Freedom Foundation fires back at Furniss

Rep. Rod Furniss recently wrote in a Press column, “I often reflect on why I was chosen to serve as a legislator in the Idaho House of Representatives.”

Wait, did Furniss just say, “chosen?” I thought legislators were “elected.” In 2020, Furniss had no general election opponent. Furniss obtained his house seat in the Republican primary where he received 6,460 votes from 17,316 eligible Republican voters. This means only 37% of eligible Republicans voted for him in the primary, and 63% of eligible Republicans didn’t vote for him. Yet, somehow Furniss considers himself “chosen.”

King George III also claimed he was “chosen.” King George staked his claim on the doctrine of divine right of kings, which asserted that kings derived their government power from God and therefore couldn’t be accountable for their actions. This sounds a lot like Furniss, who similarly sees himself as “chosen” to govern the people and who similarly refuses to be accountable for his actions.

After Furniss went on a rant attacking the Idaho Freedom Foundation, I wrote an article explaining how Furniss isn’t always truthful. I explained how Furniss bragged the Legislature passed a 1/2 percent sales tax cut effective July 1, 2021. Yet, this sales tax cut was merely a figment of Furniss’ imagination because there was no 1/2 percent sales tax cut.

I also explained how Furniss falsely claimed out-of-staters buy $2.3 billion in groceries yielding $140 million in grocery sales tax revenue annually. For this statement to be true, 85,000 out-of-staters would need to buy $75 in groceries every day 365 days a year. Furniss’ claim is obviously ridiculous.

Another whopper Furniss tried to pass off as truth was his claim that 1,000 people move to Idaho daily. According to Furniss, this means 365,000 people move to Idaho annually. Yet, the 2020 census proves only 271,524 people moved to Idaho in the last 10 years. In reality, about 94 people a day move to Idaho.

In Furniss’ recent column, Furniss wrote he was rebutting my criticisms and said I had misrepresented his data. So, you would think Furniss actually would explain how I had misrepresented his data and actually try to rebut my criticisms. Nope. Furniss never even addressed his bogus claims sales tax dropped 1/2 percent and out-of-staters buy $2.3 billion in groceries annually. Furniss’ failure to rebut my criticisms is understandable because politicians who believe they are somehow “chosen” also often refuse to be accountable for their actions.

Furniss did attempt to rebut my criticism that 1,000 people move to Idaho daily. Furniss argued that I had not considered the number of people moving out of Idaho daily. Let’s consider what Furniss is saying.

If 1,000 people move to Idaho daily, and since we know Idaho grows by 94 people a day, this means 906 people are moving out of Idaho daily. This would require that for every 10 out-of-staters moving in your neighborhood, nine of your neighbors must be moving out of state. That’s not happening. Here’s another way to look at it: If what Furniss says is true, then the entire population of Idaho would move out of state about every 5.5 years. That’s not happening either.

Furniss simply has a hard time telling the truth. And when someone calls him out on it, he refuses to be accountable because he thinks he is somehow “chosen,” he wildly doubles down on more untruth, or attacks the messenger. In any event, Furniss owes his constituents an apology. But as they say, “don’t hold your breath.”

• • •

Bryan Smith serves as vice chair of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and fourth vice chair of the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee.