Malek, Macomber debate issues

COEUR d’ALENE — Incumbent Rep. Luke Malek and challenger Art Macomber squared off during a forum Thursday outlining clear differences on the issues they would face if they are elected to represent Idaho’s Fourth Legislative District.

The forum, hosted by the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans and held at Fedora Pub and Grille, was the first time Malek and Macomber have debated at a forum in this election cycle. The candidates started with opening statements, followed by questions from the audience.

Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, said in his opening statement that he wants to continue creating opportunities for future generations to enjoy.

“I am not running because I think my ideas are necessarily better than anyone else’s, but I am happy to listen to my constituents and take those ideas and insert them into the dialogue down there,” Malek said. “Then I would advocate for them when we agree we have the best idea moving forward.”

Malek outlined some of his accomplishments since he took office in 2012. Each project, he said, makes Idaho a better place to live.

Malek said he is proud to be part of the committee that is charged with ensuring every school in Idaho has access to broadband. He said the Legislature has created a five-year investment plan for education that is in its second year.

Malek championed the mental health crisis center in the House of Representatives. He worked with firefighters to improve the delivery of emergency medical care, and worked with other lawmakers to create a four-year computer science degree program through North Idaho College and the University of Idaho.

Macomber is a real property attorney who feels he is ready and prepared to become a state lawmaker. He said Idaho’s laws can be a thicket that he now has the tools to fix.

“I decided last year that I would run against Luke Malek,” Macomber told the 60 people who were in attendance. “I think Coeur d’Alene and Idaho can do better than what we’ve been given.”

Macomber said he is a big reader, who can read up to 350 words per minute with good comprehension and that has partially prepared him for the Legislature.

“I don't think being in the Legislature will be new to me in terms of analyzing and figuring out the law,” he said, adding he was instrumental in penning legislation that calls for a constitutional amendment that would clarify the Legislature’s authority to veto rules promulgated by state agencies, a practice the courts have already decided falls within their legislative powers.

The amendment will be on the general election ballot for voter approval in November. A similar amendment failed to garner a majority vote in 2014.

"I think Luke and I do present a pretty clear choice," Macomber said. "But I think during his term, Idaho has missed some opportunities and I am afraid the window for those opportunities is starting to close."

When the candidates were each asked why they were running, Malek took the first crack at the question.

“Nothing is more important to me than having a good community,” he said. “I want my kids and grandkids to have every single opportunity that they could ever want.”

Macomber said he was fulfilling a promise he made to himself when Malek was first elected. He said he told Malek at that time that Malek reminded him of President Barack Obama.

“Because you haven’t done anything in your life,” Macomber said. “You haven’t dug a ditch, you haven’t built a building, you haven’t built a family, you haven’t built a business, you haven’t built really much of anything and you have worked for the government your whole life.

“I am nervous about your ability to really represent people especially in Coeur d’Alene where they are primarily working people, who need year-round jobs.”

Then Macomber pointed out a half-dozen public sector union firefighters who are supporting Malek and asked “what about the other guys who are just as young and just as strong and just as capable as these guys? I think we are missing the boat here and so I decided to run because I think we could do better.”

Malek was given an opportunity to rebut Macomber’s statement and said he wanted to set the record straight.

“I am not sure what the relevance is to me not having a family,” Malek said. “I mean I am a young guy, absolutely, but I have built things in my life. I have worked as a construction worker and built houses right over there in that neighborhood. That’s what I did for a living and I shoed horses all the way through high school and college.

“That’s hard manual labor and if that qualifies me for office then awesome. There you go,” Malek said, adding he feels what qualifies him for office is his track record of working collaboratively in Boise to create opportunities for the people of Coeur d’Alene.

Macomber fielded a question about giving judges salary increases. He said he is not in favor of that because judges already make enough money and those tax dollars could be put to better use.

Idaho has trouble recruiting good qualified candidates for judges, Malek said. He supports keeping the wages high enough to attract and retain good judges.

The most pressing issue facing Idaho, according to Malek, is improving the education system. Macomber said his top priority is economic development and eliminating rules that hold the economy back.

Malek countered, saying says he believes a strong education system is the best thing Idaho can do to build a foundation for economic development.

“You can’t do economic development if you don’t have investment in education,” he said.

As far as federal overreach goes, Malek said he would continue to look for “Idaho solutions” to avoid federal intrusions. He also made the point that those federal tax dollars are paid by the people of Idaho too.

“I am not running for Congress,” Malek said, adding the Legislature should continue to strive for state control and solutions.

Macomber said it is a 10th Amendment issue, and disagreed with Malek, saying continued federal spending is just adding to the debt future generations will have to pay for.

As for Medicaid expansion to cover 78,000 Idahoans who cannot qualify for the state healthcare exchange, or Medicaid, Malek said he prefers a customized system that would give that population access to healthcare, while requiring them to pay a portion of the cost.

“No one is going to expand Medicaid,” Malek said. “We need to create an Idaho solution for an Idaho problem.”

Macomber said he prefers a free market approach to cover the so-called Medicaid gap.

“We are losing our window to take market opportunities,” Macomber said. “We need to get the market in place here because that is where we get food, water, shelter and every other core thing we need to survive. We need to do that with healthcare too.”

Malek said he was not sure Macomber answered the question, and added the way to help the 78,000 gap population is to “cover them.”