Oregon Public Broadcasting

Idaho’s newly-elected Democrat Walt Minnick is embarking on what he’s calling an “economic listening tour” through north Idaho.

He’s promising to work with Republicans in the state’s delegation to turn around the region’s economy. North Idaho correspondent Doug Nadvornick reports.

Even before he takes office next month, Walt Minnick is hitting the road to hear from constituents. Like the nation’s governors, he’s calling for a multi-billion dollar investment in infrastructure projects.

In fact Minnick says there are highway projects in north Idaho and the Boise area that are ready for construction.

Walt Minnick: “I think we also need to be preserving right-of-way for mass transit and right-of-way for future construction where if you spend a nickel now, you save a dollar later. And we clearly need more transmission lines.”

Minnick says that increase in federal spending should only be short term. Once the economy is jumpstarted, he says Congress should turn its attention to reducing the federal deficit.

He knows that won’t be easy. Some of his constituents-to-be are already asking him to find money for their pet projects.

The conservative Democrat jokes he’ll have to adopt a movie persona.

Walt Minnick: “I expect to be Dr. No on a whole lot of things.”