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Mike Bullard: Ways to Increase Revenue Without Raising Taxes or Borrowing:

Mike & Betsy strattle the equator during a recent trip to Equador. "We are blessed to live in the beautful state of Idaho," says Mike. Keeping Idaho beautiful is a priority for Mike.

Collect taxes equally from everyone. Unpaid Idaho taxes, according to the Idaho tax commission are more than all of this year’s school cuts, estimates ranging from 175 to 200 million. Unpaid taxes create an unfair burden for those who do pay, yet Boise has not made a priority of the collection.

Review “sweetheart” exemptions. Some things should be exempt from sales tax, but many exemptions are long-standing, “sweetheart” deals that Boise has refused to review. Adjusting exemptions only 10% would bring 175 million dollars in additional income.

Bring more federal funds to Idaho. We can do a better better job with matching funds, stimulus funds, and other available sources would help Idaho get its fair share.

Cut statehouse budgets in proportion to other cuts. When teachers, road workers, health and welfare workers, face cuts and layoffs, it is only fair that budgets, salaries and benefits of legislators, governor, and even judges, should be cut in the same proportion.

Don’t spend one penny of Idaho money for political issues outside of Idaho until all obligations toward the people of Idaho have been fully met. Many Republicans believe there are constitutional reasons for suing the Federal Government. It is also true that such suits help Idaho Republicans, and attorneys, find their own places on a national stage. Some will argue whether this is even an appropriate use of tax money at all. Whatever the reasons or goals of such suits, it is clear that there are other moneys out there for such suits, and tax money paid by Idahoans should go first for specific needs and services of our own economy and our citizens.

Delay election consolidation until the economy improves. Election consolidation may save money in the long run, but it is not an immediate bread and butter necessity. It is an example of something that is relatively small (about 4 million dollars) but could be delayed in a time of other severe cuts.

Make public education a priority. Coeur d’Alene schools’ phrase, “Good schools are good business,” tells it all. Yes, low taxes by themselves may attract investors to exploit Idaho’s resources, but if we want to bring in many real workers with families, people who buy homes and cars and boats, then we also have to have schools where they will want to send their children and higher education opportunities so their young adults can stay in the area. Besides that, throughout history, information has always been linked to freedom. An educated populace is the only real protection against tyranny, and knowledge and training is the most dependable road to personal success.

Keep our Commitments to our cherished seniors. The poor man who is on life supports may not seem important, but he is like the canary in the mine, the mark that measures our soul as a society. His care is not only a moral issue, it also is a very real economic issue. Just as schools attract intelligent residents, so does how we treat our elders. People want to live where they know that they and their parents and grandparents are valued. Nursing homes, medical care, hospital care, doctors, nurses, nursing school at NIC, together make up the biggest part of employers in Kootenai County. Also, Idaho is missing out on matching grants that could help our seniors and bring money into our economy. Taking care of our vulnerable elderly is not only morally right, it is plain good business..

Use good management to balance current use and future value of the land, water and wildlife that make Idaho unique. Any good model of business requires managing resources of any kind both for current use and for future generations. Idaho’s outdoors brings in much of our business. Many conservation issues involve deciding to pay now, or pay far, far more later. Air and water issues illustrate that point. Boise has chosen that we be one of only four States which do not do our own regulating of air and water quality, and has chosen to let the EPA govern us, exposing us to unnecessarily high standards.. A free society is not one in which there is no regulation. Rather, freedom means taking responsibility to discipline and regulate oneself others are not affected by us. In this case, failure to discipline, and regulate ourselves as a State will particularly cost Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls dearly in water quality lawsuits by Washington State

New technologies in clean and cost-efficient local energy production are especially suited to Idaho’s widely-spread small communities. Idaho has the resources to be on the forefront of localized use of new technologies which are suddenly more economical. Being conservative about the use of our natural resources, saving the world that supports us, is good long range business management.

Good government takes more than one party. When any State is run by only one party, there is no one to question the sacred cows (or sacred elephants or, God forbid, sacred donkeys either). Mike Bullard is an old time, Kennedy Democrat, the kind your grandfather knew, listening to the heart of the people, speaking up for education, seniors, and the working people. He is ready and willing to work cooperatively with Republicans and Independents alike to benefit Coeur d’Alene citizens.