Sad News: ID Third Most Stressed Economically

[Sandpointian]

Wheat,
I am sorry to read about the difficulties you and your family now face. As we sit in the middle of a financial/economic crisis not seen since perhaps the Great Depression, your story is unfortunately all too common.

However, we live in a world that is constantly changing and one influenced increasingly by global forces. In a such a world, people try to make money in all ways, including real estate. Taxes from their profits and income pay for disability, public education, social security, police, etc.

In addition, back then government services covered a far higher percent of these basic social service expenditures. Now, the people have been assigned greater responsibility. This trend is likely to continue...

We are heading back to a world in which the people have to expect that they will need to be self-reliant in the pioneer sense of the word. Beginning with the Great Depression, the US became heavily socialistic with high taxes and in increasing number of tax-payer funded mandates. While from time to time, the trend reversed a bit, any fall in taxes has been accompanied by more laws on the books to shape behavior.

At the same time, the economy has become incredibly competitive and globalized. It is nearly impossible to find refuge, save for the protection found in market-relevant skills and approaches to life that embrace competition and change. Most places I know have undergone a similar structural change. Growing up in the SF Bay Area in the 60s and 70s, life was simpler then. My father was a union mechanic raising five kids and my mom a homemaker. My parents started with next to nothing. We were lower middle class. That economy and culture today is nearly unrecognizable--somethings better, somethings worse, but altogether different. To be sure, that same family today has either fled to a cheap burb, living on social assistance or living in one of several publicly-funded hell holes. The adjustment on families trying to stay has been difficult for most.

Taken from the perspective of the past 250 years, since the dawn of industrialization, the structural changes we are facing are par for the course. But from the POV of the 50s-70s, for many it may appear that we are heading into an abyss (or for a few into the golden age of global capitalism). The most overt socialistic days of the Great Depression through the Korean War are over and with their passing, many government social services are reverting to more and more basic levels.

At the same time, government intrusion in the form of an increased number of regulations governing microbehavior are increasing and have taxes attached to them. If looked at one-by-one, these publicly-funded mandates are not terribly burdensome. However, taken altogether they can be stifling.

Finally, the monopoly rents that accrued to the post-war US are now in their final days. As a nation, we had it easy for a while there. Western Europe and industrial Asia were destroyed. We had the world at our feet. While we then profited off of their rebuilding, we have had to compete increasingly so with countries with more economic hunger and skill than we have had over the past couple of generations. And now, we face India and China with their 2.6 billion souls and willingness to work 90+ hours a week and for 10-20 cents on the $. US firms have abandoned any pretensions of being local and have decided to go overseas to grow their labor pools. That the people permit a landscape in which so few benefit is incredible to me. The sucking sound of jobs is much greater than what Ross Perot talked about wrt Mexico.

We are facing a combination of all three and facing them all simultaneously.

The sooner you and your family can recognize these trends the better off you will be. These trends go well beyond California to Idaho issues. The roots are far deeper. The vast majority of houses sold to Californians were sold by "original" Idahoans who themselves migrated to Idaho in search of new opportunities from an economy that did not give up up so easily. And the vast majority of new developments and subdivisions were permitted, design and built by Idahoans. While I am a fan of smart growth, ultimately it is those who live in a community who have responsibility over development. If NID wanted to stop growth, it could have easily done so--> albeit with all of the consequences.

While it may be too late for you to recalibrate to the brave new world that we face, there should be plenty of time for your kids (even if they are young adults at this point). I wish I could have picked up on things a bit earlier but that is neither here nor there. But my kids? They are being educated formally and informally for the 22nd century, for a world without borders, not a world that exists--increasingly s--only in the memories of my childhood.

Good luck!

S

[Wheatfarmersdaughter]

ejay88: Thanks for your support. I am active in protecting our farmland down here in Latah County, by attending Planning and Zoning Meetings, and I can tell you, the housing crash was a blessing from God!!! Zoning boards mostly and often have pro-growth members, who are construction company owners, real estate agents, concrete contractors etc. There's a reason why they are on the boards.

Two incidents that happened down here: A Californian man bought 40 acres outside Potlatch, made a split of 20 acres, then wanted to take the split, and re-split again, with a trailer court in mind. This was 5 miles out of Potlatch, on prime agricultural ground. Fortunately, us farm girls stick together, and one of them caught wind of this plan, not by notification, but only because this is such a small community that the gossip got back to her, and the trailer court would have been across from her farmhouse. So a group of us farm girls went in with Grain Grower Receipts, to contest the resplits.

The Californian land speculator, was represented by a real estate agent, who said how great this would be out in our farm area, mainly because the land was so unproductive. Boy did we howl!!!

Fortunately the farm girls who still live and own their farms next to this split had their Latah County Grain Grower Receipts, and read how many bushels of acres these fields produced in wheat, clear up to the time it was put out of production. You should of seen their faces!

Voting was in favor of no more splits, now one of our neighbors is leasing the land from the CA speculator, and is farming it-yeah!!!

Another incident-A Moscow farmer who was on the first wagon train that migrated to Idaho in the l870's, owns a farm south of Moscow. Some how the farm next to him was rezoned out of agriculture, and approved without his notification. Next thing that happened was he was informed after the board meetings, which he wasn't notified, but by law any neighbor is supposed to be informed, that a development was going up. Three companies were trying to buy the neighboring farm to make a gated community, of McMansions, which WE really need. NO these people can't buy modest homes in the Moscow City Limits, they must live like movie stars in a gated community, with a golf course, paved walk ways, three ponds, and each house on three acres, right in the middle of wheat farmland.

The farmer who spoke to me on the phone told me he even had death threats if he contested the re-zoning plans, and was even attacked at one of the board meetings at the Court House.

The board after midnight approved this 75 acre development for 25 McMansions on 3 acres a piece. This isn't even outside the city limits, so it would create a huge bottle neck of traffic from all the commuters with their SUV's driving back and forth from their mansions.

Can you imagine city people living in the middle of wheat farmland, with dust, cropdusters, stubble burning, and farm chemicals; not to mention the bottle neck of traffic congesiton from all their SUV's commuting from Moscow. There are so many houses for sale in Moscow, but no these people are special, they needed golf courses, gates, paved walking paths, ponds, etc.

Anyways the development was approved. The farmer who objected along with his neighbors didn't even get a chance to speak, or be notified. The room was so crowded at the Court House, pre-planned, that he told me he was in the hall, and waited till midnight, and still didn't get to speak, so he had to go home, since he also had back surgery.

He said there were no notices posted about the pre-zone meetings posted, or printed in the paper. So all this was slipped through without his knowledge, or anyone elses in the surrounding area. This happens all the time!!!! I could mention names, dates, facts, but I will get edited again.

The development is still a field, with an entrance way. I need to ring Farmer -----and get a recap, since my dad died last February when this was all going on. My dad knew all the farmers in this area of course, and was shocked that the neighbors, who came in on the same wagon train with them, would sell their neighboring farm, just to retire. Again, the excuse the land was unproductive was used, etc. Thank god for Latah Co. Grain Grower receipts and records.

The loop holes you have to go through to fight these powerful developers, and zoning boards is unbelievable. Definately one-sided. They don't want the people to know when the meetings are, and you really are outnumbered by the rich, powerful, and big businesses that are into it for the money.

One man on the board told us girls we could only speak 3 min., instead of the normal 5 min. allotted for each person that attends. He builds houses by the way.

If I had it my way, I would rip out all those foreclosured houses, and put the land back into production, instead of being stuck with over 900 houses in CDA. Or give it all back to the Indians, including CDA Lake.

I miss the mills too, especially Potlatch, and I thought the CDA Mill was beautiful. God bless Loggers, Farmers, Ranchers, Old Houses and Barns, and Rusty Car Bodies.

I also want to thank Boisefan88, yes out of control growth doesn't just ruin an area for the Indians natives, and the first Pioneers, but it ruins the quality of life for everyone, even those that move here for a simple small house, and a modest lifestyle. If you disagree or say somethign then you are libel.

[ejay]

My buddy Mike Larson's parents live in potlatch. Beautiful little town. I can't believe people with money want to live there and tear up the farm land. It really is sad to see all the farmers go. And that new farm tax they are going to hit the farmers in washington is total bs! They live on a shoe string budget already! People really neeed to learn to respect there farming neighbors for all of the sacrifices they make so you can eat dinner every night! Thanks again for all your hard work and God Bless You and your Family!

[SacTown11]

Wheatfarmersdaughter, I am not sure what to make of you. As a Californian, I can assure that NO TAXES HAVE EVER BEEN LOWERED except in that rare case in the 1970's with some Proposition 13 or something...long before my time.

Currently, the democrat-controlled state assembly is refusing any cuts and is insisting on raising sales tax from 7.75% to 8.75%, raising vehicle registrations by 45%, raising gas taxes by 12 cents per gallon, and also an unspecified increase in income taxes. Apparently, they plan to put this into a prop for us to vote on that is supposed to be a "spending cap" imposed on the government with several glaring loop holes that will enable these crooks to continue spending into oblivion. The catch is that if we vote for this prop then these changes will go into effect for 5 years....if we vote AGAINST it the spending cap goes away and the tax increased REMAIN for 2 years instead of 5. A joke right?

Back to Idaho, the above reason should demonstrate why the great state of Idaho will weather this storm better than most states overall...though the overbuilt, over Californificized areas will be very hard hit. California is going broke not because of tax cuts, but because of deficit spending during times of tremendous growth and now we are left with a recession and no political will to spend within our means to correct the problems we now face.

It is that basic ignorance about taxes that fuel certain political organizations support for taxes being the answer to government spending. Taxes actually HINDER growth and if California institutes more taxes as a way to get out of this mess then we will face an even bigger mess the following year. California is a joke and I am planning to move to Idaho to escape that joke...but apparently, the same line of brainwashed thinking is becoming a problem in Idaho. California is in the Top 5 for worst run governments in America....other states would be completely insane to copy their model. By the way, the democrats have owned a 60-40 majority in the state assembly for 20+ years...which they now have at the national level.

Disclaimer: I am not a Republican, nor do I support their cause. I have been known to be impervious to the Two-Party rhetoric. Take what I say with a grain of salt...those of you who are lucky enough to live in Idaho then think about what you have and decide if Idaho really needs to change at all. Why change anything? That is the central question I wished Californian's would have asked 15-20 years ago...

[pimit2]

More bad news for Idaho? The following was reported today on KTVB.com:

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Like the rest of the U.S., Idaho saw home prices soar during the housing bubble despite relatively stagnant wages.

Now it's becoming apparent that many Idahoans bought places they couldn't afford.

The foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac says Nevada, California, Arizona, Florida and Oregon had the nation's top foreclosure rates in January.

But at No. 9 is Idaho on RealtyTrac's monthly list of foreclosure hot spots.

Rounding out the top 10 were Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Idaho and Ohio.

pimit2 (Bob)

[norcalmom101]

I think Idaho is such a diverse place that it would be more accurate to refer to regions of Idaho than Idaho as a whole. FWIW.