OPINION: Idaho Government Services Come With a Price Tag

Twin Falls Police had someone pulled over by the Depot Grill one recent morning. One day last week, I was driving to work (long before sunrise), and there were two instances where people had been pulled over. I can’t say for sure, but many of these stops probably involve alcohol. If you drive by Rolberto’s at 2:00 a.m., I suspect the line at the drive-through is averaging .12. If drunks were the only thing local law enforcement dealt with, that would be plenty, but I was thumbing through the yearly report a couple of weeks ago, and these are busy people. The Chief dropped off a copy. It justifies all the P.D. needs. Unless you like starring as a victim in The Purge.

Some People Missed the Boat and Misread a Mandate

The outgoing group of Idaho politicians who started with some promise couldn’t find the balance between their libertarian beliefs on taxation and what the public wants. They may have been right about the enumerated limits of government, but if you can’t convince a majority of voters, then sayonara. People say they want smaller government, but my experience is they don’t mean they want their own grass cut. I know from conversations I’ve had at breakfast with a variety of neighbors and friends that they mostly identify as conservatives, but are as flexible as Stretch Armstrong.

Take the matter of Flock cameras. A loud contingent wants them torn down and ground into shreds, but is that a majority? A departing member of my local council was asked about the issue on-air and replied that the public feedback he received was to keep them, but ensure the system can’t be abused, and if it happens, have strict legal punishment in place. The Twin Falls Police Department turned to the cameras because police couldn’t fill manpower requests. Cameras cost far less, don’t take sick days, and require no benefits. I’ll also note that the loudest shrieking banshees against cameras cavort with friends who have shady pasts. I don’t believe that adds to anyone’s credibility.

We Know What We Know, With or Without Evidence

Is there waste in government? Does a bear crap in the woods? Some waste would be obvious, but imagine running a business. You need a task. You may not need someone full-time. Maybe only 10 hours a week. You know 20 hours would cost you 10 hours of payment for nothing. In business, you make the call, especially if it’s a small operation where you can observe everything around you. Idaho is one of the largest states geographically and employs 35,000 people. A quick search reveals a fifth working at just one university. That’s a big lift in an audit, and you probably are wrestling with collective bargaining units. Quick note: Idaho State Police make up less than two percent of the state's workforce.

Bill Colley

Obviously, we need to shrink Boise State and grow ISP, but does simply halving the university staff and tripling ISP solve our issues? I suppose it’s more complex and needs more deliberation than a loud mob usually delivers. I know what I do every hour of my workday, but I don’t know what most people are doing when they’re on the job. I’m sure Lyle Johnstone’s backers are familiar with the Dunning-Kruger effect! They do a lot of reading in between burning everything down.  I’m not sure we’ll get all the answers on Election Day. State and local problems pale in comparison to what we’re dealing with, and unspooling them won’t take place in one legislative session.

A similar version of this essay appeared on Substack.