As the legislative task force looking for money to replace gas taxes that now go to ISP and Parks & Rec broke for lunch, Eye on Boise asked Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, what he thought of what he heard this morning. In answer, he grabbed his blue-striped tie and mimed hanging himself. "First, it confirms that access to the general fund is not the answer," he said. "Secondly, it tells you that you can raise fines and so forth but it could be just like the cigarette tax - if you reduce offenses, which it's supposed to do, then the revenue decreases." Hammond said it makes sense to him to examine some type of fee increases related to state police services to help fund ISP. But, he said, "Parks & Rec, there's a direct nexus there. I don't see why we want to fool with it. ... It is a direct connection, how it's generated and where it's spent."

Lawmakers this year voted to remove the gas tax money that now goes to both agencies, effective in a year, and set up the task force to fill the gap. But Hammond said it makes little sense to shift gas tax money that's paid on gas burned in off-road vehicles, boats and snowmobiles to road repairs. He'd rather "unring the bell" and reverse this year's decision. "I think that's going to have to be on the table," he said. "It just makes so much sense." The amount in question is about $4.5 million that now funds trails, and would shift to road work. Said Hammond, "We need to fund that somewhere else."

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