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I'm just curious if during your time there you have constantly compared Idaho to California. If so, nobody likes that. The attitude becomes then why did you leave where you were. I have some good friends in Idaho and have visited several times and found the people nice. Of course a visit is not living there. What I'm trying to say without offending you is "Alaska has people coming up here from California and other states. Once they get settled in, all of a sudden they start whining about what they use to have, and then they try to change things to make it just like the place they left." And then, yes, attitudes of Alaskans start to change real quick. As for me, I would take Idaho anyday over California; way too much politically correct agenda in that State, as well as way too many problems with illegals. Good luck in your move.
To answer your question as honestly as possible, although I obviously have a certain mindset after having lived in another area my entire life, I made a sincere attempt to acclamate into this community. When talking to locals, I often made it a point to point out what I liked about this area (the slower pace of life, less crime, cleaner air, easily accessible outdoor recreation, etc.)...and have still found people (in general now, not everyone, I've met a few nice people too) highly unfriendly and even snobbish. I would never openly compare one place to another (except maybe weather variations) to locals in order to point out what I perceive as negative differences from my home state. Duh.
Also, just to clarify, I did not leave CA to "escape", lol. We moved to ID to be closer to my mother who happens to live here.
I don't think Idaho, and Boise specifically, are horrible, but it's not the place for me and my family. It certainly has it's positive points, they just don't outweigh the aspects that we personally perceive as negatives. No place is perfect, and everyone just has to figure out which place is right for them. What I've learned by moving around, is that I just belong back home. I'm willing to trade cleaner air, nice parks, and the river (which I love), to be immersed back into a population of progressive thinkers (Boise feels mentally suffocating after a lifetime in the Los Angeles area). I don't mean that in a derogatory way..."sane" means different things to different people...I'm sure many who have lived in an area like Idaho most of their lives would find a progressive area and it's people kind of "crazy", just as I find life among seriously conservative folks to be "crazy". It's all a matter of perception.
Best of luck to everybody. If you like it here, that's good. I'm happy for you that you have a place to enjoy living. I don't begrudge anyone their happiness and sense of belonging...I just wanted to point out the labor laws for those who might be considering a move here, that's all. I don't think it's something everybody always thinks about before they move to a new state.
I just wanted to point out the labor laws for those who might be considering a move here, that's all. I don't think it's something everybody always thinks about before they move to a new state.
It was a good topic and probably helped a lot of people out that are coming from States like Cali, or Oregon, or almost any other state for that matter. Most people probably assume labor laws are the same throughout the US, but that obviously isn't the case. Idaho and California are both on opposite sides of the spectrum, by a wide margin.
I just stumbled on to your note about Idaho labor laws. I guess you did not know this is a right to be poor state. I have lived here all my life and struggled to get by all my life. Why do I stay you ask? Because of the crime we don't have. Because of the fresh air we do have .
But that is only good for so long, because I cannot live on fresh air and I have nothing to be stolen .
I know I will not retire here.
Every time I turn around Idaho is trying to raise a new tax to pay for something that the last tax was going to pay for. And it did not. I don't know how many of you know this but the sales tax was not to be a permanent tax. It was only to be put in place for a short time. As I understand it it was to be either rescinded or the state income tax was to be banished .
Of course that is only one thing that the Idaho people get raped by the Idaho government .
If you have a hard time believing any of this just go to the Idaho labor employment section and look at the wages they are offering people in this state. How many of you could live and support a family on $8.00 an hour? There are some out there are still trying to only pay minimum wage. And as long as this government allows it they will continue.
Of course are governor thinks it would be smart to raise the fee for registering your cars now. One more tax that they can spend on themselves in government. None of them are living on minimum wages. They get their raises any time they please. Most of us out here will only see more money when the minimum wage goes up. Not because of our performance on the job. Because are employers are all too cheap to do anything that is not to their best interest.
None of them are living on minimum wages. They get their raises any time they please. Most of us out here will only see more money when the minimum wage goes up. Not because of our performance on the job. Because are employers are all too cheap to do anything that is not to their best interest.
You do realize the most state congressmen take a pay cut when they choose to meet for three months out of the year.
Besides that, raising minimum wage does nothing. It cuts out entry level positions and can force small businesses to close down. Do you expect more than $5.15 an hour to flip burgers? Because a job like that doesn't merit much more. Besides that I bet you couldn't show me one job that pays that, because people refuse to work for it. You think taxes are high here? Go to a leftist labor state, like Cali, or NY and you'll be racing back to pay Idaho taxes. And if this is a "right to be poor" state, how come states like California, New York, Michigan, and Ohio are so poverty stricken, yet many in Idaho enjoy a pretty comfortable life?
You do realize the most state congressmen take a pay cut when they choose to meet for three months out of the year.
Besides that, raising minimum wage does nothing. It cuts out entry level positions and can force small businesses to close down. Do you expect more than $5.15 an hour to flip burgers? Because a job like that doesn't merit much more. Besides that I bet you couldn't show me one job that pays that, because people refuse to work for it. You think taxes are high here? Go to a leftist labor state, like Cali, or NY and you'll be racing back to pay Idaho taxes. And if this is a "right to be poor" state, how come states like California, New York, Michigan, and Ohio are so poverty stricken, yet many in Idaho enjoy a pretty comfortable life?
Not that I entirely agree with the other guy, but this post is full of laughs.
Which part of the post? The part where raising minimum wage does nothing to help businesses? In my business, I have X amount to spend on manpower from our general budget. While we pay more, if I had an entry level employee answering the phones, I'd pay them as little as the "market would bear" for a no-brainer job. Minimum wage goes up, I cut hours to stay within my budget or I raise my prices so that the budget can grow, which does nothing but make what I sell more expensive. At that point, I have to hope competitors in other states have to also raise their prices or I'm in trouble. What part of that escapes people? There's no a magical money tree in my backyard...
Or the part where taxes in California wind up being about 50% higher what they are here if you operate a business? We moved our business out of California when I just got sick and tired of every year a higher percentage of our income going to the state and county, which were in an apparent race to put us out of business...
Bonner County recruited us to bring our business here, and with the exception of P&Z issues that were painted a bit rosy for my taste, Idaho is (to me) one of the most business friendly states around. And we're not talking about a big corporation wanting to impoverish workers a la Wal-Mart...we're talking about a small fiscally conservative business with few employees who we pay $10-15/hr for moderately skilled labor, but we don't need the state government to be a "silent greedy partner" in our business.
Maybe his final sentence is incorrect, but I don't see where he needed to be slapped around for it.
Your derisive attitude is a bit uncalled for IMHO, although you're free to hold a divergent socio-economic philosophy about the pros & cons of minimum wage laws, etc.
Which part of the post? The part where raising minimum wage does nothing to help businesses? In my business, I have X amount to spend on manpower from our general budget. While we pay more, if I had an entry level employee answering the phones, I'd pay them as little as the "market would bear" for a no-brainer job. Minimum wage goes up, I cut hours to stay within my budget or I raise my prices so that the budget can grow, which does nothing but make what I sell more expensive. At that point, I have to hope competitors in other states have to also raise their prices or I'm in trouble. What part of that escapes people? There's no a magical money tree in my backyard...
Not that part. There are legitimate arguments on both sides, but I tend to fall more in line with your own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle
Or the part where taxes in California wind up being about 50% higher what they are here if you operate a business? We moved our business out of California when I just got sick and tired of every year a higher percentage of our income going to the state and county, which were in an apparent race to put us out of business...
Bonner County recruited us to bring our business here, and with the exception of P&Z issues that were painted a bit rosy for my taste, Idaho is (to me) one of the most business friendly states around. And we're not talking about a big corporation wanting to impoverish workers a la Wal-Mart...we're talking about a small fiscally conservative business with few employees who we pay $10-15/hr for moderately skilled labor, but we don't need the state government to be a "silent greedy partner" in our business.
Or this part.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle
Maybe his final sentence is incorrect, but I don't see where he needed to be slapped around for it.
Your derisive attitude is a bit uncalled for IMHO, although you're free to hold a divergent socio-economic philosophy about the pros & cons of minimum wage laws, etc.
Truth be told you think everything I say is derisive, so I suppose we'll just continue to be at an impasse.
He said:
"You do realize the most state congressmen take a pay cut when they choose to meet for three months out of the year."
I'd like him to support this. I suppose that his caveat "...when they choose to meet for three months out of the year" might support his claim re: pay cuts, but our local representatives certainly aren't reducing their annual income any. But hey, I may be wrong about that, which is why I say prove it.
Mostly what I found laughable was this portion of his post:
"You think taxes are high here? Go to a leftist labor state, like Cali, or NY and you'll be racing back to pay Idaho taxes. And if this is a "right to be poor" state, how come states like California, New York, Michigan, and Ohio are so poverty stricken, yet many in Idaho enjoy a pretty comfortable life?"
It's absolutely disingenuous. First he begins with "leftist labor state" as if the labor climate were really that much different. As this thread has explored it becomes a matter of preference - some people enjoy the protections that things like unions provide, whereas other people enjoy the employer freedoms that a state like Idaho might provide.
His last sentence is what is disingenuous - he's comparing states with much higher populations, for one, but he seems to infer that people are poor and suffering in Cali, NY, and Ohio, and living the good life in ID.
Look, there are poor people in every state, and there are wealthy people in every state. But from my experience in Idaho people are not enjoying a "pretty comfortable life," but are rather living paycheck to paycheck, just scraping by. I've spent a good portion of my life in smaller, more rural areas, and this is especially so there.
Granted our cost of living is dramatically lower than a state like California or New York, but at the same time our wages and job opportunities are so much lower.
People live in Idaho for other reasons than to become rich; they tend to trade a higher salary for a "better" quality of life (however they personally see that to be).
I understand your points made above, and I agree to some degree with your deconstruction of his last statement above...
Yes, I do find you to "come at" people in a generally less-than-friendly way, but not so much so that I'm moderating most of it, as you need not be "friendly" to be right. While I would encourage you to be more gracious to people with views other than your own who may articulate their positions less skillfully than you feel they should, neither am I demanding that you "be nicer" as long as you're within the letter AND spirit of the Terms of Service.
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