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2013-08-06 3:47 PM

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Elite
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Boise
Subject: Your state government
Do you feel like your state government "listens" to it's constituents? It feels like to me, even here in small governemnt Idaho that more and more, even the state government is bought and paid for.


2013-08-06 4:00 PM
in reply to: JoshR

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Subject: RE: Your state government
Yup. Matter of fact I've been voting for 20 years and last year is the FIRST time I had a state legislator knock on my door and talk to me about what I wanted done by the state.

Unfortunately a smaller part of the state that is very loud believes just because no one's listening to them, that the state government is "ignoring the people" and kowtowing to special interest groups.

I have no idea if that's what happening in ID but it's what is happening here.

2013-08-06 4:50 PM
in reply to: DanielG

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Elite
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Boise
Subject: RE: Your state government
It seems to me that every few weeks another story is posted about a state contract being given to some friend of a state official. This week we had a statewide wireless contract to install wireless internet around the state school districts and a local contractor had the lower price but someone out of TN won it because they have ties to the state Secretary of Education. I feel like this kind of thing happens fairly frequently.
2013-08-06 5:03 PM
in reply to: JoshR

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Elite
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Subject: RE: Your state government
I forgot to mention this is the same Secretary of Education who got elected and immediately comes out with this awful plan to reformt he schools and forced it through the legislature. After a year, the voters of Idaho overwhelmingly rejected all 3 measures, to which he replied he'd find another way.
2013-08-06 5:21 PM
in reply to: JoshR

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Expert
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Boise, Idaho
Subject: RE: Your state government
Hey, I know THAT guy.  Wasn't he "allegedly?"  The primary Education advisor to Gov. Mitt aka "Mittens" Romney. 
2013-08-06 5:39 PM
in reply to: jeffnboise

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Elite
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Boise
Subject: RE: Your state government
Originally posted by jeffnboise

Hey, I know THAT guy.  Wasn't he "allegedly?"  The primary Education advisor to Gov. Mitt aka "Mittens" Romney. 


That he was. He also has no education experience, but that's not important for his job.

It's not just that though, there are always examples popping up about sleezy things happening involving our state politicians.


2013-08-06 5:59 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Your state government
Originally posted by JoshR


It's not just that though, there are always examples popping up about sleezy things happening involving our state politicians.


Drop the word "our" in your statement and it still stands correct.

How many state politicians from how many states are in federal pens right now?

Not sure but I believe it's mandatory for an IL gov to get locked up after term is over.

(edit) That was just a for instance. Quite a few states have legislators that were not out of prison for years after their elected terms were over.

But my original answer to your question is yes, I believe my state legislature listens to its people about most things. Not always but more often than not.



Edited by DanielG 2013-08-06 6:01 PM
2013-08-07 9:10 AM
in reply to: DanielG

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Subject: RE: Your state government
The further from local government you get, the less responsive to constituents it becomes.

Example; the first time I ran for office was for State Rep. There were a little more that 3500 homes in my district. I knocked on every single door in my district. I could average about 30 a day so it took me about 4 months of going every day and a couple pairs of shoes to do it. Being able to quickly respond to anyone that wanted in your district to talk to you was manageable and a requirement for the job. Not responding to a constituent and then running into them at the grocery store does not make for a pleasant experience.

The second time when I ran for State Senate I had about 17,500 homes in my district. The task of knocking on every door is close to impossible. I probably knocked on 1000 doors and called maybe 3500 homes that were identified as having residents in my political party. But most campaigning was done through media and mailings. Even at that low a level the you really had to rely on the lobbyist that represented groups of constituents to develop your opinions on issues and what was best for you state or district.


That is why it absolutely boggles my mind why liberals prefer policy to be made on the national level as there is zero chance that the average citizen is going to get an equal seat at the table.

2013-08-07 10:15 AM
in reply to: 0

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Expert
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Boise, ID
Subject: RE: Your state government

Originally posted by JoshR It seems to me that every few weeks another story is posted about a state contract being given to some friend of a state official. This week we had a statewide wireless contract to install wireless internet around the state school districts and a local contractor had the lower price but someone out of TN won it because they have ties to the state Secretary of Education. I feel like this kind of thing happens fairly frequently.

This is a fairly woe is me take on things and is a bit sensationalized. You say they got the contract because they "had ties" you skipped the part where they already do a ton of work for the state school system. You also skipped the part where there was a 9 person panel that decided this, not Luna himself. You may contend that he brought influence to bear on the committee but if that is your contention then say so. You make it sound as if he unilaterally decided on his own solely based on personal ties.

Obviously none of us are privy to all the information the panel considered. Would I like to see an Idaho company get the job and spend less money yes. But what happens when a small Idaho company gets the bid and then fails to complete the work properly because they bit off more than they could chew? What happens when they go wildly over budget? This is speculation but are issues the committee had to consider. There are two sides to every story.

Also you exaggerate the vote on Props 1,2,3. 57 and 58% are not an "overwhelming" majority on 1 and 2. I agree 3 was not the best idea and was voted down with an "overwhelming" majority. But 1 and 2 were pretty close.

Also "rammed through the legislature" is sensationalized. I personally heard from and talked to many legislators some of whom were formerly teachers in the Idaho school system who all saw merit in the props and were not forced to vote for them in any way.

I am as distrustful of the government as any tin foil hat wearer but this sensationalized language to make things sound worse or better than they are is not real useful. Sounds as though you really don't like Luna, but the majority of Idahoans do not agree with you. He has been voted in many times and the effort to recall him fell short.

As far as your original point, I challenge anyone who doesn't like the way things are going to do something about it. Get involved, heck run for the legislature. Make the changes you want to see. 



Edited by Aarondb4 2013-08-07 10:17 AM
2013-08-07 10:50 AM
in reply to: 0

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Elite
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Boise
Subject: RE: Your state government
Originally posted by Aarondb4

Originally posted by JoshR It seems to me that every few weeks another story is posted about a state contract being given to some friend of a state official. This week we had a statewide wireless contract to install wireless internet around the state school districts and a local contractor had the lower price but someone out of TN won it because they have ties to the state Secretary of Education. I feel like this kind of thing happens fairly frequently.

This is a fairly woe is me take on things and is a bit sensationalized. You say they got the contract because they "had ties" you skipped the part where they already do a ton of work for the state school system. You also skipped the part where there was a 9 person panel that decided this, not Luna himself. You may contend that he brought influence to bear on the committee but if that is your contention then say so. You make it sound as if he unilaterally decided on his own solely based on personal ties.

Obviously none of us are privy to all the information the panel considered. Would I like to see an Idaho company get the job and spend less money yes. But what happens when a small Idaho company gets the bid and then fails to complete the work properly because they bit off more than they could chew? What happens when they go wildly over budget? This is speculation but are issues the committee had to consider. There are two sides to every story.

Also you exaggerate the vote on Props 1,2,3. 57 and 58% are not an "overwhelming" majority on 1 and 2. I agree 3 was not the best idea and was voted down with an "overwhelming" majority. But 1 and 2 were pretty close.

Also "rammed through the legislature" is sensationalized. I personally heard from and talked to many legislators some of whom were formerly teachers in the Idaho school system who all saw merit in the props and were not forced to vote for them in any way.

I am as distrustful of the government as any tin foil hat wearer but this sensationalized language to make things sound worse or better than they are is not real useful. Sounds as though you really don't like Luna, but the majority of Idahoans do not agree with you. He has been voted in many times and the effort to recall him fell short.

As far as your original point, I challenge anyone who doesn't like the way things are going to do something about it. Get involved, heck run for the legislature. Make the changes you want to see. 




You also failed to mention that the contractor that won the job coincidentally has donated to his campaigns in the past. How about this part too

In a successful bid for a multiyear, multimillion dollar Idaho Wi-Fi contract, Education Networks of America repeatedly touted its work on the Idaho Education Network broadband project.

The bid also makes several less-than-subtle references to the Nashville, Tenn.-based company’s connections in Idaho political circles.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/07/27/2674297/wi-fi-bid-winner-p...


I think Luna is an awful secratary of education and is no different than any other politician. After losing the votes on props 1, 2, 3 he said "This is just a bump in the road". Basically, he doesn't care that we voted them down, he's going to try again.

I actually would consider running for a position in government, except I live in Idaho and I'm not a christian and I don't believe in god so I've already lost.


Edited by JoshR 2013-08-07 10:50 AM
2013-08-07 10:54 AM
in reply to: JoshR

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Subject: RE: Your state government

Based on my personal experience I would say yes.

There was a law I didn't like that that passed a few years back.  I wasn't even aware of it being introduced and found out about it in the news.
However, after it passed I reached out to all the members of the committee directly and pointed out the issues.  They agreed with my point and offered an amendment the following session to address my concerns.  Myself and anyone else who was interested in the legislation was allowed to have three minutes (I think I went 5) to discuss our point of view in the public hearing.  The bill was passed and I felt very much so that they listened to me.

I still frequently communicate with all of the key legislatures on the committees I care about.

So, with all that I feel that things sneak through far too often because it's impossible to stay up on all the bills being introduced, but if you make it to committee to oppose a bill and have facts and reason to back up your opposition they do indeed listen.



2013-08-07 10:54 AM
in reply to: Jackemy1

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Omaha, NE
Subject: RE: Your state government

Originally posted by Jackemy1 The further from local government you get, the less responsive to constituents it becomes. Example; the first time I ran for office was for State Rep. There were a little more that 3500 homes in my district. I knocked on every single door in my district. I could average about 30 a day so it took me about 4 months of going every day and a couple pairs of shoes to do it. Being able to quickly respond to anyone that wanted in your district to talk to you was manageable and a requirement for the job. Not responding to a constituent and then running into them at the grocery store does not make for a pleasant experience. The second time when I ran for State Senate I had about 17,500 homes in my district. The task of knocking on every door is close to impossible. I probably knocked on 1000 doors and called maybe 3500 homes that were identified as having residents in my political party. But most campaigning was done through media and mailings. Even at that low a level the you really had to rely on the lobbyist that represented groups of constituents to develop your opinions on issues and what was best for you state or district. That is why it absolutely boggles my mind why liberals prefer policy to be made on the national level as there is zero chance that the average citizen is going to get an equal seat at the table.

Excellent summary, and I agree completely.

2013-08-07 11:18 AM
in reply to: JoshR

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Boise, ID
Subject: RE: Your state government
Originally posted by JoshR
Originally posted by Aarondb4

Originally posted by JoshR It seems to me that every few weeks another story is posted about a state contract being given to some friend of a state official. This week we had a statewide wireless contract to install wireless internet around the state school districts and a local contractor had the lower price but someone out of TN won it because they have ties to the state Secretary of Education. I feel like this kind of thing happens fairly frequently.

This is a fairly woe is me take on things and is a bit sensationalized. You say they got the contract because they "had ties" you skipped the part where they already do a ton of work for the state school system. You also skipped the part where there was a 9 person panel that decided this, not Luna himself. You may contend that he brought influence to bear on the committee but if that is your contention then say so. You make it sound as if he unilaterally decided on his own solely based on personal ties.

Obviously none of us are privy to all the information the panel considered. Would I like to see an Idaho company get the job and spend less money yes. But what happens when a small Idaho company gets the bid and then fails to complete the work properly because they bit off more than they could chew? What happens when they go wildly over budget? This is speculation but are issues the committee had to consider. There are two sides to every story.

Also you exaggerate the vote on Props 1,2,3. 57 and 58% are not an "overwhelming" majority on 1 and 2. I agree 3 was not the best idea and was voted down with an "overwhelming" majority. But 1 and 2 were pretty close.

Also "rammed through the legislature" is sensationalized. I personally heard from and talked to many legislators some of whom were formerly teachers in the Idaho school system who all saw merit in the props and were not forced to vote for them in any way.

I am as distrustful of the government as any tin foil hat wearer but this sensationalized language to make things sound worse or better than they are is not real useful. Sounds as though you really don't like Luna, but the majority of Idahoans do not agree with you. He has been voted in many times and the effort to recall him fell short.

As far as your original point, I challenge anyone who doesn't like the way things are going to do something about it. Get involved, heck run for the legislature. Make the changes you want to see. 

You also failed to mention that the contractor that won the job coincidentally has donated to his campaigns in the past. How about this part too
In a successful bid for a multiyear, multimillion dollar Idaho Wi-Fi contract, Education Networks of America repeatedly touted its work on the Idaho Education Network broadband project. The bid also makes several less-than-subtle references to the Nashville, Tenn.-based company’s connections in Idaho political circles. Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/07/27/2674297/wi-fi-bid-winner-p...
I think Luna is an awful secratary of education and is no different than any other politician. After losing the votes on props 1, 2, 3 he said "This is just a bump in the road". Basically, he doesn't care that we voted them down, he's going to try again. I actually would consider running for a position in government, except I live in Idaho and I'm not a christian and I don't believe in god so I've already lost.

 

Obviously there is an issue with the education system in Idaho and the funding it receives. Education receives over 65% of the revenue the state has but still claims to be woefully underfunded. So something needs to change. Luna tried something, the voters decided it didn't work. So yes the road continues, something still needs to be done. Unless you would rather he sit back and say well then I guess everything is fine and then everyone can whine every year when their school doesn't get the funding they think it needs. 

Go ahead and run, if LeFavour can get elected you shouldn't have a problem with your lack of religion.

2013-08-08 9:58 AM
in reply to: JoshR

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Veteran
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St. Paul
Subject: RE: Your state government
Here in Minnesota. The state government is nearly completely union owned.
2013-09-10 5:59 PM
in reply to: JoshR

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Master
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Portland, Oregon
Subject: RE: Your state government
Do you guys get on the email lists of the various state representatives newsletters? I'm on two of them. My district rep holds regular "coffee talks" on many Saturday mornings at convenient locations to get feedback. He regularly sends out newsletters to say what he's been working on, upcoming votes, explaining issues. I find it pretty interesting. The other guy drives me nuts. He never says what he's been doing, only points out the problems with what everyone else has been doing and verbally wrings his hands at the 'state of the state'. It really gave me some insight on how different people communicate (or don't) and how feedback is encouraged (or not).

I've never been to the coffee talks, but I've emailed both and got responses back. I was surprised. I think if more people get directly involved it helps the representatives represent better. If all they ever see is a small group of people, that small group ends up having more "representation" than they should just by showing up.
2013-09-10 7:13 PM
in reply to: ell-in-or

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Subject: RE: Your state government

Originally posted by ell-in-or Do you guys get on the email lists of the various state representatives newsletters? I'm on two of them. My district rep holds regular "coffee talks" on many Saturday mornings at convenient locations to get feedback. He regularly sends out newsletters to say what he's been working on, upcoming votes, explaining issues. I find it pretty interesting. The other guy drives me nuts. He never says what he's been doing, only points out the problems with what everyone else has been doing and verbally wrings his hands at the 'state of the state'. It really gave me some insight on how different people communicate (or don't) and how feedback is encouraged (or not). I've never been to the coffee talks, but I've emailed both and got responses back. I was surprised. I think if more people get directly involved it helps the representatives represent better. If all they ever see is a small group of people, that small group ends up having more "representation" than they should just by showing up.

Yeah, I try to be very actively involved with not only my representatives but the key committee members as well.  There's not a law in Nebraska that gets introduced that I don't read cover to cover.

I hate to generalize, but it's incredible to me how ignorant many of these lawmakers are to reality and even the very laws they're voting on.

I have one example where I testified in the judiciary committee emphatically arguing with the entire committee that a law was unconstitutional based on ex post facto grounds.  They kept saying it wasn't retroactive, and I quoted the exact words in the law where it said it was retroactive and they all looked at me like lost sheep.  They still passed the law and sure enough within weeks the state was sued and ended up spending over a million dollars defending the suit that they ultimately lost on ex post facto grounds.  /facepalm
Over time, they've started to listen to me but it's still an uphill fight. 

I will likely never run for politics, but I will always be very active at the local political level.



2013-09-13 2:05 PM
in reply to: Jackemy1

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Subject: RE: Your state government

Originally posted by Jackemy1That is why it absolutely boggles my mind why liberals prefer policy to be made on the national level as there is zero chance that the average citizen is going to get an equal seat at the table.

 

When you live in a state with as dysfunctional of a government as mine, you look for alternatives.

 

It's not a liberal/conservative thing for me.  It's a competence/incompetence thing.

For the record, our Republican governor has a lower approval rating in this Deep South red state than our President who got 40% of the vote.

2013-09-16 3:54 PM
in reply to: RussTKD

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Champion
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Subject: RE: Your state government
I would say "yes, generally", from my POV as a NYC resident.

In this state, you've got a HUGE mostly liberal-leaning metropolis and the rest of the state is small cities and rural areas that, other than some liberal bastions (mostly around college towns) generally skews more conservative. The size of the NYC metro area is such that it can basically determine the politcal fortunes of anyone running for state office, and so candidates for governor really have no choice but to appeal to the NYC voters because even a strong showing from upstate voters might not be enough to carry them if they do poorly in NYC. That would make me nuts if I lived upstate.
2013-09-18 6:57 AM
in reply to: JoshR

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the alamo city, Texas
Subject: RE: Your state government

Originally posted by JoshR Do you feel like your state government "listens" to it's constituents? 

Nope.  But if you look at voter turnout for off-year elections, what reason do these guys have to listen when nobody really cares (broad statement - but, generally speaking if people cared they would show up to the polls and they just don't)?

 

2013-09-18 8:36 AM
in reply to: JoshR

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Pro
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Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Your state government

Originally posted by JoshR Do you feel like your state government "listens" to it's constituents? It feels like to me, even here in small government Idaho that more and more, even the state government is bought and paid for.

I would say absolutely, yes, but the majority of constituents don't get involved and speak up, so their opinion is never heard.  I think most people just assume that their representatives are not accessible, or that they won't listen.  That's definitely not true for most legislators.  In fact, most have staff people dedicated to helping constituents.

PA has a full time legislature, and arguably, one of the more corrupt state governments (based on the number of high profile legislators and agency officials in the news in the last 10-15 years).  Despite that, it's been my experience that anyone can contact their legislator, be heard, and affect the process.  Plus, legislators tend to listen to a group of their constituents more readily than they do lobbyists for larger special interests, because even though special interests may make large monetary contributions to their campaign funds, the constituents are still the ones they need to keep happy if they want them to vote for them in the next election.

BTW, My wife was a lobbyist to our state government for nearly 20 years, and is currently serving as a gubernatorial appointee, and I have personally been involved in grass roots lobbying, so I'm basing this on personal experience, and because I live in a house that rarely goes a day without discussing state politics.

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