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Smith chooses a free Idaho

The Post Register says the Idaho Freedom Foundation board of directors, of which I’m a member, has a decision to make whether to fire IFF staff and leadership. Some decisions are hard; others are not. This one is not. The staff and leadership at IFF are doing great work to free Idaho, and I back […]

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And the winners are . . .

Mark: It’s time to make our primary election “BARF” and “CRUD” awards identifying candidates pretending to run as republican in the republican primary. Doyle: “BARF” stands for “Bummer, Another Republican Fake,” liberals who wrap themselves in the republican brand (think of Mitt Romney). “CRUD” stands for “Candidate Really an Unregistered Democrat,” candidates who will vote […]

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Time for a new approach

I once worked as a salesman for a men’s store. One summer day, we received a shipment of sheepskin coats shipped to Nampa, Idaho from Phoenix, Arizona. I recognized these coats as the same ones we had sold the prior winter. The corporate buyer had purchased sheepskin coats for the entire chain, including the Phoenix […]

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Utah debacle shows grocery tax’s unpopularity

Utah legislators recently learned an important lesson: People don’t like tax hikes on their milk, cheese, bacon and butter. Idaho lawmakers should learn from Utah’s experience. I fear they won’t. Allow me to recap the story. Late last year, Utah Republicans built a tax reform proposal they said would be good for the state’s economy. […]

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Local Republicans best in state

One of the important purposes of the State Republican Winter Meeting held in Boise this month was to recognize those from throughout the state who are outstanding in their public service. Nominations are invited from all counties, and the Hall of Fame Committee, made up of state and region leadership, considers those nominations for excellence […]

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A 2020 resolution: more liberty-oriented partisanship

As I look to 2020, I can see a great 12 months that could further cement Idaho’s status as the freest, most liberty-loving state in the union. To arrive there, though, we need more liberty-oriented partisanship, not less. That word — the p-word — has become dirty in some circles. Some, typically journalists, and left-leaning […]

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Idaho Officials At All Levels Must Work To Reduce Property Taxes

Idahoans are crying for help, and it’s imperative that all government officials — from lawmakers in the Statehouse to the mosquito abatement district administrator — look for solutions to ease property tax burdens. According to state data, local governments took roughly $1.91 billion from Idahoans through property taxes in 2018, a 6.4% hike over 2017. […]

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Conservatives Want To Increase Access To College For All

Since state Rep. Barb Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, first criticized Boise State University’s spending on radical social justice programs, the left has tried to paint conservatives as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals, sexists, and racists. Misguided people on the left don’t want you to understand that conservatives work to make college accessible to all. Conservatives believe that all people, […]

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Don’t Trust Government to Teach Your Kids

Test results are out and, again, things aren’t wonderful in Idaho schools. In fact, recent data points are downright concerning to those paying attention. Recently, the state released results from last school year’s Idaho Reading Indicator tests, exams administered to kids in kindergarten through third grade. The exams revealed that roughly 70 percent of kids […]