Hailing human rights

This past weekend, I attended the "Change Our World" celebration--the annual fundraiser for the Idaho Human Rights Education Center, an organization whose board I serve on. It was a wonderful evening during which we paid tribute to Holocaust survivor and human rights memorial docent Rose Beal and heard from Dr. Linda Ricketts, the keynote speaker and a distinguished humanitarian and educator. After inspiring the crowd with her words, Dr. Ricketts then dazzled the crowd by belting out jazz standards while sitting in with the New Trio combo.

On a related note, I was up in Coeur d'Alene last week and had the privilege of visiting the Human Rights Education Institute there. It's an impressive facility that currently houses an exhibit honoring some of the world's great advocates for peace.

Equality, justice, opportunity, and fairness are all values that will guide and inform my work in the Legislature. Human rights is very much a political issue. And given Idaho's reputation as a haven for bigotry and intolerance (a reputation that isn't always deserved but is prevalent nonetheless), ensuring that our lawmakers protect and secure human rights for all the state's citizens is an economic issue as well. We will not succeed in a global economy if we fail to extend equality to all Idahoans, regardless of race, color, gender, creed, and sexual orientation. We cannot succeed if we fail to acknowledge and understand our state's growing diversity, and the challenges and (more importantly) opportunities that such diversity offers.

Our Legislature has a pretty poor record on these issues, often choosing to divide and marginalize certain segments of our population. But I believe that economic, demographic, and social trends will compel the Legislature to begin thinking in new ways about human rights.

Candidate forum was missing something: Republicans

A week ago this past Thursday, I attended a legislative candidate forum sponsored by the Association for the Education of Young Children, the Idaho Women's Network, the Snake River Alliance, Idaho Equality Committee, Interfaith Alliance of Idaho, and United Vision for Idaho, among other organizations. I was there to talk about early childhood education, women's issues, human rights and a safe energy future. This was a great opportunity to address a number of issues that are important to District 19 voters (and to me) and perhaps draw some contrasts with my opponent on such issues; unfortunately my opponent was a no-show.

Why would he skip out on this forum? I can't really say for sure. Plenty of advanced warning was given about this event--at least a month, if I'm not mistaken, to free up one's calendar. No Republicans showed up, with the exception of District 17 candidate Daniel Loughrey, who was sick and called in his answers to the questions that were provided in advance. I suppose some Republicans might argue that the sponsoring groups are generally regarded as left of center and thus the cards were stacked against them. But in District 19, these groups are generally held in high regard and I would venture a guess that much of their support and membership is drawn from the district.

So why duck the issues and questions that many in the district care about most? I can only surmise that perhaps it's because the answers he would give to questions on human rights, reproductive rights, energy, and the role of faith in politics might not jibe with the values and preferences of District 19 voters.

There will be another chance to hear us go head to head on the issues this coming Wednesday (October 1), when the Boise Young Professionals will sponsor a debate between us. You can register to attend here: http://www.chamberhub.com/cgi/foxweb.dll/wlx/cal/wlxprofile?caleid=959&cc=BMCC.

Making Children a Public Policy Priority

Last Thursday, I attended Idaho Voices for Children's Early Learning Forum: The Economics of Investing Early. IVC is a statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to develop and promote a state-level unified policy agenda that targets child health, education, safety, and family economic security.

We learned about what they're doing in Utah (which seems far more pragmatic and progressive in its approach to early childhood ed), some of the latest KidsCount statistics (which underscored the obvious and overwhelming need for quality childcare in the state), and were treated to an interesting conversation about legislative possibilities (or lack thereof) with Sen. Elliot Werk (D-Boise) and Rep. Mack Shirley (R-Rexburg).

It's been shown for every $1 we spend on education, $17 are returned to society. Yet, as a state and a country, our public investment in children only starts to increase well after most of their brain formation is complete. And in Idaho, it's even more grim (see below). I'm left once again wondering why our own state government allows extremist ideology to trump common sense and fiscal responsibility, particularly given where we stand in relation to the rest of the country.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NATIONALLY
* 41 states in the US offer public pre-K educational programs (including the District of Columbia).
* The US Conference of Mayors passed Resolution #36 to advance “Quality Pre-K for All.”
* Business Week magazine called preschool education one of its “25 Ideas For A Changing World.”
* Early education is a bipartisan issue with wide support from governors, mayors, legislators and business leaders across the nation.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN IDAHO
* Idaho is one of only ten states in the nation without a public pre-K education program.
* Idaho provides no state funding for Head Start. Approximately 20% of eligible children receive Head Start services.
* Idaho has no state policy which provides for school readiness assessment.
* 30% of Idaho 3 and 4 year olds are enrolled in preschool programs compared to 45% nationally.
* 5% of kindergarten students attend full-day kindergarten compared to 63% nationally.

Open space advocates rejoice!

Granted, it's a modest step as compared to the City of Boise's $10M Foothills Levy (for which my campaign's Treasurer, Lauren McLean, deserves a lot of credit), but Ada County Commissioners have set aside $500,000 for open space preservation in their 2009 budget. See this excellent op-ed for background. And kudos to Commissioner Paul Woods, without whom such an initiative would never have made it on to the county commission agenda, I suspect. Paul's re-election campaign also needs your support.

Focusing on the Transportation Crisis

Last week I attended the kickoff of the Governor's Transportation Funding Conference in Boise. Here are some of the more salient quotes I jotted down as the hosts welcomed the audience, as well as my own thoughts as they were uttered:

Otter: "People are acutely aware of the deteriorating infrastructure that we have."

Me: I'm not sure most people really are aware, particularly when the ruling party continues to bang the tax-cut drum, insisting that in spite of enormous and long overdue infrastructure needs, we need to be returning money to taxpayers. People haven't received the message: "Due to lack of investment and planning and increased stresses on our infrastructure, we've dug a huge hole for ourselves and it's now going to be very expensive to restore roads and bridges from their current state of disrepair."

Otter: "You're all part of this solution. I don't know what the solution is."

Me: I'm pretty sure you do know what the solution is--some combination of higher taxes and fees. You just don't want to say it. Instead, you'll provide all the evidence and let people draw their own conclusions.

Otter: "We're heading towards a crisis that puts our economy at risk."
Me: We need more of this sort of candor.

Crapo: "As a strong fiscal conservative Republican, I believe this spending is justified."
Me: Government spending that's justified?? You mean the private sector ("the markets") can't solve this issue? Why is it so difficult to admit that government can deliver services and serve the public interest in ways that the private sector simply cannot and should not? Why apologize for wanting to spend public money on a system of roads and bridges that nearly everyone uses and expects to be well maintained and safe? See Oliver Wendell Holmes' quote on taxes.

Crapo: "We must not forget our transit needs."
Me: I appreciate mention of public transit, though the other lead-off speakers did seem to forget about such needs. Kudos to Sen. Crapo for bringing it up, though it's a shame it's still treated as more of an afterthought. The transit issue has to assume a larger place in the overall discussion--otherwise, we're simply talking about myopic band-aiding of a more serious problem (our addiction to oil). Cheap gas is history. People want to get out of their cars. We need alternatives to driving our own cars and we need the funding mechanisms (and the legal authority) to build such solutions.

I returned at the end of the day for the public comment segment, which was to have begun at 4:00. I arrived at 5:15 and they hadn't begun taking comments. Then they took a 15-20 minute recess, at which time I had to leave.

Hats off to Dept. of Transportation from some great information, including this brochure and this web site. They make a compelling case for needed investment and mustering the political will to make such investment.

New West journalist and Dist 21 legislative candidate Sharon Fisher has more:

P.S. Here's a bonus fact: the fuel efficient Toyota Camry is Idaho's most popular car. Whouda thunk?

Why we live in Idaho

Last week the Cronin clan enjoyed a mini-vacation in the New Meadows area. Several of the pictures are from Twin Lakes, northwest of Brundage, which made for a great family day-hike. We didn't catch any fish and it was a bit cold up there, but the scenery was beautiful. And yes, clean air and clean water do matter and we need legislators who will fight for this issue.

Oh, say can you sing?

I've enjoyed the Olympics immensely. Our American athletes have not disappointed--too many remarkable performances to name here, but it's been an extraordinary showing. But what's up with our athletes not singing (or mouthing) our national anthem on the medal stand?

I can't even imagine what goes through the mind of someone who's trained tirelessly for years to arrive at the pinnacle of an athletic career. It must be heady, emotional, joyful, surreal, ______. But are they so overcome with emotion that they can't sing our country's patriotic hymn? Or do they not know the words? Either way, it irks me, particularly when athletes from other nations are seemingly much more inclined to proudly sing their anthems.

The corrosive effects of one-party rule

Need further evidence that Idaho's ruling party (controlling 75% of the Legislature and all statewide constitutional offices) has amassed far too much power? Check out the latest attempt to politicize Idaho Fish & Game, while at the same time carry out the governor's mandate that all state employees speak in one voice (the governor's voice). In a nutshell: state employee speaks out against a project supported by Republican legislators, legislators complain to the governor, governor then sees to it that employee (in supervisory role) is demoted.

The Idaho Press Tribune reprinted this pointed editorial from the Post Register.

Single-party rule deprives Idahoans of accountability and the open exchange of ideas and opinions. In three and a half months of door knocking, I've met almost no Republicans who disagree with me. Our democratic institutions are strengthened by checks and balances. Of course, in order to restore such checks and balances here, Idaho Democrats need to do a better job of convincing voters that we share their values and will protect and uphold the public interest rather than being beholden to special interests.

I'm making that case, one voter at a time. But I don't hesitate to remind people that the last thing our state needs right now is one more Republican in the Legislature.

"Our kids will be angry with us"

This is a sobering reality for any parent. As much as I strive to be a good parent, I will inevitably make mistakes, some of which my children may not easily forget as they grow older.

But what Thomas Friedman is referring to in a recent op-ed about global warming (and "global weirding") is an entire generation of young people who will harbor well founded resentment for the enormous ecological crises they're inheriting and the crippling costs of restoring the planet (and humanity) to health.

It's strange for me to think that at some point in recent years I've crossed over to the other side of the generational divide; after all, I can still belt out The Who's "My Generation" at the top of my lungs. And it angers me that my parents' and grandparents' generations did little to curb our addiction to oil, adopting reactive rather than proactive measures to previous oil shocks/crises. Why didn't Washington lean on Detroit 30 years ago to push for dramatic and vastly accelerated fuel economy improvements, for starters? Why have we been subsidizing the fossil fuel industries for all these years? And how did we ever let Dick Cheney run the country?

Similarly, my own daughters might someday ask me what I did as consumerism transformed out planet into a giant dumping ground. I'd like to think that in addition to certain personal and lifestyle choices I've made, the work I've set out to do as an aspiring legislator might someday exonerate me at least partially in the eyes of my own children.

Our state needs an energy policy (actually we have one--what's needed is the political will to implement its recommendations). We need to spur investment in renewable energy sources. We need to support innovation around green technologies and a promote a clean energy economy. Our community colleges ought to be training people for green-collar jobs (i.e. wind turbine technicians/repairmen). Our public schools and universities should be engines for sustainability. Our state and local governments must direct development that allows for accessible transit; walkable, mixed-use communities; bike lanes; and housing that's close to job centers. We need to step up and provide financial incentives for ordinary citizens to start capturing solar power from their rooftops.

There's much to be done. If our children our angry with us 20 years from now, we'll know we came up short. That's a day of reckoning I'd rather avoid.

Elections do matter. Spread the word.

Does whistleblowing even work in Idaho?

When a state government is so dominated by a single party, does anyone even hear the sound of a state employee blowing the whistle on possible malfeasance or violations of the law?

Every Idaho citizen ought to be concerned about the claims of a Tax Commission whistleblower who's crying foul about special and secret deals (tax breaks) that were struck with out-of-state businesses. Whether laws were broken or not, it would appear that the whistleblower raises valid concerns with the way this issue has been investigated. In his letter to Gov. Otter, veteran auditor Stan Howland poses questions about whether any of the investigations in this matter have been truly independent, citing the many conflicts of interest of those involved.

In a state where power is so concentrated in the hands of a single party--a party that goes to great lengths to protect its own--you have to wonder if we lack the checks and balances necessary to properly follow up on the allegations of a whistleblower. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden (a Republican) has demonstrated an independent streak and a willingness to put aside politics in upholding the law. I would hope that the AG's office could address Howland's concerns and conduct a truly independent investigation.

Read Howland's letter to Otter, as well as his response to the AG's report, with detailed rebuttals of many of the AG's findings. No matter your politics, you can't help but wonder if Idaho's taxpayers have been done a dissservice by the Commissioners and whether anyone in the majority party is truly committed to getting to the bottom of this matter.

Glimpse of Rush Hour

I took this pic while on my bike at the intersection of Broadway and Jefferson at "rush hour" (6:00 p.m.). I pulled up to the light, where there has often been a line of cars backed up at a light that's slow to turn. Today I pulled up to the light next to three bikes and a scooter. Sign of the times?

Mourning the passing of an Idaho statesman

I was saddened to find in today's paper the obituary of former State Senator Richard "Dick" High. Though we'd only spoken a few times, Mr. High (as he was known in his Imperial Plaza building) impressed me as a kind, thoughtful, and optimistic man and one who placed the public interest over partisanship. And the encouragement and counsel that he gave me when I first ran in 2004 meant a great deal to me.

As a Republican state senator from Twin Falls, Mr. High became the co-chair of the powerful JFAC committee. His seven-term tenure was marked by strong support for Idaho's public schools and the modernization of Idaho government. He was a leader at a time when our state's Legislature was less polarized, more moderate, and generally more collegial.

Read his obit to learn more about the kind of life that inspires people like me to take up public service.

Gergen Provides Wake-Up Call to Idahoans

Veteran political advisor and pundit David Gergen touched down in Boise last week to address the Association of Idaho Cities annual conference and the packed house of local and state officials wasn't quite sure what to make of him.

Certainly he had solid partisan bona fides for the many Republican muckety-mucks in attendance. After all, Gergen had served in the Nixon, Ford, and Reagan administrations (he also served a tour with the Clinton administration). And Gergen even staffed George H.W. Bush's 1980 campaign. And on the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour, which moderator Dr. Jim Weatherby cited as the single finest example of political dialogue on television, Gergen represented the conservative viewpoint with foil Mark Shields.

But I have to believe Republicans walked away feeling slightly deflated (and perhaps betrayed) after hearing Gergen. He lambasted President Bush (who at one time enjoyed his highest popularity in Idaho, despite declining numbers everywhere else), pointing out that he's even less popular than Nixon was on the day he resigned. He also noted that Bush's great failures can be attributed to a lack of well seasoned judgment and intellectual curiosity and quoted Harry Truman, "Not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader." Bush, as Gergen reminded the audience, is not a reader and almost prided himself on his anti-intellectualism.

But more to the point, Gergen weighed in on the presidential race and predicted, without hesitation, that Democrats will achieve a "swollen majority" in Congress as well as in various statehouses around the country. "For the average American, these have not been good years. Poverty has gone up. Average wages have gone down. More wealth has flowed to the top....This is a country that is unhappy and anxious and that's bad news for Republicans."

Perhaps Gergen's most instructive and sobering comments were saved for his conclusion, in which he outlined what he viewed as the country's transcendent challenges. He prefaced these warnings with a grim assessment of our current state: “The campaigns have not yet come to grips with the reality…. The country is not well prepared for the challenges…. ‘Sacrifice’ is barely passing from people’s lips.” Then, the challenges:
1) Getting our house in order: The overall theme here, and it’s one that’s particularly salient in Idaho, is that we have postponed action on so many different problems and now the bills are coming due. Health care costs need to be controlled; Social Security and Medicare must be reformed or Moody’s will downgrade our nation’s credit rating (read: bad news). A sensible, long-term energy plan, that guarantees some modicum of energy security, is also long overdue according to Gergen. And, we need to lift the quality of our public education system or our children simply won’t be able to compete in the global marketplace.
2) Nuclear proliferation: The world is about to become a much more dangerous place, as many countries will assert their nuclear aspirations—“a very serious issue with very grave implications.”
3) Climate change: “There’s no debate. We’ve created damage and instability. We will have to act fast to avoid a catastrophe.”
4) The Rise of Asia: The world’s center of gravity has already moved to Asia. How will we avoid wars with the great emerging powers? Will the U.S. still be at the table of the great powers???

Gergen was even-handed and witty throughout, lavishing praise on John McCain and Mitt Romney, denouncing anti-Mormon bigotry and pointing out the downside risk (as well as huge upside potential) of Barack Obama.

But the most important takeaway was this: a man who has been an eyewitness to power for over 30 years is convinced that timid leadership will only further exacerbate the crises we face. We can no longer afford to tinker at the margins of the enormous challenges we face (nor refuse to pony up the money to tackle these challenges—i.e. make sacrifices). Gergen’s address was a clarion call for authentic and courageous leadership—leaders who don’t shirk from our challenges, but see them for what they are and seek to solve them by mobilizing Americans behind a common cause. Such leaders aren’t just needed in the White House; we must elect them at every level of government and in every state. As Bill Moyers has said of the upcoming 2008 elections, “There’s never been more at stake.”

Calling All Small Business Owners

Let's hear it for all the little people (and by that I mean the people who create roughly 80% of all new jobs in this state): that not-so-rare breed known as small business owners. The Boise Metro Chamber is sponsoring the 2008 Small Biz Conference, featuring keynote speaker Rhonda Abrams. If her name doesn't ring any bells, she's like the Suze Orman of entrepreneurship (though less grating). She's a small biz guru, a prolific author, and nationally syndicated columnist. And she's a very successful business owner (and brand) in her own right. Buying one of her books was one of my first steps on the path to entrepreneurialism.

Abrams will provide the keynote address following breakfast. Then, as an added bonus, she'll stick around for a few hours to lead the workshop "Owning your Niche: How to Compete with the Big Guys and Win!"

There are several other interesting workshops to attend throughout the morning, including "Marketing and Advertising on a Budget" and "Develop, Delegate, and Disappear." At noon, we'll celebrate some of the region's small biz success stories at the annual Small Business Awards Luncheon. Afternoon highlights include a panel discussion, networking opportunities, the chance to polish and perfect your elevator pitch, and more networking at the B2B Trade Show and Business After Hours.

I know from personal experience that owning and running a business can be an isolating experience. These sorts of events always help us to recharge, refocus, connect and share with other small biz folks, and infuse our businesses with new ideas and strategies. The agenda offers a fitting balance of inspiration and practical advice. Just the networking along ought to be worth the price of admission.

Treat yourself to an entire day dedicated to making you a better business owner. First 100 registrants will get a free copy of Abram's book, "The Owner's Manual for Small Business." Don't delay: sign up at the Chamber's web site.

Disclosure: I'm on the Chamber's Small Business Success Center Advisory Council.

Utah Gets It

I attended the luncheon and keynote speaker at Kickstand's Idavation event, a gathering of inventors, entrepreneurs, investors and service providers, this past Thursday. Candidates and elected officials were scarce, though Boise Mayor Dave Bieter was there to greet the conference attendees and talk a bit about what Boise is doing to support entrepreneurialism and innovation.

Bieter was followed by Don Dietrich, director of the Idaho Department of Commerce. After Mayor Bieter had spoken of the "doorbelling" he does--visiting local businesses and learning about their needs, hopes, plans and gripes--Dietrich noted that he did the same, though he then explained that doesn't make house calls (businesses have to come see him in his office). Dietrich seemed defensive: at least four different times, he assured the audience that Idaho government and Gov. Otter are listening to them, seemingly aware that many in the room had long ago concluded just the opposite.

Dietrich was followed by Brian Cummings, Executive Director of the Technology Commercialization Office at University of Utah. Cummings rattled off an extraordinary track record of success at attracting private and public research dollars, facilitating tech commercialization (he rejects the term "tech transfer"), providing services to start-ups, growing technology clusters, and increasing the number of start-ups resulting from partnerships with the university. By many measures, Utah seems to be doing this better than most places in the country. A few key indicators:

• Commercial sponsored research (when companies pay the university to do research) went from $16.5M in 2006 to $38.2M in 2008.
• New inventors went from 10 in 2004 to 70 in 2007.
• Number of start-ups went from 3 in 2004 to 24 in 2008 (the national average is 2.8 companies per university).
• 4 new angel funds have emerged in Salt Lake City in the last two years.

If Cummings has made U of U into a major league player, Idaho, it would seem, is playing at a junior varsity level at best. Cummings mentioned that the university convinced the Utah Legislature to invest $375 million in the tech commercialization efforts--money that would be spent on building a facility to house research and innovation efforts and attracting world-class inventors. Idaho comes nowhere near making such investments. During the Q&A, a participant suggested asked Cummings how they got the Legislature to support and invest in tech commercialization, adding that Idaho legislators don't seem to get it. Cummings responded that the university president did an amazing job of conveying value--couching the program in terms of industry creation and job growth.

As a legislator, I will make the case to my colleagues that these sorts of investments produce real returns and are imperative if we are to remain competitive with other states and countries around the world that are attempting to lure the very same innovators and entrepreneurs. Utah's example offers much for our universities and Legislature to learn and emulate.

If you don't build it, they won't come

I'm not sure why this story didn't get a bit more play in the media. It pertains to one of the hottest political issues of the next decade: infrastructure.

The reason Idaho has fallen so behind in investing in infrastructure, argue pundits and political junkies, is because the rurally dominated Legislature simply doesn't see the value (or direct benefit) in investing in the sorts of the things that the Treasure Valley and other growing urban areas are clamoring for: road improvements, air quality controls, and public transit, to name a few.

If this is true, rural legislators might do well to familiarize themselves with this story. The relatively small town of Buhl lost a planned $125 million dollar canola processing/biofuel plant, ostensibly due to lack of infrastructure. The president of DISCO Associates, which was the financial backer of the project, specifically cited the costs of power, water, sewer, railway and road infrastructure as the key reason for his company's decision to pull out.

The extreme "fiscal conservatives" who rule the roost at the Statehouse continue to promote their pennywise, pound-foolish ideology, compromising public safety and our economic future by neglecting to invest in infrastructure. I've written about this issue at the Idaho Business Review; I'll be posting more on this topic soon, particularly with respect to the Chamber's Regional Leadership Conference that was held last month in Sun Valley and the infrastructure concerns voiced by local and national business leaders.

Boise Bike Week

Boise Bike Week wrapped up yesterday. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend Saturday's festivities, including the parade, due to a ballet recital (my daughters') and a party to honor our preschool's teachers. Nevertheless, I'm happy to say that I went the entire week commuting to work (and other places) by bike. I did drive the car once for a night-time pharmacy run, but other than that it was pure pedal power. I even had a great ride with my girls to the Green Expo on Saturday.

Thanks to REI for sponsoring free bike "check-ups" on 8th Street on Friday (see picture). My bike, which is a garage sale special, was definitely in need of some TLC.

I've been inspired to commit more fully to keeping the car at home as much as possible. I've signed up for the Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance Commuter Challenge. Check it out. I don't hold out high hopes of winning anything--after all, when I was out campaigning door to door earlier today, I met a neighbor who bikes out to HP every day (from the East End). Now that's commitment!

To learn about ACHD's Roadways to Bikeways program--Ada County's first bicycle master plan--click here.