For the most part, legislators got it right during 2007 session

The first sign that this year's Idaho legislative session might have come up short of expectations came out Monday from Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's office in the form of a press release.

The release began with: "With a perspective born of little more than buying their ink by the barrel, pundits are writing that the first regular session of the 59th Idaho Legislature — my first as Idaho's governor — was contentious, dysfunctional, "do-nothing," and even the worst in a generation.

"They are entitled to their opinions, but they ignore some far more important facts."

Our local legislators work hard — very hard, from January through March. There isn't a day that goes by when they aren't working hard for their constituents while balancing what they feel is important for the state.

I had the opportunity to spend some time in Boise this session and each time I visited I was more impressed with the juggling act each perform.

The sad, geographic fact is that Bonner and Boundary counties aren't near Boise. As long as that truth remains, we are going to have to elect legislators who can mix consensus building with backbone.

For the most part, our elected officials got it right.

While it would be easy to pick apart individual votes, we are reminded that less than a week after the final gavel closed the session, Joyce is back selling log homes, Shawn is back working with loggers, George is back selling real estate and Eric is back working on developments near Priest Lake.

The citizen legislator model is alive and well in these parts and we believe we are better off for it.

David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee.