May 2010

Textbooks distort history, promote government dependency

May 31, 2010 | posted by Wayne Hoffman in

Walter Williams pointed out five years ago that the Pledge of Allegiance doesn’t say, “and to the democracy for which it stands.” We don’t sing the “Battle Hymn of the Democracy.”  And for good reason. This is not a democracy. It is, in fact, a Republic. But if you attended public school anywhere in America, you might not know that. It’s that kind of subtle intellectual dishonesty that has been sneaked into school textbooks, is destroying our nation and rewriting its history.

Unsolicited Advice and Online School

May 26, 2010 | posted by Briana LeClaire in

High voter turnout makes passing school district bonds and levies difficult, and it’s not going to get any easier in the future.

Budget expert says national debt is $74 trillion, not $13 trillion

May 25, 2010 | posted by Jay Howell in

Lately, we've been hearing a lot about how the national debt is approaching the $13 trillion dollar mark.  But one accountant who’s been studying the federal deficit and national debt for nearly 20 years says $13 trillion is just a fraction of our real national debt, which is closer to $74 trillion.

Minnick, Simpson differ on $6 billion winterization program

May 20, 2010 | posted by Jay Howell in

Idaho’s two U.S. congressmen are split over whether the American people need another taxpayer-funded “cash for caulkers” plan, formally called the Home Star program.  1st District Rep. Walt Minnick voted “yes” earlier this month on HR 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010, while 2nd District Rep. Mike Simpson voted against the bill. 
 

Attitude adjustment

May 18, 2010 | posted by Briana LeClaire in

From the May 15, 2010 Idaho Falls Post-Register:

Are you a ward of the Nanny State? From Obamacare to smoking bans: How the government tries to control us

May 18, 2010 | posted by Wayne Hoffman in

Increasingly, and in ways big and small, the government is treating us like children.

What we seem to be hearing from some (not all) of our elected leaders is that we’re not smart enough to make our own decisions. Like children, we need to be coddled and controlled, directed and managed.

Enter the government, the Nanny State, which then passes legislation to compel us to perform in a certain way, for our own good. And, says the Nanny Government, if we don’t do what we’re told, we will be punished, be it with a penalty or citation.

Meridian officials defend legislative candidate’s business contract

May 18, 2010 | posted by Jay Howell in

When the contracted administrator of an urban renewal agency (URA) is awarded a separate contract to operate a business venture owned, in part, by the same URA, is it a conflict of interest?  That’s precisely the question in the city of Meridian, where the administrator for the Meridian Development Corporation (MDC) also manages the Ground Floor business incubator.

Pocatello/Chubbuck School District reality check

May 17, 2010 | posted by Briana LeClaire in

The Idaho Freedom Foundation has criticized the Pocatello/Chubbuck school board for violating state open meetings law. Under the guise of personnel issues, the school board went into executive session and then cut all administrative salaries by 6.9%. Reducing an entire class of employees’ salaries is a budget issue, not a personnel one, and all germane discussion needs to happen in public, not behind closed doors.

Wall Street Journal's Stephen Moore on out of control spending, what it means for Fall election

May 17, 2010 | posted by Heather Lauer

We were very fortunate to have Stephen Moore, editorial board member and senior economics writer for the Wall Street Journal, as the speaker at our anniversary event on Saturday in Boise. He spoke about the Tea Party, catastrophic spending policies coming out of Washington, DC, and what it all means for the upcoming elections. Watch this video to hear what he had to say.

Boise opts to spend windfall, not apply it toward deficit

May 13, 2010 | posted by Jay Howell in

At a time when the City city of Boise is running a $4 million budget deficit, plans are in motion to spend a $900,000 windfall the city has received from the Union Pacific Railroad (UP).  According to the Idaho Statesman, UP has paid the city $915,349 for allowing the railroad to store its idle rail cars on the city’s spur line.  UP pays $40,000 per month for the use of the spur line.