Alex LaBeau and Jayson Ronk are the president and vice president, respectively, of the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry.
By ALEX LABEAU and JAYSON RONK
This legislative session was one of the longest and most difficult in our state's history. Sometimes this process is difficult to watch, but we believe the priorities as outlined by the governor regarding transportation are correct. As we continue striving for solutions to the problems that our growing state is facing, we applaud Gov. Butch Otter for his leadership in ensuring that the maintenance and operation needs of Idaho's highways are funded at more appropriate levels to protect the safety of Idaho citizens. We are undoubtedly better off today as a result of his commitment to that goal.
While Gov. Otter has clearly articulated the life and safety issues associated with Idaho's crumbling transportation system, Idaho also must be poised and ready to take advantage of business opportunities that most certainly will present themselves as our state's economy improves. The members of the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry—which represents more than 300 small, medium and large employers throughout the state of Idaho—continually stress the importance of a viable and efficient transportation infrastructure as one of the primary factors for expanding or relocating their business. It is imperative that businesses throughout Idaho are able to transport both people and products to and from the marketplace.
The new influx of dollars into Idaho's transportation system represents a solid business investment that ultimately will lead to expanded job opportunities and a more diverse economic environment, enabling Idaho to lead the charge out of this economic downturn. We all must be willing to preserve and protect our ability to safely and efficiently travel through our state, and we commend the recent work of the governor and legislative leaders to look beyond their differences to do what is right for all Idahoans.
The business community understands that if Idaho is going to continue growing our way out of the economic crisis facing our nation, we must take proactive steps to attract new commerce and industry to this state. When businesses consider moving to a new state, there are several things that are quickly assessed: (1) Tax structure: How does Idaho compare to other states on the corporate income tax rate and personal property tax rate? (2) Education of the workforce: Do people meet the education requirements for the particular business? and (3) Transportation: Can business easily transport their products and can employees safely travel to and from work?
We applaud the governor for standing strong and affecting a solution between the House and Senate. While compromises were made all around, without the governor's leadership, Idaho transportation infrastructure would fall further into disrepair, to the detriment of the families and businesses using these roads on a daily basis.
While some in the media want to argue over the success of this year's legislative session, we must acknowledge the positive steps that were taken this year to enhance and protect the state's infrastructure. Legislation was passed for such programs as the Idaho Education Network, comprehensive aquifer management, and initial steps to address the ongoing transportation needs. IACI looks forward to the upcoming interim discussions, and we hope to continue working toward a solution to the deficit in transportation maintenance that is growing each day.
