Source: Window
on the Clearwater
Leland Heinrich is running for
the Republican nomination to the District 8 Senate seat.
He was raised on a seed potato
ranch in Valley County and was involved in 4-H while
he was growing up. Heinrich was awarded a Union Pacific
Railroad scholarship and attended the University of Idaho
were he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural
economics.
After college, Heinrich worked
for Idaho Farm Bureau and then Arizona Farm Bureau. He
came back to Idaho and worked for Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance
in southern Idaho, before coming back to the family ranch
after his father had a heart attack. It was also about
that time he was divorced.
He and his wife, Brenda, met and
were married. Her folks had built a resort with 16 cabins
and boat rentals on Lake Cascade where the couple
was involved in running a tourist business. Heinrich
was also involved with the West Mountain Snowmobile Club
to help bring in winter tourists.
Three years ago when there were
some improprieties in the handling of money in some counties,
he was appointed to work with the Attorney General and
State Controller to develop an Ethics Manual. The manual
has Best Management Practices that give county elected
officials the tools if they are inclined to do it ethically,
he said.
Due to his forte in budgeting he also helped with
revision of Uniform Accounting and Budget Manual. He
has also taught budgeting policy to newly elected clerks
for the last 10-12 years.
He just retired from the Cascade
Medical Center board and is on the board of the Cascade
Rural Fire and EMS. He feels it is time for him to stand
down on some of his local involvements.
The present senator from District
8, Skip Brandt encouraged him to run. He and his wife
decided this bid for state office is something they want
to make at this time of their lives.
Heinrich feels that taxes are
one of the biggest issues in the Idaho Legislature. The
lawmakers have been “bandaiding” the structure
for years and it is his opinion that they have done that
again this year. He feels that there can be some tax
shifting to take the burden off property taxes. Some
school districts have more revenue than they need and
some do not have enough. Valley County has had an influx
of revenue and others like Clearwater and Lewis Counties
are withering. A different distribution formula is needed.
Though he may not have
all the answers, he does feel that he has the background
to lead the discussion about changes.
County governments are under some
pretty stringent rules and he feels that the state should
have to live by their own rules. Money for education
needs to be put in specific funds and not spent for anything
else. He feels it is also very important to maintain
control of schools at the local level and if money came
from the general fund, it would have strings. He said
that over 80 percent of local dollars are mandated and
he does not know of any county with “fluff” in
their budget, so funds with strings may not get where
it is supposed to go.
Heinrich said he does believe
that a fetus is a human or baby, but does not feel that
morals can be legislated. Changing those must be in people's
upbringing.
He feels that everyone ought to
be able to shoot a wolf because things have become so
out of proportion. Heinrich would like to see the state
manage wolves and come up with scientific controls.
If wolves are the problem with ungulates, they need to
be taken out of it, but it needs to be on a scientific
basis, not just emotion.
Continued access to public lands
is another issue in the legislature. He feels that people
need to be vigilant and not lose access. He said that
forest travel plans are coming out now that with access
closed, unless it is marked open and roads are being closed
for ease of management. That is not the answer, though
there are some scientific reasons for closing and posting.
Heinrich feels that people would
be satisfied with his representation. He would vote his
conscience, but that would be pretty much in line with
fiscally conservative voters. He has been a small business
owner and feels he could see issues through their eyes.
He would make a “statement of obligation” to
be in the counties during the off season so people would
have access to their senator.
When he ran as clerk of Valley
County, he made a promise to leave the door open and
be accessible and he makes that same promise now. |
