Vote democrat to reduce taxes

To the Editor:

The cost of living for Idaho residents has gone up, especially for wage

earners and people who rent. The cost of food has gone up. The cost of lothing has gone up. The cost of everything taxable we need to run our households has gone up because the state sales tax has been increased by 20 percent.

At the same time, guaranteed funding for our public schools has been diverted as part of a new tax burden shift.

Why are our costs of living higher? Why are we now saddled with a 20 percent increase in sales tax? So that the wealthy, the non-resident land owners, large corporations and real estate developers can be exempt from certain property taxes. It really is that simple. Wealthy special interests win, we lose.

Who caused our cost of living to go up?

Who shifted the tax burden from the wealthy to the wage earners? Simple, the Republican-run government in Boise. Acting Governor Risch called a special session, but denied the residents of Idaho a basic principle of democracy — open debate on differing proposals. There was a clearly-written plan that would have reduced property taxes without increasing sales taxes and would have kept the guaranteed funding for schools. The acting governor refused to even allow this bill to be printed, much less debated.

Who, in addition to the acting republican governor, should we blame for this tax shift?

In North Idaho that answer also is simple: Senators Joyce Broadsword (R) and Shawn Keough (R) as well as Representatives George Eskridge(R) and Eric Anderson (R).

They not only voted to increase our tax burden, they also supported and defended the undemocratic special session.

What can we do about it? Fire them all. I am going to vote a straight democratic ballot for the first time. I've had enough!

Ken Larson

Sagle, Idaho