C.L. Otter: “I rise to strike the required word. One of the greatest responsibilities of representing Idaho in Congress is convincing…”

“I rise to strike the required word. One of the greatest responsibilities of representing Idaho in Congress is convincing Members who represent other States--particularly those east of the Mississippi River--why some issues matter to us so much. High among those issues is our unique relationship with our biggest landlord. Almost two-thirds of Idaho is federally owned, and therefore exempt from local property taxes that pay for everything from our children's schools to police and fire protection. Picking up our Uncle Sam's slack means in the West we each pay higher property taxes and our counties are forced to make tough choices about essential public services. Counties in Idaho were shorted $75.5 million from 1995 through 2004 alone. That burden is heaviest where it can least be borne, in more rural counties with relatively small tax bases. Since almost all the land in the East is private, States there have no such concerns. Many Members of Congress from the East, care little about how tax-exempt Federal land hurts folks in Idaho. They just don't get it. I am extremely disappointed at the Administration's FY 06 PILT request of $200 million--a $26.8 million reduction from the FY 05 payment. PILT was funded at $200 million back in 2001 and is clearly a step backward in a commitment to compensate counties for financial burdens imposed on them through an overwhelming Federal presence.…”