To Governor-elect Little — I hope you have a great year

Governor-elect Brad Little is in the midst of a storm of advice. He is known to be a good listener, so I did not want to leave my thoughts unsaid.

1. Don’t ignore the prime directive.

Idaho voters haven’t passed a lot of initiatives the last few years. When they pass one with 60 percent of the vote statewide, it is not politically wise to ignore them, if you know what I mean. Voters look to you for the follow through, especially when the same political party controls both the governorship and the Legislature. I am sure the Democrats will provide votes for a bipartisan effort even if the far, far right wants to ignore the clearly expressed will of the people.

2. Remind folks of that old “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” slogan that was so popular with the far right of the party a few years ago.

Senator Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, who previously headed the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, and will head the Senate Resources and Environmental Committee in the 2019 session, stated very clearly recently a basic fact of life: “Right now, money is the key component of almost any desire we have as a state.”

The fact is reducing revenues will never solve problems which demand the expenditure of adequate funding to solve them.

3. Idaho’s “roads to hell” are very much paved with good intentions and inadequate revenue.

We Idaho drivers — that means almost everyone under 90 and above 15 — knows that a reasonable increase in gasoline tax will cost us less than the front-end alignment costs we pay on our cars when we hit a big pothole.

We also don’t look forward to being under or on top of a collapsing bridge. We know that triple-trailer semis and heavy trucks create more wear and tear on our roads and bridges than passenger cars. We don’t expect a free lunch but we don’t expect our state laws to grant one to the large trucking companies either.

Lead the charge to address our road and bridge problems; we understand it will cost money. It’s not wasteful government spending, it’s an investment in the infrastructure for our state’s future, and that of our children and grandchildren.

4. Businesses don’t choose to locate to a state based only on low taxes.

Numerous studies and statements from business leaders make it clear that the tax structure of a state is only one of numerous factors they consider when choosing a location. One major factor is a sufficient and educated workforce. That means good schools.

Good schools means outstanding early childhood education, K-12, college and technical education programs. The tremendous success of the G.I. Bill supported by both Democratic and Republican administrations is proof of what spending money on education can do. Must-haves are strong programs at all levels if our state is going to have a strong economy. And we have to pay our teachers well and help students with debt burdens.

Our children’s and grandchildren’s education should not be treated as a profit center for predatory lending practices. Student fees should not be viewed as a way to reduce taxes on the backs of college students.

It’s a big list Brad, but you have a mandate to do the job. I wish you all the best because everyone — Democrats, Republicans, independents and even the cynics who claim they don’t care will benefit if you are successful.

Good luck, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

This story was originally published December 15, 2018 at 9:22 PM.