Candidates discuss local issues

By KEITH KINNAIRD

HNN

SANDPOINT — Incumbent legislative candidates defended their political track records and fundraising efforts Tuesday while their challengers chided them for not doing enough to forward key issues and for being beholden to their benefactors.

"What you see with the incumbents is what you'll be getting," said Steve Elgar, a Democrat looking to unseat Eric Anderson, District 1's House A representative.

Elgar pledged to put constituents' needs above those of special interests and big business by giving legs to issues such as raising the minimum wage, expanding affordable health care and bringing property tax relief to the average homeowner.

Anderson admitted being frustrated by the Legislature's inability to decide the public school maintenance-and-operations levy issue during the regular session, but said the matter was resolved during the special session this summer.

Part of the deadlock stemmed from the fact that not all of Idaho's counties are struggling with stratospheric climbs in property values, which made tax relief a hard sell to some lawmakers, Anderson said.

"We had to convince 30 counties that 14 had a problem," said Anderson, who played up his efforts to fund milfoil-control efforts and maintain access to public lands.

Bob Wynhausen, who is challenging Rep. George Eskridge for District 1's House B post, pointed out that Idaho is one of only 16 states that place a tax on groceries.

"Big business controls public policy in Idaho," said Wynhausen, who billed himself as the alternative candidate in his race.

Eskridge disputed that his campaign contributors guide his hand in the Legislature, emphasizing that he lost a real estate group's endorsement for voting to increase the homeowners' exemption from $50,000 to $75,000, an a decision he had no regrets over.

Eskridge expects to see progress in affordable health care by reforming the state's social services system to curb abuse and fraud.

"I'm encouraged by that process and I think you'll see results this year," Eskridge said.

Senator Shawn Keough, District 1's incumbent Republican, said her campaign contributions reflect the values of her constituents and said her tenure in the Senate has allowed her form relationships and coalitions that bring about meaningful progress in Boise.

"Change for the sake of change is not wise," she said.

But Keough's competition, Democrat Jim Ramsey, said property taxes continue to climb while the state's minimum wage continues to lag behind. He also affordable health care continues to elude many Idahoans and called for employees, employers, the state and volunteers to pull together to bring improvements.

"For these reasons, we need a change," Ramsey said.