Idaho

Bringing the Economy Home

Idaho Claims One Of Forbes 400 Richest

Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

Just one Idahoan appears on Forbes’ list of the 400 richest Americans, released today.  He is Robert (Earl) Holding, 85, founder of the Little America chain of hotels and resorts, and owner of Sinclair Oil Corporation.

Little America and Sinclair Oil are both based in Salt Lake City, but the hotel group also owns Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort.  Holding is listed as a resident of Sun Valley.

Forbes puts Holding’s net worth at $2.6 billion.

Idaho businessman Frank VanderSloot, who recently disputed press descriptions referring to him as a “billionaire,” does not appear on this year’s list.  He did make an appearance in 2004.

Should Idaho Expand Its Medicaid Program? Some Answers Could Lie Here

Carsten Koall / Getty Images

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare now has a $100,000 study on Idaho’s Medicaid program in its hands.  The department commissioned the study in April, in preparation for the Medicaid expansion that was then required under the Affordable Care Act.

In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling, which made the Medicaid expansion optional for states, the study has gained even greater relevance.  It’s expected to inform the decision that now awaits Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter: should the state expand Medicaid eligibility, or not?

A working group established by Gov. Otter shortly after the Supreme Court upheld the federal law in June is now weighing the state’s options.  Potential cost was a main question mark at the group’s first meeting in August.  Continue Reading

Fewer Idahoans Set Sights On M.B.A. Degrees

Joe Jaszewski / Idaho Statesman

Boise State University opened its new business building this fall.

*We originally reported fall enrollment is down this year compared to last in Boise State University’s M.B.A. program, when in fact enrollment has increased from 119 full and part time students in 2011 to 139 full and part time students.

For the fourth year in a row, the number of applicants for two-year, full-time M.B.A. programs declined this fall.  That’s according to an article from the Wall Street Journal.

The organization that administers the Graduate Management Admission Test, the Graduate Management Admission Council, surveyed 359 graduate business schools worldwide.

The Wall Street Journal writes:

The median number of applications world-wide fell 22 percent in 2012 for the two-year degrees, after a nearly 10 percent decline last year. For many programs, the losses are off of multiyear highs that occurred as young professionals sought refuge and new skills in Continue Reading

Boise Economy Shows Relative Strength In Shaky Recovery

Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images

Boise's growing number of construction jobs boosted employment in the city this spring, the Brookings Institution's Mountain Monitor report says.

Early this year, as a signs of economic recovery faded into yet another spring slump, Boise for the most part held its ground.

That’s the main local takeaway from the Brookings Institution’s current Metro Monitor report, which sizes up the health of urban economies from April through June.

Idaho’s unemployment rate held steady during that period, staying just below the national average. But Boise’s employment — its total number of wage and salary jobs — grew by 1.3 percent.

That may not sound like much, but the city was one of only six major metros to post gains of one percent or more, the Brookings report says. Continue Reading

Gov. Otter’s Budget Chief Resigns To Take Lobbying Job

Courtesy Idaho Reports / Idaho Public Television

Wayne Hammon is a frequent guest on Idaho Public Television's Idaho Reports.

Wayne Hammon has been at the helm of the Division of Financial Management for the last five and a half years.

As the Spokesman Review’s Eye On Boise blog reports, Hammon is resigning, effective September 28.

Hammon writes in his resignation letter he’s been honored to serve as budget chief:

“It is with strong emotion and immense gratitude that I write to express my thanks for the opportunity to serve in your cabinet these last five and a half years. Continue Reading

Romney’s 47 Percent Includes A Whole Lot Of Idahoans

According to the Tax Policy Center Idaho has the 10th largest share of tax filers who don’t pay federal income taxes.

Yesterday, Mother Jones released video of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney saying, among other things, that people who don’t pay income taxes are “dependent upon government” and won’t vote for him.  But as this Tax Policy Center map shows, many of the 47 percent of Americans not paying federal income taxes live in Republican states.

Tax Policy Center

Click on the map to enlarge.

Thirty-nine percent of Idaho tax filers don’t pay federal income taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center.  That equals 258,528 tax filers.

In case you missed it, here’s Romney’s quote: Continue Reading

Buying Trumps Renting In Boise’s Recovering Housing Market

Courtesy: Trulia

Click on the screenshot above to see Trulia's full study.

It is, in general, cheaper to own than rent.  That’s the broad finding of a recent report from real estate website Trulia.

How much cheaper? Assuming a 3.5 percent mortgage rate and 20 percent down payment, among other things, “buying is now 45 percent cheaper than renting in the 100 largest U.S. metros, on average – that’s a savings of $771 a month,” the report says.

Trulia doesn’t include Boise in its 100 largest metros, but company chief economist, Jed Kolko, walked through some of the numbers to consider.  First, there are basic measures of the local housing market’s health, like the magnitude of the price decline in the housing bust, and price improvement in the last year.  Continue Reading

Essential StateImpact: Top Five Posts Of The Week (According To You)

Molly Messick / StateImpact

The Idaho World in Idaho City, the state's oldest, continuously-printed newspaper.

Here’s a look back at our five most-read stories of the week.  As always, we’d love your feedback.  Share with your friends and let us know what you think.

Lewiston Ammunition Maker Continues To Expand

Molly Messick / StateImpact Idaho

This M4 is a weapon commonly used by elite units of the U.S. military. It's used to test ammunition at PNW Arms in Potlatch, Idaho.

Howell Machine, an ammunition maker in Lewiston, has more than quadrupled its workforce in the last five years.  That’s according to a recent article from the Lewiston Tribune.

The newspaper reports Howell Machine has 132 employees and plans to add almost 100 more by March.  The company is also preparing to add some serious square footage, 47,000 more to be exact.

The Tribune reports the growth is a result of demand and the way owner David Howell has diversified his companies.  Continue Reading

Happy Birthday To Us! StateImpact Idaho Turns 1

Theresa Thompson / Flickr Creative Commons

One year ago today the StateImpact Idaho blog went live.

Back then, we promised to explain what the economic recovery looks like in Idaho, how government and businesses plan for the future, and how government policy impacts growth and job creation.

We’ve covered these issues in a variety of ways and will continue to explore how policy decisions affect tax payers, business owners, school districts, farmers and government employees.

We’ll also continue to tell these stories through interactive maps and charts, in-depth radio features and explanatory web posts that go beyond the news of the day.

Here are a few things you can expect in the coming months:

  • What Idaho’s Doctor Shortage Means For Patients, Businesses, Schools And Physicians Continue Reading
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