Fw: Twin Falls County Dems-February-6

 

Twin Falls County Democrats

February 2011.

 

 

Our central committee meeting is this Thursday at 7:00 pm at the River Rock (near the mall).  This week we should have the back room. If you are interested in participating with the local Democratic Party, this is your opportunity. This month, we have had four advertisiments in the Times News entitled Promises Kept.  These were to remind people of all the things President Obama has done at the half way point in his first term.

 

The nullification hearings have continued in Boise. Most Democrats have been very busy spending their time on the Education hearings which have occurred at the same time. Please consider writing a letter to the editor about the Luna plan or nullification.  The legislature does have options, they just don't want to exercise them. I have also included a press release based on a BSU survey which resulted in 75% of Idahoans surveyed believe we don't spend enough on education. See Sue Chew's suggestions below and the press release our Democratic caucus released last week.  I am also including week 4 legislative wrap up from all Democrats in the state legislature who send out these to their constiuents.  If you would like to sign up for their round ups, all their information is included.

 

Living Liberally-will be March 2 at the Rock Creek Restaurant on Addison at 7:00 pm. Contact LeRoy Hayes at leroyhayes@cableone.net for information or go to the living liberally web site and sign up for information about the organization.

 

There are several activities this week of interest.  See below the Herrett Forum on Health Care on Wednesday night and Medicaid Matters Rally on Saturday, February 19. 

Last week, I sent you talking points from Sue Chew, Leg District 17, on Education.  She has followed that up with some of the proposals for revenue enhancements.

I read a letter to the editor in the Aberdeen Times (over by American Falls) from the  Tea Party of South East Idaho.  They want to remove the sales tax exemption for farmers. It is interesting to me that proposals put forward by our Democratic candidate for governor available are being taken up by Tea Partiers. Keith Allred didn't suggest farmers only, but did want to examine all the exemptions.

 

MEDICAID MATTERS RALLY
Location	Twin Falls City Park from 12:00-12:30 pm
Created By	Medicaid Matters in Idaho
More Info	MEDICAID MATTERS IN IDAHO RALLY OUR VOICES MUST BE HEARD: •Idaho's economic recovery will be hurt by these Medicaid cuts •Idahoans will lose their independence and personal freedoms if these Medicaid services are eliminated •The plan to cut Medicaid is unrealistic and costly SHOW YOUR SUPPORT- SHARE YOUR STORY Bring your friends and family AND signs, letters, photos that tell our elected officials why Medicaid matters to you, your family, your business, your church, your neighbors, your Idaho! Come and find out what else you can do to help! For more information contact Lynn Opdycke – 736.7499

 

 

 

 

 

From Sue Chew, Leg District 17

 

These are some of the ideas proposed as revenue options to fund the education shortfall during this economic downturn:

 

--Temporarily increase sales tax 1 penny for 1-2 years (Can fund our entire state shortfall--H+W, Ed and other agencies!)

--Permanently END the sales tax EXEMPTION on Businesses and Professional Services and, at the same time, end the tax on groceries. (We would pay sales tax on haircuts & attorney fees but not on bread or milk.)

--Temporarily end the grocery tax credit and increase taxes on beer, wine and cigarettes.

--Temporarily increase the income tax for individuals earning more than $50,000 and slightly more for those earning more than $100,000 and $250,000.

--Reverse Jim Risch's property tax to sales tax shift which removed schools from the more stable property tax funding onto greater dependence on the legislature

--NOTE: Taxing sales made on the internet is the right thing to do but it would bring in very little revenue this year to fix the budget situation.

 

    Click here to write all REVENUE & TAXATION Committee Members in one email.

 

To send emails to MEMBERS OF REVENUE & TAXATION (332-1125) individually
Chair Dennis M. Lake dlake@house.idaho.gov
Vice Chair Gary E. Collins gcollins@house.idaho.gov
Lenore Hardy Barrett lbarrett@house.idaho.gov
Mike Moyle mmoyle@house.idaho.gov
Dell Raybould draybould@house.idaho.gov
Ken A. Roberts kroberts@house.idaho.gov
Robert E. Schaefer rschaefer@house.idaho.gov
Leon E. Smith lsmith@house.idaho.gov
JoAn E. Wood jawood@house.idaho.gov
Scott Bedke sbedke@house.idaho.gov
R. J. Harwood dharwood@house.idaho.gov
Vito Barbieri vbarbieri@house.idaho.gov
Clifford R. Bayer cbayer@house.idaho.gov
Julie Ellsworth jellsworth@house.idaho.gov
Marc Gibbs mgibbs@house.idaho.gov
William M. Killen bkillen@house.idaho.gov
Grant Burgoyne gburgoyne@house.idaho.gov
John Rusche jrusche@house.idaho.gov

 

Respectfully,
Rep Sue Chew
District 17
ID House Legislature
Working together * With people * In our community * On issues that matter

 

 

 Monday, February 07, 2011

House and Senate Dems Reject Luna Plan: Job Killing Plan More About Politics Than Promoting Student Performance

BOISE— Superintendent Luna is to be applauded for attempting to present a new vision for our school system, including a diverse range of ideas for the Legislature's consideration. And though there may be some worthy ideas rolled into the two hefty bills, Mr. Luna's omnibus approach leaves us no choice but to assess the legislation as an all-or-nothing proposition. As such, we can only conclude that this job-killing plan is about trying to weather a fiscal crisis and avoid politically difficult decisions rather than truly boosting student achievement and enhancing student readiness for college and the global economy.

Our objections are many, from the numerous logistical questions prompted by the proposal to give all 9th graders laptops to concerns about institutions of higher ed refusing to accept online course credits. Nevertheless, we shall focus our critique of the plan on four key concerns:

1) Class size matters: Regarding the Superintendent's suggestion that there is no credible evidence pointing to the impact of class size on educational outcomes, we sharply disagree. Class size matters a great deal, as is obvious to anyone who spends time in our schools and according to a substantial body of research. No one believes the deceptive average class size figures the Superintendent likes to cite because the reality on the ground is usually quite different. Classes are crowded now in districts all over the state. In what alternative universe is reducing the amount of one-on-one time a teacher can spend with a student perceived as putting students first?

2) Teachers matter: The Luna plan rests on a puzzling contradiction. The assertion that effective classroom teachers are the most important factor in student achievement cannot be reconciled with a proposal to reduce more than 1000 classroom teachers. If teachers matter more than any other factor, and we know they do, then reducing our teaching force flies in the face of such reasoning. There isn't a parent, student, or administrator in the state who would argue that one of our biggest problems is too many teachers. Furthermore, today's knowledge economy requires far more than rote memory and the transmission of information (where technology is most useful). Only teachers can help to instill some of the most prized qualities in today's workforce: collaboration, effective written and oral communication, empathy, problem-solving, analysis, defending (or selling) an idea/thesis, and the synthesis and application of knowledge.

3) Evidence matters: There is no conclusive evidence that the most radical changes proposed in the plan actually work or have produced favorable results anywhere else. The results from other states who have adopted additional classroom technology aren't really relevant as their approach to technology was to introduce it as a way to supplement, not replace, classroom teaching. "Pay for performance," while a trendy concept, has not been proven to drive better educational outcomes. Idaho's Legislature takes a very cautious approach to making law, often insisting on evidence from elsewhere or a limited pilot project as proof of concept. Jumping off the cliff chasing unproven ideas is not only inadvisable—it contradicts our very nature as Idahoans.

4) Education is a team sport: Despite what the Superintendent may have said in earlier hearings, key stakeholders in the education community, including the State Board of Education, local school boards, superintendents and administrators, teachers, and parents were all left out of the process of crafting this plan. This isn't a matter of opinion—the stakeholders mentioned all say that they were not consulted during the plan's drafting. In the private sector, such a heavy-handed, top-down imposition of a radical restructuring without some degree of buy-in from those required to implement such a plan would be unfathomable and a recipe for failure.

All told, the Luna plan warrants a high degree of skepticism. To withstand scrutiny, the plan should answer a basic question: Do the proposals stand on their own and would we even consider them if the state weren't facing the prospect of a second year of unprecedented cuts to schools?

We believe the answer is "no" and we cannot get behind such radical changes when we see no compelling evidence that the changes would truly benefit our students. Parents throughout Idaho are counting on us to provide the best possible education and opportunities to their children. We cannot and should not surrender to economic adversity and compromise what we know to be important elements of educational success in the name of untested notions of "reform."

For more information, contact: Rep. Brian Cronin, 208-724-1959, bcronin@house.idaho.gov Senator Edgar Malepeai, 208-251-9517, emalepeai@senate.idaho.gov

 

 

House Democrats Find Support in BSU Policy Survey Idahoans Want Legislature to Consider Options Beyond Cuts

BOISE— Today's release of the 20th Boise State University statewide Public Policy Survey offers compelling evidence that Idahoans are deeply concerned about the cuts to education and state services that have been made in recent years and continue to be proposed this year. In fact, the premise put forth by the Governor and Superintendent Luna that has set the tone for the 2011 legislative session—the notion that there are no Idahoans who'd be willing to pay more to protect education and critical public structures—has now been shown to be patently false.

"We've been hearing from Republican leadership that revenue options won't be part of our discussions because supposedly the people have said they'll only tolerate cuts," said Rep. John Rusche (D-Lewiston), the House Minority Leader. "Apparently, many of our Republican colleagues haven't been listening to more than half of all Idahoans who are clearly sending a very different message."

Key takeaways from the survey include:

Less than half of all Idahoans believe Idaho is headed in the right direction, for the first time since 2004

56% of Idahoans say they have been personally impacted by cuts in state programs and services

75% of Idahoans believe budget cuts have affected the quality of children's education

59% of Idahoans think we are not investing enough in higher education

53% of Idahoans believe we should raise the sales tax to support K-12 schools; another 5% are undecided.

"The Luna plan doesn't hold together very well if you can't defend the premise that it's based on," said House Minority Caucus Chairman Brian Cronin. "Mr. Luna argues that we have no choice—that there is no appetite for identifying revenue sources that could protect our system of schools and thus we're forced to do less with less. The public policy survey paints a very different picture and compels the Legislature, at the very least, to consider other options at our disposal rather than simply replacing teachers with laptops."

 

Represenative Rusche

Ground Hog Day came and went.  I suspect that there will be 6 more weeks of winter (even though Punxatawny Phil couldn't see his shadow because he was snowed in) and at least that many weeks of the legislature here.  I wonder if the rock chucks on the levee do the same trick?

Budget talk  The budget hole has changed yet again, only this time due to a legislative action.  You remember that at the start of the Organizing session in December people were talking about a $250 M deficit.  On Jan 10 at his State of the State Address, Governor Otter said $50 M.  Last week, 17 days later than his budget presentation, he upped it to $185 M.  As of today (I cannot speak for next week), the Governor and the JFAC leaders say it is $137 M.   The story of what happened is a bit strange, but let's just say that the Governor was optimistic and his staff may have missed things.  Of course, at the lower number he was able to claim that his budget did no further harm to public schools, and would be balanced by small cuts to most agencies, large cuts to Medicaid services and a bit of one-time money.  When the numbers were examined, and in light of previously unknown tax rebates for green energy projects, the deficit ballooned.  With a legislative action on Friday on income tax conformity, the potential shortfall was trimmed.   But $137 Million is a large hole.  To make it up, the JFAC Chairs proposed an additional $80 M out of education and $50 M out of Health and Welfare.  We had 700 people in the Capitol testifying on education and almost 1000 on potential cut to H&W when we thought the original Governor's budget was the target.   I think I know what a $50 million cut in state support for H&W will mean (and that is about $185 M when the federal funding is included).  It will mean severe and long lasting damage to the providers and recipients of Medicaid services to poor children, disabled and mentally ill Idahoans.  It will mean financial responsibility will shift to counties and cities, and to those paying for commercial health plans or directly to providers.  It will, long term, result in higher costs to school districts and for corrections.  It is truly "pound foolish" and  I doubt if it will even be "penny wise".    I will continue to offer the help I can, but also point out the consequences to our communities. Education Budget/Luna Plan This week people had a chance to look at the Superintendent's bills to change how public schools are staffed, how kids are taught and how teachers are paid.  It is gratifying to see the attention this proposal is getting, and speaks volumes about the importance that Idahoans place on their schools.  I have had dozens of emails, a few phone calls and last week and today almost 100 people attend community meetings, offering opinions on this.  Almost all have expressed significant concerns.   Superintendent Luna's plan has support of the Governor, business interests (IACI, Business Coalition for Excellence in Education-IBCEE, and the Albertson Foundation), and a few school districts.  Most school districts, superintendents, teachers and parents have had issues with it.  Senate Hearings start Monday and the Committee vote will likely occur late this week. Here is a link to the Legislative website.  From there you can listen to testimony, look at the bills (S1068 andS1069)  and committee agenda and send emails to Senators on the committee (or to any legislator). The return of Nullification The original bill purporting to "nullify" the Affordable Care Act here in Idaho, and make it a misdemeanor for people to work on its roll-out has been pulled.  But the agenda for the State Affairs Committee on Monday has another "nullification" bill listed.  It will be really interesting to see what the differences are between the old and new versions.   There is a significant chance that this will turn into a circus.  The TEA Party is trying to arrange a pro-nullification rally on the Statehouse steps for this next week, and I am sure that we will have media and talking heads from all over the country as the Idaho Legislature  tries to resurrect the flawed theory that gave rise to the Civil War.   In the mean time, some of us are trying to get at the costs of Healthcare, the ones being felt by Medicaid, Medicare, our indigent fund and those with commercial insurance (or no insurance).  Until there is change in how health care is delivered and financed, I do not see a chance for change.  Just saying no to change may be good politics, but without an alternative solution, it will not solve the problem. Yes, there is other stuff going on....  House Ethics Committee The issue of Representative Phil Hart's ethics complaint was discussed Friday morning. Representative Hart was accused of violating his oath by refusing to uphold the U.S. and State of Idaho Constitutions. (He  failed to pay about a half million dollars in state and federal taxes.)  A compromise was reached--Rep Hart apologised to the House, voluntarily resigned his vice chairmanship of the House Transportation committee, and the Ethics Committee has dismissed the ethics complaints.   Cross Deputization HB 111 attempts to settle a dispute between tribal and county police offers in Benewah County. This bill would allow tribal police officers to perform peace officer functions if they complete required training. These police officers would be able to cite nontribal members in the state court system.   Tax Commission The Tax Commission presented to JFAC this week, showing a win for Idaho's coffers and taxpayers. By increasing the amount of audits and collections, the Tax Commission has brought in $20.5 million in recovered monies, resulting in a return of investment of 14 to 1. These are taxes that are owed but unpaid.  Fairness requires maintaining this collection effort. Contact me!  It was nice talking to the folks at home last Saturday at LCSC and earlier today at Sage Bakery.  With things moving so fast, it really helps knowing what you think. Please keep the emails coming (jrusche@house.idaho.gov) and stop by if you get down to the Capitol.   Thanks again for the honor you have shown in me by allowing me to serve as your representative.  You can call and leave a message at home (208-743-1339) or at my Boise office (208-332-1130) and I will get back to you.

Thanks again for your confidence and support.

Representative Stennett Legislative News WEEK FOUR JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 4

With the recent ruling in Florida on the constitutionality of the federal "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," and the current actions being taken in our own legislature to nullify this act, I want to dedicate this newsletter to discussing the status of our health care system.   After passage of the health care reform law in March 2010, a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the act was filed by Florida's Attorney General with 26 states, including Idaho, signing on as plaintiffs. Thus far, four federal judges have ruled on the merits of the issue, with two upholding the law and two ruling against it including last week's decision by Florida Federal Judge Roger Vinson declaring the entire act unconstitutional.  Clearly the final decision will rest with the U.S. Supreme Court and so the issue remains unresolved for the immediate future.   But there are some who are not willing to wait for our country's ultimate legal authority to settle the matter and are resorting to a tactic known as "nullification." Nullification, a device favored by Southern secessionists and segregationists, calls for the intentional non-compliance of federal law. The  "State Sovereignty" bill that was sent to the House State Affairs Committee for consideration last week, co-sponsored by seven Senators and seventeen Representatives, was pulled for revision and the modified bill will be reintroduced in committee on Monday.  A hearing for public testimony is anticipated in the near future.   Certainly some consideration must be given to the official written opinion of Assistant Chief Deputy Brian Kane of the Idaho Attorney General's office.  Kane wrote that the bill is directly contrary to every state officer's sworn pledge to regard the "Constitution of the United States [as] the supreme law of the land," which is embedded in their oath to support the Idaho Constitution.  Not only would nullification violate that oath, it would contradict the constitutional principle regarding state sovereignty.  The Framers of the Constitution, in a repudiation of the failed Articles of Confederation, embraced popular sovereignty overstate sovereignty.  This ideal contends that our people, not our states, are sovereign, a notion supported by every Supreme Court ruling concerning nullification.   Proponents will cite loudly and often the costs associated with implementation of the Affordable Care Act without any discussion of the savings (both fiscal and humanitarian) Idaho will enjoy when all of her citizens have health coverage.  The Catastrophic Health Care Fund, which pays the medical costs for uninsured Idahoans suffering from catastrophic illnesses, is endowed by a combination of county and state dollars to the tune of over $60 million annually, and this is but one example of savings the health reform law will bring to our state while enhancing care for all.   While this issue continues its journey through the courts, Idaho is still required to meet the existing provisions of the Affordable Care Act including ensuring coverage for children with pre-existing conditions and allowing children up to the age of 26 to stay on their parent's plan.  But the mandate for states to create health care exchanges by 1/1/2013, or have the federal government set one up for them, is on the back burner in Idaho.  Exchanges call for the creation of a marketplace where individuals and small businesses can easily compare and purchase different coverage options at affordable prices.  The Idaho Department of Insurance will postpone introducing legislation until 2012 and thus will miss an opportunity to cash in on grants for early enactment.  In light of the Vinson decision, the state will focus its efforts on the planning process and stall any actual implementation, so we will have to wait and see what type of exchange Idaho will adopt.   You will undoubtedly hear about all of this in the news for months to come, and I will surely be involved in tracking its internal progress as time goes on, but I want you to know that, as your Senator, I support focusing our efforts on improving Idaho's healthcare system, providing coverage to those that need it most, and avoiding arguments with the federal government that waste our precious time and money.  We have a lot of work to do this session.  News on the state budget is getting worse and worse.  The Co-Chairs of JFAC (the budget committee) just yesterday released a memorandum stating that the Governor has greatly underestimated the magnitude of needed budget cuts.  It's time to stop ignoring the reality of the budget situation and start cooperatively creating affordable policies that will most benefit Idaho's citizens and industries.    On a final note, my bill concerning the display of POW/MIA flags at government buildings was revised to include the appropriate protocol for the arrangement of the flag when displayed in conjunction with the United States flag and the Idaho State flag (we apparently had it wrong!).  Thank you to everyone in the veteran's community who helped me correct that mistake in the bill which now reflects federal law regarding proper flag protocol.  The bill will be voted on in committee next week and, provided it passes, will codify into law what was previously an Executive Order allowing for official buildings to fly the flag in honor of those who bravely served, and continue to serve, our great nation.   As always, I welcome any suggestions or comments you have to offer. It is my honor to serve District 25. I can be reached by calling (208) 332-1353 or toll-free 1-800-626-0471, via email atmstennett@senate.idaho.gov, or by mail to P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720. I apologize if the delivery of this email was unwelcome. If you have moved from the district or would simply prefer to no longer receive these emails, please reply to this email with the word "Unsubscribe" in the Subject line. Thank you for your understanding.

District 17

The Session Rolls On…

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From the Desk of Senator Werk:

 

The Ever Changing Budget

 

When the governor delivered his state of the state address he indicated that he had managed to reduce the budget deficit to around $35 million – meaning he had only to cut $35 million to balance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 budget. His projections were surprising considering that prior to the beginning of the session the deficit was estimated at up to $350 million because of the loss of federal monies, state reserve funds, and deferred and increased costs. It seemed like a pretty big disconnect.

 

Four weeks into the legislative session we are now learning slowly that the governor's rosy projections might have been a bit inaccurate as was the potential $350 million deficit (based on costs for state employee and pension fund increases, etc.).

 

To begin with, revenues for December 2010 came in at $11 million below projections while January revenues look like they will be about $15 million above projections. The governor had assumed that for this fiscal year he would have a $53 million surplus to add to next year's budget. This ignored the economic realities of our economy and the need for additions to last year's budget of about $8 million. So that alone is a loss of $47 million.

 

In addition, for the state of Idaho to fully implement the Obama-Republican tax deal will cost between $35 and $60 million this year - if the legislature agrees to conform to the federal tax code changes. As I write this the House tax committee passed a bill to conform to only a portion of the federal tax code changes. If this bill becomes law it will cost the state around $10 million this year.

 

The state was taken by surprise by sales tax rebates for renewable energy projects that will total around $29 million (we have an incentive program that provides a renewable energy sales tax rebate). The governor's financial office thought that these sales taxes were added revenues – not temporary deposits.

 

Various and sundry other oversights and miscalculations bring us to our current potential deficit of about $135 million.

 

Remember that this number is subject to change. If the economy picks up between now and July (the end of FY11) and we run a surplus, this can be used to lower that deficit. If the economy grows faster in FY12, that added revenue would also alleviate some of the deficit (although too late for next year's budget since we are setting that right now).

 

If the current deficit holds we can expect another $50 to $80 million in cuts to public schools. This would render Mr. Luna's education proposals almost meaningless unless he removes another $50 - $80 million worth of teachers to save the rest of his program.

Team 17 will keep you posted about the ongoing saga of the budget.

 

Correction

In the last newsletter I wrote that the taxpayers would bail out the unemployment trust fund. It turns out that the plan is to bond for the $200 million that Idaho owes the federal government and have Idahobusiness pay the bonds off through an enhanced unemployment tax rate. Sorry for the confusion.

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From the Desk of Representative Killen:

 

Now You See It – Now You Don't

 

H 57, Idaho's Streamlined Sales Tax bill certainly lived up to its name this last week.  On Wednesday the 25th, after a brief print hearing discussion in the House Revenue and Tax Committee, it was sent to print with a 12-6 vote, the strongest showing in its three year attempt to reach the House floor.  Immediately plans were developed for presenting the bill and its issues to the full committee, tentatively set for the following week on Wednesday.  About 24 hours later, give or take, the Speaker, during the morning's 8th Order of Business, whisked the bill away from Rev. and Tax, and exiled it to Ways & Means, the legislative equivalent of a mercy killing.  Perhaps if it had been less streamlined it might have lingered longer.

 

Perhaps most disturbing, this appeared to be the year that the bill finally had the legs to make it out of committee and to the floor for debate.  Is it possible that this is exactly why it was given the old heave-ho by the knee- jerk anti tax legislators with clout?  It certainly can't be blamed solely on House leadership since both Asst. Majority Leader Bedke and Caucus Chair Roberts appeared just as puzzled as the rest of us; both had favored its printing in the run-up vote – only Majority leader Moyle opposed it.

 

As a co-sponsor of the bill, along with Leon Smith (R) Twin Falls, I am probably not the most objective legislator to opine on its ultimate chance for success.  I am an optimist as always, and I am hopeful that the Speaker will take the time to become more informed on the needs and benefits this bill will enable us to address.  Essentially it is only the first step towards creating a more fair and balanced approach to lessening the tax burden borne by Idaho's brick and mortar retailers and their customers   who are presently operating at a 6% disadvantage relative to most on-line and remote vendors.  At a time when every general fund revenue dollar is near and dear, it is a disservice to all of us who are paying our fair share to leave this $40 million/year imbalance unresolved.

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From the Desk of Representative Chew:

The Consequences of Medicaid Cuts

Medicaid is the federal-state, safety-net program that helps pay for medical and dental care, prescription medications, and services for children and adults with disabilities and mental illness.

In 2010, Idaho's total Medicaid budget was $1.55 billion. About 97% of it ($1.5 billion) comes from the federal portion. Only a small fraction ($0.05 billion) comes from the state coffers. Though the state contribution is relatively small, it is critical when we look at what happens when a system is pulled at from two different directions.

First, the recent economic downturn has forced nearly 25% more people onto Medicaid compared to pre-recession 2007. That's saying something, since Idaho's Medicaid program only provides a relatively small number of services for the people who manage to pass its very stringent qualifications.

The  total bill for the State's Medicaid has risen 40% since 2008 as a result of the economic downturn, but Health and Welfare (H+W) director Dick Armstrong and his team at Health and Welfare, rose to the challenge last year despite this swell of citizens in need. He and his team stretched out their meager budget with belt tightening measures that included closing nine of 29 regional service offices, eliminating one hundred more H+W jobs (adding to the 300 already laid off), and cutting hours for the rest of the staff, who were left to cover more with less.

What they did in 2010 was impressive. With enormous challenges, they managed to return eligibility determinations quickly, especially with such an increase in first time recipients. The use of online applications and phone outreach saved patients from driving long miles because their local offices had been shuttered.

Not all solutions to the lack of money were so worthy of commendation. The plan to not pay bills until new money came in the new fiscal year starting in July meant that small businesses would not be paid for 30 days and large businesses would not be paid for 90 days. Not easy when bankers were not approving loans to ride it out. Then the Molina computer system transfer fiasco hit. Cutting corners without a backup plan for the old system to take the load if the new Molina system failed, businesses went belly up or sustained damage they are still recovering from as bills went unpaid for months.

Second, such losses and restructuring create the problem of retaining our brightest and most dedicated employees. The agency reports that staff morale, hit by the cuts during the past handful of years, has been at an all time low- a poison in any industry. Critical experts in the area have had to leave because of poor health caused by the stresses of the Molina fiasco and having to take on more caseloads with less staff. The final blow came with news of total program cuts.

This year an additional cut of $25 million in state support means $60 million lost in federal matching funds for a total of an added $85 million in service loses for 2011.

In many instances these cuts are penny wise, pound foolish.  We pay much more for the emergency services if we fail to offer preventive or early care.

To see how these cuts would impact our neighbors you can go tohttp://www.idahoptv.org/idreports/ for video of historic testimony that brought an estimated 1300 people to the Senate auditorium and overflowed into five committee hearing rooms in overflow,  http://idahoptv.org/dialogue for the Feb, 3rd  show andhttp://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/jan/28/hundreds-decry-cuts-disabled-idaho/.

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Contacting Team 17

Public Forums to Discuss Legislative Issues

 

The legislative forums that we have held in past years have proven a great way to keep in close contact with the people we represent. Of course we want to keep these lines of communication open and we will hold more forums this year.

 

Here is the schedule of our remaining forums

Early Session Forum	Next Tuesday, February 8th 7:00 - 9:00 PM	Room 8 MonroeElementary
Late Session Forum	Tuesday, March 8th    7:00 - 9:00 PM	HillcrestElementary School Library
Wrap-Up Forum	Tuesday, April 14th      7:00 - 9:00 PM	Bishop Kelly High School Library

Weekly Office Hours

Once again Team 17 will offer the people that we serve the opportunity to meet individually with the Team on a first come - first served basis. Office hours will be every Wednesday (except forum nights) from 7:00 - 8:30 PM in the Career Center at Borah High School.

 

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Our web sites are constantly being updated with the latest information, so visit them often.

WEB SITES

Senator Elliot Werk – detailed info on the legislative session and Sen. Werk's activities

Representative Bill Killen – read Bill's recent updates

Representative Sue Chew – coverage of legislative activities

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Other Links

Fiscal Facts Book (historic information about budgets and good basic budget data – including various account balances)

2011 Legislative Budget Book (used by the budget committee members)

2010 Legislative Fiscal Report (details where the budget currently stands)

2007 Idaho Fiscal Source Book (sources and uses of funds for state agencies)

 

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We want to stress what an honor it is to represent you in the Idaholegislature. We appreciate all of the visits, phone calls, emails, and letters. This input helps us to better represent our community.

 

Please feel free to contact any one of us at any time atteam17@cableone.net, or by phone at 658-0388 (Sen. Werk) or 344-0098 (Rep. Chew) or 345-2956 (Rep. Killen).

 

Representative Lacy

A REVIEW OF WEEK 4 AT THE LEGISLATURE

The Capital is chugging along and we had our first of which I hope are many debates on the floor.  While the debate didn't result in what I considered fair, the leadership utilized this opportunity to set the mood for upcoming bills.  The bill before the House was one that increased the fine for offenders – infractions, misdemeanors and felonies – by $1.50.  This money would be given to the Post Academy to help offset costs of training our police officers.  I thought this was a great idea as those offending would be helping offset the cost of those protecting all of us.  As the vote was taken, it was evident the message was being sent that no new sources of revenue will be considered.  While this increase was killed on the floor, the real cost of this action is that the expense to each county or city that utilizes the Post Academy just increased.   So, instead of the offenders paying, it is now up to the law abiding citizens to dig deeper in their pockets to provide this training.  My take on this short sided decision is "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?"

I have spent time again this week looking at the proposal being suggested by Superintendent Tom Luna.  As I do not believe in "whining" without a solution, I put some ideas in a letter which was hand delivered to his, the Governor's and the Chairs of the Education Committee last Tuesday.  As expected, I have heard nothing from the addressees.  More testimony will be heard next week, but the "word on the street" is that the lobbyists and others have probably secured enough votes on the Senate side to push this through.  There has still been no participation requested from our educators.  All e-mails that I have received on this subject have problems with the Luna plan.   A grass roots effort of sending e-mails to the Education Committee members and House and Senate Leadership and Superintendent Luna needs to occur, so warm up your computers and call your friends.

Much has been said about Idaho's Tax Commission and deals above and below the table which have cost Idaho millions of dollars.  The hope was that the make-up of this commission would be reviewed and possibly changed.  However, with the appointment of Commissioner Bob Geddes (from Eastern Idaho – Yeah), it appears that no movement in that area will occur.

In a recent Forum in The Idaho State Journal, my bill providing a "tax credit" for the employment of Idaho College or University graduates was called a "tax exemption".   These terms are very different.  A tax credit still results in the State of Idaho receiving taxes, but at a reduced rate, whereas a tax exemption means no tax will be paid.  Idaho needs to realize income whenever possible when our bills are drafted – in other words, we need revenue enhancement so we can minimize the tax burden on our citizens.

This same Forum made reference to the campaign statements made about increasing revenue, review of tax exemptions and other enhancements.  The Democrats have been working hard in this area and Democrat Representative Shirley Ringo has a plan drafted which will result in more than $400 million in increased revenue.  Part of the plan is eliminating some exemptions, reduction of the sales tax, etc.  So we are working on some plans to stop the revenue shortfall. 

While we are speaking of holes and shortfalls, we need our Governor to provide a realistic budget.  Our members on the JFAC committee are charged with determining where the revenue is expended, but there is no clear idea of how much revenue will be available.

Ethics hearings (closed) were held this morning regarding Representative Phil Hart.  I bring this up as this was one of the questions brought up at our Town Hall meeting last Saturday.  Too early to have any news. 

Town Hall meetings were a resounding success and will occur again in a few weeks.  The input was wonderful and we do listen.

Urban Renewal bills are on a seemingly fast track in the House.  House Bills 95 through 99 and just today a new Urban Renewal Bill 110 was given the first reading.  We must be careful not to allow too much change as these funds are vital to our communities in the competition for new business. I will keep you informed on the progress of these bills. 

The Chamber of Commerce Association has advanced a job creation bill (very similar to my tax credit) and I plan to work with them to possibly combine these bills rather than have two similar bills being considered at the same time – it is called collaboration.

Still smiling and loving the process.

Representative Phylis King's Legislative Newsletter

February 4, 2011

From the Cave O' the Winds

Thank you to all who emailed your comments, ideas, and concerns about the many issues that we are dealing with here at the Statehouse.  Good stuff!  I have read every email and might use some of your comments and reasoning to debate the issues. Speaking of hearing from you, our second District 18 forum will be Feb 8 at Maple Grove Elementary 7PM to 8:30 PM.

Budget:

1.     A Gap: Last week the Governor discovered that he had an accounting error and needed $35 million more in revenue to balance his budget.  This Monday he also discovered that he had not included wind farm refunds and IRS conformity in his budget. 

2.     Wind farm refunds: We passed legislation several years ago to encourage the wind farm energy industry by allowing wind farms to receive a refund of the sales tax that they paid when they purchased their towers.  That could cost the state $9 million (or more) this year.  

3.     Conformity: In the stimulus package the federal government allowed businesses to depreciate 100% of the cost of the new equipment purchases in the year they purchased it.   If Idaho conforms to the IRS code (and we usually do) it would cost our state $70.  HB 102 was passed this morning and will split the depreciation into two years.  This is only for small businesses for the first $500,000 of new equipment.

The total of these three errors is a significant difference from the budget proposed by the Governor on Jan 10.  I also am concerned that the Governor balanced the budget by finding little pots of money that had been squirreled away by various agencies.  First off, I don't understand why or how agencies can squirrel away money.  Plus, it is unrealistic for the Governor to run a state on one time squirrely money. The state needs an on-going stream of money to fund the government and I would encourage the Governor to be a leader and find a reliable source of money. We Democrats will be asking the Governor for a new budget. The JFAC/appropriations committee uses the Governor's budget as a starting point to decide how we ultimately set the budget. 

The Governor also has given across the board cuts to most agencies.  I found this quote.  "We legislators and citizens want 100% of our tax dollars to be working as effectively as possible. Do not impose "across-the-board" cost reductions.  Across-the-board cuts are almost guaranteed to reduce morale, promote short-sighted choices, and encourage accounting gimmicks that send people looking for loopholes instead of creative solutions".

I understand that there is frustration and anger about taxes from our citizens. I would stress the need for a balanced, broad based approach to tax reform and budgets and my goal is to lessen the burden on middle class families. I want to grow our economy with sound fiscal policies. I hate to use Ronald Reagan as an example but after he cut the income tax in 1981, he realized that the result was a huge deficit.  So he was able to raise taxes 11 times over the next 8 years. Because of his spending on the military,  he was never able to entirely get rid of the deficit.

Cuts to Medicaid: There is a huge support for services for the disabled and education as demonstrated by over a 1000 people who showed up for JFAC public hearings.  This week, I received a 1 inch thick stack of paper with an estimated 14,000 names of citizens from all across the state.  At the top it stated; "We, the people, support a tax increase to protect and maintain Medicaid funded home and community based services for individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness."

I have received hundreds of emails too and not one wants to cut funding for the disabled.  Most point out how important this service is for an individual to live independently and with dignity.  From some research, my conclusion is that H&W could do a better job with the money we give them, but that the cuts are not necessary.   

Education: A colleague found an article by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) which says that One-to-One Laptop programs are not a silver bullet to educating our children. They go on to say the benefits are more engaged learners, better technology skills and some cost efficiencies—although they do not say there is a cost savings from fewer teachers and bigger class sizes.  The bad news is that the evaluation of Maine's statewide program "found little effect on student achievement."

 

Their conclusion was that it is no coincidence that the predictors of effective schools--uniform technology in every class, time for teacher learning and collaboration, and using collaboration and cooperative learning---are the key traits of high-performing districts that don't have one-to-one laptops.  Rather than being a cure-all or silver bullet, one-on-one laptop programs may simply amplify what's already occurring—for better or worse—in classrooms, schools and districts.

 

If Superintendent Luna would like to talk to me, I would let him know that we should use proven methods for teaching our children and most of what he is proposing is not proven but has been tried and discarded by other districts.

 

News flash: The Senate education committee will hear Luna's proposed legislation on Monday at 3 PM in the east wing auditorium followed by testimony from the stakeholders.  Then at 2 PM on Tuesday, the public can sign up to testify when the committee starts at 3PM. They will continue at 3 PM on Wednesday and Thursday and hope to vote on Thursday.

 

PERSI: We heard a lengthy presentation on Tuesday about PERSI state employee retirement fund.  My conclusion is that it is in very good shape and I think our retirement accounts are being managed well.  We have recovered all that we lost during the past recession and then some.  If you would like to see their data, I have it here in my office at the statehouse.

Nuclear waste: Here is a portion of a letter written by Gov Andrus: We know there will not be a Yucca Mountain High Level Waste repository operating in 2035.  In fact, considering the nation's long-running inability to agree to a waste disposal strategy and location, it is not unrealistic to assume there will be no repository operating in 2035 when waste stored in Idaho is legally required to be removed.

To believe that the recent waiver is in Idaho's long-term best interest, one has to believe that we'll get our act together and have a waste disposal option ready to go in 2035.  If I'm (Gov. Andrus) correct and that doesn't happen – history is on my side here – then we're stuck with the material far into the future. This is neither alarmist nor an exaggeration, but is realistic and takes Idaho's long history with DOE into account. There is a lot of nuclear waste stored above the Snake River aquifer between Idaho Falls and Arco – that is not the appropriate place for more storage of waste.

Bills I will be following this session:

1.     HB 59 Nullification: A rewrite is tentatively scheduled to be heard on Wednesday at 9 AM in State Affairs.

2.     Immigration: The Idaho Statesman said that there will probably not be an immigration bill this year. 

3.     Texting while driving: SB 1025 has been introduced in the Senate with a fine of $50 for first time offense and $100 for second, if cited for driving while texting.  It will first be heard in Senate Transportation committee.

4.     Cell phone use while driving: SB1024 has been introduced in the Senate with a fine of $75 if cited for driving while on a cell phone.  It too will first be heard in Senate Transportation committee

5.     Primary seat belts: If this passes it will mean that a police officer can cite a person and passenger who are not buckled up in their car.  Rep. Will's bill makes it a $10 fine with $5.00 of the revenue going into the Catastrophic Fund.  We wanted to make it a $20 fine but we don't think we can get it passed in the House.

6.     End of life: We passed a conscience bill in 2010 that says a health care professional does not have to follow a Dr's order if he/she feels it is morally wrong---including "end of life" directives.  Several of us have drafted legislation that deletes "end of life" from the law.

7.     Animal cruelty: There may be a bill coming to strengthen animal cruelty laws.  Idaho is 51^st, (behind Puerto Rico) in the nation on animal cruelty laws.

8.     Tobacco tax increase: The proposal may be $1.25/pack of cigarettes and some on smokeless tobacco.  This bill has not been introduced yet.  $1.25 will raise about $51.5 million in revenue.  I hope that the new revenue will go to tobacco cessation education and to Medicaid.  It is estimated that about $83 million Medicaid dollars are spent on tobacco related disease in Idaho. 

9.     Beer and wine tax: This tax has not been increased since 1965 and a bill has not yet been introduced. Currently, beer tax is $4.65 per barrel of 31 gallons or $1.50 per gallon, and the Idaho Table Wine Tax is45 cents per gallon. 

10.  HB 57, Streamlined Sales tax: This bill will allow the state of Idaho to be "at the table" to decide how all 50 states can collect internet sales tax.  We feel this is a main street issue.   Companies in other states can offer the very same product over the internet as local small businesses at 6% less.  The bill was sent to Ways and Means committee—this may kill the bill.

Please feel free to contact me with any concerns, questions, suggestions, or gripes that you may have.  My email address is pking@house.idaho.gov  my work phone is 332-1080; my home phone is 344-0202.  By working together, I will be better equipped to serve you, and you will be better represented.

Some of you are new to my email list.  My newsletter goes out every Friday---I try to make it brief.  If you want to be removed from this list, put "unsubscribe" in the subject line and return it to me.

I was searching for a new title for my newsletter.  For the past 2 years I have said "from the comfortable and spacious desk" and this was after 2 years in the annex where it was "cramped and crowded." Apparently Gov. Andrus often referred to the statehouse as the "Cave O' the Winds" so I chose this for my newest title.

If you have an interest in testifying, please find the agendas, times, and locations onhttp://www.legislature.idaho.gov/ .  Go to Calendars and Agendas; House Committees; and State Affairs or Commerce or whatever committee you are interested in. This an excellent place to read bills, track legislation, contact legislators, and more.

 

We had about 33 people at our first forum last Tuesday Jan 18, 2011.  The conversation was stuck on Luna's education proposals.  The second forum will be Feb 8 at Maple Grove and the last, March 8 at Timberline HS in the choir room again. Enter on the Apple Street entrance.  All forums are from 7 to 8:30 PM. 

If you like this e-newsletter, share it with friends and family—they do not have to live in District 18. Thanks. 

 

Rep Jaquet Legislative Update February 4, 2011

Governor Otter needs to help the budget committee figure out how his executive agencies can operate successfully in the next fiscal year:   Last week it became painfully obvious that the Governor's initial General fund recommendations to the legislature were too optimistic considering the recent news about revenues.  Although the January numbers are more positive with a $14.6 million dollar plus and we are tracking at $10 million ahead of the Governor's Division of Financial Management projection, we are still not out of the woods.  We have a reduction of projected General Fund revenues because of federal tax conformity - the House Revenue and Taxation Committee agreed to partial conformity which means the state needs to budget for $10.5 million in this current fiscal year and another $9.6 million in next year's budget.  We also had some unanticipated higher sales tax rebates for alternative energy, an incentive bill we passed five years ago to get more renewables in the state; and, finally our projected surplus took a nose dive.  With this newsletter I call upon the Governor and his staff to provide us with some guidance as to how he expects his agencies to function in these very tough times.  It is time for the Governor and the majority to step forward and look for a more balanced approach to solving this problem - we have made sufficient cuts; we now should be looking for some revenues.  Budget Committee asks germane committees to help   The Governor recommended $1,235,893,600 for k-12 education and received quite a bit of press on the nominal decrease that most schools would experience although last year's cuts would still be in the base.  Now the JFAC Co Chairs are suggesting to the chairs of the Senate and House Education Committees that they need to come with suggested prioritized cuts of between $50 million and $81 million.  The committees also need to get moving on legislation that will provide flexibility to school districts as they build their budgets locally.      The JFAC co chairs also asked the House and Senate Health and Welfare Committees to find between $35 million and $50 million dollars in cuts for Medicaid.  The Governor's initial recommendation was at $445,535,600 and included just $25.3 million in additional cuts, but again, due to the above reasons, this budget will need adjustments and prioritization to help JFAC in building this next year's budget.    Budget presentations depressing   Every day between 8:00 and 11:00 am we hear from agencies as they present their budgets.  They have been asked by the JFAC staff to share what kind of actions they have taken with this decreased funding.  I thought one of the most depressing budgets this week was Interim Director Gary Spackman's report on the Water Resources budget.  Over the last three years this budget has been cut by almost 30%.  Their strategies for addressing their budget reductions have been as follows:  they changed the organizational structure; they reduced their operating expenses; they shifted some expenses to one time funding sources; they prioritized their work assignments, concentrating on the most urgent first; and they reduced their work force and created 48 hour per year per employee mandatory furloughs.    Bringing it closer to the legislative district:  now that most of the adjudication has been completed, we are ready to implement water measurement.  However, the Department just doesn't have the staffing to get that started.  This is very frustrating to the water users in southern Blaine and northern Lincoln counties.    The Twin Falls Times News says that Congressman Simpson has a quotation on his DC office wall from Henry Clay, the 19th century American statesman which goes like this:   "Politics is not about ideological purity or moral self-righteousness.  It is about governing, and if a politician cannot compromise he cannot govern effectively."   We all need to think about our state and where we are going.  Do we want to be a third world state and lag behind the rest of our neighbors with our children having to leave the state to find opportunity; or do we want to put aside the campaign promises and look for revenues which will help us get out of this hole.  Over 50% of the states have now created some kind of revenues to accompany their budget cuts.  It is time for us to step forward.

Sally,

      Nothing in my seven years as a legislator has concerned me so deeply as the proposals before the legislature this week. It seems inconceivable that a rational person would intentionally increase the number of children in each Idaho classroom -- but indeed State Superintendent Tom Luna is proposing just that: devastating the economy by eliminating 770 jobs in communities across the state and then experimenting with Idaho kids by pretending he can replace those teachers with laptops and mandated internet classes. 

      Even worse, this past week, problems in Butch Otter's budget came to light along with huge losses in state dollars due to tax cuts and exemptions creating an additional new shortfall of $137 million. If we don't temporarily raise taxes, the existing proposals for devastating cuts to schools and people with disabilities will only be the beginning. 

     Personally I feel a deep sense of responsibility to help bear the burden of these difficult times and not to make children and Idaho's most vulnerable carry all the weight.  I hope you will stand with me on this point and ask others to stand as well. 

...nicole

 

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NOW is the time to write YOUR law makers & members of the House Rev & Tax Committee & tell them it is time to raise taxes to prevent risking our childrens' education & the health, lives and independence of our neighbors, grandparents & people we love.

 

Especially if you live outside Boise city be sure to include your name, address & city in your email. 

 

CLICK HERE to WRITE REVENUE & TAXATION Committee Members.

Tax options include these and many other ideas:

--Permanently END the sales tax EXEMPTION on Businesses and Professional Services and, at the same time, end the tax on groceries. (We would pay sales tax on hair cuts & attny fees but not on bread or milk.)

--Temporarily end the grocery tax credit and increase taxes on beer, wine and cigarettes.

--Temporarily increase sales tax from 6 cents to 7 cents.

--Temporarily increase the income tax for individuals earning more than $50,000 and slightly more for those earning more than $100,000 and $250,000.

--Reverse Jim Risch's  property tax to sales tax shift which removed schools from the more stable property tax funding onto greater dependence on the legislature 

--NOTE: Taxing sales made on the internet is the right thing to do but it would bring in very little revenue this year to fix the budget situation.

 

MEMBERS OF REVENUE & TAXATION - 332-1125
Chair Dennis M. Lake dlake@house.idaho.gov
Vice Chair Gary E. Collins gcollins@house.idaho.gov
Lenore Hardy Barrett lbarrett@house.idaho.gov
Mike Moyle mmoyle@house.idaho.gov
Dell Raybould draybould@house.idaho.gov
Ken A. Roberts kroberts@house.idaho.gov
Robert E. Schaefer rschaefer@house.idaho.gov
Leon E. Smith lsmith@house.idaho.gov
JoAn E. Wood jawood@house.idaho.gov
Scott Bedke sbedke@house.idaho.gov
R. J. Harwood dharwood@house.idaho.gov
Vito Barbieri vbarbieri@house.idaho.gov
Clifford R. Bayer cbayer@house.idaho.gov
Julie Ellsworth jellsworth@house.idaho.gov
Marc Gibbs mgibbs@house.idaho.gov
William M. Killen bkillen@house.idaho.gov
Grant Burgoyne gburgoyne@house.idaho.gov
John Rusche jrusche@house.idaho.gov

BE SURE TO WRITE IF ONE OF THESE IS YOUR legislator.

 

Especially if you live outside Boise city be sure to include your address & city with your name.

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 SPECIFIC CONCERNS WITH TOM LUNA's EDUCATION REFORM BILLS  

 

Idaho's teachers work long hours under difficult conditions to help Idaho's Children navigate ever more complex testing, academic, emotional and social environments. Tom Luna is taking huge risks with untested ideas about class sizes and internet courses that run counter to every bit of respected evidence about learning and education.

For a decade the Idaho legislature has underfunded our schools placing a burden on hardworking teachers and a stress on parents. Risking the success of all of Idaho's Children in a statewide experiment is not in any way putting students first.

But all this is a grand diversion from several key issues:

1.      The budget proposed this year is STILL $128 million less than the public education budget of 2009. These cuts are STILL in place and funding has NOT been restored. When Luna say there are no new cuts in this budget he is not acknowledging that we are continuing to force many schools to go without an adequate number or current set of text books, without field trips, art, music, adequate supplies, lab equipment, PE, transportation and more.

2.      The bill contains several measures that suck funds from public school classrooms and funnel them into private corporations, many of which are out of state. These will mean lost millions of dollars to our economy, 770 lost jobs, lost teachers; all given up for the sake of paying for on-line courses of varied quality and questionable merit for many students with certain learning styles, work habits and access to internet service or parent assistance.

3.      By splitting the anti-teacher portion of "reform" into a separate bill it would appear that there is a goal here to make it possible to lay off teachers and increase class sizes regardless of the passage of this year's other legislative proposal or our budget situation. The provisions of the anti-teacher proposal leave teachers suddenly vulnerable to local politics and school board prejudice against certain individuals, certain religions, a teacher's educational content or the racial, physical or other individual characteristics a teacher may possess. It is not inconceivable under this proposal that schools could retain only teachers of certain religions, political parties, educational backgrounds or ideological perspectives.  None of this is good for education, good for kids or good for the future of our state.

 

There are many many more concerns. This is only the beginning. 

Many teachers are still in class and unable to sign up by 2pm Tuesday. Many can not attend due to their current work loads. PLEASE attend on Tuesday to speak for restoring funding, not cuts, larger class sizes and experiments that will decimate our public schools.

 

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You can contact your own 2 representatives and one senator here:  

Your Senator http://legislature.idaho.gov/senate/membership.cfm

Your two Representatives http://legislature.idaho.gov/house/membership.cfm

Not sure which one of Idaho's 35 legislative districts you live in?http://legislature.idaho.gov/who'smylegislator.htm

 

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I have a new post from Friday on what this crisis means.

Notes From the Floor:    http://notesfromthefloor.typepad.com 

Warmest regards, 

Sally Boynton Brown
Idaho Democratic Party Field Director
(208)440-2374

 

 

_______________________________________

 

Deborah Silver

Twin Falls County Democratic Chairwoman

2188 Addison Ave. East

Twin Falls, ID 83301

phone 208-420-1663

 

Confidentiality Notice:  This communication is intended only for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged and confidential information.  If you are not the intended recipient, then any use, dissemination or copying of the communication is prohibited.