Micron holds its “jobs” club over the heads of policy makers and gets all sorts of tax breaks–meanwhile the government pays all the workers who were laid off when jobs went offshore.

The Chamber of Commerce’s “Boise Valley Economic Partnership” is drumming up support for a $5-10 million fund to pay businesses to locate in the area. This, after their previous $5 million scheme to attract “high paying jobs” fell flat. Businesses don’t come here to pay higher wages.

Guv Butch is proposing a fund for local entrepreneur start ups. That’s better than helping the Chinese Communists and out of staters, but still not a good place to spend public money. If the idea and product are good, investors will buy in and profit.

In Twin Falls politicos are tripping over themselves as they pony up public promises of about $29,000,000 for a Chobani yogurt plant–a culture unto itself. That area has a history of attracting–and closing businesses.

Pocatello is about to fall victim to an ill-fated solar panel plant backed by the communist Chinese, but not backed with enough cash to pay their electric bill to Idaho Power. Hoku is teetering on the brink of financial failure despite massive infusions of urban renewal funds diverted from schools, the city and county. They also are beneficiaries of state and federal funds.

A hearing before the Idaho Public Utilities Commission over the proposed shut off of electric service to Hoku will be an interesting indicator regarding whether regulators go with the politicos and the POTENTIAL of “jobs” or rule to allow Idaho Power to cut its losses from a deadbeat customer.

Despite repeated promises, hoopla, and assorted pandering Boise can’t even get a Whole Foods chain store going. No doubt the folks at the Co-Op won’t shed tears over that news. If they have the money and Boise looks like a place to do business, Whole Foods would beat down the door of city hall with fists full of cash.

Citing Boise’s “proximity to west coast ports,” there was a big media push a month ago for a Zonda electric bus factory in Boise. The company had even moved its headquarters here. Don’t stand in line for tickets to ride that coach.

The overall message from we GROWTHOPHOBES is similar to that of former Gov. Cecil Andrus who opposed deal sweeteners: “If you have the money to pay your taxes and a fair wage, we welcome you with open arms. If you are shopping for rubes willing to PAY you to come here, please take your business elsewhere.”

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–We met people from Utah State who not only didn’t visit the Famous Potato Bowl, but didn’t think much of it.
–We met lots of BSU supporters, watched the “Body Shop Bowl,” in Vegas and again not much good was voiced. It appears the plethora of college bowls is self destructing. Even the Hawaii Bowl was played to a nearly empty house.
–There is a lot of action in the field of waste-to-energy projects in Ada, Kootenai, Clark, Freemont, and Bonneville counties and from our standpoint it looks like various government credits are the driving force rather than electricity generation.
–The hang glider folks will probably get “grandfathered into using Hammer Flat if they play nice with Idaho Fish and Game. The best flight path right now is to give Director Virgil Moore a way to ALLOW recreational use of the land rather than bombing him into submission.

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The scandal at the Ada County Misdemeanor Probation services was by far the most commented upon. We first broke the story in May. Some things never change, the Depot is still closed to the public and Boise City continues to find cash for surveys and studies that go nowhere.

–The F-35 seems to being having trouble getting airborne
–Urban Renewal got a little bit of control on future agencies
–Avimor remains a ghost town
–Ice World Hockey remains colorful
–Ada Landfill remains controversial, County is still our $2 million
–Fire Station closed in Garden City due to budget woes
–Boise Council election slips by unnoticed
–Idaho continues to offer PAYMENTS to businesses locating here
–Guns on campus debated
–G-Bad boys and girls have colorful run
–Garden Valley School District has serious politics
–Bike Ban in Garden City drags on
–Guv Butch joined GUARDIAN opposition to State purchase of storage units
–Coppers on Choppers, Boise PD patrols Boise County
–Fire Dept. fee schedule caused stir and fast fade
–Fire union does charity drive on city time
–Land Board to Build Brew Pub downtown
–Sniper School revealed in Caribou Forest
–Occupy folks still camped out
–Ada Commish on gender bias,Boise library harassment

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Depending whether you are buying or selling, the Gem State is either near the top or near the bottom when it comes to wages. Our relative ranking among states explains in part why businesses are willing to locate in a “business friendly” area like Idaho.

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Our friends at the DAILY PAPER offered readers a second chance at the news in some editions when they presented several pages from the Monday edition in the Tuesday edition. We are all used to getting “old news” in the printed paper these days, but when you don’t have a printing press and outsource the production of the largest newspaper in the state to a small time neighbor, accidents happen.

We think nothing of watching the same stories repeated over and over on CNN, 24/7, and other electronic venues. So it is no surprise to see the Statesman offer reruns. Ironically, if they hadn’t owned up to the mistake not many folks would have even noticed.

The big question now is how do they get the Tuesday news in the Wednesday paper or will they just “fagettaboutit?”

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In both cases university officials were advised of horrible crimes and/or threats, but no action was even taken to launch full fledged investigations. All concerned should take note and never let it happen again.

Only when the media shed light on these events did those in charge step up and take action. In the case of the coed murder, it took legal action by Idaho media to get the facts out of the university. At State College, Pennsylvania it was media revelations that led to the ouster of the university president and famed coach Joe Paterno.

Like the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts, universities apparently worry more about reputations than protecting the victims of predators.

UPDATE–Apparently the Daily Paper had an EDITORIAL on the subject. We missed it.

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Such is the case with their technologically well done VOTER GUIDE. Take a look and give it a workout. If you fear tracking, just use a nearby address, but we think you can trust them on what they say about needing an address in order to give you the info.

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The would be business snookered the local media with an ATV tour, live firing of weapons by reporters and claims–or veiled–claims of credentials and clients that just didn’t prove true.

Here is the AP STORY.

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The Statesman’s political scribe, DAN POPKEY has piggy-backed on Collins’ piece and got an official spokesman statement that Butch is perfectly happy commuting from Star to Boise.

Not to be outdone in the game of piggy-backing news, the GUARDIAN is suggesting Otter issue a statement thanking the NY Times (see the salient parts of the column below) for the endorsement, but invite Collins to visit Idaho. Put her up at Sun Valley, tour the Sawtooths, observe the potato harvest, ride horses at the Guv’s Star ranch, and treat her to an “All Idaho” meal with choices of spuds, lamb, beef, alligator (grown at Hagerman), trout, Bud beer (Mormon grown barley and Phil Batt hops), all served on Idaho silver tableware.

From Collins NYT piece:
How about Idaho Gov. Butch Otter? I have been promoting him as a possible presidential contender, mainly because I like saying “Idaho Gov. Butch Otter.” But there’s much, much more there to recommend him. For one thing, I’m pretty sure he’d be the first president who was on the board of directors of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Finally, and this is very important, if Gov. Butch Otter became a presidential candidate, everybody in the media would have to go to Idaho to follow him around for a while. I have never been to Idaho, so I would like that very much.

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That report came in a story published today in the TIMES-NEWS newspaper.

According to the story, Idaho is one of 19 states where it’s still legal to whap kids on the ass if they misbehave.

With the worldwide furor over the Saudi woman being sentenced to “10 lashes” for violating that Mideastern nation’s ban on female drivers combined with the almost weekly revelations of teachers being charged with sexual misconduct, a thought comes to mind:

How about allowing school authorities to whip teachers who misbehave? Seems logical if it is OK to paddle kids.

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