Category Archives: Idaho

Idaho

Pay for Local East Idaho County Officials a Rip Off

If pay for Pocatello and Chubbuck officials is a bargain, then we’re getting ripped off from Bannock County officials.

According to the League of Women Voters, Bannock County Commissioners, and Officers, make $60,000 + per year.  The one exception is the County Coroner who makes only $23,195 per year.

Let’s put that in perspective.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bannock County, Idaho, has a population of 80,812.  The majority of which live in the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck.  When you combine the population numbers of those two cities, that totals 61,166, or 75% of the total population in Bannock County.  Now realize that the residents of those two cities get most, if not all, their services from their cities.  So why is pay for officials at the county level so high, compared to city officials?

Here’s another interesting piece of information; Bannock County has the highest tax rate in the whole state of Idaho (actual total dollar amount collected is not the highest in the state, there are several counties that collect much more than Bannock).  County officials point out that most of the taxes end up going towards the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck, and School District 25.  If that’s the case, where is the county getting the money to pay the high salaries?

In a side issue; former Pocatello Mayor Roger Chase, in an interview he did as mayor, said that the top employers in Pocatello are not paying property taxes. Chase implied that those taxes are being passed on to everyone else who is paying property taxes.

Considering the population of Bannock County, and the fact that 75% of that population live in two cities that are providing their services, and the fact that most of those city’s elected officials make far less money than the county officials, I don’t see the justification for the higher county pay.  I’d like to see future candidates for county positions run on a pledge to lower their salaries.

The League of Women Voters of Idaho have their own website; lwvid.org.  The information about the pay of officials is published in a brochure.  For Bannock County, it is published by the League of Women Voters of Pocatello. It also contains cities of Chubbuck, and Pocatello, and state and federal official’s salaries.

Idaho

Pay for Local East Idaho City Officials a Bargain

My critical attitude towards local City officials was tempered, a little, after reading the amount of pay they get.

To make it clear what a bargain the officials of Chubbuck, Idaho, are, I’ll remind you that Allstate announced the planned opening of a call center here, with a starting annual salary of $27,000.

According to the Pocatello League of Women Voters, the Mayor of Chubbuck gets $45,000 per year.  Doesn’t seem bad for Chubbuck, but then the official population for the city is only 9,700.  It gets better with the city council. Chubbuck City Council members get $6,300 per year.

Obviously they’ve got to have income from elsewhere, and explains why most are business owners.  As local business owners it means, theoretically, that they are very concerned with the local economy.  This is another reason why your voting attention needs to be focused locally; your local officials have more impact than some fat cat in Washington D.C.

Pocatello, bigger than Chubbuck, with an official 2000 census population of 51,466, pays its officials more.  The mayor gets $74,268, but compare that to the city council.  They get paid $10,033 per year.

I hope local officials don’t push for an increase in their pay.  The local voters and taxpayers, of Chubbuck and Pocatello, are getting a real deal with current salaries.  The League of Women Voters of Idaho have their own website; lwvid.org.  The information about the pay of officials is published in a brochure.  For Pocatello and Chubbuck, it is published by the League of Women Voters of Pocatello. It also contains county, state and federal official’s salaries.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Bad Loans, Mortgage Notes, Foreclosures all part of possibly the biggest Scam in U.S. History

A mortgage Note is the document that proves who holds the mortgage on the home that’s being bought.  There’s more and more evidence that the big banks can’t find those notes.  That includes Notes on homes that have already been foreclosed.  Another problem is that, in states that require court involvement, the judges never asked for proof of the Note.

The program, Need to Know, on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), interviewed Michael Hudson, an author who revealed how the big banks were intentionally trapping people in bad home loans.  Hudson says The big banks are using the same tactics in foreclosing.  He also says that many of the foreclosures involve home buyers who were looking to refinance their loans to save money, instead they were set up to fail.

OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Homeowners wait to meet with Wells Fargo employees during a free workshop for customers who are facing mortgage payment challenges April 26, 2010 at the Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, California. Over 1,000 people who are in risk of slipping into foreclosure were scheduled to attend the mortgage workshop in hopes of getting loan modifications to avoid losing their homes. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The problem with the Notes is that the big banks quickly sold off the bad loans, and there doesn’t seem to be any record keeping regarding the Notes.  In many cases, mortgages were sold several times over to other banks, and as investment schemes.  Hudson says the push to foreclose is a way of making more money for the big banks.  In other words the bad loans, the reselling of mortgage loans, and now the foreclosures, are all part of a big money making scam by corporate America.

MIAMI - OCTOBER 01: A pre-foreclosure sign is displayed outside a home on October 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. Declining home prices, low mortgages rates and government stimulus programs have helped push up the number of pending home sales according to the National Association of Realtors, as they rose by 6.4 per cent in August and were up by 12.4 per cent from a year ago. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Michael Hudson says the Federal government has done almost nothing about this probable crime against American home buyers.  It’s the states that have taken the most action.  But each state has their own foreclosure laws, which seem to be adding to the mess.  Hudson says that the reason why President Obama isn’t ordering a halt to foreclosures, is that he could be held politically responsible for any crash in the housing market.  That would suggest that the current housing market is actually being driven by the foreclosures.

LAS VEGAS - MARCH 21: Countrywide Home Loans home mortgage consultant Al Lizarralde (L) and RE/Max Central realtor Brenda Zablockis leave a bank-owned house during a RE/MAX Central bus tour of foreclosed homes March 21, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. RE/MAX Central of Las Vegas co-owner Ruth Ahlbrand said the Las Vegas area has been one of the top three worst foreclosure markets and one of the top three worst markets for slumping home prices in the United States since late 2007. Ahlbrand said the real estate group began giving tours for prospective buyers three times a week in February 2008, in an effort to clear inventory of foreclosed properties. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Another article, in the Executive Intelligence Review, says that this is all part of the dying last gasp of our country’s financial system.  For too long investments have been sold, that were on paper only, no real assets.  So the bad loan scandal was how the big banks set things up to grab some real assets, and the foreclosure scandal is how the big banks are cashing in those assets to pay off the investors.

Idaho, U.S.

Alcohol in Energy Drinks? Not Many.

Recently here in Southeast Idaho, a commercial was ran advising parents that “some” (wasn’t at all emphasized) energy drinks have alcohol in them.  The commercial showed a team of children playing soccer, and the parents bring an ice chest of energy drinks.  Next scene shown, is the children playing soccer, but they appear drunk.  One striking line that the narrator states, is that “…energy drink have 9 times more alcohol than a beer.”

This is disturbing because now more and more people in the local area are believing that all energy drinks have alcohol, even teachers in the high schools.

The issue started in Utah, where the Utah County Health Department had concerns over children, adults, and convenience store cashiers not knowing which energy drinks were alcoholic, and purchasing or selling them on mistake.  Keep in mind that alcoholic energy drinks are in the alcohol section of any store.

The statement on the commercial “…energy drinks have 9 times the alcohol than a beer.” is false.  Alcoholic energy drinks contain anywhere from 4% to 12% alcohol, clearly not 9 times that of a beer (12% is around 6 times that of a beer)  One place that this commercial might have “misinterpreted” the information, is a news story from ksl.com which clearly says “…amount of caffeine inside energy drinks — nine times more than a regular cola” Which is indeed, true.

Energy drinks that aren’t in the alcohol section of a store, do not have alcohol in them.  If you are still concerned there may be alcohol in the energy drink, check the ingredients prior to purchasing it.

Check the ingredients if you are concerned with alcohol being in your energy drink.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Details about Allstate Chubbuck Call Center jobs

It seems the local East Idaho television news didn’t tell the story clearly concerning the Allstate Customer Information Center (CIC), planned to be built in Chubbuck, Idaho.

It is not part of the Pine Ridge Mall property.  It will be built on a vacant lot that is part of the Home Depot plaza, aka The Crossings.  The vacant lot was originally intended for smaller retail spaces, but, no contracts were signed so it sat vacant for several years.

The Crossings, Hawthorne Road, Chubbuck, Idaho.

In reading several articles in the Idaho State Journal newspaper, it became clear that the claimed 500-600 jobs is just an optimistic goal.  Only 25 people will be hired in February 2011.  More people will be hired closer to the opening date, and the total amount of employees will depend on how many calls the CIC gets.

For those worried about making sales calls, Chubbuck Mayor Steve England says there will be no “soliciting calls”.  However, employees will be required to get a state insurance license.  Sorry, state law.  Also, employees will have to get a license from every state they handle calls from.  Allstate says part of their training will include prepping for the license exam.

Training will be 6 weeks, plus one week for the license prep.  Allstate encourages college courses, and, after one year of employment, they will reimburse employees for college courses that pertain to the job.

Pay will start at $27,000 per year.  The maximum you could get is $50,000.  There are no details about how you could get the maximum, other than bonuses, but the number of licenses you have, and college courses, probably factor in.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Chubbuck, Idaho, to get 500 Allstate Jobs?

Allstate announced that Chubbuck, Idaho, will be the home of a new call center.  The building will go up across from the Chubbuck Home Depot, and could employ more than 500 people (if call volume supports that many jobs).

Lot where Allstate will build a Customer Information Center, in Chubbuck, Idaho.

They hope to have the 75,000 square foot building open by September 2011.  The Customer Information Center will handle not only incoming calls, but conduct outgoing customer calling.  This will make the fourth center for Allstate.  They have call centers in Texas, Illinois and North Carolina.

The Crossings, home to Chubbuck Home Depot, and now Allstate Customer Information Center.

There is some conflicting information about when hiring will start, and how much the starting pay is.  Some local media reports have stated that hiring will begin in November 2010, yet, the official Allstate press release says hiring will not begin until February 2011.  Allstate will post job openings for the call center “At the beginning of the New Year.”  Also, local media reports say starting salary will be $25,000 per year, some say $27,000.  The official press release does not indicate how much starting salaries will be.

Idaho, Opinion, U.S.

U.S. Youths Apathetic, the True End of the United States

I was talking with my adult kids, and my 14 year old, about what was going on in France.  They didn’t care.  I tried to relate the basic issues of the people feeling ripped off by their government, and corporations, to what is happening here in the United States.  They didn’t care.  I asked my 14 year old what her fellow high school students think.  They don’t care.  What the hell?

She explained that most high school students, at least in East Idaho, feel powerless and are blaming everything on anybody that looks different (most people in Idaho are non-Hispanic whites).  That includes blaming President Obama.

My adult kids backed up that explanation, with the addition that most youths feel that even violence wont change things.  Their co-workers feel powerless and would rather get away from the U.S., than waste any effort to try and change it for the better.  Part of that attitude comes from seeing what their parents have, and are, dealing with.  Hearing from their parents how nothing changes no matter who gets elected, or how many people protest.  Seeing that everything their parents worked for has been lost, or could be lost so easily.

A demonstrator and his daughter march through the streets to protest the French government's attempt to raise the minimum retirement age in Paris on October 19, 2010. Trade unions and students have staged nationwide street marches and disruptive strikes throughout France over the last few weeks. UPI/David Silpa Photo via Newscom

In other words, the future generations of the United States believe they have no say in how the U.S. is governed.  No say in the direction of corporations.  They feel that, essentially, they have no say in their own lives, as long as they stay in the U.S.  This is the true end of the United States.

It’s obvious the French youth still believe in their future, a future in France, because they are fighting for it.

A demonstrator marches through the streets to protest the French government's attempt to raise the minimum retirement age in Paris on October 19, 2010. Trade unions and students have staged nationwide street marches and disruptive strikes throughout France over the last few weeks. UPI/David Silpa Photo via Newscom

Idaho, Reviews

Thai Paradise Review – Excellent!

Here in Pocatello, Idaho, a new restaurant opened in downtown on July 14th, 2010.  What kind of restaurant?  A Thai restaurant, the type of restaurant some people have been wishing for in Pocatello.  Is is good?  You bet, I went their for lunch and dinner, and both were great.

The atmosphere is very spacious in Thai Paradise, with a very tall ceiling.  There are two large round tables, two two-seater tables up front (nice view of outside with those), and the rest of the tables are four seaters.  Also, there is a room that hosts live music from time to time with larger tables.  There are no booths, which I would have liked.  The lighting is good, not too bright or dark, and goes well with the color scheme in the building.

For lunch, the menu is small, but tasty.  You are given a generous portion, and each meal comes with rice and the main item (curry, pad thai, etc).  The dish I ordered was great, I would have liked it to be spicier, however.  Of course you can get thai iced tea, which is one of my favorites, and it is very good, strong and creamy.

For dinner, the soup is excellent, and the dishes for dinner are better than lunch (the dinner menu is much larger).  The best dish I had was pineapple curry.  It had perfect amount of spice and the pineapples really added a nice touch.  One thing that stood out was the service.  My waitress was very polite, greeting us in Thai, and very well mannered.  At the end of the meal, she put my leftovers in boxes for me.

Dessert was a nice treat.  Coconut custard is widely used, as is sweet rice and coconut ice cream (home made!).  Purple rice with coconut custard is my favorite, and is a nice touch after a spicy meal. Price wise, Thai Paradise is not bad.  It is anywhere from $9.00 to $15.00 an item for dinner, and about $7.00 for lunch.

If you don’t like spicy, Thai Paradise does have options for you, same with vegetarians.  However, if you do not like coconut, your options are limited, but there are meals with no coconut.

Business/Economics, Idaho

Idaho Higher Education a Must by 2018. Political Candidates Fail to Help Idaho Students

According to a Georgetown University study, Idaho will see an 61% increase in jobs requiring some level of higher education, by 2018.  Last night, during the Idaho gubernatorial debates, all three candidates, Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter, Keith Allred and Jana Kemp, failed to explain how they would help Idahoans with college.

The candidates seemed to miss the fact that the number one issue with potential college students is cost.

As a non-traditional college graduate (I went to college late in life because it seemed like the only way to progress in the workplace was to get a degree) I can tell you the piddly grants are not enough, you must get student loans.  I also worked part time because the loans did not cover my family’s living expenses.  But who wants to get a loan that will be with you until you die?  I was never told how student loans are exempt from bankruptcy, or about the cases where graduates lost their apartments, and their jobs, because they couldn’t make the full student loan payment.  Why couldn’t they make their payments?  Because the jobs they got with their degrees didn’t pay them enough.  I also learned that it’s only the Federal loans that can be deferred.  I have two private loans and they could care less that I can not make their full monthly payments.  One of them actually sent me fake court documents with a letter that said if I didn’t start paying in full, that the next court documents would be real.

My oldest daughter is currently working full time in Boise, and she attends Boise State University thanks to student loans (even working full time she can’t afford the college expense).  My other two adult kids have decided that if the cost of going to college means getting into lifelong debt, then it’s not worth it.  They are right!  Crap, I could have bought a house with the money I owe for college, and it would have been a better investment!

So what did Otter, Allred and Kemp have to say about the issue of higher education?  Basically they all agreed that it was an issue of concern, because Idaho was going to need more college graduates for its workforce.  Otter and Allred said students should look into going to a community college, if they are worried about cost.

Eastern Idaho Technical College says its part time credit fee is $82.00, full time fee of $884.00.  Idaho State University (my Alma mater) says its current part time fee is $273.00 per credit (much more than what I paid), full time $2,708.00.  That’s a big difference between an eastern Idaho vo-tech and an eastern Idaho university.  Don’t forget those are just the credit fees. There are other fees and book costs, all of which have been going up.  Also, the per credit cost of the vo-tech seems low, but, that is only $60.00 less than what I paid when I started attending ISU.

When it comes to money, potential college students are not dumb.  Why get into debt when the job you get with your degree most likely will not pay you enough to meet living expenses and your student loan payments?  Vo-tech seems the most practical choice, and they usually help you find a job with your degree.  But if your sights are set on a higher degree forget it.

Jana Kemp talked about, basically, an add campaign to raise awareness of the importance of higher education. That is already happening, but it doesn’t address the concerns of students, and their families, about affording college.

Keith Allred mentioned a program where high school students can get college credits by enrolling in courses run by colleges.  That’s true, but, you still have to pay a per credit hour fee, and for some families it’s still unaffordable.

Butch Otter mentioned the expansion of financial aid, but the majority of so called financial aid still comes in the form of loans.

So, once again, the problem is cost. Is it affordable, and can the student avoid a huge debt burden?

Essentially, not one of the candidates said anything about bringing down the actual cost of higher education, or making it easier for students to pay for college without incurring a heavy debt burden, or making sure the jobs that want college graduates will pay enough to cover all expenses.  Even though all three candidates are college and university graduates, it appears they are out of touch with the current reality of getting a higher education.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Idaho in Top 5 for Foreclosures, Right Behind California

The latest Realty Trac survey puts Idaho in the top five states for home foreclosures.  Idaho is ranked number 5, right behind California at number 4.

Realty Trac says Idaho saw a 13.67% increase over the same time last year, and a 19.74% increase since the 2nd quarter of this year. For the 3rd quarter of 2010, one out of 86 homes in Idaho are in some stage of foreclosure.  California, while seeing a drop in foreclosures, still has one out of 70 homes in foreclosure.

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 12: A 'bank foreclosure sale' sign is posted in front of townhomes on August 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. U.S. banks repossessed homes at a near record pace to drive up July foreclosures. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The top 5 states, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, California and Idaho, make up 50% of foreclosures in the United States.

This news comes as the big banks involved in the foreclosure fiasco are reporting big profits for the same quarter.