CdA has a current unemployment rate of 11.8%. That’s UP .5% from the previous month. It’s much higher than the state average of 9.4%, but our city officials are now proposing a 3% budget increase so they can give pay raises to the city employees to fulfill the union’s stipulations.
You can read today’s Press article on the proposed budget increase here.
You can read about the latest unemployment statistics here.
What do you think? When’s the last raise you received?
Bill, regarding CDA’s audit, please be advised their Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) has for many years received the coveted Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting. That’s a very high standard of which CDA was just the third Idaho city to achieve.
Comment by JohnA — July 20, 2011 @ 12:14 pm
JohnA,
According to the Government Finance Officers Association website, the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for municipalities in 2010 was awarded to Boise, Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Moscow, Nampa, Pocatello, and Post Falls. Coeur d’Alene is not listed.
I do note for the same period (2010), Kootenai County received that “coveted” Certificate for Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for counties. The title page of the County’s CAFR lists Dan English as the County Auditor and none other than Sandy Martinson as his chief deputy clerk.
And you wonder why some of us really don’t put much stock in “coveted” association awards touted as measures of excellence?
Comment by Bill — July 20, 2011 @ 12:52 pm
Very interesting, Bill. “Coeur d’Alene was not listed”.
Comment by mary — July 20, 2011 @ 1:12 pm
So I guess I should just tell the judge when I get busted for fraud or bad checks that I only did what the government does. I skimmed my register to look for abnormalities, didnt see any so I MUST have enough money to give to wealthy developers. Uh, I mean, buy that big screen, and new car, and clothes, and, and, and…..
Comment by concerned citizen — July 20, 2011 @ 8:05 pm
John Austin, we need your response please.
Comment by mary — July 20, 2011 @ 10:55 pm
Mary, the city received the award for its audit when I was Finance Director. My Deputy Treasurer, Vonnie Jensen, was instrumental in making that happen in the 1990s. I’m not sure what the status is now but I’m sure Troy or Vonnie could bring you up to date.
And, yes, Sandy was Dan’s Chief Deputy at Kootenai County, taking over for me when I became City Treasurer at CDA in 1991. She also held the position for Tom Taggart before Dan. There was nothing in her work for her first twenty years in the Clerk’s Office that would suggest she could do what she’s accused of for the last ten.
Comment by JohnA — July 21, 2011 @ 8:48 am
“There was nothing in her work for her first twenty years in the Clerk’s Office that would suggest she could do what she’s accused of for the last ten.”
Perhaps the difference then is one of management. In the last ten years her “boss” built a reputation for being, shall we say, disconnected from the day to day. That may have been a factor.
Comment by Pariah — July 21, 2011 @ 10:05 am
Does anyone know the total amount paid out in interest each year on loans the city has ?
Comment by Jullee — July 22, 2011 @ 3:39 pm
Julee, the city isn’t allowed to go into long-term debt without an approval of the voters. That’s by order of Idaho Constitution, Article 8, Section III. (Not that the Constitution means anything to some elected officials.)
The only long-term debt I believe they have is the GO Bonds from 2006 and 2008. According to the 2011/12 preliminary financial plan, the outstanding principle on both of those loans is about $6,300,000. Voters approved both bonds.
If McEuen were to be financed by the City alone, then they’d have to ask the voters, though my guess is that they’d follow NIC’s lead and use the Parks Foundation for a straw-man loan. Keep your eyes peeled in case it comes to that. So the City is instead using its favorite non-voter-approved piggy bank, the LCDC, to fund the operation. As a URA, the LCDC is authorized by state law to take out loans without approval of the people.
Comment by Dan — July 22, 2011 @ 4:19 pm
‘So the City is instead using its favorite non-voter-approved piggy bank, the LCDC, to fund the operation’
That’s correct. Just 10% of the city’s property taxpayers will cover 100% of the financing. Not a bad deal for the other 90%, or for the rest of us who will get to use the park forever. I wish I had thought of it. Oh, wait…
Comment by JohnA — July 23, 2011 @ 5:12 am
So let me get this correct JohnA, over 10% of my family is not working, I have children living on the street, my home is in need of repairs, I have lost a good portion of my income and I OWE myself a new luxury car?
This is the reason this country is in the mess that it is in. Total absurdity. Yes, I too AM glad that YOU thought of it. GHEEZ!
Comment by concerned citizen — July 23, 2011 @ 6:13 am
I believe the LCDC’s current valuation is over 10% of the city. I’m not sure how much it’s over as the valuations were just announced, but last time I checked it was about 14%.
Comment by Dan — July 23, 2011 @ 9:38 am
No, actually CC, you owe yourself not a luxury car but the means to live better. The economic impact to our region will be huge from the investments being made at McEuen and the Ed Corridor, just as it has been from the new library and Kroc Center. New businesses are coming here because of our better quality of life, not just because we have nice water and sewer systems and great police and fire departments. It’s the whole package that entices businesses to locate here, and the people that come with them purchase the homes and commodities that stimulate our economy.
We’re already seeing that when prodigal sons like Paul Finman come home to invest the fortunes they garnered somewhere else. I could give you other examples of my former classmates who have returned because they want to spend their retirements here. And, they spend money, CC. Lots of it. That wouldn’t happen without the amenities built by urban renewal, and you can take that to the bank.
Comment by JohnA — July 23, 2011 @ 9:43 am
Yes, Dan it’s now over 10% but that’s because the URDs have grown faster than the rest of the city. That was the intent in the first place, to spur economic growth and direct the new taxes to the city’s project list.
Comment by JohnA — July 23, 2011 @ 10:39 am
And just how can that be proved?
Comment by Dan — July 23, 2011 @ 10:59 am
First off, Dan, by the jobs created and retained in the Lake and River District, the last count of which revealed 1,300 new and 500 retained since 1997. Second, by speaking to Steve Griffiths from Jobs Plus, you’ll find how important a four-year college in town can be to recruiting those jobs. Finally, ask your long-time neighbors if north Idaho isn’t a better place to live than it was twenty years ago and how many of their old family and friends have come back to retire here. The last might be the best indicator of all.
Comment by JohnA — July 23, 2011 @ 12:21 pm
The only tangible figure you cite is jobs “retained.” I would question the 500 figure, specifically with all the closed store fronts in Riverstone. I believe Berns last put the figure in the 300s, but the unsettling thing is that you and Berns cite temporary construction jobs in the 1,500 figure, which has no economic impact on our region in the long term. Period.
Aside from the US Bank call center jobs, which was a Jobs Plus project and not an LCDC project, the jobs the LCDC has brought in are not living wage jobs, definitely not career jobs. The economic impact is questionable, specifically whether those jobs would have come here regardless of the contributions of the LCDC. Even John Stone said he still would have built Riverstone, but thanks to the public money funneled through the LCDC he built a “Cadillac” project and not a “Chevy” project.
Because there is no blind study, any claims made for the benefit of Urban Renewal are fabricated from whole cloth. Compare the dubious achievements of the LCDC with the jobs gained thanks to Jobs Plus. Griffiths actually measures the jobs as they come in, not as they’re “retained.”
In fact, it generally ticks me off when pro-URD apologists use the figure “retained.” It means that they failed at keeping the jobs they purport to have created. It should be an embarrassment!
And besides, bottom line: The LCDC was not formed to promote jobs in this area. It was created to enhance development. If you doubt me, I shall scan in the email I have from Tony Berns that says as much. Try spinning that.
Comment by Dan — July 23, 2011 @ 3:35 pm
If anyone can spin it, it would be JohnA!
John, your statement that LCDC created 1,300 new jobs and retained 500 is bogus. I asked Tony Berns, in person, how many jobs were retained and he told me less than 300. (He was also counting Nighthawk Radiology in his total even though they had no connection with urban renewal other than they rented offices in ParkSide Tower. Nighthawk was a CdA-born company; it was not attracted to CdA by glittery urban renewal. And now Nighthawk is gone. It was sold to new owners and has left town entirely, so you can deduct 70 positions from LCDC’s plumped-up tally.)
New June unemployment figures for CdA = 12.2% Ouch! And our city officials want to give 3% raises to EVERY city employee, with 8% merit pay for almost half of them? Double ouch! And they want to spend many MILLIONS on renovating a perfectly decent city park…right now? Absurd.
Comment by mary — July 23, 2011 @ 5:50 pm
JohnA, I can see you still think us dummy common citizens are not bright enough and need your wisdom and guidance. Are you on crack? What are we up to, $3.35 plus tips? WOW that will sustain life. Which was it, Center Partners or Jobs Plus that has had to move operations out of CdA and North Idaho because the taxes just keep going up Up UP. Sorry my friend, your friends retired back here because they are connected to the good ole boys – PERIOD. Spend their money here? Yeah right, as long it ainta gunna cost’em any more than $7.35 per hour or they can haggle like the cheap tightwads that they are. And they bring JOBS? BULL$%#t. Opencda, Please forgive me. I just call’em as I see’em.
Comment by concerned citizen — July 23, 2011 @ 7:39 pm
Dan, Jobs Plus works hand in hand with LCDC (and the URD in Post Falls) to bring viable jobs to the area. But it is only through urban renewal that utilities are run to the job sites and THAT and only that is why companies commit to this area. Jobs Plus gets the credit but it happens because of their partnership with URAs.
CDA followed Post Falls’ Harper’s example to make the U.S. Bank Call Center happen, offering to use tax increment from the River District to get utilities and other infrastructure to the site. Without that, there would be no jobs there, just like in Post Falls where Jobs Plus could never have landed Harpers without urban renewal as an enticement.
Those are the facts even if CC doesn’t like the level of wages paid from the new jobs created.
Comment by JohnA — July 25, 2011 @ 10:11 am
Thank you JohnA. So, how much does the call center pay? jobs plus is a joke. The only ones making a livable wage are the owners and VERY few management positions of jobs plus. Again, temporary migrant construction jobs are ALL the LCDC have ever provided while funneling our tax dollars to, your words, WEALTHY developers. Thank you for confirming that fact.
Comment by concerned citizen — July 25, 2011 @ 5:31 pm