Idaho's state Land Board has paid more than a quarter-million dollars since 2007 to one of the state's top Republican operatives for a public relations campaign, but officials say the state's getting a great deal. "We're very happy with the results so far," said Idaho state Lands Department Director George Bacon.

Mike Tracy's one-man PR firm has developed a DVD about state endowment lands, scheduled dozens of presentations by Tracy or state officials to everything from school boards to chambers of commerce to Rotary clubs, and commissioned two polls to track how much Idahoans know about the state endowment and how they view it. Since it first signed a contract with Tracy in October of 2007, the Land Board has paid him $279,009.  You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.