A Call To Arms

It doesn’t matter if you are talking about the Federal Government in Washington, DC., our State Government in Boise, or Municipal government in Garden City or many other Idaho small towns; the single biggest problem and threat to governance everywhere, is the co-opting of the governance process itself by special interests and lobbyists.

In Washington, it is not just the Defense contractors and the military industrial complex. It is large pharma and medicine, large banks (to big to fail), The National Lawyers Association(S), and the government workers themselves and their unions. The voice of the people in the hinterlands cannot be heard east of the Potomac.

In Idaho, the large hospital systems and medical insurance companies rule the roost in the Republican party and the nest in the Democratic Party. Along with the teacher’s union(S), and the government workers organizations the citizens in our State have little (Little) say in what goes on in our legislature and in the deep state of Idaho bureaucratic rule.

In our cities and towns developers from outside and inside our state court favor with local city fathers and those who work in planning departments, to influence the process of governance and create new zoning rules that change every time a mayor or council member has “lunch at the club” or plays a round of golf free of charge without a cart fee. Little favors many times given, turn into political leverage. A free campaign event at a private venue only blurs the diaphanous veil that is the pro between quid and quo.

In all three examples, a case for political corruption and collusion can be made. Collusion and corruption can be legal or illegal, but its end effect is the same—We the people, constituents, voters, taxpayers, and patients see ourselves as being alienated from the process of governance. Our voice in a small community like Garden City means nothing when compared to a large campaign contribution from someone who doesn’t even live inside our city. Out of state and out of Congressional or Legislative District contributions have the same effect at the State level. When a George Soros backed mayor or prosecutor wins with tainted money “at their backs” in a local election, the voters can only feel disenfranchised.

I believe our Governor is a good man. His politics line up with my beliefs 80% of the time—especially on the social issues like abortion, transgenderism, and drug abuse. Where I part ways with him is in his willingness not to confront the outside interests and lobbyists in our State. If anyone should know where the bodies are buried in the cemetery of public abuse by the agency actors and bureaucrats who move ad lib between the public sector and the government agencies, including the Governor’s own advisory panels, it is he. He has done nothing in the past 7 years to confront, call out and stop the collusion and corruption—remember both can be legal or illegal but the damage to public trust is the same.

I have supported enthusiastically both Raul Labrador and Russ Fulcher. Raul himself has been in the unique position of confronting public-private corruption, and he did so, stopping the Lava Ridge Wind Farm Project in its tracks in the Magic Valley. Bravo I say and thank you. It is your fighting spirit that endears you to us, but why aren’t you not standing up for neighbors and property owners against developers and city fathers who are destroying the last remaining urban green space in Garden City or Caldwell, or even in Eagle? Please Mr. Labrador stay in the fight.

Russ Fulcher has not been in the same position to fight local political collusion and corruption—legal or illegal. He has had an opportunity to publicly confront the large hospital systems and insurance carriers and has done so without great enthusiasm. Medicaid waste fraud and abuse, provider billing and coding fraud, and enrollment fraud should be right up his alley even as DOGE is exposing these abuses. Speak out loud and clear Mr. Fulcher and you could be our next Governor.

I personally believe the man that could have the biggest impact in setting Idaho back on the right track is Mike Moyle. He has negotiated the governance process in a way that has not had an impact on any perceptions about his integrity. He has been bloodied by both sides of the political divide in his own party as he has tried to expose the corruptions and collusions of very powerful people inside and outside of government. He has survived to fight bigger battles, and I hope he does so. I was disappointed in his not taking on the Idaho Health Data Exchange that lost $140million. He like Mr. Labrador still has a chance to take a big bite out of that apple.

1. Investigate the LUMA fiasco and find out why over 40% of government transactions including proof of payment for government agencies and Medicaid cannot be documented.
2. Insist on outside signed partners audits of the Department of Health and Welfare.
3. Insist that large health care providers receiving more than $100 million/year of transfer payments undergo independent signed audits that will be made available annually to the public via our legislature, and that these audits be a condition for future payments.
4. Insist on an outside audit of the missing $140million from the Idaho Health Data Exchange and hold those accountable for the malfeasance to task.

If the Idaho Republican Primary for Governor is to be a race, the front and center issue of GOVERNANCE should be the pivotal swing issue. The candidate that focuses on this issue and takes these failed governance responsibilities to task could be our next Governor:

I love all three of these guys, but the one that comes out swinging early and hard against “business as usual” in Idaho government, is the one I will support.

“IF NOT NOW, WHEN? “IF NOT YOU, WHO?”