OTTER: The buck does stop here

I have come to realize how lucky we are in Idaho to have a governor like Butch Otter. When times are tough, it's easy to be a critic, to just go with the flow, or pass the buck to others. That's not Butch.

When faced with budget shortfalls, Oregon and Washington raised taxes. California raised taxes. Dozens of other states did too. Even though families and employers all over the country were already suffering from foreclosures, pay cuts and bear markets, many state governments chose to take even more money out of their citizens' pockets. The result has been a recession that won't die, despite Obama and the Democrats' best efforts to spend us into "prosperity."

Butch Otter had the guts to stand up to the Democrats and some in the media when they proposed raising taxes. He had the good sense to see that while families cut the fat from their budgets, state government should do the same. Otter wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth: he knows what it's like to share the burden and go without. Idaho is lucky to have him in charge. Butch Otter has my vote on Nov. 2.

RUTH E. SMITH

Coeur d'Alene