"It's going to be horrible..."

At the end of today's JFAC budget committee meeting, Betsy Russell reports:

With so few options, the Rupert Republican (Dean Cameron) is blunt about the task of making ends meet starting in January.

“It’s going to be horrible,” he said.

Yes, he is right. And,it will be made more horrible if the majority party does not move to a reasonable perspective and seriously considers additional revenue sources. Those sources should include after thoughtful review, the repeal of some tax exemptions and exclusions.

The implied appeal to Idaho citizens to "suck it up" and "tell us what they can do without", is a cop out. Here is what Vice Chairwomen Sen. Shawn Keough said after hearing the catastrophic possibilities in Idaho's Medicaid program.

It’s breathtaking,” said Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, vice-chairwoman of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. “I think everyone in Idaho needs to understand where we’re at, and be prepared to sacrifice in a lot of ways. They need to communicate to us what their priorities are - what can they do without in services, and what do they feel they absolutely have to have, and how do they want to pay for that?”

Last legislative session many Idaho citizens tried to do just that. They testified at hearings. They wrote letters and emails. They made phone calls. What evidence has been provided that this legislative session will be different?