OPINION: The business of politics
Brent Regan
The most powerful lobbying agency in Idaho is unknown to most Idaho voters. This organization wields enormous power and influence over every state elected official. How do we know this? None of them will openly criticize, or even talk about it.
In 1974 the Idaho State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Idaho merged to form the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, or IACI, whose mission is to generate prosperity for the state of Idaho by creating a favorable environment in which business and industry can prosper. This is a worthy goal; however it does have some side effects.
IACI’s priority is business and often the priorities of business conflict with the freedoms of the individual taxpayer. For example, having a supply of trained workers is good for business so having the Idaho LAUNCH program pay students $8,000 in tuition to be trained for “in-demand careers” means business and students don’t have to pay for the training. You pay for it instead. You are underwriting the prosperity of others based on the theory that the collective is more important than you the individual. This should remind you of socialism.
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