GOP's tax relief plan shows need for change

The Idaho Legislature has voted in its version of property tax relief. While this legislation does offer a miniscule amount of property tax relief. It does nothing to address the basic problem and that is the present unlimited (pie-in-the-sky) method of setting property assessments.

What the Legislature did do is raise the sales tax to 6 percent. I feel the any raise in the Idaho sales tax should be coupled with and exemption for food and nonalcoholic beverages, also the repeal of Idaho's income tax. For most people in Idaho the sales tax is another tax on their income.

As for the problem of an equitable way to set property assessments, I believe this can best be done by establishing the true market value (what a property last sold for) as its assessed value.

There has been talk of placing a cap on how much property assessment may be raised per year. In view of recent property assessment, this would only be effective if accompanied by at least a 15-year roll-back in property assessments.

In my opinion our senators and representatives did a very poor job of representing the views of the voters that elected them. I feel it's time for a change in the Legislature. We need to elect new people to represent us. The Republican Party has controlled the legislature far to long. It's past time for a change.

A.B. KELLOGG

Sandpoint