Comments on: Too Expensive To Live (Work) In Boise?

By: Sharron

Sharron — Wed, 04 May 2016 21:48:36 +0000

I am a Boise native. Idaho is NOT a low cost of living area. We are taxed for everything, housing is high and wages are low. A lot of people I know have moved out of the state and are doing MUCH better, all while making a lot more money. I am headed out of Idaho next year, thankfully. I will be able to afford a much better life elsewhere.

By: Eagle Writer

Eagle Writer — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 20:59:59 +0000

Art and Flyhead, it’s a rescue “mission” not a government soup kitchen. Feel free to “duplicate” it somewhere, with your money. Or be thankful for the BRM and send them a check and a prayer.

A city (higher) minimum wage will increase the problem. Minimum wage is not intended to be a livable wage – it is a starter wage for a minimum employee, one without skills or experience. Raising it simply disincentivises people from getting training or education.

The same is true for low income housing. Subsidies encourage people to live there and not seek their own way.

By: Not Fooled

Not Fooled — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 06:18:00 +0000

I will say this rick. There is an evil profit pact between large corporations, government regulators, courts, political elites, and the lawyer scumbags who protect their organized and immoral abuses of ordinary folks. Unions should be the answer, but if we look closely at unions we find a pack of scumbags abusing their power just the same. The only remaining answer is for the media to do its divine and righteous duty to spread the whole truth and nothing but the truth to expose injustice. They won’t do it though; their lawyers and marketing team won’t let them. Too boring. Too risky.

rick, you are correct about the uselessness of averages when comparing different kinds of produce.

By: Not Fooled

Not Fooled — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 03:51:52 +0000

Thanks rick, your disagreement is the best affirmation of all.

What is your current or former status which seems to have given you perpetual victim status now? It must have been serious. Were there any real victims involved? And please please find me a country more tolerant of loser status that we are.

By: rick

rick — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 01:22:47 +0000

fooled… The only thing that is asinine is the fact you believe what you are spewing. God help ya when you wake up.

By: rick

rick — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 01:14:52 +0000

Dave and dave

dave, Idaho will never allow unions, the public was sold the right to work bilge in the 80’s and the powers that be(bankers, ranchers, and mormans) will ensure that Id. doesn’t go union again.

Dave

I will not dispute that the average wage in Boise is 873 a week. I will however guarantee you that the “average” worker in boise makes nowhere near the $21.825 an hour that would make that number the “average”. I will say using averages for wages is ridiculous. As an example the average wage for a BPD cop in 2011 was $76,504.86 or $36.78 an hour.Source http://tools.idahostatesman.com/salaries
What is the median wage of workers in Boise, find that number and you will see the health of the work force. It only takes 1 Mark Durcan (micron ceo) $11.4 million or $220,752 per week to skew the numbers. Thank you Dr. Taylor for teaching me that the average of something doesn’t mean a damn thing, no matter what the powers that be want to make you think.

EDITOR NOTE–Rick and Dr. Taylor, you are correct on median vs average. Ada Assessor Bob McQuade is always careful to refer to the “median value” of homes for the reasons you cite.

By: dave zarkin

dave zarkin — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 19:17:00 +0000

good essay on wage inequality and then Idaho is a right to work state. I was a union member for 22 years and didn’t get rich but live comfortably with good health benefits, tax deferred income and a pension.
So I am very pro-union. Organize.

By: Not Fooled

Not Fooled — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 10:09:59 +0000

BDI is not as accurate at forecasting the big picture as it used to be. http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/03/economist-explains-7

As to the authors question. Boise wages suck. 49th or 50th place, but other than gasoline we are the cheapest cost of living of anyplace that has a winter. We are crime free, and winter cleans up our homeless problem by December 1st. If you think it’s too expensive to live here you are out of touch and not understanding why people are flocking to the area. 700,000 and rising.

Shift your focus. The biggest danger to our good fortune is untouchable politicos with big expensive agendas. They have caused tax increases without wage increases.

Victimhood. Most people claiming it are frauds. I’m on this blog to protect my country from such frauds furthering their cause through disinformation. People paddle to America through sharks and pirates in rubber rafts. We elected a minority President. Please stop slobbering about being a victim in America. If you want to live like Bill Gates, then you need to contribute to America like Bill did. If you flip burgers, then you get the low rent district. Did a machine bite off your legs at work? Did you have a head injury car crash? Did someone randomly shoot you? If not, you are not a victim.

Do you know why only engineers get to build bridges? Because burger flippers are too stupid. Does this make the burger flipper a victim? Question is should they be paid the same? What an asinine question. America is such a great and comfortable place it affords us the time to waste on such asinine thinking.

By: Yossarian_22

Yossarian_22 — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 02:28:32 +0000

Fooled- Yeah…I KNOW it’s the cost of shipping, but you use it to measure what it happening in export/import, just like you use a flashlight to see in the dark. So, I didn’t have to see a dermatologist due to the “burn” you thought you inflicted.

Victimhood. I know all about this philosophy. Yes, politicians exploit it. Yes, it’s a trap. But that doesn’t mean people can’t be victims. Everyone is a victim of something. You are to. I’m sure you would agree that you are a victim of paying taxes, if you pay them. I know the libertarian creed. But if you are really so incredibly untouchable, due to your own self-perceived Galtness, why are you wasting time reading this blog? Go be a superman and live your supreme life. Why do we matter to you? We’re just victims.

By: Not Fooled

Not Fooled — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 21:34:15 +0000

Hope and Change baby! Victimhood is terrible for the soul. And in America is a lie for all but a tiny tiny number of people. Mass victimhood is how incompetent leaders get elected.

BTW: The Baltic Dry Index is the COST of shipping goods. It’s not an export/import measure.