For decades, Republicans have dominated Idaho politics. That domination can be seen everywhere in the state, and the office of governor is no exception.
Since Phil Batt took over for Cecil Andrus in 1995, Idaho governors have all come from the Republican Party.
Many do not see a problem with these results, and forget that incredibly one-sided politics can lead to stagnation of results.
The domination of the Republican Party must be considered when hitting the voting booth in 2014.
Balukoff will be the Democratic Party’s candidate for governor come election time.
It’s time the best candidate gets elected to office, not just the one with the correct letter next to their name.
It’s important to remember the difference between Democrats in Idaho and Democrats around the nation. Idaho slants everything to the right, including the more liberal party.
A vote for Balukoff is hardly a vote for the “Democrat working to advance the Obama administration’s big government priorities here in Idaho,” that Butch Otter claims him to be.
Rhetoric like this rears its ugly head in Idaho far too often, leading to irrational partisanship, which is detrimental to Idahoans. The people of Idaho should be looking for ideas and improvement instead of fancy words and empty promises from politicians.
While I wholeheartedly doubt it is an intentional consequence of nefarious politicians, Idaho’s government has yet to show the results promised. Idaho governance has been largely single party for over a decade. So the lack of shown results in fields such as education and economic growth can no longer be blamed on obtrusive Democrats or political gridlock.
According the Census Bureau, Idaho ranked 50th in spending per pupil during 2007. Seven years later, this number has stayed virtually the same, leaving Idaho ahead of only Utah in spending per student.
It’s true that spending does not always equal results, and throwing money at a fundamentally flawed system will not necessarily fix it. However, something needs to be done, as only 30 percent of Idaho students meet SAT college readiness benchmarks.
Compare those numbers to Massachusetts and you see the difference money can make. Massachusetts spends nearly twice as much per students, and nearly 80 percent of their students reach the exact same SAT college readiness benchmarks.
Only time will tell if Balukoff is the right pick for Idaho, but one party’s policy has left Idahoans continually looking for answers.
With new information appearing continually, it’s imperative to give Balukoff a look.
This election season Idahoans need to keep an open mind, it’s time for something new and it’s important to give each candidate a legitimate chance before casting your ballot.
Something needs to change in Idaho, and Balukoff may just be it.
Justin Ackerman can be reached at [email protected]