Tag Archives: idaho

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho’s Unemployment rate goes down, but not because of job creation

The Idaho Department of Labor reported a slight drop in Idaho’s unemployment, now at 9.4%, but they also reported a drop in job creation.

The Department of Labor says seasonal hiring for May was below normal levels, and that job creation was weak.  So why the drop in the unemployment rate?  Officials say it’s due to workers retiring, workers dieing, and unemployed people who have stopped looking for work!

Idaho labor officials say that so far 2011 is lagging behind 2010, when it comes to job creation.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Idaho can’t make Medicaid payments, yet 102 state employees get bonuses!

June 20, Idaho announced that they can’t make Medicaid payments, yet last week they announced bonuses for 102 government workers!

Example: Legislative Services Director Jeff Youtz, paid himself, and his staff, bonuses equal to $94,633.  The total amount of bonuses paid to agencies of the State of Idaho came to $227,003.

Idaho House Speaker Lawrence Denney said it was necessary to “…retain qualified and experienced staff.”

Idaho House Majority Leader Mike Moyle thinks otherwise: “…with the budgetary concerns we’re dealing with, I don’t think it was wise or prudent.”

Moyle is correct.  Consider that the government of Idaho has laid off 517 employees since 2009, and has suspended Medicaid payments, twice now, along with drastic cuts in education and other services (called “austerity” cuts).  Bonuses for government workers are not what the taxpayers want to see.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho Stops Medicaid payments

June 20, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says they’re out of money for Medicaid.

As a result, Medicaid payments to Idaho hospitals will be suspended for at least one week.  Those payments would have come to $13 million.  Officials will announce, by the end of the week, if payments will be delayed for another week.

This isn’t the first time Idaho stopped Medicaid payments to hospitals.  In 2010 they suspended nine weeks of payments.  Health and Welfare officials say that for some reason the majority of payment claims always come in when state Medicaid funds are at their lowest point.

 

Idaho, U.S.

Idaho State University hit with sanctions, major donor says ISU President “inflexible”

“There’s something very sick at that school, and Art Vailas I think is at the core of it. I was shocked when I heard about the potential for a vote of no confidence. I talked to Art several times about it. Art is not a very good listener. He’s very stubborn. He’s inflexible. It is his way or no way because he thinks he’s right. I told him never to call me anymore.”-Jim Rodgers, major Idaho State University donor, and former chancellor of higher education in Nevada

Jim Rodgers is a major donor to ISU, and he’s not happy with what’s been happening there.  The Idaho State Board of Education ended the faculty’s bargaining ability by suspended the Faculty Senate, at the request of President Arthur Vailas.
Vailas, and his administrators, have been busy trashing ISU ever since they arrived a few years ago.  It’s looks like it’s part of a plan by the state to reduce ISU’s ability to provide higher education.
For one thing student tuition and fees have skyrocketed, and classes have been cut.  The reason given is always lack of money, but just a few weeks ago ISU announced they were buying an old factory building that was used to make medical products (aka Ballard Medical building).
The suspension of the Faculty Senate prompted a vote by the American Association of University Professors.  They voted to sanction ISU, the largest university ever to be sanctioned by the AAUP.  The vote was unanimous.
Former ISU Faculty Senate Chair, Phil Cole, says AAUP sanctions should be taken seriously, because they act as a warning to potential employers, and graduate schools, that the education program at ISU is ‘suspect’, and that “there is a fundamental flaw in a university and it could collapse.”

This might be part of the State Board of Education’s plans to end ISU as a four year university (which many of the state employees at ISU believe is the intention).

Business/Economics, Idaho

What Global Warming? Idaho Potato farmers running out of time, cool weather adding to Global Food Crisis

It’s June 11, and potato farmers in Ashton, and Driggs, Idaho, have been hoping for warmer, dryer weather.  They can’t plant potatoes in wet, cold ground: “This season has been especially hard because every time we are about to get into the fields for a couple days it rains us out. It takes sometimes five to 10 days to dry up in good enough shape in preparation for planting.”-Dennis Fransen, potato seed farmer

Potato seed farmers are at the bottom of the potato farming chain.  Commercial potato farmers rely on the seed farmers for their new crop.  Bigger potatoes are sent to the commercial farmers to grow even bigger.  The small potatoes are kept for ‘seed’ for the next planting.  This year, because of the wet, cool weather it looks like most of the seed crop will be the small type, that commercial farmers don’t want.

 

Idaho, International

What Global Warming? Cooler weather delays East Idaho road construction, What Economic Recovery? Lack of funds will reduce Idaho road construction

“Every time we tried to schedule something, we had a storm come through. With the temperature and the moisture, you just can’t do it.”-James Orner, Idaho Transportation Department

Temperatures are finally warming up in eastern Idaho, and ITD officials hope to get ongoing road construction finished, and start new ones.

But just as the weather is warming up for ITD, funding is running out: “In the next few years, we’re going to see a rapid decline in the amount of construction that’s going to be available because there’s less funding available. With gas prices going up, people are driving less, and it’s affecting our revenues.”-Corey Krantz, Idaho Transportation Department

Funding for ITD comes, in part, from state gas taxes.    

Idaho, Opinion, U.S.

What Global Warming? U.S. ABC, NBC & CBS News ignores cooling trend in Pacific Northwest

Climate change? Yes!  Global Warming? Doubtful, if your from the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

For the past few days we’ve been getting tired of hearing American Broadcast Company (not to be confused with Australian Broadcasting Corporation) news talk about the heat wave affecting “America”: “One week into June, America is in the grip of pulverizing summer heat…”-Diane Sawyer, ABC.

The National Broadcasting Company used The Weather Channel forecaster Kelly Cass, standing in front of a weather map which showed, deceptively, the Pacific Northwest in warm yellow temperatures.

At least CBS (formerly known as Columbia Broadcasting System) specified the heat wave was “…across about two thirds of the nation…”, instead of trying to make it look like it was the whole country.

I’m also getting tired of hearing experts on international news sources say this “heat” is proof of global warming. Well it ain’t hot in the Pacific Northwest!  It’s not even close to normal!

The average high temperature for Idaho, in June, is 77 Fahrenheit.  Today, June 8, in the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck the official high was 56 (according to the Pocatello International Airport)!  Tomorrow’s forecasted high is 53 to 62 (depending on the National Weather Service, The Weather Channel, or Idaho Falls TV station KIFI)!  Add to that the rain we’re getting.  The average number of rainy days in June, for Idaho, is seven.  We are about to break that average.

The point is, the U.S. Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana) have been cooler than normal, by at least 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

The term Global Warming means a unified warming of the entire planet.  There are many places on Earth that are NOT warming.  What is going on is Climate Change.  Why does mainstream media keep harping on this Global Warming thing, and it’s all human’s fault because of their green house gasses, when there are places that are actually cooling down?  In fact there are reports that contradict the claims that the Earth is warming up.

Business/Economics, Idaho

What Economic Recovery? Pocatello city budget now cutting Muscle

The city of Pocatello, in eastern Idaho, is trying to figure out how to cut $2 million from its budget.  The mayor says they’ve already trimmed all the fat: “What fat there was we’ve cut and now we’re starting to cut into muscle.”-Brian Blad, Pocatello Mayor

So far city officials have decided to cut $150,000 from the police force.  More meetings are scheduled to figure out what else to cut.

Local media reports say the city is hoping to see an increase in property tax revenues.  That’s highly unlikely since Idaho leads the U.S. in falling home prices.  Officials might be overly optimistic, or maybe they’re planing to increase taxes?