The present Idaho state laws allow elected officials to get around

"Conflicts of Interest" and does not protect the citizens of the state

of Idaho. We need a new "Sunshine Law".

Please do not think, that I combine all Elected Individuals into one group, Politicians. There are upstanding, honest people that ask for public office to serve. They serve at all levels of government.  Some individuals, however, ask for and seek office for self-serving reasons. These individuals I call Politicians. The individuals that honestly only want to serve, I call Elected Officials.

                               "CONFLICT OF INTEREST"                  

 Prof. David Schultz, a lawyer with a PhD who teaches Ethics in Government and Election Law at Hamlin University in St. Paul, Minnesota, states a conflict of interest occurs when a person can  use his public office either to personally enrich himself, his friends, or others with whom he works.

           "PERSONAL INTEGRITY"  WHAT IS IT ??

The dictionary  defines personal integrity as:

1.  Uprightness of character; honesty; virtue; honor; honesty tested and confirmed.

2.  Personal integrity - Giving and keeping one's word.

 Something like virginity,  you only have it once and it is gone

forever when you give it away.

OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ALL SWEAR AN OATH, NOT TO USE THEIR OFFICE FOR PERSONAL GAIN.  THE SUNSHINE  (INTEGRITY) LAW IS USED TO GUIDE THEM ON THE PROPER DIRECTION AND HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE, IF THEY STRAY.

AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WITH REAL INTEGRITY DOES NOT NEED A LAW.  ONLY SELF-SEEKING INDIVIDUALS THAT ASK FOR THEIR OFFICE IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THEIR PERSONAL INCOME WILL WORK TO BLOCK AND FIND WAYS TO GET AROUND AN INTEGRITY LAW.

THE LAW IS NEEDED, BUT COMPLIANCE COMES FROM THE PEOPLE  MONITORING THE ACTIONS OF THEIR LEGISLATORS.

TAKE THE TIME TO BE A PART OF YOUR GOVERNMENT, CHECK THE ISSUES, LEGISLATORS, VOTES AND BY ALL MEANS TAKE THE TIME TO VOTE YOURSELF.

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                        IT'S IMPORTANT

OUR STATE SUNSHINE LAWS ARE RATED TO BE IN THE BOTTOM THREE STATES!!!!

A study by an organization that studies the integrity of Public Officials in the country shows that our Idaho sunshine law is "BAD", IDAHO RATED IN THE BOTTOM THREE STATES. View the complete report by checking on "Balancing Act", on www.publicintergrity.org. The story in it's entirety was printed on the front page of the "Spokesman Review" in Spokane, Washington on 24 September 2004. The sad part is that the article was not in any Idaho newspaper. I have sent the information of this article to every newspaper I could. Some don't have an e-mail address, or won't except e-mails. I also mailed a copy to the Twin Falls daily paper and hand carried a copy to the Idaho Statesman. The only paper to respond was the Nampa Tribune. They published a Tribune Editorial on Tuesday Morning, 19 October 2004, in support of changing the present sunshine law. PLEASE CALL, WRITE, E-MAIL AND/OR GO TALK TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL PAPER AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT A CHANGE IN THE PRESENT SUNSHINE LAW. ALSO CONTACT YOUR PRESENT ELECTED STATE OFFICIAL, TELL THEM YOU WANT THE PRESENT SUNSHINE LAW CHANGED.


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A POINT IN QUESTION CONCERNING  GOVERNOR KEMPTHORNE:

FIRST HE TOLD THE LEGISLATURE THAT IT WAS TIME TO BUILD A NEW SOUTH TO NORTH ROAD IN IDAHO.  HE THEN TOLD THEM THE WAY TO DO THAT WAS WITH GARVEE BONDS.  GARVEE BONDS WOULD PUT THE STATE OF IDAHO IN DEBT, BUT AS HE EXPLAINED THEY WOULD BE PAID FOR BY FUTURE HIGHWAY FUNDS FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THIS OF-COURSE WOULD GET AROUND THE IDAHO STATE CONSTITUTION WHICH PROHIBITS LONG TERM DEBT.

WHEN THE LEGISLATURE REFUSED TO PASS THE BILL.  GOVERNOR KEMPTHORNE  INDISCRIMINATELY VOTED EIGHT (8) PASSED BILLS AND STATED THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE TO VETO BILLS UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE PASSED S 1183. 

AS THE GOVERNOR SIGNED HIGHWAY BILL 378, (GARVEE BONDS BILL) INTO LAW, HE MENTIONED THAT HE HAD PURCHASED LAND ON THE ROUTE OF THE PROPOSED NEW HIGHWAY IN 2004. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT "OUR GOVERNOR" PURCHASED LAND AND THEN FORCED LEGISLATION TO ENHANCE THE VALUE OF "HIS LAND".

THIS INFORMATION IS FROM THE IDAHO STATESMAN. DIFFERENT BITS, DIFFERENT DAYS.

PLEASE OPEN THE OPINION LINK AND EXPRESS YOUR OPINION ON THIS MATTER.

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EDITOR Chuck Thomas freedomtree@rmci.net