RE: Wages, small businesses, etc.

["Teresa Miller" <teresah@uidaho.edu>]

When you're talking taxes- you're out of my "realm"- I just wanted to point
out that In State Preference can be a huge disadvantage to an institution
when it comes to competitive bids/quotes.

-Teresa Miller



-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Whitney [mailto:dwhitney@moscow.com]
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 1:21 PM
To: Teresa Miller
Cc: Pitcher Brian
Subject: Re: Wages, small businesses, etc.


I know that the University has used this "separate entity" reasoning to
avoid
compliance with state laws that apply to other parts of the state
government. The
trouble is that if this is truly its status, then the University should be
paying
local property taxes because it can no longer claim that University real
property
is actually owned by the state of Idaho for purpose of exemption from
taxation
under Idaho Code 63-602A. It is time that the University come clean with its
supporting community. Local merchants have to pay higher property taxes to
educate the children of University students living in tax exempt student
housing
because the property has been given a possibly invalid tax exemption, and
yet
those same merchants receieve no consideration from the University community
for
carrying that burden.

Teresa Miller wrote:

> >From what I understand, The Regents of the University of Idaho is a
complete
> separate entity including purchasing procedures.
>
> Please see....
>
http://www.uidaho.edu/UIcommunications/factbook99/overview/constitution.html
>
> I am NO expert on this, and DO NOT wish to be quoted in any newspaper- but
I
> do know that the in state preference law was being used at one point, and
> was actually hurting us more than helping us when it came to saving money.
> Which is what going out for competitive bids/quote are all about.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Douglas Whitney [mailto:dwhitney@moscow.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 11:26 AM
> To: Teresa Miller; Schroeder, Gary
> Cc: Schroeder, Gary
> Subject: Re: Wages, small businesses, etc.
>
> I see absolutely no exeption in Idaho Code 67-2348 or 2349 for land grant
> colleges. The law plainly states that it applies to the State of Idaho and
> all
> divisions, departments, bureaus or agencies thereof. If the University
does
> not
> fit under that definintion, then why is it on the Idaho Legislatures
> doorstep
> for money all the time.
>
> Doug Whitney
>
> Teresa Miller wrote:
>
> > Check your Idaho State Law a little better- land grant colleges are NOT
> > bound to the In State Preference Law.
> >
> > -Teresa Miller
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Douglas Whitney [mailto:dwhitney@moscow.com]
> > Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 10:53 AM
> > To: Dena Marchant; Pitcher Brian; uibooks@uidaho.edu;
> > chamber@moscowchamber.com
> > Cc: Peggy Adams; JJSwanberg@aol.com; vision2020@moscow.com; Schroeder,
> > Gary; Trail Tom
> > Subject: Re: Wages, small businesses, etc.
> >
> > An anonymous "concerned member of the community" just provided my family
> > with a
> > flyer purported to have been sent by the Uof I bookstore to each office
> and
> > faculty member on the campus. The flyer says:
> >
> > " Only the University of Idaho Bookstore gives all its profits to the
> > University. Its true. All other stores serving this campus send profits
to
> > some
> > Wall Street shareholders or private investors. All stores, that is, but
> the
> > University of Idaho Bookstore. Granted we're not a huge money-making
> > machine.
> > But we do serve this campus for the sole good of the students and the
> > University. And we're the only store that can say that. So keep that in
> mind
> > the
> > next time you need books, supplies, or clothing. And remember: Keep your
> > money
> > on campus."
> >
> > If this was, in fact, distributed by the bookstore management, not only
is
> > it
> > guaranteed to create a serious rift bewteen "town and gown," it is
grossly
> > unfair to the merchants of Moscow and their employees, who are mostly
dyed
> > in
> > the wool vandal boosters, and often have family members attending or on
> > staff at
> > the University. As to clothing at the Bookstore, that facilty has
refused
> to
> > solicit bids for sports clothing from local wholesale suppliers, and
> instead
> > buys all of its clothing from OUTSIDE the State of Idaho. So much for
> > keeping
> > the money on campus, or even in the community. The Bookstore must think
> > itself
> > exempt from the Idaho Law which requires a preference for Idaho
domiciled
> > bidders and suppliers on all purchases. As a UofI alumn, I am disgusted.
> > Don't
> > bother soliciting me for any more contributions.
> >
> > Dena Marchant wrote:
> >
> > > Just fyi,
> > > the wood products store in the eastside mall is closed.  the sign
> > > on the door says they will reopen in Clarkston.
> > >
> > > Dena
> > >
> > > At 05:07 PM 1/13/00 -0800, Peggy Adams wrote:
> > > >JJSwanberg said:
> > > >
> > > >>What forums are available locally for small business owners to share
> > their
> > > >>experiences, advice, resources etc?  Has a list of business
resources
> > ever
> > > >>been compiled for the local area?
> > > >
> > > >A course in starting and building a small business is available
through
> > > >Woodnet, the organization that has the interesting wood products
store
> in
> > > >the Eastside Marketplace.  The SEED (South East Economic Development)
> > > >Council in Lewiston has had a program for small businesses which
> includes
> > > >micro-loans and business advising. The Chamber is a forum through
which
> > > >local businesses can communicate.  It seems that much of what we're
> > > >addressing here may be part of what the Chamber already does.  Keep
in
> > > >mind, small business owners are as busy as the rest of us and have
> little
> > > >time or energy to waste on seminars and classes which are of marginal
> > > >benefit.
> > > >
> > > >Last year the YWCA of WSU brought in expertise in small business
> > > >development and offered a series of very good classes in starting and
> > > >building a small business.  Although classes were offered in Moscow,
no
> > one
> > > >from Moscow participated.  Perhaps the money ($75) or time (1 night a
> > week
> > > >for 6 weeks) committments were too great.
> > > >
> > > >Again, I want to emphasize that business training is just a piece of
> the
> > > >picture.  Local policy needs to encourage and support small business.
> > > >
> > > >P
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Peggy Adams
> > > >
> > > >===================================================================
> > > >Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute
> > > >P O Box 8596; 112 West 4th St; Suite #1
> > > >Moscow ID 83843-1096
> > > >Phone (208)882-1444; Fax (208)882-8029
> > > >url:  http://www.moscow.com/pcei
> > > >
> > > >Please Note our individual staff email addresses below:
> > > >
> > > >Thomas C. Lamar, Executive Director: lamar@pcei.org
> > > >Peggy Adams, Watersheds/Food Systems: adams@pcei.org
> > > >Jon Barrett, Idaho Smart Growth:  smartgro@micron.net
> > > >Elaine Clegg, Idaho Smart Growth:  eclegg@micron.net
> > > >Anita Grover, Watersheds: grover@pcei.org
> > > >Laurie Guardes, Financial Manager:  gardes@pcei.org
> > > >Ashley Martens, Environmental Education:  martens@pcei.org
> > > >Lisabeth Edlund, Americorp/Youth at Risk edlund@pcei.org
> > > >
> > > >Celebrating thirteen years of connecting people, place and community.
> > > >===================================================================
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > Dena Marchant
> > > Web Programmer
> > > First Step Research
> > >
> > > (208) 882-8869 ext 20