The Politics of Power

Whoever has it, wins

Systemic corruption isn’t just in D.C., it’s in all 50 state capitols, including Boise. Here’s the deal:

During COVID, there was a massive influx of cash into government coffers, swelling budgets. Corporations, including hospitals, got rich, while people were paid to stay home.

But now, as the gravy train slows, these groups, used to fat government checks, are scrambling. They’re pushing hard to install legislators who will keep the money flowing. And when the funds dry up?

They turn to more of your taxpayer dollars.

They’re trying to pass bills that replace the family with government, embedding this idea in dozens of bills. Relying on the government means taxpayers foot the bill. The only barrier? True conservative fighters.

There are two types of elected officials:

1. The yes men: These folks serve lobbyists, bureaucrats, and the executive branch. They find their identity in their position, which is why they engage in questionable financial activities and follow orders without question. They’re just cogs in the establishment machine.

2. The watchmen: Like me. We don’t find our

   identity in our titles. I don’t care what the lobbyist class thinks of me, I don’t bow down to the Governor, and I always prioritize individual rights and freedoms over corporate interests. As a proud member of the IFC, I’m your watchman in the Senate.

Let’s set the stage here: Idaho is NOT a conservative utopia.

In fact, according to a recent study by the ILA, Idaho has some of the country's most liberal Republicans.

Consider this:

• Government and budget growth is insane. Pre-pandemic it was $8.3 billion, now it’s $13.9 billion, a growth of 67.47%, nearly twice what we’d expect with inflation and population growth.

• Our massive welfare state is largely funded by federal dollars, hovering around $5 billion.

• Education is crucial, but despite throwing more money at it, the results aren’t improving.

We can’t keep growing the government and expanding at this pace without something breaking.

If you keep going down the same road, you eventually get somewhere. For example, our national debt balloon is now $34 trillion, growing by $1 trillion every 90-100 days—it used to take 6 years!

This is fueled by states like Idaho that are addicted to federal dollars. This leads to inflation, which we've all felt at the pump, in the grocery store, and with housing costs.

Did you know the guy running against me voted yes on every single spending bill that came to the Senate floor last time he was in office? This is not conservative.

This recklessness will see our national debt hit $37 trillion by year's end. That debt balloon will eventually pop, and if we keep spending like this at the state level, we’re literally helping it happen. When it bursts, 40% of our state budgets—those federal dollars—will vanish, and we'll be in a dire situation.

What we need are watchmen, not yes men:

• We need people who will sound the alarm and push back.

• We need people who refuse to conform and who will expose corruption.

As a member of the Idaho Freedom Caucus, I’m one of those people. That’s why the establishment is spending over $100,000 on TV ads and hiring out-of-state canvassers to spread lies about me—they want me gone.

Remember, politics is ultimately about the adjudication of power.

When citizen legislators take power from the system and return it to the people, they face fierce opposition.