My Final Thoughts on Boise
POSTED: Friday, November 11, 2011 at 12:34 PM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
For the last year I’ve written with a fairly academic and tongue-in-cheek tone. One, because I enjoy it and two, because it helps keep my perspective clear and objective. It’s the same reason I don’t rely too heavily on personal anecdotes. However, after two years of informational interviewing with just about everyone in Boise, offering [...]
Developing Idaho Part 3: Manufacturing 2.0
POSTED: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 12:17 PM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
We have discussed tax cuts and local option taxes, all in the name of economic growth and attracting business to the state. I can’t help but recall a City Club of Boise luncheon discussion from the spring of 2010. The topic was, “Has Boise Lost its Steam?” The panelist, Nancy Napier, a professor at Boise [...]
Developing Idaho Part 2: Expanding the Toolbag
POSTED: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 07:20 AM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
Those young upstart millennials, often classified as lazy because they choose quality of life over economic decision making, remind me of Idaho’s predicament regarding how we attract new businesses to the state. We want it all, but we’re not sure we want to work for it. Think about how often we peddle to our non-Idaho [...]
Attracting business with an old-fashioned tax cut
POSTED: Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 08:41 AM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
Idaho’s state corporate income tax rate is 7.6 percent. The Chamber Alliance believes that reducing the rate will attract more businesses to Idaho, increasing job prospects and revenues. What makes this proposal interesting is the reason. According to the Chamber Alliance, “Idaho has been eliminated from consideration for economic development projects based on this tax rate [...]
One step at a time
POSTED: Monday, September 19, 2011 at 11:22 AM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
Idaho had a good month. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics September 16 report, Idaho employment increase from July to August by 0.5 percent, which translates to an increase of 3,200 jobs. While the August numbers sound promising, Idaho failed to make statistically significant job increases from August 2010 to August 2011. Of course one [...]
Your health insurance broker matters
POSTED: Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 07:26 AM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
Tags: brokers, commissions, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Idaho
Democrats often shoot themselves in the foot. The recent healthcare changes were supposed to reduce the cost of healthcare; instead they are cutting spending for the consumer advocates of healthcare—the broker. This is real money. I spoke with Trent Sutton in Pocatello who’s seen a 60-65 percent decrease of revenue for individual coverage. Mr. [...]
‘Money had to be wooed…’
POSTED: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 02:33 PM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
Tags: business schools, donations, ethics, higher education, sponsorships
In the late 19th century, donors at the University of California at Berkeley directly interviewed potential professors. Charles Eliot, president at Harvard, encouraged certain laboratories to be built on campus because it would “benefit the company making the donation.” At Cornell, a lumber magnate believed he could make or break presidents and faculty members. Thus, [...]
Our hyperbolic nation
POSTED: Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 10:40 AM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
Tags: Media, national debate, Politics
We need to have a national debate. It’s a phrase that arises too liberally anytime someone of prominence makes a faux pas. Or when a particular group with an agenda hopes to raise awareness about their pet issue. Regardless of the origin of a national debate, or national discussion, it fails to address crucial problems. [...]
Shame on us … and you too, Mr. Weiner
POSTED: Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 08:27 AM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
Tags: Anthony Weiner, budgets, debt, deficit, Media, sex scandals
Understandably, the public is outraged by the likes of Anthony Weiner, Arnold, and Mr. Edwards to name a few. However, it is shameful that our public outrage – and our media coverage of the sex scandals – exceeds our outrage over the looming debt crisis. To be sure, the news can be depressing and sex [...]
Raising taxes in all the right places
POSTED: Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 10:09 AM PTBY: Tucker Slosburg
Tags: budget, debt, fiscal policy, tax expenditures, taxes
Our national debt should not be a political issue, yet both parties continue to push it in that direction by blaming one party or the other for massive increases. Our debt developed and increased under both the Bush and current Obama administrations. Certainly, Obama added to the current debt with his health care plan; however, [...]
