Dear Members of the Legislature: I write to you today, urging the elimination of the tax on groceries. I cite four reasons for doing so: 1) The tax on groceries disproportionately hurts working poor families; 2) Idaho’s low income levels make regressive taxes like sales taxes more onerous; 3) Increased economic activity will generate more […]
We find Governor Otter’s guest opinion in a recent issue of the Idaho Statesman “Idaho is serious about increasing transparency” amusing and at best disingenuous. We realize our Governor was talking about Idaho’s Public Records Act, but why do we need a special “Transparency and Ethics” law to have public officials we are paying to […]
Welcome to the new, web-based Gem State Patriot newsletter. Instead of a single PDF file, this newsletter is interactive, allows comments and discussion, and can be easily shared via social media. Please enjoy the following articles included in this edition of the Gem State Patriot.
— This article is reprinted in part with the permission of The New American magazine — After voting for “Fast Track” for NAFTA and then for NAFTA itself, then-Senator John Kerry (shown in pink tie) professed total surprise when a NAFTA court trampled U.S. state laws and overruled U.S. courts — precisely as this magazine […]
— This article is reprinted with the permission of The New American magazine — On November 13, 2013, WikiLeaks released to the Internet what appears to be a portion of the secretly negotiated draft version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Although the entire agreement reportedly runs over 1,000 pages and covers nearly every conceivable […]
According to the Freedom Index, found in the New American magazine, our federal elected representatives have a long way to go toward voting for legislation, based on the Constitution. The Freedom Index chooses the 40 most important pieces of legislation and determines how each congressman votes for or against the Constitution on each of those […]
It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat—a liberal or a conservative—or if you live or do business in Boise, Idaho or Washington D.C. The impact of a very few special interest groups that represent a small minority of citizens can have significant ramifications on our future growth and our quality of […]
September 11, 2001 was a day which mirrors December 7, 1941. An unexpected attack by an increasingly aggressive Japan caught the Pacific Fleet off-guard. The Commander, Admiral Kimmel had been responding to war warnings which were vague,and regular patrols were constant. Most Naval historians readily admit that Peal Harbor’s anchorage offers a risky place to […]
The future of America will not be determined in the 2016 elections. It will be determined in the 2016 primaries. Conservative candidates cannot win a general election if they are not the party’s nominee. As such, we have one year to accomplish our goal … electing conservative nominees. It will take a concerted effort, but […]
In 2013 the Idaho legislature approved House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 21 and HCR 22. These resolutions authorized appointment of an Interim Legislative Committee to complete a study on the process of the State of Idaho acquiring title to and control of public lands in our State. That ten-member committee met during the legislative interims in […]
Two months ago we had an opportunity to visit The Ambrose School. This is a private not for profit Traditional Christian school with about 400 students from K-12. When we first drove onto the school grounds you would think your were visiting some billionaire’s Tudor Mansion, yet upon entering the doorway we were amazed by […]
A word of caution about Utah Rep. Ken Ivory. Instead of enforcing the Constitution, he wants to open it up for revision by initiating the first national constitutional convention since 1787. However, the Constitution doesn’t need to be changed; office-holders who violate or fail to enforce the Constitution need to be changed. Enforcing the Constitution […]