Health care, roads key topics as Otter visits area

PONDERAY — Health care and roads were among the many concerns raised Thursday as Ponderay hosted Gov. C.L. Butch Otter and Cabinet directors for Capital for a Day.

One woman said she is concerned about the salt brine used on the roads in the wintertime, due to the damage it did to the brakes on her two vehicles. She undercoats her vehicles, she said, but said there is still damage from the chemicals.

"One constant about Capital for a Day, anywhere north of Lewiston, is we get this question," said Lt. Gov. Brad Little.

Several others expressed the same concerns, including a woman who works for Northern Lights, Inc. With 125 vehicle, she said, the budget has gone up about 25 percent for vehicle maintenance.

Jim Coleman, District 1 representative on the Idaho Transportation Board, said the Idaho Transportation Department has "evolved" to try and do more with less. Salt brine allows ITD to get the snow off the roads faster than grit mixed with salt.

"I know this is hard to believe, but we are actually putting less salt on the road than we were when we were using grit mixed with salt," Coleman said. "If you don't mix salt with the grit, it just blows off ... We are well aware of the issues."

Over the last three or four years, ITD has been using different additives to try to reduce the corrosive nature of the salt brine, Coleman said.

In addition to road issues, health care was also a key concern of several constituents. One of the many health care questions revolved around the "Idaho coverage gap."

"As far as health care coverage in this state, how do you plan to make health care coverage affordable for everyone in this state, especially those of us who fall under the estimated $12,000 federal line where we can not get federal subsidies from the Obamacare act?" a woman asked, directing the question at the governor.

Since the passing of the Affordable Care Act, Otter said Idaho has tried to close that gap.

"We haven't been successful," he said. "I think the closest we came was PCAP."

Otter said state officials thought PCAP, which stands for Primary Care Access Program, would have insured 38,000 people. The ACA, however, has not done anything to lower the cost of medical care, which is "what it was supposed to do," Otter said. 

"To the extent that insurance can provide health care, that's great, but the Affordable Care Act did not do that. It left that huge gap in there of, we estimate, about 78,000 people in Idaho," Otter said. "... We've tried several different designs. Right now, I'm not sure I want to try and do anything because I don't know what they are going to do in Washington, D.C."

After fielding a few more questions, the group had some lunch, after which Otter was joined by Ponderay Mayor Steve Geiger as he proclaimed Ponderay as Idaho's Capital for a Day.

"This really is an honor," Geiger told the Daily Bee. "There are a lot of great questions and dialogue — it's pretty cool."

Each month, the governor and select Cabinet members head to a different city in Idaho to give citizens a chance to have open discussions about government issues and public policy.

Other state officials who attended the small town hall-style meeting Thursday were Office of Species Conservation Administrator Dustin Miller, Department of Correction Director Henry Atencio, Department of Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore, Department of Lands Director Tom Schultz, Deputy Director Jess Byrne from the Department of Environmental Quality; , and Bill Booth of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Health and Welfare had regional officials on hand to take questions as well.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.