol Lynn Pearson.

We hope this meeting was able to put human faces to the LGBT community and to bring a little bit of understanding of the struggles that LGBT face on a daily basis.

Some 'Splainin' To Do?

Seems others are wondering about this too.

According to Zeb Bell, he and Rep. Bert Stevenson (R-Rupert) had a three-hour meeting at Bell's home to discuss the recent controversy over a segment Stevenson did on Bell's talk show.  As Bell tells it, this meeting took place on the same day that an individual claims to have received a harassing phone call from Zeb.  The individual, who had written an email to Rep. Stevenson about the controversy, also claims that only his family and Stevenson knew the phone number on which he received the call.

On Tuesday, Bell bragged on his program that he had "managed to get the telephone number" for someone who he called a trouble maker from Jerome County.  Bell says he called the man seeking to meet him "face to face to discuss" things and called the man a coward because he hung up on him.

Now here's the conundrum: 

Now WHATEVER would possess someone who serves as state representative in the legislature to pass along to anyone - let alone a bully such as the likes of Mr. Bell, who calls out people who differ from him in whatever way as cockroaches, rats, sleaze, low-classed, ... the personal email and cell phone number of someone who had written to him, Mr. Stevenson?  Not Mr. Bell; Mr. Stevenson.  Ignorance? Boundaries? Stupidity? Duplicity? How could such an individual use such poor judgment?

It's an interesting question.

LGBT Groups To Meet With Rep. Stevenson

The following is a release from Lion's Pride Idaho and comes after the group requested an apology from Rep. John A. "Bert" Stevenson (R-Rupert) for comments made during a segment on "Zeb at the Ranch" with Zeb Bell.

Yesterday Rep. Stevenson made another appearance on the program where he said to Bell, "If I've offended somebody, I apologize but I want people to realize that the question you asked me the last time was my opinion and that hasn't changed at all.  And so if I've offended someone I apologize for that but my opinion hasn't changed," indicating that he has held his position for 30 or 40 years.

Representative Stevenson to meet with Lion's Pride and SIGLBT

Following Lion's Pride's call for John A. "Bert" Stevenson to apologize for his radio remarks made on February 25, Lion's Pride Idaho and the Southern Idaho Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual and Transgendered Community Center requested a meeting with him to discuss our shared concerns.

Representative Stevenson has graciously agreed to meet with representatives from the two groups next week in Boise.

Bell's Bigots 'Get Down Dirty and Vile and Filthy'

Here's just a sampling of how Zeb Bell and Bell's Bigots reacted to Thursday's front-page Twin Falls Times-News report that Lion's Pride Idaho called for an apology from Representative John A. "Bert" Stevenson (R-Rupert) for disparaging comments made against gay people in his February 25th appearance on Bell's "Zeb at the Ranch" radio show on KBAR in Rupert.

The entire first hour of Bell's three-hour program they carried on in this fashion and then less frequently through the remainder of the show. 

Find another brief sample after the fold.

NASW Sends Open Letter to Rep. Stevenson

The Idaho Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers has sent an open letter to Representative John A. "Bert" Stevenson (R-Rupert) for comments made February 25 on "Zeb at the Ranch" with host Zeb Bell.

Representative Stevenson,

You owe Idahoans an apology.

Your recent comments on public radio regarding gay and lesbian people are not appropriate for a state legislator.  The radio host was engaging in hate speech and you not only did not challenge any of his bigoted comments but participated in spreading false and dangerous statements regarding millions of Americans.  As a member of a group of people (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) who were once heavily discriminated against in the State of Idaho (including within the state constitution) we would hope that you would be an advocate for any legislation that is trying to protect Idahoans from discrimination.  Senators Coiner's and LeFavour's bill would have helped move Idaho in a direction of equality for all citizens.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons continue to suffer from social stigma, harassment, hate-crimes, and discrimination. The United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Lawrence v. Texas, 123 S.Ct. 2472 (2003), that clarified the right of adults to engage in private, consensual sexual activities regardless of sexual orientation and removed the cloud of possible criminal prosecution for such acts.  In spite of that ruling, same sex couples in committed relationships, are not afforded basic benefits, rights and protections granted heterosexual couples under state and federal laws.

Your statement as an elected leader, "If those people want that kind of lifestyle we will do away with the human race," is completely irresponsible and misleading.  You have much to learn about sexual orientation, sexuality, and the importance of civil rights in a democratic republic.  Our state is not a theocracy and your role as a legislator is not to impose your church's doctrine on your fellow citizens but to assist in expanding civil rights for all people, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.

We hope that you will gain education to eliminate your heterosexism and homophobia.  We hope that one day you will join with us and the President of the United States in saying, "While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." (Barack Obama, June 1, 2007, www.whitehouse.gov)

Delmar Stone, LMSW
Executive Director/Lobbyist
National Association of Social Workers
Idaho Chapter

More Fallout

The fallout continues after the defamatory anti-gay comments made by Rep. John A. "Bert" Stevenson (R-Rupert) on "Zeb at the Ranch" last week.

From the Twin Falls Times-News this morning:

A Rupert legislator is under fire from a gay-rights group for comments he made on a local AM radio talk show.

[...]

On Wednesday, Stevenson defended his comments, saying that he feels federal protections against discrimination are adequate and don't need to be replicated by the state. He said his statement about the human race ending simply pointed out that if everyone was homosexual, no one would procreate any more - though he didn't seem to recognize his words about intent.

"You're the only person that's said a word about it," he told the Times-News about the matter.

Perhaps someone should inform Rep. Stevenson that there are currently no federal protections against gay discrimination.  Perhaps he should also hear about this "matter" from more than just a Times-News reporter.  Contact him here or email him here.

Update:  For a taste of Zeb Bell's reaction this morning check out The Political Game.  Here's a hint:  he's already called Senator Nicole LeFavour a sleaze and he's pleading with listeners to flood Rep. Stevenson's inbox with thank you notes.

Update 18:12:  From  Boise-based LGBT advocate, PrideDEPOT:

PrideDEPOT.com calls for the immediate resignation of Idaho State Rep. John A. “Bert” Stevenson (R-Rupert), for his hateful and incendiary comments about Idaho’s gay and lesbian people Wednesday, February 25th on Zeb Bell’s radio show.

Fallout

An Idaho group is calling for an apology for statements made by Representative John A. "Bert" Stevenson (R-Rupert) in his February 25th appearance on Zeb Bell's "Zeb at the Ranch" radio show on KBAR in Rupert.  In that appearance, Stevenson said that gay people intend to "do away with the human race."

Calling his remarks "irresponsible and ludicrous," Lion's Pride Idaho, a community resource for LGBTA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Allied) groups in Idaho, says that Rep. Stevenson needs to apologize for his gross misrepresentation and completely un-factual statements against the LGBT communities of Idaho and their families.

To Rep. Stevenson's claim in the same appearance that if gay people are fired, it is due to poor work habits, Lion's Pride Owner Donna Harwood asks, "Are you trying to call all LGBT people lazy, Representative Stevenson? Obviously you've never seen a group of lesbians in action!"

The Lion's Pride release went out to statewide media outlets last night.

Dixie Siegel, writing at the Twin Falls Times-News Progressive Voice blog is asking readers to contact Rep. Stevenson along with Lee Family Broadcasting which owns the station leasing time to Zeb Bell.

Also found at the Times-News blogs, Gary Eller at In The Middle, takes on Zeb Bell's wistful claim that "the way things used to be is the way that they ought to be" frequently used by Bell to reinforce statements such as those made in the segment with Rep. Stevenson.  Gary says when doing so, Zeb "is doing more than revising history, he is out and out lying."

'Courteous' Gay Bashing

You've heard what Zeb Bell thinks about gay people.  Let's see... recalling just a few of the choice invectives he's used on "Zeb at the Ranch."  He's called gay people the "cockroaches of our society" (11.10.08); he's called them despicable, filthy and low-classed and promised to "go on the attack and ridicule them" and their supporters, insisting that others "go on the offense" as well (12.08.08) and he's said that it would be all right with him if they just wanted to kill themselves (11.06.08).  All consistent with his version of "John Wayne Christianity" which also dispenses with turning the other cheek.

Last week, on air an Idaho legislator agreed with him.

On Wednesday, February 25, Rep. John A. "Bert" Stevenson (R-Rupert) told Zeb that he appreciated his position on the issue, saying that the intent of gay people is to "do away with the human race."  All of this took place while the two were insisting that it was unnecessary to include discrimination protections for gay people because (amazingly enough) they aren't discriminated against!

Listen as Zeb and Rep. Stevenson discuss the unsuccessful attempt last month by Senators Nicole LeFavour (D-Boise) and Chuck Coiner (R-Twin Falls) to introduce a bill in the Idaho State Legislature extending anti-discrimination protections in employment, housing and education to cover gender identity and sexual orientation and a Times-News editorial a few days later.

That, folks, is a state legislator publicly disparaging gay people, "courteously."

'By Omission'

On Friday, in a hearing before the Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee, Senators Nicole LeFavour (D-Boise) and Charles Coiner (R-Twin Falls) introduced legislation prohibiting employment, housing and education discrimination based on an individual's real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.  The bill proposed amending the Idaho Human Rights Act to include these protections.  This wasn't the first time Senator LeFavour has introduced such a bill and, unfortunately for supporters who were hoping to see it enacted this year, it won't be the last.

In a fourteen-minute, at times emotional, presentation, Senator LeFavour simply asked that the committee acknowledge that the issue merits further discussion and to print the bill.  Offering to stand for questions upon closing, members of the committee responded with silence.  No questions.  None. 

After a motion to print from Senator Joe Stegner (R-Lewiston) and a second from Senator Kate Kelly (D-Boise), others of the committee, Senators Russ Fulcher (R-Meridian), Monty Pearce (R-New Plymouth), Bob Geddes (R-Soda Springs) and Denton Darrington (R-Declo), voted no.

Idaho Public Television's Thanh Tan interviewed an emotional Senator LeFavour after the vote.

"[It's] that worry that at school when they're taunted, a teacher doesn't even know if they can address it.  In many cases they don't have the backing of any piece of law to say that they can stop discrimination in schools—they can stop kids from being taunted and harassed.  It's by omission that we basically say it's okay to discriminate," LeFavour tells Tan.

The consequences of tacitly endorsing discrimination can be devastating, especially to kids.

This artwork was created by a young man in Washington state who committed suicide after being mercilessly harassed at school and was published in a Safe Schools Coalition report.  The five-year study, conducted in Washington schools examining anti-gay harassment and violence among kindergarten through grade twelve and published in 1999, found 111 incidents of school-based anti-gay harassment and violence, many leading to suicidal thought and acts.  [Read this post for more.]

How many such incidents occur in Idaho schools?  We don't know.  Once again, the Idaho Legislature has also essentially said that the State of Idaho doesn't care.

Senator Fulcher told the Idaho Statesman, "Senator LeFavour looks at this as a genetic difference and others, including myself, look at this as a behavioral difference. Given that, the debate becomes, 'Do you look at making provisions based on behavior?'"

Leaving aside for a moment debate regarding the accuracy of Fulcher's premise, the obvious response is that the state already protects a huge behavior-based group:  religion.  So back to the debate and bringing in the artwork above again, most people who have grappled at one time or another with questions of sexual orientation will tell you as the young man says, "This is not my choice. ... This just is."

By omission we have tacitly endorsed discrimination.  On her blog, LeFavour described it as "losing ground in silence."

Bryan Fischer: We Don't Want To Be Stimulated

Now that President Obama has officially signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law and Idaho Governor Butch Otter has signed an executive order creating a "stimulus executive committee" (members to be appointed whose job it will be to make recommendations on what to do with Idaho's share), lately there's been little talk of anything but stimulus.

Today's broadcast of "Zeb at the Ranch" was no different, with Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance joining Zeb Bell to talk about, what else, but the stimulus package, among other things.  Despite being "the third-most stressed state economically," Fischer's suggestion is that Idaho should refuse to be stimulated.

Bryan Fischer:  Well, one thing, I would like to see, uh, Idaho's lawmakers turn down this stimulus money.  You know the Legislature right now has even suspended a number of committee hearings to wait and see how much money the federal government is gonna promise them, but I will guarantee you that this money is gonna come with strings.

Zeb Bell:  Uh-hum.

Fischer:  And one of the things that Idaho citizens could do right now is simply be [sic] to contact their representatives and say, "Look don't take the stimulus money.  This money is gonna come with strings from D.C.  We don't want bureaucrats in D. C. telling us how to run our schools," and that sort of thing and urge them to just politely, uh, decline.

You know, I know the education money for instance comes with strings attached that Idaho can take the money as long as they promise not to layoff any teachers or reduce any teacher salaries.  And the education committees were just right on the cusp of some fairly dramatic and long overdue educational reforms and all that got put on hold when this offer of this kind of free money from D.C.—I mean, it's not free, obviously; our kids and grand-kids are gonna have to pay for it.  But when this offer of this money, uh, came, it kind of short-circuited all that process of budgetary reform.  And so that's one place to begin.

The arguments surrounding education budget cuts are varied but Fischer may be one of the few, if not the only one, at the Capitol Annex publicly cheering these budget cuts as "long overdue."  Even the House Education Committee chairman Rep. Bob Nonini (R-Coeur d’Alene), (making news today for appearing to strong-arm new Lieutenant Governor Brad Little over State Board of Education appointments), when introducing controversial legislation affecting teacher contracts and pay, recognized that the proposal isn't ideal or pleasant. 

"This is not fun stuff … but we’re in a crisis," Nonini told the committee. "The other thing we are accomplishing in this legislation is not to have teachers lose their jobs."

And when later relaying to the committee Idaho's estimated share of the education stimulus money, Nonini called it "good news."  [Find info on the estimated state by state funding distribution from the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee and a discussion of what the numbers mean here and here.]

That Fischer would prefer to see Idaho teachers taking pay cuts or, apparently, out of work rather than accept federal stimulus money under the pretext that "bureaucrats in D.C." would be telling us how to run our schools is a ludicrous failure of both compassion and logic.

Not only would teacher pay cuts and layoffs add to the growing number of Idaho families who find themselves struggling to make ends meet (meanwhile telling Idaho kids who find themselves in overcrowded, crumbling classrooms to just suck it up); regardless whether or not Idaho actually takes a dime of stimulus money, you can bet that come April 15th, every single Idaho taxpayer will still be paying the same tax rates that every other taxpayer in every other state in the union will undoubtedly be paying.

Idahoans won't be getting the special "you-didn't-take-the-stimulus" rates.  And with statistics like these:

• food stamp participation up 24.2 percent,
• home foreclosure rate the 10th-highest in the country,
• December's unemployment rate up nearly 4 percent from December 2007,

Idahoans can little afford to pay for the stimulus other states will be enjoying while politely saying, "Thanks, but no thanks."

What does the IVA, an entity that doesn't pay any taxes, have against Idaho taxpayers anyway?  Idaho family values indeed.

Furnishings Anyone?

Best quote of the day from the Twin Falls Times-News editorial board regarding confirmation of gubernatorial nominees:

Senators are not potted plants. We send them to Boise to exercise due diligence over the people brought in to run state government.  It seems to us that asking personal questions is an unavoidable part of the process.

And, oh yeah, the rest of the editorial is worth a read as well.

Interesting that, even though a few have long been pushing for increasing standards, in a year when this GOP dominated Legislature finds themselves with "not much stuff to give away," some focus has finally turned to ethics reform and governmental scrutiny.

More time on their hands?  An interest in proving their indispensability?  Or just figuring out that they are more than Capitol Annex furnishings?  Whatever the reason, it's a welcome change and long overdue.

More from the AP via the Idaho Statesman.

Fischer's Unhealthy Obsession (UI Dorms Cont.)

Yesterday, in a post discussing the first portion of a segment he did with Zeb Bell's "Zeb at the Ranch" talk radio program, it was noted that Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance likened allowing University of Idaho students to share mixed-gender housing suites to putting bunnies into the same hutch and he suggested that the Idaho Legislature should concern themselves with the details of state university housing administration.  In this conclusion to that segment, Fischer explains in more detail his obsession with the private lives, relationships and living arrangements of Idahoans.

Download and listen to audio of the Fischer segment.

[Editor's note:  This clip contains the audio from the entire U of I portion of Fischer's segment that day and runs about 8:24.  At approximately 2:37 sounds of what appear to be someone playing online poker are clearly audible and were present throughout the rest of the segment.  It's not clear and it wasn't discussed at any point in Bell's show that day whether the sound was coming from Bell's in-home studio or from someone at the KBAR studios.]

Here's a transcript of the last couple of minutes:

Zeb Bell:  You know, I guess maybe my question after that would be, and it's kind of redundant, but I think you'll understand.  Uh, this Tina Deines, I think you said—the coordinator of university housing—why would she, why would she take it upon herself to relax standards of decency at a major university?  I just have no idea why they'd wanna take the opportunity and the chance of this kind of scrutiny.

Bryan Fischer:  Well, and it, it may be just yielding to what we're seeing all around us in our culture, this press toward, uh, you know, kinda tearing down of all kinds of, of standards in terms of relationships, human sexuality and kind of giving in to this, capitulating to this; it sounds kind of hip; it sounds kind of trendy and all that.  But, uh, you know, clearly, uh, sexual contact between two unmarried people, as quaint as it sounds, is still against the law, uh, in Idaho.

And so you've got- and we had the marriage amendment in 2006 that made it clear that the only domestic relationship we're gonna recognize is the marriage between one man and one woman.  If the university goes to these opposite-sex students living in the same room, then they're clearly granting that kind of domestic relationship some kind of recognition and I believe that violates, i-if not the letter of the, uh, state constitution, certainly the spirit of the constitution.

And what a lot, lot of people don't know is that our state constitution's very clear about this, it says—and this is a quote—the first concern of government is the virtue and sobriety of its citizens and the purity of the home.  And so here's a state agency, the University of Idaho, that clearly has a responsibility to be guided by the state constitution, uh, which says the first concern of government is the virtue of its citizens and I don't know anybody that's defending, uh, this kind of arrangement as something that's virtuous and noble and, uh, character-driven.

There you have it.  Bryan Fischer, Idaho's self-appointed morality police, explaining how college students' living arrangements may violate the state constitution.  And did anyone have any doubt that he would try to use the so-called marriage amendment to intrude on the personal lives of all Idahoans, not just to prohibit gay and lesbian marriages?  His unhealthy fixation on the personal lives of Idahoans is growing tiresome and tedious and his "eerie parallels," troubling.

That Fischer would resurrect the temperance and morality section (Article III, Section 24)

Section 24.  Promotion of temperance and morality.  The first concern of all good government is the virtue and sobriety of the people, and the purity of the home. The legislature should further all wise and well directed efforts for the promotion of temperance and morality.

of the state constitution to insist that legislators spend time and resources reviewing dorm plans when state funds, already meager this year, are paying the salaries of employees to manage these things and make these decisions is a sign of how unhinged this fixation has become.  The state constitution including this section, approved in 1890, also included a "test oath" essentially disenfranchising members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which remained as a part of this document for nearly a century until removed by voters in 1982.  Would he have insisted on using state resources for its enforcement as well?

But here is one of "Bell's Bigots" using his tax-exempt organization to hound legislators and state employees (and at what cost) into conforming to his interpretation of a century-old morality section of the constitution.  Where's the morality in peeping into something as personal and private as Idahoans' living arrangements?  As someone said earlier this week but in a slightly different context, this deluded obsession of his has put him off the deep end.

Fischer Claims U of I Students Are Like Bunnies

Wednesday Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance spent about twenty minutes on "Zeb at the Ranch" where he compared University of Idaho students to bunnies, essentially admitting that abstinence-only sex education is pointless, and advocated that the Idaho Legislature spend precious time and resources legislating the administration of university housing.

The issue surfaced last week and was rendered moot yesterday in a statement issued by University of Idaho President Steven Daley-Laursen that discontinued the university's announced plan to offer mixed-gender housing in some of the Living Learning Community housing suites.

For a little background:

• Initial University of Idaho Housing release announcing the mixed-gender plans on Jan. 12, including updates on Jan. 21 and 22.
• University of Idaho Living Learning Community housing info.
• Suite floor plans.
• Idaho Values Alliance objects.
• 43rd State Blues responds.
• IVA responds to the decision to discontinue the plan.

There are more but that should be enough to get caught up.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, on Wednesday Fischer couldn't wait to expound on the folly of allowing college-age adults of mixed-genders to live under the same roof.

Bryan Fischer:  Well, to provide a little bit of social context for this, Zeb, the Centers for Disease Control just last week released new information, new studies, indicating that the number of teenage births, births to teenage women—young, college-age women—is on the increase in Idaho, took a fairly significant jump from 2006 to 2007 which indicates that, uh, you know, we've got a problem socially in our culture with sexual experimentation, uh, unwed pregnancies, children born out of wedlock.  We know what that does to children:  increases their, uh, risk of being victims of abuse, uh, lowers their productivity in school, and, uh, so forth, increases their chances of getting in trouble with the law.  So this is definitely something that oughta be a public policy concern.

For his "social context," apparently Fischer was referring to the latest CDC birth statistics report released on January 7th of this year but which only includes the final birth data for 2006 (the report for 2007 won't be complete for another year).  While the report does show that nationally birth rates for teens aged 15-19 increased 3 percent from the 2005 rate (interrupting 14 years of continuous decline since 1991), far from being a "significant jump" as Fischer asserts, the increase for Idaho teens was not statistically significant, as shown in this snip of the teen birth rate chart.  Twenty-nine states had higher rates in 2006 and Idaho's rate is still 30 percent lower than in 1991.

That data also included teens who weren't of college age but the report does break down the rates further; the rates in Idaho for teens aged 18-19 was 72.3 per thousand in 2006 (p. 49) up from 68.5 in the 2005 report (p. 52).  An increase, but still less than the national rate and not the "significant jump" that has Fischer so unhinged.

This report makes no attempt to attribute a cause for the increase which doesn't stop Fischer from making one of his own.  In his perverse myopia, Fischer sees the increase as a result of "social problems."  By fixing the blame for this one year increase on things like an increase in sexual experimentation, following Fischer's logic, wouldn't that imply that the previous fourteen years of decline were due to a decrease in "social problems?"  Does Fischer believe that since Idaho's teen birth rate is 30 percent less than in 1991, that there is less sexual experimentation among teens now than there was in 1991?  Wouldn't that mean that the "dangerous decline" in the morals and values of teens and families alleged by Fischer and others for years is a falsehood?  Following Fischer's distorted logic it would.

The truth is there are probably many reasons for the one year increase in the teen birth rate.  Perhaps more teen mothers are carrying their child to term.  Perhaps the obsession with abstinence-only sex education is proving to be ineffective.  Who knows.  But taking the narrow view that it is due to an increase in sexual experimentation is irresponsible and then using that as a justification for legislating whether or not college-age adults can share a university dormitory suite is a ludicrous waste of government time and resources.  But that's exactly what Fischer would do.

Fischer:  And what the University of Idaho is planning to do, and they're intending to implement this change in policy starting in September, is that their dorm suites—these are not individual rooms but they're suites that have two bedrooms on either side of a common living area, a living area that the roommates share—and what they're intending to do starting in September, is to open these suites up to opposite-sex students.  So their plan is to have two males in one bedroom, two females in the other bedroom and then they'll share this open space in between.  But just the concept of having young, uh, opposite-sex students sharing the same living quarters, uh, is just clearly a bad idea.  This is just gonna increase the chances that our college age women in Idaho are gonna be at increased risk of pregnancies, uh, STDs, uh, date rapes and so forth and for people to expect anything different would be to put two bunnies into the same hutch and expect them not to start making little bunnies. ...

That's right Fischer just compared University of Idaho students living together in dorm suites to bunnies in a hutch—unable to contain their natural urges or their instincts to breed. Doesn't that just shoot the argument for abstinence-only sex-ed out of the water?

Fischer continues.

Fischer:  So I think it's a legitimate concern and I believe the Legislature is probably gonna address this.  The University of Idaho president is coming to both the Senate and House Education Committees, I believe, next week and this is gonna be on the docket when he appears before these legislators.  The chairman of the Senate Education Committee, John Goedde, has indicated that he has asked the university president to bring diagrams and floor plans of these suites and talk to the legislators about their plans.  And I believe there's a considerable degree of agitation down there at the Statehouse over this issue and so that should be a fascinating committee hearing.

Right.  The Legislature is struggling with enormous and, for some, perhaps life and death decisions and Fischer thinks legislators pouring over dorm suite plans will be fascinating.  Interesting priorities.

Tune in this weekend for the exciting conclusion.  Yes, there's more.

Here's the conclusion.

Clout And No Clout

Found this headline in the Twin Falls Times-News, "Our outsized - if temporary - clout in legislative budgeting" and the editorial that followed interesting, especially for Treasure Valley residents.  Here's a snip:

Six of the 20 members of the budget-writing Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee - including the co-chairmen - for the legislative session that began Monday are from the Magic Valley and Wood River valleys. By contrast, only three are from the Treasure Valley - home to 45 percent of Idaho's population. (The Idaho Panhandle also has six JFAC members and eastern Idaho has five).

[...]

Our region has long had an oversized influence on JFAC, the committee that sets the agenda for the rest of the Legislature. Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, and Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, have been its leaders since 2002. ... Cameron and Bell are extraordinarily influential in every aspect of public policy. Of JFAC's other four members from south-central Idaho, Rep. Wendy Jaquet of Ketchum spent a decade as House Democratic leader, Sen. Bert Brackett was a JFAC member in the House before he moved on to the Senate and Reps. Fred Wood of Burley and Jim Patrick of Twin Falls are effective second-term lawmakers.

The Treasure Valley with 45 percent of the state population is represented by only 15 percent of the "committee that sets the agenda for the rest of the Legislature."  While budgeting revenues are scarce, this lack of clout may be more detrimental to a larger portion of the population than it would be in better economic times.  Not exactly "taxation without representation" but it's definitely skirting it.

Priorities in Tough Times

As Idaho Governor Butch Otter occasionally stuttered and stammered through delivery of his gloomy economic news in his State of the State/Budget message yesterday, including a most uncomfortable, lengthy pause taken while relocating his place after losing it in the speech, another governor was delivering a much different speech in a neighboring state facing similar circumstances.

Randy Stapilus at Ridenbaugh Press writes of the speeches by Otter and Oregon’s Governor Ted Kulongoski, "you could hardly imagine they were delivered at nearly the same hour on the same day, each facing similar economic and social pressures."  Indeed having heard Otter's speech and having read excerpts of Kulongoski's, the differences were those of a surgeon's scalpel and woodsman's ax; the most glaring differences were in the priority each placed on education.

Gov. Kulongoski:

If we’re going to turn unemployment checks into paychecks, the state must invest in our human infrastructure. My top priority for this upcoming biennium remains education – because only by creating the best trained, best skilled, best educated workforce in America will we be able to create the employment opportunities that are this state’s future. I’ve been saying for months that the way to turn despair into hope, and uncertainty into prosperity, is to build a protective wall around funding for education.

Gov. Otter:

It would have been unfair and unwise to ask public schools to share in the burden of budget holdbacks in the middle of an academic year.  There simply was too little time and too many obligations already made on the local level for school officials to make the adjustments that would have been needed to reduce their spending so significantly.  But there is time, and unfortunately there is the need for public schools to be included in the difficult realities of our economy as we plan for Fiscal 2010.  The budget recommendation you received today includes a General Fund allocation for public schools that is about 5-and-one-third percent less than this year’s appropriation.  However, the $1 billion, 425 million I’m proposing for K-through-12 education next year still represents almost half our total General Fund budget.  And the fact is that my proposed public schools budget is reduced FAR less than I’m recommending for other state agencies.

Education seen as opportunity versus education seen as a necessary burden.  It will be interesting to see how legislators prioritize Idaho's diminished tax revenues this session.

You can find many reactions to Gov. Otter's speech around the web.  Here are just a few:

• Jill Kuraitis at NewWest - Let Human Needs Guide Budget-Makers
• Randy Stapilus at Ridenbaugh Press - Slice and cut
• Betsy Russell at Eye on Boise - Dems fault Otter’s priorities
• Sen. Nicole LeFavour at Notes From The Floor - Asking More Than Grit

Update:  The unequivocal notion has a roundup of links here.

IVA Revives No-Fault Divorce Repeal

In the segment on "Zeb at the Ranch" last week featuring Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance, we learned that the IVA is not really very empathetic to Idaho families whose lives have been negatively impacted by the emergency state budget holdbacks, suggesting instead that further budget cuts are in order.  From Fischer's website we also learned that the non-profit IVA isn't really opposed to taxes as long as those tax revenues are being distributed to faith-based organizations.  Now we learn more of Fischer's ideas on how the state should be meddling in Idahoans private lives.

During Zeb Bell's talk show last week, Fischer discussed several pieces of legislation that the IVA is working on for this year's legislative session which begins today.  Here's a portion of what he had to say:

Bryan Fischer:  One of the things that we're looking at with the Idaho Values Alliance is bringing forth some legislation that would provide for a modified no-fault divorce.  Right now we have a situation in Idaho where we have unilateral, essentially, uncontested divorce.  If one individual wants to break up a marriage and a family, whether the other party wants to keep the marriage and family together or not, they can do that.  It's really the only part of Idaho law where we guarantee a legal victory to the party that wants to break a contract, so we'd like to see that revisited in order to strengthen Idaho families.  The legislation that we're talking about would just apply when there are children still in the home.  In other words this is designed to try to stabilize marriage and family for the sake of children who really get chewed up when a divorce happens.  So that's something that's on the radar screen.

The IVA has apparently decided to revive the failed dogma of the controversial Idaho Family Task Force whose now-infamous charge:  "To study the magnitude of the decline of the family since 1950; the effects the decline has had on state social policies; the reasons for the decline, and ways to strengthen the family," and the resulting recommendations, even most conservatives agreed, were widely out of the mainstream.  One recommendation of the Task Force, headed by state Representative Steven Thayn (R-Emmett), was to repeal no-fault divorce laws.

Evidently, like the ill-conceived and delusional Task Force, the IVA doesn't believe individuals have the capability to make decisions about what is best for themselves and their families, but would rather dictate these decisions for them.  Why is it that some conservative feel they are better equipped to manage the personal lives of Idahoans?

The IVA Tax Conundrum

Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance was a guest on "Zeb at the Ranch" this week discussing his thoughts on Idaho's upcoming legislative session.  With budget cuts already in place and more looming, and news of impending state employee layoffs, as is most everyone, Fischer was concerned about the state budget.

Here's a bit of what he had to say:

Bryan Fischer:  Well, I think as we look ahead to the legislature which convenes next week, I think finances are gonna be on everybody's mind—balancing the state budget.  I think the governor is continuing to press for an increase, either in vehicle registration or fuel taxes, to try to provide more funding for roads and I think that's an issue that's worth consideration.

You know, the governor's already directed state agencies to do some holdbacks because tax revenues are not where they were anticipated to be and seems to me that when the governor's done that, he's admitted that government spending can be cut when it's necessary and so the concern I've got with increased funding for roads—I think most people recognize we need to have a good road system for all kinds of reasons—but the question is:  why are we not talking about where we can cut government spending in some other area of the state budget to free up the money we need for roads, rather than just throwing another tax increase "brick" in the backpack of Idaho taxpayers?

So I think that whole issue of the state budget is gonna probably dominate the session this year.

So Fischer, whose organization pays no taxes as a non-profit corporation, appears to be concerned with putting "bricks" in taxpayers' backpacks and he's suggesting that the budget cuts already in place could or should have been put in place sooner and the money used to pay for the estimated $240 million shortfall in road funding, as if there were some magic, state government waste repository just lying around waiting for some sharp-eyed wizard with an "abracadabra."

Maybe if he had spoken to any of the more than 500 state employees forced to take days off without pay this past holiday season or the woman, and countless others like her, whose autistic son's services were cut at the Department of Health and Welfare (where services are already hard to come by), he would have known that there is no magic wand, that emergency across-the-board budget cuts in an already lean state budget affect real people's lives, many who can ill afford it.

Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have so cavalierly suggested that these, for many, painful emergency measures should have been inflicted sooner.  Fischer's lack of empathy for Idahoans enduring the effects of these budget cuts is inexcusable.  No doubt these are tough times and many are and will be making sacrifices, but it is inconceivable to suggest that since an individual can survive an emergency amputation that this individual should have then had the limb amputated sooner.

In another bit of the tax related conundrum, we get this from the IVA website where Fischer threw a minor conniption over Boise's taxpayer-funded detox and mental health facility opening in 2010, supposing that the Treasure Valley would see an increase in substance abuse as a result [emphasis mine]:

If we truly care about the population who suffer from addictions, as we do and should, it would be far more productive to send the $2.7 million it will cost to build and the $1.8 million a year it will cost to operate this facility to faith-based organizations who have a proven record of liberating people from the nightmare of drug addiction.

Apparently, as long as churches are allowed to gorge at the taxpayer buffet, the restraints come off and it's all you can eat.  Sort of odd for a non-taxpaying entity to rail against taxes on the one hand and lobby for their disbursements on the other, don't you think?