Life in Idaho Imitates Oscar Nominated Nomadland

People are living out of mini-vans in the desert.  A friend, Todd Eccles, runs among the sagebrush and the canyons every morning.  He sees these nomadic types.  They can’t afford any longer to pay rent or property taxes.  It’s because of the spike in housing costs.  A Hollywood movie about this crisis is expected to be named Best Picture at the Academy Awards.  You can see the trailer below.

A second factor is also driving up housing costs.  This is a Facebook post from a friend in North Idaho.  Scott Herndon is a builder.

Darr Moon, the husband of State Representative Dorothy Moon, shared this statement on Facebook:

 “I feel like a June bug in a chicken coop most days. Idaho is a bustle from a mass exodus that sees Idaho as the new Promised Land. That promise is costing a fortune for everyone, those coming and those well established. The cost of building materials is out the roof and so are the lag times for materials. I spoke with a city electric supervisor the other day who said many transformers and electrical switch gear is 55 weeks backordered.”

Darr gave me permission to publish his words.  He also believes state government as a whole isn’t up to the task.

We’re being overwhelmed by people fleeing blue states.  I understand their desire for a less regulated life and a perception we’ve got much more liberty.  But people I know who had good lives in rural Idaho are greatly concerned their own kids may no longer be able to afford living here.  The only cure may be an economic depression and the pain would impact everyone and could be far worse than the current crisis.

The only other option is reform in blue states, however.  When all of the conservative voters leave for Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, the remaining wards of the blue states aren’t likely going to demand serious change.  They like big government and wealth transfers.  Until the wealth runs out and then cities will burn.

Quite the dilemma!