This page includes opinion pieces and commentary relating to growth, urban planning, and development.   At this time, there are three categories of articles:  1) Our Slog Blog Articles, 2) Educational articles on relevant topics, 3) Opposition Research, organizations promoting "smart growth. "  

 

1)  The SLOG BLOG ARTICLES

 

Articles related to Housing and Growth. 

  

• Kootenai Residents Vision for Growth — Set of principles shared by most existing residents relating to future growth in the area. (Jan 2022) 
• Crony Capitalists and the Affordable Housing Racket — Exposes the manner in which extremely corrupt HUD housing subsidies enrich banks and developers, and drive multi-family housing costs ever upward. 
• Increasing Housing Supply won't Lower Home Prices — Debunks the idea that densification and increasing dwelling units will address skyrocketing home prices.  (Jan 2022)
• Traditional Neighborhoods vs. the "New Urbanism" — Finds serious faults with the comparison of  "smart growth" planned communities with traditioinal urban neighborhoods. (Feb 2022)
• Densification and the War on Suburbia in Kootenai — Discusses the importance of single family neighborhoods, and debunks "smart growth" talking points.  (Feb 2022)
• Why Mixed Use Development is a Menace for North Idaho  — Reviews the problems with Mixed Use zoning, and how it is used by large developers to densify cities.  (Mar 2022) 
• Analysis of the 2021 Election in Kootenai County — How did Low Growth Candidates fare?  What the heck is going on with absentee ballots?  Printable PDF   (Nov 2021) 
• Challenge to North Idaho Politicians — Explains why up-zoning neighborhoods and increasing densities drives housing prices up, not down.  Proof is provided.  All North Idaho politicians should have to answer for this.  We will happily publish any responses.  Printable PDF.  (Oct 2021) 

 

 

Articles related to Comprehensive Plans 

 

• 1st Letter to the Hayden City Council.  —  Reasons for opposing Mixed Use zoning, written shortly after learning about the revised Future Land Use Map  (Aug 2021).  
• 3rd Letter to the Hayden City Council  —  Reiterates many problems with the 2040 Comp Plan that have not been resolved and requests a Town Hall meeting. 
• How and Why to Read Your City's Comprehensive Plan — Provides links to Kootenai city Comp Plans and indicates important parts, that should be addressed to reign in growth.  (Feb 2022)
• How Federal Highway Funds Dictate Kootenai Growth Plans —Exposes the insidious influence that KMPO has over growth planning and population estimates. 

 

 

Articles  related to Traffic Issues and KMPO. 

 

• Official Huetter Bypass Status for Idaho Transportation Department —  A report on the Huetter bypass study now underway that considers future traffic needs. 
• Why the Huetter Bypass WON'T improve CDA Traffic — This analysis of congestion on US-95  shows that almost all traffic is "local", not "through", and that CDA's disfunctional traffic grid is the problem.  (Feb 2022)   
• Will KMPO's Traffic Management Center be a Spy Hub?  Yes. Here's Proof.  —  Discusses traffic surveillance and shows how TMCs have been designed by the CIA.  

 

 

These articles address the corrupt activities of a group of "Insiders" whose baneful influence on Kootenai government, is behind many growth and development woes.

 

• Fellowship of the Stakeholder:  RINOs and Rotarians — Examines professional associations of the "N.I. Republicans" and finds them to be heavily weighted in banking, investment, and real estate.  
• Return of the Gadfly: Freemasons and Rotarians — Responds to the Hagadone Herald's defense of Rotarians by pointing out their close association with Freemasons and Secret Societies. 
• Fellowship of the Stakeholders II: The Rotarian Oligarchy — Exposes the outsized influence of Rotary International on dozens of area commissions, foundations, and non-profits.  

 

 

Learn more about the Slog Blog and Slow Growth Research website here.

 

 

2) Educational Articles of Interest

 

This section includes education articles on topics relevant to Growth.  The provide important background for some of the complicated topics related to growth.   

 

• What is Land Banking?  — This article is a short introduction to the investment strategy of "Land Banking".  It explains the basic concept without mention any of the government subsidies, tax-breaks, artificial zoning constraints, DTRs, and environmental "incentives" that makes land banking extremely profitable for "insiders" .
• What is the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)?  — The article explains what the LIHTC is but also explains how incredibly profitable it is for developers and investors, and gives some idea of how these enormous subsidies end up in the pockets of dozens of intermediaries. 
• Mixed Use and Mixed Income Housing — This is a revealing 2004 slide show from the HUD website.  Although it was developed to review the prospects of Mixed Use Housing in Charlotte, NC it is very frank about the problems, disadvantages, and high costs of Mixed Use developments. [Note: inspite of admitted problems,  Charlotte went ahead with the "Mixed Use" program, and "Fair Market Rents" Rose from $650/mo to $1200/mo in fifteen years.  This is typical]   

 

 

3) Opposition Research

 

The "opposition" group that is most relevant to Slow Growth Research is "Idaho Smart Growth."

 

• Idaho Smart Growth —   ISG is a well-funded organization staffed by a group of professional "urban planners".  They offer programs and resources such as the Citizen's Planning Academy to help educate the public about their ideas for densification of cities, which are very much in line with national "urban planning" guidelines (i.e. densify, densify, densify).  

 

Unfortunately, smart growth advocates utterly fail to address the real negative consequences of densification, and of the fact that restricting the development of farmland invariably plays into the hands of large, wealthy, land-holding corporations.  Who will buy up land if residential development is restricted? Will it be locals or wealthy, out-of-state investors?   Who will care for the land better than rural residents?   Who will sell out at the first opportunity?  

 

• New State Zoning: Land Use Preemption Amid a Housing Crisis

 

In order to understand what type of world the "urban planners" are planning for, it is worthwhile to visit some of their more flagrantly pro-urbanist websites.  Most are well-funded journals that promote ever-increasing density and "integration" even in already very dense regions.  The authors seem to believe that our coastal cities are still not crowded or diverse enough, and that there are still far too many private cars and 'exclusive' neighborhoods.   Their "Model City" is our "Distopian Hellscape Nightmare."   

 

The Urbanist  — A Seattle based journal dedicated to the joys of high density "urban" living. 

The Puget Sound Business Journal — The PSBJ is an enormously enthusiastic cheerleader for "low income" socialized housing and "Public Private Partnerships",  proving once again that communism is a rich man's game.  

 

4)  Local Residents Speak Out

 

 This section includes articles authored by community members.   

 

• Densifying Hayden Will Intensify Problems — Letter by a Hayden councilmember who opposes rapid growth encourages citizens to get involved in saving their community. (M. Roetter, June 2021)
• Post Falls Council Doesn't Represent the People —  This article  points out potential conflicts of interests among city representatives, and instances in which zoning officials have modified requirements to benefit developers against the wishes of the people  (J. Cook, July 2021) 
• Hayden at a Crossroads  — This article complaining about problems with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. (T. Roth, Oct 2021)
• Hayden Get a Grip on Growth  — Article by a former Hayden councilmember lamenting  the revised comprehensive plan that upzones existing neighborhoods and accommodates immoderate growth.  (N. Lowery, Oct 2021) 
• ESS Voting Machine Security Report