Essential StateImpact: Top Five Stories of the Week
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In case you missed any of our stories this week, we put the most-viewed stories all in one place. Enjoy!
It was a busy week at StateImpact Idaho, and we saw a big boost in our site traffic. Thank you! Here’s a look at the five stories getting the most attention:
- Governor Otter: The State Can’t Reject a Federal Unemployment Benefit Extension: Extended benefits for jobless Idahoans are tangled in a Congressional debate. It’s unclear if a resolution will be met before extended benefits expire Dec. 31. But if they are, Idaho politicians don’t seem to agree on how to handle it.
- Governor Otter: Every Generation Deals with Joblessness and We Live Through It: Idaho is one of a handful of states where the number of people without jobs increased post-recession. Idaho’s Governor says the state is doing what it can to create jobs and unemployment won’t last forever.
- Jobless in Idaho: A Mix of Emotions for One College Grad: Last month we introduced you to Justy Thomas. She lost her job in the mortgage industry in 2008 so she decided to enroll in college. She graduated last week and now finds herself with a four year degree and still no job. We attended graduation and created this audio slide-show.
- As Farmland Prices Soar, It’s Not Just Farmers Buying: The price of good quality cropland is soaring across the country, and it’s not just farmers who are driving demand. In an unsteady economy, investors are looking to farm ground as a safe haven. In Idaho, farmland has reportedly sold for as much as $10,000 an acre. That’s more than double average values just a few years ago.
- Idaho Senate Pro-Tem: The Key to Job Creation is a Stable Tax System: In advance of the 2012 legislative session, we spoke with Sen. Brent Hill (R-Rexburg) about his ideas for boosting Idaho’s economy.