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District 3B
Question 1
What proposals would you support to promote Idaho as
a business friendly state?
David Rawls
I would work together with
legislators from other districts to bring a greater focus on
professional technical education to strengthen and develop
our workforce. Education post high school is essential
to prepare students for their future and our local and state
economies offer many good careers in manufacturing,
construction, technology, and service industries.
Secondly, I would work to completely remove the tax on
business personal property. This will encourage new
investment and promote growth of capital intensive
businesses. Third, I believe there are specific laws
and regulations that should be modified or amended to assist
our, timber and forest products industries to be able to
realize economies necessitated by the increasing cost of
fuel. I support implementing the GARVEE bonding
concept to improve our state's highways as quickly as
possible.
Question 2
Do you support urban renewal districts and tax
increment financing as an economic development tool?
Why or why not?
David Rawls
I support the concept and
thoughtful use of this tool to promote and encourage
economic development. I believe the citizens of
Hayden, Post Falls, and Coeur d'Alene have benefited, and
will continue to benefit, from the accelerated development
of local properties and the enhanced infrastructure provided
by tax increment financing. I would resist taking away
the "shoe string" concept from the URD statute as its use
will be of benefit to the schools in Coeur d'Alene.
The taxing entities, e.g. city, school, fire districts, all
will see increased assessed values when these URD's reach
their end date. When the projects envisioned and
proposed to the City Council by the creation of the URD
completes its mission, I would expect the URD to close as
early as possible upon completion of the projects.
This will bring the enhanced property values onto the tax
rolls to the benefit of all tax payers.
Question 3
Do you support giving local jurisdictions Local
Option Sales Tax authority to address community specific
issues? Under what provisions?
David Rawls
Yes, I believe the Local Option Sales Tax authority
should be available for any purpose which the local
community voters approve.
Question 4
How would you propose the state address the $240
million transportation budget shortfall?
David Rawles
I believe there is a necessary combination of increased
fees and increase fuel taxes which will have to be raised to
meet this budget shortfall. I do not support
increasing registration fees solely as see this as an unfair
and unbalanced tax upon those who's vehicle are driven very
few miles each year However, an increase in the fuel
taxes have greater justification as those who use the
highways the most would pay the most, a more appropriate
tax. Shifting sales taxes on used car and new car
sales, sales tax on tires, batteries, etc from the general
fund to the highway fund is not a solution; no new revenue
is generated by this proposal.
Lucas Braden, Public Affairs
Manager
(208)415-0109
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