STORY: Hooray for 'nay'

This Idaho taxpayer wishes to thank every one of those “Naysayers” identified in the article entitled, “Just Say Nay” in the April 26 edition of The Press.

It is very telling that our representatives are criticized by The Press for trying to be fiscally responsible with public tax dollars. This type of behavior used to be lauded, not vilified.

Contrary to popular belief in Washington, D.C., and apparently by The Press, money does not grow on trees, and there is without question a finite supply of it.

These representatives are doing their jobs. If they went to the state house looking to pass every appropriation that came down the pike, our state would be as bankrupt as the federal government; instead we have a balanced budget and live within our means.

Part of the problem is that most appropriations bills contain many different and often disparate spending projects that require an all-or-nothing, yes or no vote. Spending appropriations bills should be limited to a very small group of similar spending projects, or better yet voted on individually. Then a legislator that is performing his or her due diligence is not forced to vote against good and necessary appropriations in order to avoid passing unnecessary spending bills or pork barrel projects.

Judging a legislator’s job performance negatively based upon the number of spending bills they did not vote for without examining each individual bill and why they voted against it is nothing but a pathetic smear attempt by this writer against those that don’t tow the tax and spend line within our state Legislature.

Reason, logic and common sense have obviously left the building.

J.D. GAINES

Coeur d’Alene