Economy

Electric Car Sales Booming In Seattle And Portland, Not Idaho

Tom Banse — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:42:00 +0000

The automaker Nissan says sales of its fully electric Leaf compact surpassed all other Nissan models at dealers in the Seattle and Portland areas this spring. Wednesday's announcement runs counter to the prevailing wisdom that adoption of plug-in cars has been sluggish.

Bottom Rung: Longtime Idaho Economist Stresses Education And Healthcare To Boost Wages

Emilie Ritter Saunders — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:16:36 +0000

Idaho has the largest percentage of minimum wage jobs in the country. That’s been the jumping off point for StateImpact Idaho’s series examining wages; we’re calling it Bottom Rung.

Bottom Rung: The Politics Of Increasing Idaho’s Minimum Wage

Emilie Ritter Saunders — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:14:11 +0000

As in many states, Idaho’s minimum wage hasn’t changed since 2009, when the hourly minimum was boosted by the federal government.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found 31,000 hourly Idaho workers earned the minimum wage, $7.25, or less in 2012. That’s a 63 percent increase from 2011.

Bottom Rung: Why One Idaho Border Business Chose Washington

Jessica Robinson — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:33:37 +0000

The border between Washington and Idaho is like a petri dish for what the minimum wage does to the economy. That’s where two extremes meet. Idaho has the federal minimum wage: $7.25 an hour. While Washington’s is nearly $2 more.

Bottom Rung: Why Building A Strong Idaho Economy Takes Public Investment

Molly Messick — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:55:16 +0000

Bob Lokken, CEO of Boise-based WhiteCloud Analytics, is three years into building his new company. It designs software for health care professionals with the aim of allowing doctors and others to interrogate vast amounts of health care data. Lokken founded it after his previous company, ProClarity Corporation, was bought by Microsoft.

Recently, he showed me around the downtown office where software developers work intently behind large computer screens. I wasn’t there to talk about better health outcomes through guided data analysis; I was there to talk about Idaho’s workforce.

Bottom Rung: The Workforce Shift That’s Costing Idaho Good-Paying Jobs

Molly Messick — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:41:12 +0000

Not long ago, you could hear the buzz of power saws all over the Treasure Valley. It was punctuated by the steady rhythm of hammers and nail guns. More than 10,000 homes went up in Ada and Canyon counties in the two years before the recession hit. Then, the sound stopped.

“’08 and ’09 were really hard,” says Aaron Wright of Steelhead Construction. He founded the siding and remodeling company as Idaho’s housing boom took hold. At the peak, Wright employed more than 30 people. When the market crashed, he scaled back to three.

Bottom Rung: Gov. Otter Touts Idaho’s Low Wages To Attract Gun Companies

Emilie Ritter Saunders — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:03:03 +0000

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter is using Idaho’s low wages as a selling point. In a letter sent to out-of-state gun manufacturers last month to encourage them to relocate to Idaho, Otter touts the comparatively low cost of labor here.

Bottom Rung: Why An Influx Of Retirees To Idaho Is Creating More Low-Wage Jobs

Emilie Ritter Saunders — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:56:25 +0000

There’s a brand new pizza joint in southeast Boise. It’s nestled in a mini-strip mall with a gas station, dry cleaner and hair salon.

On a recent Friday evening, Franco’s Pizzeria was just starting to pick up. It’s a tiny place. The cash register is only a few steps away from the industrial pizza ovens. There are a handful of tables and stools inside for someone who just wants a quick slice.

Bottom Rung: Two Idaho Workers Talk About Life On Low Wages

Molly Messick — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:39:42 +0000

Wages are lower in Idaho than in nearly ever other state. That’s often chalked up to Idaho’s rural nature and low cost of living. But recently, the state has lost ground.

May Is Second Amendment Protection Month In Idaho

Frankie Barnhill — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:43:21 +0000

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has designated May as Second Amendment Protection Month.

His signed declaration cites Idaho's gun-friendly ranking with the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Otter's declaration also seeks to "encourage business leaders who are looking for a new operation for their locations to become new corporate citizens in a state that will encourage their continued success."

How Will Gun Control In Other States Affect Idaho's Bottom Line?

Frankie Barnhill — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:30:00 +0000

It’s been five months since the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., sparked a national gun debate. In Colorado, the state legislature there pushed through a ban on high-capacity magazines – the kind that were used to kill 12 people at a movie theater in Aurora, Co. last summer.

Control Towers At Smaller NW Airports Likely To Get Reprieve

Tom Banse — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:12:00 +0000

The White House says President Obama will sign a fast-tracked Congressional bill to end the furloughs of air traffic controllers. Operators of smaller Northwest airports hope the measure also stops the planned closure of their control towers.

As of now, more than a dozen of the less busy airport control towers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho remain on a list to be deactivated in early June. They're potential casualties of across-the-board federal budget cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration.

Idaho Power Seeks to End Excess Green Energy Credit Payouts

Aaron Kunz — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:38:18 +0000

If you use solar panels or wind turbines to generate your own power, you can sell the electricity you don’t use back to your utility. But one Northwest power company wants to stop sending checks to customers who are big energy producers.

Idaho Power awards a credit against customers’ utility bills for the solar and wind power they put onto the grid. If they still have unused credits when the year ends, Idaho Power sends them a check.

But that could change. Idaho Power says it needs to stop sending the checks out to avoid increased oversight by federal regulators.

Alaska Air Group CEO Calls FAA Furloughs "Unfathomable"

Tom Banse — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:18:58 +0000

The head of Alaska Airlines has choice words for the air traffic controller furloughs that started Sunday. Alaska Air Group C-E-O Brad Tilden today called the travel impact of automatic federal budget cuts "unfathomable."

Sister carriers Alaska and Horizon Air say delays and cancelations have been most noticeable on flights to Los Angeles this week.

Boise Leaders Celebrate Milestone At 8th And Main Tower

Frankie Barnhill — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:53:10 +0000

This morning, ironworkers celebrated the “topping off” at the Eighth and Main Tower in downtown Boise. Business and political leaders watched as the final beam was placed at the top of the 18-story building.

Visitors to the private event signed their names before the beam was hoisted above the city’s skyline.

Speaking from the windy rooftop, developer Kem Gardner thanked construction workers who have been building the Tower.

A Look At Idaho's Multimillion Dollar Fertilizer Industry

Frankie Barnhill — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:36:46 +0000

The deadly explosion at a fertilizer facility in West, Texas Wednesday, has put a spotlight on the industry. According to NPR, 12 people died and 200 were injured.

Driver’s License Data Offers Clues About Where Idahoans Are Moving

Emilie Ritter Saunders — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:44:09 +0000

Driver’s license data show more people moved to Idaho than left the state in 2012. But that data finds at least 29,253 Idahoans did move to another state last year.

Driver’s License Data Offers Real-Time Clues About Who Is Moving To Idaho

Emilie Ritter Saunders — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:27:40 +0000

Idaho is no stranger to population growth. The number of people in the Gem State has steadily grown from about 710,000 people in 1972 to 1.59 million in 2012. That’s a 124 percent increase.

Some Northwest Cities Explore How To Keep Airport Control Towers Open

Tom Banse — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:55:41 +0000

Some Northwest cities and counties are exploring whether to use local or private money to keep their airport control towers open. By mid-June, the federal government plans to close the control towers at 13 small to medium sized airports across the region.

Services For American Indian Tribes In Idaho Hit By Federal Budget Cuts

Frankie Barnhill — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

It’s been more than a month since the federal budget cuts took effect. The across-the-board spending cuts impact federal agencies including the Pentagon and the FAA. American Indian tribes in Idaho are now beginning to see the impact of those cuts.

Amber Ebarb is a policy analyst at the National Congress of American Indians. She says for many tribes, the sequester could not have come at a worse time. She says there are nearly 18,000 American Indians eligible for services in Idaho.