Red State Rebels

Wayne Hoffman's six cents

Wayne Hoffman, former spokesman for the lamentable Bill Sali, has found a few new ways to occupy his time. He's now director of a supposedly nonpartisan free-market think tank and a columnist for the Idaho Statesman. Here's a snip of a guest commentary I did earlier today at NewWest.net regarding Hoffman's new gigs. (I would've sent this straight to the Statesman except another op-ed of mine has been bottled up there for several weeks.)

Few would disagree with the main point of Hoffman’s first column, published Sunday: We ought to have more transparent government spending. Democrats have been calling for that for years, and President Obama is moving ahead to be sure it happens, both for government in general and his proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan in particular.

I’m sure that all Democrats, Republicans and Independents agree with Hoffman’s premise. But Hoffman’s opening paragraph is worth a second thought since it belies the key difference between the two major parties. He wrote:

“I’m one Idaho taxpayer who is delighted that state government is undergoing major surgery. Every time the state adds 6 percent onto the price of the things I buy, I imagine ways I’d spend that money if I were not giving it to the government.”

Every time he spends money, he thinks about that? Clearly, Wayne Hoffman is obsessed with taxes more than your average Idahoan.

Like most people, I just pay the six cents. But every once in a while, when I’m prompted by someone like Hoffman to think about taxes, I don’t think about how I’d spend my tax pennies if I had them all to myself. Instead, I think about how – as Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously said - “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”

Read it all over at NewWest.net - and let's plan on keeping a very sharp eye on the, ahem, nonpartisan writer who not six months ago accused the Idaho media of being "shrill news lemmings all marching willingly to a sea of liberalism, filth and innuendo.” - JF

Notes from the blogosphere

Just a few notes from the blogosphere ... my essay on how red-state expats ought to support their home state Democratic parties is featured this morning (Saturday, December 20) on the politics front page at The Huffington Post. (Here's a direct link, too. Please send it to Idaho friends and family who've moved to more progressive climes.)

Canyon County is inching Demward and it's already home to several bloggers including the estimable MountainGoat and Unequivocal Notion. Now it's also home to the Western Democrat, a new podcast-based blog. Check it out. Also, the Canyon County Democrats invite Democratic actvists from across southwestern Idaho to a planning session set for January 3 at the Nampa Civic Center. The time to get ready for 2010 is now.

Speaking of MountainGoat, MG and Tara from The Political Game have teamed up to launch a Zeb Bell page to chronicle the most egregious utterings of Idaho's own wingnut radio host and his "festering refuge for hate speech." It's already starting to get some coverage in the national blogosphere. You'll find all the info you need to take Bell (and his advertisers) to task for his racist, homophobic, xenophobic, theocratic crap. Have at it. 

Finally, a reminder: the Idaho Democratic Party is interested in seeing independent, grassroots watchblogs established in legislative districts represented by some of the state's most regressive Republicans. If you'd like to help with this effort, shoot me an email at [email protected] and I'll get you into the loop.

Happy holidays!

New Byron Yankey ad

You may have already seen this on your TV -- this ad has been airing around the Treasure Valley since last week.

Check out Byron's blog and don't forget to get out there and vote on Tuesday!

We've got some outstanding Democrats running here in Canyon County, lets hope we can get them all elected!

Support the Ada County Democrats This Sunday/Monday

Please support the Ada County Democrats by attending the following events this Sunday and Monday.

Sunday - Movie about John McCain
Join the Ada County Democrats at the Egyptian Theatre for a viewing of "Third Term: How John McCain Promises to Continue George Bush's Failed Policies."

Date: Sunday, October 19th
Time: Main show is at 6:00 PM.  Other showings at 2:00 and 4:00 PM.
Where: Egyptian Theatre, Downtown Boise
Cost: $4.00

See a preview here

Monday - Bowling with Bieter For a Better Boise
Join Mayor Dave Bieter for an evening of bowling to support Ada County Democratic Candidates.

Date: Monday, October 20th, 2008
Time: Check in at 5:30pm—Bowling from 6:00-8:00pm
Where: Emerald Lanes ~ 4860 W. Emerald
Cost: $25 per person or $120 for a team of 5. Includes bowling with Mayor Bieter, shoes and the opportunity to help get out the vote to elect Democrats in Ada County!

Sponsored by Idaho State AFL-CIO

Family friendly event—kids are welcome!
Non-Smoking Environment!

To sign your team up—contact Tara at the Ada County Coordinated Get Out the Vote Campaign at 891-6671 or email to [email protected]

Send your check to: Ada County Democrats Coordinated Campaign
PO Box 1672
Boise, ID 83701
(Please write in memo line—Bowling with Bieter)

SIGN UP SOON!!!! If you can’t join us, please consider sending a donation and volunteering to help Get Out the Vote on election day!

VP debate and emails

Couple of thoughts today - first of course is the VP debate tonight. I know I will be watching from my living room, and I am wondering will Palin be able to answer anything. I mean a real answer and not a talking in circles with a smile and a shrug and tangents. She does claim, that she can look us all in the eye, and say she has the experience to be one old heart beat away from leading the country.

I disagree.

Also something seems to have been coming up more and more, at least with the folks I know - those email forwards. You know the ones, some "facts" that tell you why to not vote for someone, why they are getting their cash from someone bad etc.

I am one of those people that takes a firm stand on not sending or allowing people to send me forwards. I find then time wasters, and often not even true - many not even a small sliver of truth. I am also confident that you will not be struck dead if you break the chain...

That said, an email does come now and again, and it seems often they also come with poor email etiquette. With the addresses of many people showing. In the last week I received two, I hit reply all, point out this is NOT TRUE, and here is a link you should keep handy (snopes.com) and here is a direct link to why your facts are not true. Then I add something like honesty is important, especially when it comes to elections, and the value of every vote.

Now a couple of things tend to happen. One the person stops adding my name to the list of group emails, but very often I will get a direct email back from one of the people on the Reply All - that says:

thank you! these things make me crazy, I appreciate what you did.

Wow thank you for taking the time, to let me know the facts.

or thanks, that was a great reply, mind if I borrow that idea next time I get one of these?

Notice the thank you in each? People want the facts, and very often they know the forwards are not fully true, but they are not sure if they are somewhat true. There are so many ways to make sure that people
have the facts before they vote, and not all of them are debates, or yard signs, or walk and talks.

t

End of an era - go kick some ass, please

I started Red State Rebels - the original one - in November 2003, and converted it to this multi-author blog last September. Now I am saying another farewell. This one is for real since, starting October 1, I'll be communications director for the Idaho Democratic Party. (You may have read it here first. Thanks, Jill.)

First, let me convey my appreciation for everyone who has made Red State Rebels a regular stop on their cyberspace travels. Whether or not we've agreed on all issues, you've kept the oxygen flowing here, and I salute your passion for our state and country.

About three dozen people have made posts at the multi-author Red State Rebels over the past year, and I know many will continue to write and organize here. As I step back, I hope others will step up and make their voices heard, too - at Red State Rebels and across the Idaho blogosphere. Also, if you'd like to do something to pay homage to what I've been doing here for the past five years, please consider a donation to the candidate(s) of your choice or the state Democratic Party as a whole at this page.

The video says "this opportunity comes once in a lifetime," but returning effective two-party government to Idaho will take longer than the next five weeks. After five years working for change in the netroots and the grassroots, I am thrilled about the opportunity to help build the Idaho Democratic Party from the inside out. I'll see you at the IDP - and don't forget to check out the work of the many other Idaho bloggers listed on this page, too.

10 races to change Idaho

While most of our attention has been fixated on the upticket races, it's time to focus on electing our downballot Democrats, too. Idahoans have an opportunity this fall to shift the lopsided balance of the Idaho Legislature toward more effective two-party representation ... not just for Boise but also in North Idaho,  Valley County, Idaho Falls, and the western Treasure Valley.

Check out this new ActBlue fundraising page featuring 10 races to change Idaho politics. Read about the candidates and donate what you can to your favorites. Or contribute to the Idaho Democratic Party and help our Democratic candidates run strong statewide.

Otter orders holdbacks; Obama would help states

Talk about trickle-down economics: The national financial crisis hit home in Idaho today as Gov. Butch Otter ordered statewide budget hold backs and cautioned all state agencies to reserve another 1.5 percent of their budget for possible further cuts. Jill has more at New West .

Meanwhile, a McClatchy Newspapers article in the Idaho Statesman today noted how Barack Obama wants to provide $25 billion in relief to state and local governments to be used on whatever the states and municipalities need most, along with another $25 billion for public works projects like roads and bridges. Whatever Idaho's share, it would go a long way toward relieving our current budget gaps and infrastructure needs, wouldn't it?

John McCain calls it a gimmick, and of course he of all people should know a gimmick when he sees one. But maybe Otter and his fellow Republicans ought to consider whether voting GOP is the best move this fall, or whether it's time to give Democrats a chance to put the country together again.

Streaming live at 7 MT: U.S. Senate debate

The debate has concluded. Here's a link to the archived footage.

Idaho GOP wants to abolish Federal Reserve

Idaho Democratic Party executive director Jim Hansen reminds us all at the state party website that the state Republican Party is on record as wanting to abolish the Federal Reserve. A snip:

There are few people alive who remember the 1929 stock market crash and the devastating depression that followed. If Idaho Republicans got their way, a crash of similar or greater impact would have happened this month.

It is clear that years of irresponsible lending fueled by Republican economic deregulation policies has accelerated into a dizzying series of near-disasters in the global economy. To put on the brakes and prevent the economy from completely derailing, our government must turn to a tool that Franklin D. Roosevelt created during the Depression: The Federal Reserve.

Read it all here. Jim raises an interesting question: Do Bill Sali, Jim Risch, Mike Simpson, Mike Crapo, Larry Craig, Butch Otter, and other Idaho Republicans actually stand behind this plank in the state GOP platform? Also, isn't it interesting how 1st CD candidate Bill Sali lashed out against the financial market bailout package before he knew anything about it - and now he's having to promise he'll keep an open mind? In complex times like this, we need leaders who think before they talk.

Update 9/24/08: Check out what Kos pointed out Tuesday afternoon (h/t Jill) ... this passage from the Republican Party Platform adopted mere weeks ago:

We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself.

I can only imagine the moral confusion that free-market zealots are experiencing this week, as they realize that their black-and-white positions don't work in the modern world.