Tag Archives: idaho

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology, U.S.

United Police States of America: Idaho Republicans give away contract to Private Prison Tech company, who then double bills Idaho taxpayers

According to Idaho media reports, the executive director for the Idaho Republican Party, Jonathan Parker, is accused of helping AnalyzeSoft (a tech company that makes tracking devices for prisoners) get a big contract from Idaho Governor Butch Otter.

AnalyzeSoft is now barred from doing business with Idaho for at least one year, after it was discovered that they double billed for their services.  Idaho taxpayers were charged $2 million for an incomplete prisoner tracking system!

On top of that, five of AnalyzeSoft’s employees are barred from doing any work for the state, ever!

Under Idaho rules, contractors must bid for contracts with the state.  Not only did they double bill taxpayers, but apparently AnalyzeSoft was handed the contract without bidding.

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Unemployed young men in Idaho more than national average

According to Federal numbers, the percentage of unemployed young men in Idaho is more than the national average.

In 2009 the national average was 17%, in Idaho it hit 20%!  Idaho’s 2010 rate was around 18%.

Unemployment claims are down, but according to Idaho Labor Department officials that’s because people just don’t qualify for unemployment assistance anymore.  One official said about 100 people per week are falling off the state unemployment assistance simply because they’ve exceeded the time limit.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho dental insurer to cut payments

Delta Dental of Idaho is going to cut insurance payments to dentists by as much as 13%.

Delta officials say they have to do it to keep costs down to employers who offer their employees the Delta Dental plan.

Idaho dentists say they will have to jack up prices to make up the difference.  One dentist says the cuts took him by surprise: “In the past, Delta Dental has been a great partner with dentists. This is a little out of the blue. I’ve never seen this before.”-Don Wyatt

Delta Dental of Washington state cut payments back in April, by as much as 15%!

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology, U.S.

Incompetence or Conspiracy? Idaho Real Estate web sites, and even Wikipedia, list Micron as the biggest employer in Boise

The computer chip maker Micron Technology is in big trouble, and since 2009 isn’t even the second biggest employer in Boise, Idaho.  Yet, Idaho real estate agent web sites, which encourage out’a staters to move to Idaho, continue to list Micron as the top employer.  Other web sites, and blogs, list the number of Boise Micron employees at 15,000!  Even a check of Wikipedia’s section on Boise still claims that Micron is the top employer.

Micron hasn’t been the top employer ever since 2009, after lay offs cut their Boise work force down to about 5,000.  And that’s according to a September 2011 Idaho Statesman report.  Also, the Idaho Statesman says Micron’s peak Boise employment of about 15,000 happened a decade ago!

To make matters worse, Micron is losing money.  They lost $135 million in the third quarter of this year.  On top of that they’re about to get hit with a court judgment for price fixing.  That judgement could be as high as $11.9 billion.

Micron recently told investors that such a fine would further degrade future operations, and, they admitted they don’t even have any money to pay such a fine!

So why are Idaho real estate companies, web media sites, bloggers, and even Wikipedia still promoting Micron as the top employer in Boise?  Conspiracy, or incompetence?

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Down economy equals increased domestice violence, Death rates up in Idaho

A new study by the Journal of Pediatrics says there is a direct correlation between the recession and an increase in child abuse cases.  The study was done in four states.

Not only that, but courts are reporting an increase in domestic violence: “Our court advocacy roles are up 40% from this time last year.”-Diane Zanetti, Executive Director of Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania

In Idaho, deaths connected to domestic violence are up.  So far this year 18 people have died from domestic violence, compared to 13 for the entire year of 2010.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Home Federal Bank lay offs hit Idaho & Oregon

“We continue to see high unemployment nationally and in our local markets. And the outlook for improvement in economic growth, which we believe is necessary to drive loan demand, remains questionable.”-Len Williams, Home Federal Bancorp

Home Federal Bank will close six branches in Idaho and Oregon.  Officials hope it will save the bank U.S.$1 million in the next year.

A total of 35 people will lose their jobs.  20 in Idaho and 15 in Oregon.  10 of the Idaho lay offs will come from changes to Home Federal’s mortgage operations.

Home Federal Bank reported a $4.1 million loss in 2010, and so far this year has lost $2.6 million!

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho chip maker, Micron, in trouble

September 29, Boise based Micron reports losing money for the first time since 2009.  For the quarter ending September 1, Micron lost U.S.$135 million.

That’s a big drop compared to the previous quarter when the Idaho memory chip maker (they also make computers) reported a $75 million profit!

The loss is being blamed on a drop in chip prices, and a drop in sales.

Things got so bad in 2009, that Micron laid off more than half it’s Idaho work force! It has not recovered.

To make matters worse, Micron is facing a court case in which a California competitor claims Micron colluded with a South Korean company to price fix certain types of memory chips.  If they lose the case Micron could be hit with a $11.9 billion fine!

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Global Food Crisis: Killer Cantaloupe, given away in Idaho

The number of people sick and dying from cantaloupe contaminated with Listeria could hit record levels in the United States.  In Idaho they were given away to the public after a grocery distributor decided they were not ripe enough to sell.

So far 16 people have died, and 56 people are sick across the country.  The cantaloupe are from Colorado, but not all are labeled, so the CDC says if you’re not sure where it came from don’t eat it.

At the end of August 43,000 pounds of the cantaloupe were shipped to southeast Idaho.  They were considered too ripe to sell and were donated to the public between August 28 and September 2.

Jensen Farms in Colorado says it shipped cantaloupes to 25 states.  But, the FDA says illnesses have been discovered in several states that are not on the shipping list.  The FDA has reversed an earlier statement about the fruit being shipped to Europe. They now say none of the cantaloupe left the U.S.

Listeria is more deadly than salmonella and E. coli.  The bacteria can grow at room temperatures and even in your refrigerator. It can linger long after the source of the contamination is gone, people should clean and sanitize any surfaces the killer cantaloupe might have touched.

Symptoms of Listeria can show up as soon as three days after eating the contaminated fruit, or as long as 70 days later.  Symptoms could include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Occupy America Corporate Rip Off: Gas prices in Idaho go up despite most of the U.S. seeing prices go down, blame decreased production

September 19, gas prices in Idaho are about 70 cents above the national average.  One local TV station tried to give the usual explanation by saying it’s a mix of regional demand and state taxes.  FAIL!

I just checked on demand, and according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, demand for gasoline across the country is still below last year’s numbers.  On August 26, 2011, the four week average demand for gasoline was at 9.169 million barrels per day.  Compare that to the four week average of a year ago at 9.261 million barrels.  So there is a slight decrease in demand.

Regarding fuel taxes; there has been no increase in Idaho fuel taxes since 1996!

What is happening is that production of fuels has been dropping.  In other words, production is falling faster than demand, and that has the same effect as demand going up; prices go up (when there is less of something, in relation to demand, it becomes more valuable).

According to U.S. Energy Information Administration, PADD 4 gasoline production is down from last year. PADD 4 includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.  The four week average for “finished gas” production, for August 2011 was 0.273 million barrels per day.  Compared to last year’s production of 0.296.

In other words, fuel producers are deliberately keeping production just under ‘demand’ in order to keep prices high.