There they go again…the same people that brought 34 new congressional districts to Idaho, have now moved the cities of Spokane, Portland and Great Falls to the Gem State!
government spending
Chili cook-offs and gift cards: Coeur d'Alene spends $4,500 on "Employee Recognition"
December 15, 2009 | posted by Jay Howell inThe Coeur d’Alene city government spends thousands of taxpayer dollars every year to show city employees they are appreciated. In fact, according to public records obtained by the Idaho Freedom Foundation, expenses under the heading of “Employee Recognition” totaled $4,489.42 in FY2009.
Salaries of many state department heads outpace inflation
December 08, 2009 | posted by Jay Howell inWhile many people who have managed to hang onto their private sector jobs this year have done so by taking pay cuts, some state employees are receiving pay raises larger than the annual inflation rate. According to state records, payroll costs (salary + benefits) grew from $888,790,878.02 in FY99 to $1,339,354,569.40 in FY08. That amounts to an increase of about 50 percent, or an average of 5 percent per year. Nationally, inflation was 28.27 percent, or
Lobbyists on the public payroll
December 02, 2009 | posted by Jay Howell inYou may not realize it, but your taxes help pay the salaries of some Statehouse lobbyists. Many pubically funded organizations and agencies contract with outside lobbyists, or send staff members to the legislature, to push their agendas. Among them are city urban renewal districts, school systems, universities and highway districts.
Are taxpayer-funded Christmas parties legal?
November 25, 2009 | posted by Jay Howell inThanksgiving is here, and the holiday season has begun! That means Christmas, New Year’s and other holiday parties and celebrations are the order of the day, in peoples’ homes, at work, and in the halls of government.
Small town, big question
November 20, 2009 | posted by Jay Howell inJust because a town is small, or the amount of taxpayer dollars in question is small, doesn’t mean big philosophical issues don’t arise from time to time. In New Meadows, the question is whether giving the city’s four full-time employees the day after Thanksgiving off as a paid holiday is a well deserved token of appreciation, or a misuse of taxpayers’ dollars?
Idaho's "new" Congressional districts
November 17, 2009 | posted by Jay Howell inIn addition to the money that Idaho has received under the federal stimulus plan, the state was apparently awarded a number of additional congressional districts…34 to be exact!
Art for art's sake: the $20,000 question
October 23, 2009 | posted by Jay Howell inThe aesthetics of downtown Boise have gotten a $20,000 boost, in the form of decorations on five traffic control boxes. Acording to city records, the money came from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Grant program, the same source that was tapped for $25,000 to install 15 bike lockers downtown.
Boise Neighborhood Reinvestment Grant pays for $1,600 bike lockers
October 21, 2009 | posted by Jay Howell in
Tough times call for tough fiscal choices. So when the City of Boise grants $25,000 for 15 downtown bike lockers, some may wonder about the city’s spending priorities. After all, Boise has laid off employees and is holding several positions open at the Boise Police and Fire Departments. So why did the city install the 15 bike lockers, eight at the Capitol Terrace Garage and seven at the Eastman Garage, at the cost of more than $1,600 each?
