Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Voters air concerns over state budget

Jaquet, Pence meet with constituents in Hailey


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

State Representatives Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, left, and Donna Pence, D-Gooding, right, speak with constituents at DiVine in Hailey on Friday evening. The pair heard concerns about the state’s budget deficit and potential impacts on various agencies. Photo by David N. Seelig

If it hadn't been made clear enough in Boise, residents in District 25 re-emphasized their budget concerns to state Representatives Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, and Donna Pence, D-Gooding, during a series of public meetings last week.

Over the course of Friday and Saturday, Jaquet and Pence met with constituents in Hailey, Fairfield, Shoshone, Hagerman, Wendell and Gooding, discussing issues that the pair could bring back to the Legislature, which began its 2010 session in mid-January.

On Friday evening, the representatives met with a small crowd of Wood River Valley residents at DiVine on Main Street in Hailey, with the most prominent topics of the night concerning the state's budget deficit and the potential impacts on education and other state agencies.

Jaquet, a member of the influential Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, again expressed her discontent with a report from the Economic Outlook Committee recommending a $2.29 billion general fund budget for the 2011 fiscal year. The figure is nearly 7 percent lower than that put forth by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, which, in turn, was $83 million less than what his staff economist had forecast.

"The professional economists are saying they are seeing some recovery," Jaquet said in an interview. "We've already cut the budget and could have to cut another 10 percent for the next [fiscal] year."

On Friday, members of the public asked their elected officials how the state could save money.

"Where are you looking to cut? I mean, something's got to give," said one attendee at DiVine.

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Pence responded that if cuts to education have to be made, they could come in the form of salary cuts for teachers.

In her weekly legislative update, Jaquet wrote that state school Superintendent Tom Luna will be asking the Land Board to transfer $52.8 million from the endowment reserve account to the general fund to be used for the education budget.

At Friday's meeting, Jaquet also discussed a bill she is attempting to introduce that would give tax credits to alternative energy companies within Idaho.

"This would help generate green jobs and could be eligible for federal funding," she said.

Another energy-related issue is the potential addition of solar and wind components to an existing state statute that allows energy created from biomass, methane or geothermal sources to be sold back to utility companies. However, Jaquet said the changes will be difficult to pass due to staunch opposition from large utility companies such as Idaho Power.

Jaquet said that further south in the district, primarily in Hagerman and Wendell, constituents are concerned about possible changes to funding for the Parks and Recreation Department. She said Otter's vision of making state parks self-sustaining through fees and volunteers might not be a sufficient plan.

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com




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