From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican Members of the House Natural Resources Committee walked out during a hearing today to protest the Majority party’s efforts to lock-up and further restrict energy resources in America at a critical time while also undermining the form of government instituted by the Founding Fathers.

Congressman Sali, a Member of the Committee, released the following statement:

“Americans are paying, on average, $4.06 a gallon at the pump. Energy costs across the board continue to rise, whether fuel to drive, gas to heat homes or electricity. And yet today Democrats undermined our Constitutional form of government in an effort to lock up more American energy sources.

“By using an antiquated and unconstitutional statute, the Democrats tried to seize extraordinary power elevating a single committee above the rest of Congress including the full House, the Senate and the President. Our form of government contemplates checks and balances essential to the American system. I will not stand by the Chairman’s attempt to make law by a majority vote of a single committee in the House of Representatives.

“The Resolution today brought up by Chairman Rahall (D-WV) directs the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, to immediately withdraw, for three years, more than one million acres of federal land in Arizona. That land contains the highest-grade known uranium deposits in America, potentially holding upwards of 10 to 20 percent of America’s uranium reserves. The Democrat Majority seeks to legislatively withdraw these lands, by a vote, not of the House, Senate and signing by the president, but by the vote of 20 members of the House of Representatives,” said Sali.

This type of ‘legislative veto’ is clearly unconstitutional under the United States Supreme Court case, INS v. Chadha.

Sali continued, “Nuclear energy is already a source of clean power and holds great promise in meeting America’s energy needs for the future. Uranium can be mined safely, and can be turned into a clean and abundant source of energy. We need all the energy we can get from all the sources we can access, including nuclear power. We should not be locking up American energy resources especially using a process based solely on legislative fiat.”

This was not the only bill opposing American energy development moved by the Democrats today. The committee also moved Rep. Barney Frank’s (D-MA) H.R. 415, which designates Wild and Scenic Rivers status for a section of the Taunton River that flows through the middle of a highly developed area with a road, stop lights, street signs and all, literally on its banks. The measure would block a desperately needed gas pipeline in the New England area, which has some of the nation’s highest energy costs.

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A rare educational opportunity is coming to Idaho Falls. If you’re within driving distance, consider registering for a seminar on the US Constitution to be held Saturday, Jan. 12, at University Place in Idaho Falls. To register, visit the Title of Liberty website.

Earl Taylor, president of the National Center for Constitutional Studies will be the guest speaker. The seminar runs from 8am until 4:30pm, and the cost is $10 per person, or $30 per family, which includes an MP3 of Cleon Skousen’s “5000 Year Leap”. Bring a sack lunch, or order one for $5.

Download the seminar flyer here, or call 208.522.0108 and leave a message if you have questions. And bring the whole family!

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Here’s a little holiday project for the Idaho Falls newspaper (I would give their name if they offered anything of worth on their website). The news cycle is generally slow this time of year, especially when the decision has been made to ignore most of the national and international breaking news.

So this is the perfect time for the newspaper to come forward with some newly released information that can make the public safer, stir up considerable controversy (although it won’t skewer two of the paper’s favorite targets, the Boy Scouts or the Mormon church), and possibly earn them some coveted, though meaningless, journalism awards.

And this project could bring closure to a number of suffering victims who have been ignored for years, unlike those who have been brought forward for heroism awards.

The subject? A newly released, nationwide list of sanctioned teachers. A courageous Florida newspaper, the Herald Tribune, has posted a searchable database for the entire nation.

According to the Herald Tribune, “types of behavior that lead to sanctions may include serious misconduct or relatively minor issues, including contract disputes or failure to repay student loans”. However, there is little doubt there are a number of teachers on the list who have committed crimes, including sexual abuse of their students.

Should provide some busy work for a few cub reporters on slow days.

Whatever YOU do with the list, type in “ID” in the “state” field, to see the complete list for Idaho. And scan for familiar names.

As My Way/AP News reports, sexual abuse of children by teachers in public schools is rampant. (Warning: after reading the previously linked article, you may not send your children back to public school after the holidays.)

According to the AP investigation,

Most of the abuse never gets reported. Those cases reported often end with no action. Cases investigated sometimes can’t be proven, and many abusers have several victims.

The My Way article documents the fact that most abuse in schools goes unreported. In addition, teachers are usually believed instead of their victims.

And the problem is far greater than anyone is willing to admit.

We realize that past cases of local teacher/student sexual abuse have gotten bare mentions, if any, in the local news.

So come on, Idaho Falls newspaper. Take a quick look at the list of sanctioned educators from Idaho. Cross check it with police records (the wife of one of your employees apparently has plenty of experience reading court documents.) Publish an expose’ of those on the list still teaching in our public schools.

Flush them out, make them run, force them into retirement. Time to step up and do your part. Make our world a little safer for children. It’s your civic duty.

But once again, I won’t be holding my breath.

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Rewind to fall, 2005. Candidate Jared Fuhriman is running for mayor of the City of Idaho Falls.

“Everywhere I meet people, they tell me Idaho Falls property taxes are too high,” said Mr. Fuhriman.

Fast forward to December 2007. Now-Mayor Fuhriman, in a joint press conference with Robb Chiles, president of the Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, announces it’s time to consider building an events center in the city.

The Idaho Falls newspaper correctly recaps the fate of previous attempts to build large community projects. In 1999, Bonneville County residents voted down a 5% motel tax to build an events center.

In 2003, a grandiose new city recreation center was proposed and heavily lobbied for by then-Mayor Linda Milam and buddy, City Councilwoman Ida Hardcastle. The new center would have been built with property taxes, but garnered only 20% of the vote.

But now it’s December, 2007, and it should come as no surprise that Fuhriman, a sidekick of Hardcastle, is resurrecting the events center plan.

He admits it’s going to be an uphill battle: before Economic Research Associates (ERA) will even conduct a feasibility study, $50,000 must be raised to hire them.

(Might Fuhriman even suggest to the city council that taxpayer money be used for the study? Stay tuned.)

Among issues ERA will consider is how to fund such a center.

Since a motel tax and increased property tax have already been nixed by voters in recent years, appeals will probably be made to the Idaho Legislature to allow local options sales tax. This is an idea that fails year after year in legislative votes.

No matter how you look at it, taxpayers come out the losers - unless you can somehow monetize that wonderful but nebulous “feeling of pride in our community” that will no doubt be touted at the biggest reason for citizen support.

Once again, Mayor Fuhriman demonstrates his lack of principle. Though he cozied up to the local Republican Party just before elections to increase his chances of becoming mayor, he repeatedly abandons party planks, including a belief in reducing taxes and shrinking government.

Don’t get me wrong - as any citizen of Idaho Falls can tell you, Jared Fuhriman is a nice guy. He’ll smile at you and shake your hand, and encourage you to support the Boy Scouts.

But that doesn’t qualify him to serve as mayor.

Fuhriman doesn’t have a clue.

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It is fascinating to watch emerging signs that the Idaho Falls newspaper is floundering more than ever. Three such signs have surfaced in the past few days.

Subscribers to the paper have noticed an annoying addition to the front page. Brightly colored stickers advertising various businesses have been placed near the top edge of the front page, actually obscuring the name of the paper. Apparently business names are more important than the identity of the newspaper. (Or is it that the revenue thus generated supersedes the mortification of it all?)

Next, the newspaper billing process has gone from a postcard, to a full sheet enclosed in an envelope with a return envelope - to a postcard. Trimming expenses seems to be a top priority for these folks. The postcard gives the subscriber far fewer options, such as including a tip for the paper carrier, or contributing to the ill-conceived Newspaper in Education program (which traps gullible individuals into buying newspapers for classrooms, a ploy which at least ups newspaper circulation numbers).

And speaking of circulation numbers, apparently the powers that be at the Idaho Falls newspaper have somehow failed to report their numbers to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, or ABC, a well-known and trusted tracker of newspaper numbers. This is at least the second 6-month period in which the Idaho Falls newspaper has skipped this important task.

Remember that newspapers base advertising rates on their circulation numbers. What does this lapse actually tell advertisers?

Having just built new printing facilities (which event has been used to excuse everything from smaller papers to faulty color printing), one can only suppose the newspaper is feeling the financial pinch.

But it is not a surprise to observers that the paper seems to be experiencing shrinking revenues and shrinking subscriptions. Subscribers have been leaving in droves as a (sometimes) silent protest to blatant bias and poor reporting.

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Distractions while driving can cause accidents. Few will dispute this premise. However, the effectiveness of laws outlawing specific driving distractions is very much in question.

Many states and cities, including Idaho Falls, have or are considering laws to prohibit speaking on a cell phone while driving. And certainly all drivers have noticed erratic and possibly dangerous behavior by drivers on cell phones. (A rhetorical question must be asked here: if cell phone talking for average citizens is banned, wouldn’t it be reasonable to prohibit law enforcement personnel from speaking on radios or cell phones as well?)

But are cell phones the greatest distraction drivers face? Or are cell phone users targeted only because their specific activity is easily visible to outside observers? Just how many personal freedoms is the city council willing to take away in the name of safety? (”He who is willing to give up liberty for a little security….)

However, if we are to eliminate one driver distraction, is it not incumbent upon us to eliminate all dangerous distractions?

Any driver must admit there are other events or actions that are more potentially hazardous in a moving vehicle, and I dare the Idaho Falls City Council to take them on. They include:

Transporting a child under the age of 12
Transporting two or more children of any age
Children climbing out of child restraints
Listening to a music
Engaging in conversation with a passenger
Scratching an itch
Drinking/spilling coffee, water or soft drinks
Eating
Driving through school zones
Driving while angry, emotionally upset or unstable
Driving after a traumatic experience such as a near miss, minor accident, receiving a traffic ticket, etc.
Laughing
Driving while needing to relieve oneself at a restroom
Spotting an attractive person of the opposite (or same) sex
Attempting to read roadside signs or to locate an address
Driving while tired, hungry, lonely, thirsty, etc.

At a minimum, please outlaw child restraints, because drivers often engage in dangerous actions when children learn to disengage the buckles. On second thought, don’t bother. It would be much safer to ban all children in moving vehicles.

All passengers in the front seat must go, along with all radios, CD players, MP3 players, etc.

School zones must be eliminated, because the constant changing of speed and the presence of small children darting in and out of traffic are dangerous distractions.

All signs, including business, street and traffic signs must be eliminated, along with all food and drink inside vehicles.

Driving to or from the hospital, doctor’s office, funerals, law offices, court hearings, legal proceedings or any other events or locations where the driver may experience emotional distress must be curtailed. A designated driver or public transit must be used in such instances.

Pedestrians must be prohibited along roadways.

Driving within 30 minutes of watching a comedy or tragedy, or engaging in an argument with a significant other, must be prohibited in all cases.

And, of utmost importance, police officers must insist that all drivers visit the restroom within 5 minutes of sliding behind the steering wheel, and at least hourly while on multiple-destination city excursions. (Of course, if an officer is in doubt as to the condition of a driver, he could always administer a roadside porta-potty test. Admissibility of such a test in a court of law has not yet been determined.)

Go ahead, Ida Hardcastle and Karen Cornwall. Try it, Tom Hally and Mayor Fuhriman. Jump on board, Mike Lehto and Joe Groberg, if you must. But once you start down this road, you’d better finish the job.

Because you care, we’re holding you responsible for making our city streets truly safe.

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In a departure from the tone of previous posts, tonight I wish to publicly thank Mayor Fuhriman.

According to News Channel 8, last week the Mayor informed his former boss, Police Chief Kent Livsey, that he would not be reappointed to the position.

Today, Fuhriman and Livsey each spoke at separate press conferences.

Livsey announced his resignation, and will be on paid administrative leave until official resignation in January. Apparently he began clearing out his office last week. Said Livsey,

During my career, I’ve been shot at, I’ve been stabbed, and I’ve been beat unconscious and I just want to tell you this is much harder than any of that was.

After last week’s discussion with the Mayor, Livsey cited a difference in management styles as a reason for the parting of the ways.

And as a former police detective serving under Livsey, Mayor Fuhriman should know what he’s talking about.

At a separate news conference, Fuhriman announced the Chief’s resignation, claiming there was no wrong doing on the part of Livsey. Then he named Idaho Falls Police Captain Steve Roos as interim Chief of Police until Livsey’s resignation is final, at which time Roos will assume the full title and responsibilities.

First let me say that Livsey’s departure has long been coming. His “management style” has not set well with police officers or some city councilmen. There have been complaints that his decisions have not been sufficiently transparent, that in some cases he has disciplined officers too harshly, and in other cases not responded to accusations of police misconduct.

And let’s be honest - this action by Fuhriman is in agreement with the words and opinions of former city councilman Larry Lyon. You remember Larry - the controversial man with whom Fuhriman never wished to appear to agree. Lyon recently resigned his city council seat in order to run for a different council seat. Perhaps Fuhriman felt he could safely take action against Livsey at this time without appearing to align himself with Lyon. But that is a topic for another post.

And, of course, there was that embarrassing situation with the former city prosecutor, Kimball Mason, who stole a number of fire arms from the police evidence room on Livsey’s watch.

Personally, I have respect for Chief Livsey as a parent, knowing his children to be outstanding young men. However, I have found the Chief himself to be less than forthcoming, and somewhat arrogant. I have also found Livsey a little disrespectful of personal freedoms on some issues. For instance, just last week he announced he would attempt to outlaw using a cell phone while driving in the city. But that also is a topic for another post.

Second, I commend the Mayor for selecting a new chief from among the ranks of the Idaho Falls Police Department. I have always felt “national searches” for local positions are a slap in the face to hardworking employees who are essentially told there is no possibility of advancement in their hometown. Such hiring practices usually result in the selection of individuals who do not know our city or our state, and who often wish to remake their department over in the image of the organization they’ve just left - not always a good idea.

That is not to say that hiring locally is always a good idea. I could cite other city departments where that practice has been a mistake, but this is a topic for yet another post.

From all appearances, Captain Roos has conducted himself in an honorable manner, and earned the respect of his fellow police officers, including the Mayor.

Interim Chief Roos commented that he would be restructuring the police department organization to eliminate some of the upper management positions, calling the department “top heavy”. He also intends to improve the way officers patrol the city.

So, kudos to Mayor Fuhriman for having the intestinal fortitude to let Livsey go. As mentioned earlier, it’s been a long time coming. And kudos for appointing his replacement from within the Police Department itself.

These actions appear to be in keeping with one of the Mayor’s campaign promises, namely to carefully inspect city departments with the goal of increasing efficiency, maximizing the use of city tax dollars, and downsizing where necessary.

Good choices, Mayor. I hope you are just getting warmed up.

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If you are a news junkie like me, you’ve noticed a recent dearth of local news in Idaho Falls.

Sadly, KID AM radio has dropped almost all local news in the morning, opting instead to carry Bill Bennett’s dull Morning in America, with canned local weather and local headlines offered once or twice an hour between 6 and 8:30am.

KID, one of Idaho’s very first radio stations of any kind, has a decades-long tradition of searching out and broadcasting the best local news. However, KID has now abandoned that mission as it finds itself under both new management and new ownership, who are apparently intent upon removing all local content. The same is true of sister station KWIK of Pocatello.

And witness KID’s endlessly repeated “colon cleanse” and male enhancement infomercials that only add to the loss of listeners up and down the valley. (That said, however, KID does carry the best of the national programming, with Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck.)

How about Newstalk 690/1260 AM stations? Unfortunately, the morning host (also host of a noon hour show) simply lifts stories from the local newspaper (more about the paper in a moment) and interjects weak attempts at cleverness. It is hardly the host’s fault, however, that the “Morning Report” is overloaded with tired advertisements and worn-out PSA’s.

On the other hand, maybe it is partly his fault, as he is likely responsible for production of some ads and for loading fresh PSA’s, which are easily available. It is unlikely that he determines the extremely low ratio of news to ads, however.

And once again to the Idaho Falls newspaper. (Read an additional post here.) As I have already observed, the paper does not excel at local news, as most front-page stories appear to have been written days if not weeks earlier, and any truly breaking news is either relegated to available space on page 5, or skipped altogether. (So why WOULD Newstalk 690/1260 rely so heavily on it for news gathering?)

I am happy to say that I have found the real sources for local news: the television stations. Idaho Falls/Pocatello is probably the smallest television market to have all three major broadcast companies represented. CBS affiliate, KIDK TV in Idaho Falls, KIFI, the ABC affiliate, also in Idaho Falls, and KPVI, the NBC affiliate in Pocatello are all excellent sources for real news.

Apparently it takes a television station to employ actual reporters who search out the news, rather than just parrot back lackluster , obvious stories. I congratulate all three stations on their excellent news gathering and reporting, not only on the air, but also on their websites.

A former inveterate radio listener, I now own a radio that can pick up television audio. I tune in to News Channel 8’s “Local News 8 This Morning” which airs 6:00-7:00am, weekdays. It’s crammed full of local news and weather, with a smattering of national thrown in for good measure, but sports only a limited number of ads. The news people are articulate, bright and professional, making it a real delight.

When that’s over, I switch off the radio (or TV) and put in a favorite CD until it’s time for Rush.

I invite you to join me in abandoning radio when searching for local news. Look instead to television, and don’t forget to sign up for free email breaking news from the News Channel 8 website.

You’ll be glad you did.

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Yes, it’s true. Jared Fuhriman IS sorry. Today’s Idaho Falls newspaper headline reads: “Mayor Sorry for Storing Bong”.

To catch out-of-the-area readers up to date, Mayor Jared Fuhriman stored 2 boxes of marijuana pipes and other drug paraphernalia from the police evidence room in his home. When a member of the police department, Fuhriman used the items to “educate” parents in the D.A.R.E. program.

On August 12, Fuhriman’s 19-yr-old adopted son, Peyton, and 2 other men were cited for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent to use. One of the men told police the “foot-long bong” came from the mayor’s house.

(However, it wasn’t actually the newspaper that broke this story – it was idahofallz.com. [Check out comment #26 dated Aug. 15, 5:04pm, on “Conversation with the Mayor”]. And, by the way, why DID it take the newspaper 9 days to report this story? Was the information intentionally buried at the police department? Was this special treatment for Police Chief Kent Livsey’s boss, who just happens to be a former police officer? Or is this just another example of the incompetence at the Idaho Falls newspaper?)

At any rate, now the mayor is “sorry”. And he should be.

There are few who would cast the first stone at Fuhriman and his wife for having a child who has most certainly behaved in a manner contrary to their teachings. This is a family tragedy in the making. It can happen to any parent, regardless of time and effort spent teaching children the difference between right and wrong. We can only hope the Fuhriman family is able to deal with this problem and move forward.

However, there are very serious questions which must be asked about Mayor Fuhriman’s judgment in storing items from the police evidence room in his home for 15 years.

Have we so quickly forgotten the Kimball Mason case? Mason was convicted of stealing guns from the police evidence room, as well as falsifying public documents. Mason was given a one- to five-year prison term in May, 2006, and a three- to 10-year prison term this March.

Can it really be true that Fuhriman never thought of the boxes of drug paraphernalia stored in his home as Mason’s case became a public scandal? Did it never occur to Fuhriman that it is dangerous to store such items in a home with children present? How could he “forget” items he borrowed from the evidence room?

Remember that an audit of the police evidence room was conducted in August, 2006, as a result of the Mason case. Police Chief Livsey never told his officers to “bring everything back”? As mayor and chief executive of the city, Fuhriman never thought of his own “evidence”?

And what other embarrassing items will be found missing from the Idaho Falls Police evidence room??? Whatever surfaces, don’t expect to read about it in the Idaho Falls newspaper.

In conclusion, Idahoans in general, and residents of Idaho Falls in particular, tend to be forgiving and allow elected officials (at least some of them) the benefit of the doubt when mis-steps are made. However, given the context (and results) of the Mayor’s “oversight”, perhaps a more firm approach is called for.

And how does this incident reflect on the city of Idaho Falls?

I am quite confident that to unbiased outsiders, Idaho Falls appears woefully behind the times.

The newspaper has egg on its face. Again.

Chief Kent Livsey looks incompetent.

And the Mayor looks, well, sorry.

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In a previous post, I pointed out that the Idaho Falls newspaper appears to be losing it’s grip. It failed for several days to report important local news about convicted former county and city prosecutor, Kimball Mason. And it placed the story about the Minneapolis bridge collapse on page 5 the morning after it occurred.

In response to complaints about their coverage, the newspaper’s acting executive editor, Monte LaOrange, states that:

While the Post Register strives to have a complete, daily balance of nation, world, regional and local news, we will almost always run local stories and stories of local interest in the most prominent positions.

Yes, remember that the above-the-fold story on August 2nd, the day after the bridge collapse, concerned an Idaho Falls High School graduate working to overcome bacterial antibiotic resistance. This is a story that, while well-written, had probably been completed and in the hopper for several days, if not weeks. Not really “new” news.

Yet today we find on the front page articles entitled “NASA conducts tests to assess shuttle gouge” and “Rove was good, bad and did it smugly”, both fresh national stories. (Granted, neither was “above the fold”.)

Come on, newspaper. You can’t have it both ways.

Why don’t you just admit that you hate to mess up the front page when you have it “put to bed” after deadline?

And admit that when there isn’t much local news, you grab some national headlines and stuff them on the front page. The make-up of your front page is driven to a large extent by what is already written, and what fits the available space.

Perhaps there’s a little laziness revealed here.

And your readers will admit that you are becoming much less relevant - and much more like the weekly “feature” newspaper that has very little to do with daily life in southeastern Idaho.

Local television stations are doing a much better job of keeping up on local news, though they are unable to deliver the depth that a newspaper can.

It’s tough for a newspaper to be shoved aside by more immediate news sources. At least you have company, as newspapers across the nation shrink in advertising revenue and readership.

But, then again, you could always offer another “75% off” sale on subscriptions to some of your readers, while the rest pay full price.

That’s sure to keep ‘em happy.

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