Vote Joe Alfieri
Idaho State Legislature
Seat 4A
Idaho’s legislature is broken. We’re one of the most conservative states in the union, yet we ere more than 700 days into a state of emergency that was going to last two weeks. A state of 
emergency which has had an enormous cost on hard working Idahoans. Jobs have been lost, businesses destroyed, families hurt by policies that did nothing to mitigate the so-called emergency. Yet the elected representatives, OUR elected representatives, made excuses about procedure and committee rules and protocols. The emergency finally ended, but at a very high cost, not just in dollars, but also in the freedom we cherish that was trampled by the state.
We’ve heard the same story about the grocery tax. Idaho is one of only four states that taxes food, the most oppressive tax there is, the one that hurts poor families the most. Idaho collects the tax and keeps it in the piggy bank until citizens file a tax return the following year. It then refunds $100 to $120 per person. If your food bill is extremely small, you’ll get most of it back, but the average family of four won’t. Even if it comes back to you, you’ve made a no interest loan to the state. There have been many attempts to repeal the grocery tax, but you know, procedure and all that other stuff gets in the way. And in this time of rapid inflation, that extra six percent leaves an even more bitter taste. So what was the state house’s answer this year to the public’s demand that the tax be done away with? HB 509, added $20 more to the rebate. Yes, a whole $20. And, $12 of that would cover just the inflation from the last time the credit was raised in 2015 to today. Effectively, you’ll get $8 back. But that doesn’t factor in the inflation we’ll be subject to over the next year, until you get that whopping rebate back, which might make the effective rebate anywhere from $4-6 dollars. Don’t spend it all in one place.
Now the special legislative session called by Gov. Little in September added another tax rebate, but added more spending on education (already 50% of the budget) with no accountability. However, we did get a flat tax of 5.8%, which is a step in the right direction. I’d like to see that number lowered, but as I said it’s a start.
I’m tired of excuses, of hearing about how difficult it is to get things done. I’m tired of “this is the way we’ve always done things.” I’m tired of being promised action and seeing nothing accomplished. So I’m going to roll up my sleeves, and go to work for you. Elect me as your Representative, and we’ll get things done.