Tag Archives: idaho

Idaho

Obama disappears the last of Idaho’s Apaches!

30 July 2016 (15:08 UTC-07 Tango 01) 09 Mordad 1395/24 Shawwal 1437/27 Yi-Wei 4714

“I have to start over.”-Bob Ware, chief test pilot 183rd Aviation Battalion

After 20 years the last of Idaho’s AH-64 Apache gunships were ‘flown into the sunset’ by the Obama regime.  Supposedly they’ll be replace with UH-60 Black Hawk utility ‘copters.

National Guard reps said it’s part of the state militia’s new ’emergency response’ mission, without going into details.  However, in 2014 Idaho’s National Guard ground troops returned to high intensity “total force” training, and as I recall the AH-64 Apache is an integral part of high intensity ground combat.

Here’s the true reason: Active duty Army needs more gunships as never ending wars (which Obama promised to end) have whittled down their inventory, and lack of taxpayer revenues (due to a bad economy, also something Obama promised to fix) means new Apaches can’t be built.

But I’ve also been pointing out, since 2014, that the Obama regime has been dumbing down state militias, including taking their Apache gunships, C-130 transports and A-10 ground pounders (OBAMA REGIME GROUNDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD?, OBAMA REGIME STEALS APACHES FROM NORTH CAROLINA!, OBAMA REGIME FORCING STATE RUN AIR NATIONAL GUARD UNITS ONTO FEDERAL CONTROLLED AIR BASES!, OBAMA CANCELS JOB ASSISTANCE FOR NATIONAL GUARD VETS!, OBAMA REGIME SHUTS DOWN NATIONAL GUARD UNIT AFTER THEY DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN?, OBAMA REGIME ADMITS IT WANTS TO DESTROY THE GUARD!, OBAMA WANTS TO SLASH-N-BURN NATIONAL GUARD, SO HE CAN SPEND $79.4 BILLION MORE IN AFGHANISTAN!, OBAMA REGIME PISSES OFF NATIONAL GUARD….GOVERNORS CALL OBAMA A BACK STABBER!, WIMP ASS IDAHO GOVERNOR BEGS OBAMA REGIME NOT TO STEAL ARMY NATIONAL GUARD’S AIR ASSETS!, OBAMA REGIME TO STEAL ALL OF IDAHO AIR NATIONAL GUARD’S AIR ASSETS!, MORE STATES REVEAL OBAMA’S PLAN TO DESTROY THEIR GUARD UNITS!, OPERATION MISSION SHIFT=NATIONAL GUARD SHUTDOWN?, OPERATION BOLD SHIFT; STATE MILITIAS NOW UNDER DIRECT CONTROL OF OBAMA).

IDAHO’S SNAKE MILITIA DEPLOYED TO UKRAINIAN BORDER!

TURKEY HALTS IDAHO AIRSTRIKES AGAINST ISLAMIC STATE!

Idaho

86 years old Zamzows going down? : July 2016 Idaho Economic Destruction

Incomplete list of economic woes in the U.S. state of Idaho, July 2016.

Individual taxpayers are being raped again as gov’na Butch Otter gives Dow Chemical (third largest chemical company, and one of the wealthiest, in the world!) a huge 24% across the board tax break to build an insulation factory in Burley!

The Idaho Statesman revealed how Butch Otter kept Idaho’s petroleum project, including fracking, secret until he inadvertently revealed it during a bus tour.  Six years later Idaho Statesman reveals that Idaho taxpayers haven’t benefitted: “Since then Idahoans have been slowly learning about costs and risks the industry presents. So far the financial benefits have not been what the industry suggested we could expect. Since Jan. 1, the Idaho Tax Commission reported $70,559 in receipts from the state’s 2.5 percent severance tax…..  …many residents remain worried in part because of the way some of the company representatives on the ground have treated them and because of the shroud of secrecy…  …other oil and gas companies that say they want to invest millions more in Idaho but are stopped by rules Alta Mesa largely wrote to keep out the competition….  ….Ask yourself: Do I want a natural gas processing facility 300 feet from my home? That’s what new state rules propose.”

In Power County, just weeks after a ribbon cutting ceremony by gov’na Butch Otter (who declared the economy “risen from the ashes”) construction on the Valley Agronomics fertilizer factory appears to have suddenly halted. I posted a question on their Facebook page at the beginning of the month, but so far no response.

Independent news reports say that for every two Gem State teachers that leave only one replacement can be found, meaning that every year Idaho schools have less and less teachers (makes you wonder why the school districts continue to claim they’re short on funding).

At American Falls Reservoir a dispute between U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) and Seagull Bay Yacht Club.  The public land is managed by the yacht club, yet the yacht club is a membership only group.  BoR says the yacht club has dozens of spaces for recreational vehicles for members, but only eight for the general public.  Seagull Bay Yacht Club’s response is that the BoR won’t let its members camp for more than 14 days at a time.  BoR will not renew the lease unless Seagull Bay Yacht Club satisfies their request to open more spaces for the general public.

The Pocatello Police Department asking residents not to call 911 for non-violent crimes!  Police suggested using their website to file reports of non-violent crime (impossible for people with no access to the internet).  Police claim it takes up too much of their time to respond to non-violent crime reports.  Is this a sign that violent crimes have increased, or that city administrators need to cut taxpayer funding, or both?

The former dock master at the Coeur d’Alene Resort sentenced to ten years in prison for stealing from his employer.  Police say he stole $500-thousand USD and tried covering it up by claiming he was issuing refunds to customers.

In Jerome, the Idaho Conservation League accusing Novalex-Hilex Poly of violating federal EPA regulations.  Company administrators claim they are below the EPA requirements for making public notice of toxic emissions.

In Post Falls, state Department of Health and Welfare shutdown Here We Grow daycare after 22 children were left alone.  It was discovered after one of the children escaped.  

Unnamed employees of iconic family owned Zamzows pet and garden centers reporting to Blind Bat News of drastic and sudden changes in management.  Long time employees say suppliers have also been changed, all ordering now done through main office in Nampa, some inventory is not being re-stocked, HR employees laid off, and new policies enacted to make it easier to fire employees (which means they won’t qualify for unemployment assistance).  There are reports that Zamzows family members are owed money by the company and that a media consultant has been hired. One employee reported to Blind Bat News that July sales crashed by more than $13-thousand USD compared to July last year!  The latest company manager’s meeting was said to be full of confusion about why sales have crashed and what’s happening to customers.  In a 2013 Idaho NPR report Zamzows’ president stated that increasing the state minimum wage wouldn’t adversely affect them.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

U.S.

“We are going down…” : July 2016 Dumbing Down the U.S.

It must be noted that I started documenting these education shutdowns at the beginning of 2014, in that year I posted the reports biannually (every six months). In 2015 education cutbacks ramped up and I posted quarterly (every three months). For the past seven months of 2016 there have been so many education cutbacks that I’ve posted a report every month!

Disappearing Students Syndrome (DSS): A phrase created by me to describe a phenomenon taking place across the United States, affecting both privately and publicly funded schools, from Kindergarten all the way through University levels.

New data shows the less money you owe for college education the more likely you will default on your student loan debt.  Several studies by U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, U.S. Department of Education and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, show that the majority of defaults on student loans happen with people who never finish school and who borrow the least amount of money.  Graduate level graduates, with massive student loan debts, make up the smallest percentage of defaults and tend to have the highest rate of employment.

Incomplete list of publicly announced education related layoffs & school shutdowns, July 2016:

Alabama: In Birmingham ten elementary after school programs on the chopping block due to crashing enrollment.  In January school administrators contracted the after school programs through Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and Boys & Girls Club, in an effort to save money.  Now those contracts are being reviewed.

Alaska: A former Birchwood Christian School teacher sentenced to 15 years after having sexual contact with a 15 years old student.

Arizona: The LDS (Mormon) Church being sued by Navajo who were forced into a Mormon education program from 1947 to the 1990s. The plaintiffs accuse the christians of physically and sexually assaulting them. The Lamanite (Mormon word for Native Americans) Student Placement Program (aka Indian Student Placement Program) took Navajo children from their parents in Arizona and placed them with Mormon familes in Utah.

California: La Cañada Unified School District laid off 16 ‘special needs’ employees, due to declining enrollment of ‘special needs’ students.

Idaho: In Nampa, after decades The Book Exchange shutdown due to the owners being forced to sell the property.  Reports say that in August the owners will offer any remaining books in inventory for free to the public.  School District 321, based in ‘Mormonsville’ Rexburg, has declared a teacher shortage emergency and is now hiring anybody who wants to teach, regardless of certification, starting pay $30-thousand (which is damn good for rural Idaho)!  District 91, based in Idaho Falls, want taxpayers to shell out at least $90-million USD to massively upgrade two old high schools. Another taxpayer burdening suggestion is combining them into a ‘mega’ school. None of the news reports I read indicated there was a problem with student population, one report indicated that taxpayers are getting pissed about being forced to pay more year after year: “We don’t seem to have good participation going out to the schools……….It would be nice to see a broader slice of the community, what their feelings are on our options. I don’t feel comfortable making the decision with just the community input we have so far.”-Bryan Zollinger, District 91 Clerk

Illinois: A sure sign of a Failed State; Southern Illinois University letting go 17 people and 155 vacant jobs will not be filled, due to SIU receiving only 41% of promised state taxpayer funding.  School District 112 will shutdown for schools and redraw boundaries for the remaining schools. Administrators actually told local news media that crashing student enrollment is making it easier to shutdown schools: “We are going down in enrollment, which makes this do-able. It makes it easier to make this work.”-Kristin Swanson, assistant superintendent for student services

Indiana:  The largest school district in the city of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Public Schools, admits that so many students have left that there is no reason to keep many schools open.  As an example, John Marshall Community High School is built to handle 1,650 students, but last school year had a grand total of only 694.   Many schools have only one quarter of the students needed to justify operating expenses!  Factcheck.org reports that “Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said that the Republican vice presidential nominee, Gov. Mike Pence, ‘slashed education funding in Indiana.’ But Pence claimed he made ‘record investments in education.’ Clinton is wrong, and Pence is misleading.

The education budget under Pence would be a ‘record’ in nominal dollars, but in inflation-adjusted dollars, it’s not. However, the numbers don’t show education funding has been ‘slashed’ either: The budgets he has signed increased education funding, even in inflation-adjusted dollars.”  In other words, bot the Republicans and Democrats are lying through their teeth!

Michigan: Holland Public Schools blames crashing enrollment for laying off nine teachers. The school district will start the next school year with at least 137 less students.

New Hampshire: The American Police Motorcycle Museum forced to shutdown due to arguing with the owners of a next door crematorium.  The owner of the museum says he found human ashes on museum property: “We would see explosions of ash coming out of the chimney, sometimes 50 feet into the air, and then it would cover our motorcycles and our cars.”-Douglas Frederick

New Jersey:  School bus contractor First Student issued a shutdown WARN for their Cologne ops, 65 jobs gone by mid-August.   School bus contractor Jordan Transportation issued a shutdown WARN for its Parsippany operations, 81 jobs gone by the end of August. Community Development Institute Head Start issued a shutdown WARN, 237 people in Newark jobless by the end of August!

New York: Long Island NYC,  Child Development Center of the Hamptons in Wainscott shutdown due to lack of student enrollment.

North Carolina: Community Development Institute Head Start issued a shutdown WARN, 109 people across several cities jobless by the end of August!  Elizabeth City State University eliminating seven jobs by mid-August due to their shrinking budget.

Pennsylvania: An employee at god’s Bishop Carroll Catholic High School is charged with sexually assaulting an international exchange student.  After 120 years Cambria-Rowe Business College suddenly shutdown due to the U.S. Department of Education refusing to recognize their accreditation.

Bethlehem based National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) discovered that the majority of college students who work at unpaid internships are more likely not to find a paying job, because employers do not consider unpaid internships as preparation for real jobs!  NACE also discovered that where you live determines whether you find a job after graduation: “Graduates in the Far West (46.8 percent) and Southwest (50.2 percent) were least likely to be employed either full- or part time.”

Tennessee: A school bus driver who pled guilty to raping a 15 years old student will serve no prison time.  His original four year prison term was changed to ten years probation (probably because Hamilton County can’t afford to put more people in prison).

Texas: Once again state education administrators rejected an attempt by Idaho based Athlos Academy to establish a charter school. Athlos is controlled by an Idaho real estate group. The main reason why Texas continues to reject Athlos is the outrageous claims of being able to enroll more than 3-thousand students within four years!  In the latest Athlos application for state approval only 15 families indicated an intent to enroll: “It’s striking to me that the letters of support have mostly come from legislators. To think that we are willing to risk the academic lives of almost 1,000 children in North Texas is not a risk that I’m willing to take.”-Erika Beltran, Texas Board of Education

Virginia:  After surviving The Great depression and numerous recessions, god powerless to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Lutheran Memorial School in Richmond: “It is with deep regret that the LMS Foundation Board announces that the school does not have the funds to open for the 2016-17 school year.”-official statement

Washington DC: The Boston Globe reports that the U.S. “Department of Education report found numerous problems, including incomplete training and conflict-of-interest policies.” with Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.

U.S. Department of Education halting student grants/loans for MedTech College due to “valuing profits over the students they serve”, in other words lying about how many of their graduates can find jobs.

Your local high school pushing your kids to take college level AP courses? Think twice: “When comparing students of similar race, gender, standardized test scores, and socioeconomic background, most of the papers find that high school course-taking makes no more than a two percent difference in the final college grade, even when high school courses include Advanced Placement.“–Brookings Institution

Dumbing Down the United States, June 2016: “MORALE IS REALLY LOW.” “THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE.”

Idaho, International

Snake River militia deployed near Ukrainian border!

Video

“Once we were assigned the mission, we were all over it!”-Lieutenant Colonel Jim Harper, 116th CBCT

116th Snake River Brigade M1A2 SEP arriving in Romania. U.S. Army photo by Specialist Devone Collins, 24JUN2016.

116th M1A2 ‘license plate’. USA photo by Specialist Devone Collins, 24JUN2016.

The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (CBCT) currently offloading hundreds of armored vehicles, and performing other logistical ops in the former Warsaw Pact country of Romania (Rumania): “The biggest challenge I faced was trying to find the right contact for our operation. Working stateside to move a unit overseas can be a challenge, but once we identified the right contacts they were extremely helpful. We loaded the equipment staged in Montana onto railroad cars on April 23, and the equipment in Idaho on May 9. Upon the vessel’s arrival in Constanta on 20 June we put into effect 24-hour operations with 52 soldiers.  Those soldiers were responsible for offloading all tracked vehicles, staging and preparing equipment for onward movement by rail or line haul. We were able to offload the vessel within 36 hours which came as a surprise, as often the vessel offload is completed in 72 hours.”-CWO2 Steven Howell, 116th CBCT

116th Snake River Brigade M1A2 SEP moving through Cincu-sora, Romania. Idaho Army National Guard photo, 28JUN2016.

It’s part of preparations for U.S. led NATO’s (and the Orwellian titled Partnerships for Peace alliance) 2016 Saber Guardian wargames, right near the border with Ukraine.

The personnel of the 116th Cavalry can be identified by the Snake River patch on their shoulders. These Snake River guys are from the Montana chapter, and the photo was taken by a Snake River guy from the Oregon chapter. Oregon Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Cory Grogan, 29JUL2016.

Snake River patch on one of my old uniforms. I served with 116th Cav from 1996 to 2003.

U.S. Army video by Specialist Devone Collins, 116th Cav M88A2 Hercules arriving in Cincu, Romania, 05JUL2016 (apparently to fix a broke M113):

The 116th Cav (aka Snake River Brigade) is made up of National Guard personnel mainly from Idaho, Oregon, Montana.  Personnel from South Carolina’s National Guard also taking part in this year’s Saber Guardian, which begins on 27 July and ends on 07 August.  It’s being hosted by the Romanian Land Force Combat Training Center in Cincu.

COUP IN TURKEY HALTS IDAHO AIRSTRIKES AGAINST ISLAMIC STATE!

WORLD WAR 3: “THIS IS WHERE ARMOR FIGHTS!” IDAHO NATIONAL GUARD RETURNS TO COLD WAR ERA “TOTAL FORCE” WARFARE TRAINING!

Idaho, International

Turkey locks-down U.S. led NATO base! Halts Idaho airstrikes against Islamic State!

Image

18 July 2016 (16:54 UTC-07 Tango 01) 28 Tir 1395/12 Shawwal 1437/16 Yi-Wei 4714

While the Idaho based Army National Guard 116th Cavalry was deploying to Romania, in April 2016 Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing/190th Fighter Squadron deployed its A-10Cs to an undisclosed location.  However, a coup attempt in NATO Turkey inadvertently revealed the secret deployment location of the Idaho Warthogs.

Leaving Gowen Field, Idaho, for Incirlik, Turkey. Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras, 09APR2016.

“After close coordination with our Turkish allies, they have reopened their airspace to military aircraft. As a result, counter-ISIL coalition air operations at all air bases in Turkey have resumed. U.S. facilities at Incirlik are still operating on internal power sources, but we hope to restore commercial power soon.”-Peter Cook, U.S. Department of Defense

Türk Hava Kuvvetleri photo.

NATO member Turkey locked-down the NATO base known as Incirlik, after failed coup members used air tankers stationed at the base to refuel U.S. made F-16s.  At least one rebel Turkish senior officer (a member of the High Military Council), who was also the Turkish commander of Incirlik, was captured.

External electrical power to the U.S. Air Force managed NATO base is cutoff, and supposed Obama regime airstrikes against DAIISH (DA for al-DAwla, I for al-Islamiya, I for al-Iraq, SH al-SHam [al-Sham=Syria]), aka Islamic State, aka ISIS, aka ISIL were halted.

Ironically, Obama’s once secret deployment of the 124th FW/190th FS came after years of repeated threats by the Obama regime to take away the iconic A-10 from Idaho’s Air National Guard, as part of the Obama regime’s ongoing neutering of Idaho’s state militia.  Regarding the failed coup attempt, Major Chris Borders assured Idahoans “All of our personnel are present and accounted for and they’re safe and performing their duties in an outstanding manner.”

B61 tactical nuclear bomb. U.S. Department of Defense photo.

Incirlik is also used by Germany, United Kingdom and several other NATO members, and has as many as 90 U.S. tactical nuclear weapons.

Risk of NATO suspension as Erdogan’s purge intensifies

NATO Incirlik Airbase Involved in Coup Attempt

Turkey bans German leaders from Incirlik, Germany threatens to pull personnel from NATO base! 

GERMAN NEWS MEDIA REVEALS U.S. LED NATO TURKEY SUPPORTING ISLAMIC STATE!

U.S. ADMITS IT PROVIDES INTERNET TO ISLAMIC STATE!

2015, WORLD WAR 3: OBAMA DEPLOYS A-10 THUNDERBOLT TO TURKEY!

PROOF THE A-10 THUNDERBOLT WAS TO REMAIN A USAF MAINSTAY UNTIL 2040: TAXPAYERS SPENT MORE THAN $2-BILLION ON UPGRADES!

Idaho

No permit needed: Concealed Carry Idaho!

01 July 2016 (15:00 UTC-07 Tango 01) 11 Tir 1395/25 Ramadan 1437/27 Jia-Wu 4714

Beginning today Idahoans can now carry a concealed gun without a permit.  Don’t confuse this with the Open Carry law that’s been in effect for more than a hundred years.

Also, it’s been legal to Conceal Carry outside city limits, but now the new law says it’s legal to permit-less Conceal Carry inside city limits.  (I was amazed by how even our local Idaho TV news media made it sound like this new law is the first time anybody could publicly carry a gun)

KOA CAMPGROUND TRIES TO TAKE AWAY IDAHO RANCHER’S RIGHT TO OPEN CARRY GUNS ON HIS OWN PROPERTY!

Idaho

Boise Fire update: 2500 acres, still burning

30 June 2016 (12:54 UTC-07 Tango 01) 10 Tir 1395/24 Ramadan 1437/26 Jia-Wu 4714

Fire investigators now consider the illegal use of fireworks as the cause of a fire that’s now burned more than 1-thousand and 12 hectares (2-thousand 5-hundred acres).

The ‘Table Rock’ fire started about midnight, near the Wild Horse subdivision, but stopped short of the Harris Ranch residential subdivision.  As soon as daylight came airstrikes were launched by water dropping helicopters, R/C drones should not be flown in the affected area.  The fire departments of Eagle, Meridian, Star and Boise, along with federal Bureau of Land Management, confronted the blaze.  The fire is 60% contained.

Idaho

Boise Fire update: Chubbuck Allstate already hit with fire claims!

30 June 2016 (04:42 UTC-07 Tango 01) 10 Tir 1395/24 Ramadan 1437/26 Jia-Wu 4714

As Boise area news media confirming at least four “structures” burned, inside unnamed sources at the Allstate insurance call center, in Chubbuck, reporting to Blind Bat News that numerous claims for fire damage have already come in.

The Table Rock Fire east of boise is still burning.

Idaho

Boise Fire update: Mortars to blame?

30 June 2016 (04:14 UTC-07 Tango 01) 10 Tir 1395/24 Ramadan 1437/26 Jia-Wu 4714

“There were people up there shooting off fireworks;  mortars, the ones that will go up in the air.”-Taylor Kemp, telling Boise news media that he saw people setting off fireworks despite a burn ban.  Kemp says the perpetrators ran as soon as the fire started.

In the above pic you can barely see the white Table Rock Cross has survived the inferno.  A KBOI videographer reported that one explosion was a home that had been burning.

Moonrise over Table Rock Fire.  Aryssa May Hutchins explained that the fire started just east of  important federal and state government structures: Idaho Botanical Garden, Millennium Seed Bank, Idaho State Archives.