Don't understand Idaho's high taxes (Moscow: apartment complex, school, calculation)

[Sage of Sagle]

Any further discussion on bikes should be in the new thread I created from all these posts about bikes.

This thread is about Idaho taxes...

[TheHappyCamper]

The discussion on taxes is interesting. I plan to move to Sagle as soon as I find the right lot. While existing taxation is good to note the citizenry in the area is as great an option to note as any. Idaho's " Live free or Die" mentally is a great selling feature and a hope that in the future any great tax increases will be challenged with a revolt. Were I live now the people have given up hope and the politicians spend like madmen even though they are broke.

[VandalsLOL]

Idaho does not have a "live free or die" mentality.

The state government is worse than the federal government when it comes to telling us what we can or can't do, and taking away decisions made on the local level.

The entire M.O. of the last two years' legislative sessions have been about the state telling individuals or cities what they can or can't do... all the while hypocritically screaming about federal government intrusion.

There must be some great marketing firm out there selling that "live free or die" mularky about Idaho. It just isn't true.

[boi2socal]

Originally Posted by VandalsLOL

Idaho does not have a "live free or die" mentality.

The state government is worse than the federal government when it comes to telling us what we can or can't do, and taking away decisions made on the local level.

The entire M.O. of the last two years' legislative sessions have been about the state telling individuals or cities what they can or can't do... all the while hypocritically screaming about federal government intrusion.

There must be some great marketing firm out there selling that "live free or die" mularky about Idaho. It just isn't true.

Spot on.

People are selective in what they see - tunnel vision. Pretty much like religion - "I should be protected, but not that religion." Californians leaving the state don't like that they can't freely deplete the water supply by watering their lawns all day everyday. So they move onto the next state. Water restrictions and plastic bag bans - facism!!! Over controlling cities, limiting human rights as long as they don't pertain to your perceived majority - a-ok!

[Cnynrat]

Originally Posted by boi2socal

Californians leaving the state don't like that they can't freely deplete the water supply by watering their lawns all day everyday. So they move onto the next state.

I don't think many Californians are moving to Idaho to avoid water use restrictions.

Some may be headed to Idaho partially based on a concern that California and the southwest in general are headed for prolonged dry times, but that's a little different. That was a factor in our thinking, and that concern developed many years ago well before we reached the current serious drought conditions.

I'd be interested to know how water use in Idaho stacks up. In California 80% of water is consumed by agriculture, and residential use is only about 14% (the balance being mainly industry/businesses and government).

Dave

[boi2socal]

I have seen people actually post such things. I am sure it is not an integral part of their move, but the overall idea of moving to Idaho for "freedom." That was the point.

And yes, Idaho gets droughts and has water rights issues. Most of the agriculture in Idaho, like California is done in the most arid areas of the state.

[VandalsLOL]

Big difference in the aridity between southern and northern Idaho, for sure.

Freedom in Idaho simply means less people. That's all (for now).

[boi2socal]

lol. Idaho ties with California at the very bottom of the list for Government transparency.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/...t-transparency

Please note, I'm not trying to say Idaho is terrible or don't move there...I just see so many people moving to Idaho for ridiculous reasons. Often, politically motivated. Red and Blue really aren't all that different these days. They both take your money. They both do ridiculous things with it.

[volosong]

At least in Idaho, I can get a CCW permit. They don't issue them in Los Angeles county.

[Cnynrat]

The referenced PIRG study wasn't about overall government transparency, it was actually focused on a more narrow question of transparency about state spending, and even then only on the availability of such data on-line.

So I spent approximately 3 seconds on Google and found this: Transparent Idaho

I spent a little time looking around on that site, and it seems there is a wealth of information there about taxation, where the state's revenues come from, and how the money is spent. I haven't spent hours pouring through it, but my first impression is I could probably find most any taxation/spending related tidbit I wanted to know about in Idaho.

Back to the report, I note that Idaho really didn't tie with California, it actually scored 10 points higher than California. Still, it was near the bottom, but in light of the web site I linked above it begs the question why? It seems that the PIRG study was perhaps a little more focused on the specifics of how the data was made available, and less on whether it was available at all. It almost sounds more like a critique of web site design than a plain old assessment of the availability of the data. Things like "one click access" were important to them, and whether databases where available to researchers to download. I can see where that last item would be very important to organizations like PIRG, but I'm not sure how many voters want to download databases of spending data for offline analysis.

Dave