Brad Little says "tough times ahead"
Last week, Senator Little gave a very interesting talk about a variety of things going on at the state level. He was pleased to report that the Capital Building Reconstruction project was "on time, on budget". He expects to be in his new office in about a year.
The coming year will be a tough one. Gov. Otter is planning ahead by requiring all departments to cut their budgets by 1%. The downturn in the economy will mean that new projects will be hard to come by. But Idaho is in good shape, compared to other Western states. The State's "rainy day accounts" are in good shape. But don't be surprised to see your unemployment insurance premiums go up about 70% (yes, seventy)
Brad spent considerable time discussing the state transportation problems which all agree is the #1 priority. There are highway projects ready to go but these days the state is not able to sell bonds because the credit markets are frozen. For example, I-84 through Boise may be under construction "in perpetuity". Due to increased traffic congestion, studies show that it's costing Treasure Valley residents and businesses nearly $150 million per year in added costs. What money that is available is all going to repairs and maintenance, not new projects. You can bet that we'll all have to pay more through user fees, fuel taxes, registration fees, etc to pay for infrastructure upgrades.
So fasten your seatbelts and hang on!
The coming year will be a tough one. Gov. Otter is planning ahead by requiring all departments to cut their budgets by 1%. The downturn in the economy will mean that new projects will be hard to come by. But Idaho is in good shape, compared to other Western states. The State's "rainy day accounts" are in good shape. But don't be surprised to see your unemployment insurance premiums go up about 70% (yes, seventy)
Brad spent considerable time discussing the state transportation problems which all agree is the #1 priority. There are highway projects ready to go but these days the state is not able to sell bonds because the credit markets are frozen. For example, I-84 through Boise may be under construction "in perpetuity". Due to increased traffic congestion, studies show that it's costing Treasure Valley residents and businesses nearly $150 million per year in added costs. What money that is available is all going to repairs and maintenance, not new projects. You can bet that we'll all have to pay more through user fees, fuel taxes, registration fees, etc to pay for infrastructure upgrades.
So fasten your seatbelts and hang on!