Stop IACI’s LAUNCH bill
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Dear Senator,
I write you with concerns regarding HB24, Governor Little’s free college socialist bill.
After seeing Idaho’s largest lobbying organization & 4th branch of government, IACI, celebrate in videos and send out congratulatory text messages following their slim win in the House I am disturbed.
Hearing that this bill will be forced through the Commerce & Human Resource Committee instead of the germane Education Committee shows disregard for how the process is supposed to work.
Knowing that over 60% of Idaho’s general fund budget is already appropriated for education expenditures raises the greatest concern. This is in addition to state dedicated funds allocated to Idaho education.
Why is this program centered around IACI-based careers? Won’t that create an imbalance of post-secondary education in other areas? Why is the Workforce Development Council, tasked with overseeing the approval of this money to students, seated with corporations set to benefit from the passing of this bill? Why are legislators that collect thousands of dollars in campaign donations from these same corporations on this council? Is this not conflict of interest?
It is not the role of government to “invest” taxpayer funds into post-secondary education. This will surely cause programs at Universities to increase their tuition.
What conclusion should a citizen come to other than lobby money travels to politicians’ campaigns, politicians vote for massive debt increases to benefit the same lobbyist, lobbyists hand select their own future workforce and receive high retention, and colleges pocket money allotted?
This reeks of quid pro quo between lobbyists, education institutions, and Idaho legislators. Please vote no on the incoming HB24 in the Senate.
Thank you
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