February 8, 2024
The Inside Scoop
by: Christy Zito, Candidate for Idaho Senate, District 8
President Trump exposed the swamp in DC and put them on notice during his presidency.
A DC like a swamp in Idaho has taken over the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC).
JFAC is a joint committee with members from both the House and the Senate. It is their job to finalize the budgets of the legislature, bureaucratic agencies, and other executive branch departments before the budgets go to the House and Senate floor for a vote.
Center-left “Republicans” (The Main Street Caucus) have teamed up with Democrats to stop the effort to ensure transparency and accountability in the budget process. This move will make it easier to spend your money at levels never heard of in Idaho.
JFAC members decide how much of your money is spent each year. You would think in a conservative state such as Idaho, we could eliminate the income and/or grocery tax; however, because of the addiction to “other people’s money” and a tax-and-spend mentality, the budget for the state of Idaho continues to grow and not just by a small amount. The budget has doubled since 2015 and increased 54% in the last four years. The population has not even come close to doubling. We had 1.6 million residents in 2010; we are still just under 2 million today.
This year, before the legislative session had begun, the co-chairs of JFAC had developed a plan to ensure more transparency and control over the budget, changing how budgets pass out of committee.
The process would have maintenance budgets “just to keep the lights on” for state agencies appropriated first. Anything extra wanted by the agencies would be voted on separately to allow a thorough review of spending and increase transparency in the process.
Last Friday, when the House co-chair and another more conservative member were absent at the committee hearing, the Main Street Caucus “Republicans” and the Democrats teamed up to dismantle the new conservative budgeting process.
By doing this, they can add all the spending they want into budgets with less transparency, increasing spending and further depending on federally borrowed dollars.
We need more fighters in the Idaho legislature who are unafraid to stand up for the people and say NO to these DC-type spending scams.
I am proud to say I have done this, and if I earn your vote this May, I will continue your work fighting for transparency and conservative spending.
Only a few senators can stand up and say they have done this.
My voting record shows that I keep my word to you.
God bless you and yours,
Christy Zito
Candidate Senate LD8
