Lieutenant Governor’s Race: LaRocco vs. Risch
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I wanted to start a discussion thread of Idaho’s candidates for our Lieutenant Governor. The two realistic contenders are Jim Risch and Larry LaRocco.
You can talk about most anything regarding these two you would like. I would personally like to see discussion of their past experience, training, accomplishments, and mistakes rather than what their party philosophies are.
Risch’s official site on the Governor’s website is http://gov.idaho.gov/ourgov/Risch_Bio.html (he does not have a campaign site; a sign of confidence or ego?), and his wikipedia entry is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Risch. UPDATE: A guest posted Risch’s campaign address in the chatbox: http://www.risch.org
LaRocco’s campaign site is http://www.laroccoforidaho.com/, and his wikipedia entry is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_LaRocco.
I notice incumbent Jim Risch earned his law degree from the University of Idaho, which I’ve noticed is a trait of many Idaho leaders. Risch’s wikipedia biography notes the following interesting facts about his political career:
- First elected in 1974.
- Lost reelection in 1988 (Idaho’s most expensive election ever).
- Lost 1994 primary election.
- Appointed by Phil Batt in 1995 as State Commerce Department Director.
- Wanted the Lt. Governor position in 2001, but was snubbed by Dirk Kempthorne in favor of Jack Riggs.
- In 2002, Risch spent $360,000 of his own money to win the $27,000 position. (how much fiscal sense does that make?)
- In 2006, became Governor when Dirk Kempthorne became U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
- Infamously convened the unusual special legislative session to shift high-valued property taxes to sales tax on August 25, 2006.
I notice that LaRocco served as an Army Captain during the Vietnam era, and he has already served two terms as Idaho’s congressional representative.
Discuss away education or experience that you deem important, or their statements or mistakes you deem important.
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Comments
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0 
0 You could watch the debate between these two candidates if Risch had the backbone to show up:
http://idahoptv.org/elections/2006/gendebates/ltgov/index.cfm
I notice Risch’s team couldn’t even both a minute to submit his candidate information for comparison to LaRocco.
I really cannot stand Risch. His behavior appears arrogant, like he thinks he is above having to actually run for the office.
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0 0 I was able to find Risch’s campaign website right off - http://www.risch.org.
Debate? What are you talking about! All three of the Lt. Gov. canidates debated at NNU in Nampa, and it was broadcast across the state. It was a good debate, with clear deliniation about where the candidates stand. Larocco lost his temper, was a little more mean-spirited than normal, and made promises that only the state’s chief executive can deliver on. Risch was composed and, unlike Larocco, understood the scope of authority of the job. He also demonstrated that he’s prepared to take over the #1 spot again should the need arise. The Constitutionalist, Wellish (spelling?) sounded like he wanted to use the post as a tool to eliminate the government…odd.
What I like best about Risch is that he’s accomplished more in five months than most Governor’s have accomplished in four years! Here’s a list of the accomplishments that I think are most important, in rank order:
1. Stopping coal-fired power plants from being built in Idaho - we definitely don’t need mercury poluting our water and air.
2. Working to keep inmates in Idaho - I agree with you on this one Joe Vandal. Putting Vaughn Killeen in the driver’s seat at corrections was a good move, and will pay dividends in better operations, better employee morale, and keeping inmates closer to their families here in Idaho (which is critical for rehab).
3. Expanding nursing programs in Idaho - from personal experience, Idaho’s going gray, and we’re going to need more healthcare professionals to help care for our aging population. And on top of this, nursing is a great career and demand for training far exceeds capacity. Socially and economically, this makes sense.
JV, I disagree with you on the property tax cut. The plan Larocco tried to sell didn’t hold Constitutional water. To claim that the Governor could enact sweeping reforms like this without full SUPPORT of the legislature either demonstrates a lack of knowledge of the process by which a bill becomes a law, or demonstrates blind committment to ideology.
My two cents…
Thanks,
Karen
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0 0 Karen: thanks for your opinion.
I have to give props to Risch for the coal-powered plant ban. I don’t see that he took that credit from anyone, and that took some political courage.
Again, I think Risch took credit for the prisoner bunkbeds more than he really initiated the project. I don’t give him credit for that.
As for the property tax cut, I have to disagree with you on that. I don’t know about LaRocco’s plan, but it doesn’t matter cuz the issue is what Risch did.
Your statement says it ironically: “full SUPPORT of the legislature”. I should have read “FULL support” because the vote was nearly along party lines.
Votes that are along party lines demonstrate, as you say “blind commitment to ideology” or perhaps better described as blind commitment to the party leadership.
If my representatives vote according to what their party leadership tells them to do, then they don’t represent me anymore.
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0 0 parody of jim risch avoiding the debate:
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0 0 Karen,
Looks like Risch isn’t fully aware of the responsibilities of Lt. Governor, as he is claiming to remove the tax from groceries…What’s up with that?
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0 0 Our Temp Governor has been handing out community/development grants like its still halloween. The media is reporting that Risch “Just” approved grants for the Twin Falls are and East Idaho. My question is why is he just getting around to approving these grants less than a week before the election?. Using grant money to buy votes like he’s used tax payer dollars to travel around the state campaigning?, the little guy sure doesn’t like to stay in his office very much lately, he better get all the big office time he can since he’ll get kicked out of there in a few months. I can’t wait to see what his Christmas party will be like lol.
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0 0 I’ve got to admit I’ve become concerned Risch is campaigning on our tax dollars. He refused to participate in the IPTV debate, which is a core campaign tradition, and I’ve read that he mixes campaign activities with his unusually numerous travels around the state.
I think Jim Risch is campaigning on our tax dollars and is abusing the system. Notice the reports saying he has barely spent any of his campaign funds? Why should he spend his own funds when he can dispose of ours?
Who investigates this type of fraud that Risch is peretrating? Isn’t it the Secretary of State Ben Ysursa?
How egregious or obvious does Jim Risch have to get in his “official” campaign activities before he is investigated?
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I’ll have to admit I finally read about something I’m happy Jim Risch did: configuring our prisons to hold about 300 more inmates, so we can house them in Idaho cheaper than out of state.
However, knowing Risch, the skeptic in me wonders how much Risch was really responsible for this action?
Did he initiate it, implement it, and follow through on it? Or did it come across his desk to approve, and now he’s taking credit for it?