Election Results

We kept our tax dollars but lost our libraries

Off-year spring elections are always tough when it comes to turnout. Most people, believe it or not, are not like you and me, plugged into local politics, following candidates and campaigns, and learning the details of what is on our ballots. Normal people watch the news, keep an eye on the national scene, and turn out to vote every two or four years, maybe making the effort to vote in the May primary if there are some big names on the ballot.

Yet these low profile elections often have tremendous amounts of influence on our daily lives. The West Ada School District plant levy, for example, had the potential to cost Treasure Valley homeowners hundreds of dollars per year. The candidates who are elected to our library boards decide what policies these public institutions put in place to protect children - or not.

First, the good news. The WASD plant levy was crushed, falling more than four thousand votes short of a bare majority, much less the 55% necessary to pass. Eagle voted en masse against the levy, with some precincts recording as much as 75% in opposition. Clearly, voters did not believe that the district has earned the right to more of their hard earned tax dollars despite a slick marketing campaign by district officials and thousands of dollars poured into a pro-levy PAC.

Unfortunately, other levies passed, such as Coeur d’Alene, Vallivue, and Parma. The latter did so overwhelmingly, perhaps aided by blatant misuse of public funds to promote the levy. Not only did they post messages on Facebook and their official website threatening draconian cuts if the levy failed, but a teacher sent a message on Tuesday morning from her official school account explicitly urging parents to vote yes.

I’m not saying that public schools need to be entirely defunded. They need significant reform, however, and they need to show that they are using their existing budgets wisely rather than constantly using homeowners as paypigs while still begging the Legislature for more money every session.

The results from the library board races were mostly disappointing. Tom Hanley and Tim Plass, solid conservatives who promised to keep obscene materials away from children, thankfully won in Coeur d’Alene, but other great candidates lost almost everywhere else. David Tizekker and Xavier Torres each lost their Meridian Library races by more than 2:1.

What are we to make of these results? I believe that the left and the establishment right have successfully framed the library narrative as one of radical extremists attacking a beloved community institution for no reason other than political power. The left, who wants obscene materials in the hands of children, attacks concerned parents as radical, extreme, and even white supremacist, while the establishment right continues to cover their eyes and pretend not to see. The voting public sees only the preferred media narrative - they truly think that people like Tizekker and Torres want to ban books or shut down the library entirely.

We have a long way to go when it comes to educating voters on the truth. The left is able to frame the narrative with lots of money and the willing participation of Idaho’s corporate media. Up north, the Kootenai County GOP takes an active role in helping voters see the difference between true conservatives and wolves in sheep’s clothing. We need the Republican Party to step up throughout the state, and we need to get over our fear of being called extreme by the left-wing media.

One more bit of good news: My friend Steve Bender won election to the Eagle Sewer District Board despite not campaigning. The top two vote-getters in this race will serve on the sewer district board, which isn’t the most prestigious position, but it is nevertheless important. Democrats use boards like this as their farm team, building a bench of experienced candidates for higher offices, so denying them that is a definite win. It’s also good to have a solid budget guy on one of our taxing boards.

The takeaway from yesterday’s results is that every election is important, as candidates and as voters. The future belongs to those who show up, so make it a priority to show up every time you have the chance.