POWERBALL: Blow to education

It’s bad enough that the Idaho Legislature year over year shirks its constitutional obligation of properly funding education, to be shared by all Idaho taxpayers. Rather they choose to put the burden on Idaho’s property owners with bond levies. Adding insult to injury, the Legislature appears bent on canceling the Idaho lottery from participating in Powerball.

For every $2 spent on a Powerball ticket, a portion is shared by all Idaho public schools. If Powerball is discontinued, lost state revenue would be close to $15 million. Of that more than $9 million goes to schools.

Almost $6 million is distributed among all Idaho school districts for repairs and maintenance of student occupied buildings. The rest goes to bond levy equalization fund, which provides subsidies to school districts that pass bond levies to help compensate for a recalcitrant legislature’s failure to do its job.

Should the Powerball be shut down then the only recourse is to take the lost revenue from the general fund, or require more frequent and larger bond levies.

As a retired homeowner, I’m sick and tired of watching my property taxes increase every year because legislators couldn’t care less about fiscal responsibility and the financial well-being of all Idahoans.

MIKE BLACKBIRD

Post Falls