With Friends Like These...

Why is Governor Little trying to outflank the Democrats to the left?

I recently wrote about Reclaim Idaho’s initiative that raises taxes, ostensibly to support public education. You know the drill - no matter how much money we dump into the failing public school system, it will never be enough for left-wing activists who are desperate to control your money and your children. The correct answer to this demand for ever more money is a simple no!

Unless you are Governor Little, that is.

Despite crowing about a huge giveaway to the public school system in the last legislative session (he calls it investment), the governor is going to call a special session next month to spend even more.

Source: Betsy Russel / Idaho Press

There is a certain pathology on the right that says the best way to beat the left is to adopt all their positions. Traditional marriage? We love the gays! Immigration? We’ll take them by the millions so long as they come in legally! Public schools? Give teachers all the money!

These flip-flops do not come from a place of principles but of politics. Republicans think that by adopting Democrat positions they can steal Democrat votes. It rarely works. In my old home state of Washington, Republicans tried to appeal to voters by promoting half measures - a little bit of welfare, a little bit of gun control. It nearly always failed - why would voters in a blue state vote for Diet Democrats when the classic taste was also on the ballot?

As a political tactic this makes even less sense in Idaho. Our legislature is more than 80% Republican - the Democrats have absolutely zero power here. Yet too many Republicans still have this idea that they need to reach across the aisle to get things done.

But what about voters who might be swayed by Reclaim’s rhetoric? Good point. Perhaps if the governor came out strongly against Proposition 1, explaining why it is bad policy, explaining how much money we are already spending on public education, perhaps voters would listen. Instead he tries to steal Reclaim’s thunder by proposing his own spending spree as an alternative.

With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?

The governor is also proposing $150 million in tax cuts, which is nice I suppose. A few pennies compared to his spending increases.

I will study the bill more closely and listen to the debate as the legislature returns to Boise. If I am wrong about anything I will say so. My frustration today is with Republicans who refuse to stand on their own principles and instead see everything as political calculation. A $2 billion surplus means that Idahoans are overtaxed, and that money should be returned to the people, not used for cynical political ploys.