Given Ketchum is the only city in Blaine County that supports it, let's shut it down and put the money into housing essential workers (read below for suggestions)
I say Ketchum gets out of the housing business altogether. Let’s use the money for. roads and other infrastructure. I am outraged that the city has to raise money separately for the roads when our taxes are so high.
Ha! Ketchum city staff is making the argument that our taxes are TOO LOW. We need new leadership in City Hall that cares about the people who live here rather than the people who don't and the people who seek to exploit Ketchum for their own profit, leaving us holding the bag (like PEG).
I did something I don't really want to be doing here. I "moderated" some of the comments. They were two people attacking each other (not me; I let those ride).
We all benefit from substantive contributions. I encourage people to challenge my logic--I want to learn from everyone I can.
Let's minimize the ad hominem stuff unless someone is a "public figure." Come after me all you want, but leave each other be.
I was somewhat alarmed when the city purchased a Pines unit. I know that project is decades old. I have some experience with 30-40 year old condos. They usually have deferred maintenance.
I was a director for a project in Boise. The siding was rotting underneath. Waterlines were bursting regularly. Each condo got a special assessment. For the small condos it was $23,000. For the large condos it was $63,000.
I believe that Sunburst Condos in Elkhorn had $43,000 assessments each to replace rotting decks about 2-3 years ago.
This is not affordable to people who need affordable housing.
Furthermore, insurance is skyrocketing on aging condo complexes. That increases dues substantially.
It is completely unfair to let the deed-restricted units not pay their share and saddle the other owners. This will lead to reduced sales prices (because those owners will not want to be in that situation), which will make the complex value and quality just circle down the drain. Which will lead to the deed-restricted units losing value as well. Really not a great way to start into homeownership.
I don't want to upset anyone, but I really don't understand why we are not building affordable housing in Hailey and Bellevue. These are wonderful places to live. People could have an actual house and not tie their financial future to an aging condo complex.
It's a tough one. Older units are more affordable...for a reason. But then they may requires so much updating that they are not affordable. I know several people who passed on buying these units from the City after evaluating the full cost of ownership.
I came on as director to solve the problem created by previous boards.
I think it rash to accuse anyone on the previous boards of malfeasance. The fact of the matter is HOA boards are constructed of good-hearted people who want to contribute, but who mostly do not have any financial expertise or and expertise in long-term maintenance. In addition, they are usually loath to do a reserve study let alone actually fund an appropriate reserve for future maintenance. That's because they don't want to increase dues.....on themselves!
The board composition you described is, unfortunately, not uncommon. However, board members—particularly those serving as elected officers—are exposed to liability when they fail to uphold their fiduciary duties. It sounds as though you’re giving them the benefit of the doubt because they’re “nice people.”
Were you aware of these issues before purchasing your unit in the HOA, or did they come to light afterward?
Also, to clarify terminology: I used the term misfeasance, which refers to an act that is improper but done unintentionally. Malfeasance, the word you used, refers to intentional wrongdoing.
Were your efforts to correct the course ultimately successful?
Great article - you sum up the issues precisely. Additionally, at the June 18 meeting, BCHA made an exception for a couple who owns a cabin (second home). The vague and ambiguous policies allow BCHA to do this on a case by case basis. To allow people who have a second home, even if it is a seasonal home, to be qualified for affordable housing is a dereliction of duty. BCHA should be shut down indeed!
County wide organization would solve a lot of cost going to administration. That’s a start and then look to county land that is purchased by all Blaine county entities together.
Perhaps we’d then have enough money to build projects that families want to live in.
Especially important to hire a group leader that understands the numbers!
Fact Check Summary: Key Claims Reviewed - "Let's Shut it Down" by HPB
1. Claim: BCHA and Ketchum Housing Department (KHD) are functionally the same.
• Clarification: While BCHA and KHD share administrative overlap, they serve different jurisdictions and purposes. BCHA is a regional agency governed by a multi-jurisdictional board. KHD is a city department focused on Ketchum. Cost-sharing agreements and staff time allocation methods (including indirect cost recovery) are common in inter-agency partnerships.
2. Claim: BCHA/KHD spending is up 60% with minimal new housing.
• Clarification: The $500K to $800K staffing increase likely reflects not just staffing but consultant services and one-time implementation costs related to expanding programs or compliance needs. The claim lacks comparison to other housing departments or context about programmatic expansion (e.g., new developments, Bluebird, Lift Tower, etc.).
3. Claim: BCHA units trap low-income owners in a "Hotel California" scenario.
• MISLEADING: Deed-restricted housing is intentionally designed to be affordable in perpetuity, with appreciation caps ensuring affordability for the next buyer. These limitations are disclosed upfront. The argument ignores that appreciation caps are standard across resort towns to combat displacement and second-home speculation.
4. Claim: Deed-restricted owners are burdened by maintenance and HOA fees without relief.
• PARTIALLY TRUE: Maintenance costs do increase over time. However, proposals to mitigate these costs (e.g., rent flexibility, emergency reserves, shared equity models) are being discussed nationwide. It’s misleading to claim these efforts are predatory—rather, they reflect nationwide challenges in balancing affordability and ownership responsibilities.
5. Claim: Market-rate housing in new projects is being misrepresented.
• UNVERIFIED: The article accuses BCHA leadership of “bait and switch” on market-rate units (25% claimed vs. 10% actual). However, no sourcing is provided. Unit composition in proposed projects often shifts during negotiation and funding finalization, especially when subject to tax credit or HUD constraints.
6. Claim: The city’s housing approach excludes essential workers.
• INNACURATE: Bluebird and other BCHA projects include essential workers in eligibility criteria based on local employment, not just AMI (Area Median Income). Some essential workers may fall outside of LIHTC bands but are eligible for local preference units or future mixed-income projects.
7. Claim: Nonprofits like ARCH and WRCHT can do better.
• OVERSIMPLIFIED: ARCH and WRCHT are valued partners, but they rely on BCHA/KHD for land, funding, and program oversight. Eliminating the housing department could cut off their operational support and coordination role in regional housing strategy.
Fact Check Summary: Key Claims Reviewed - "Let's Shut it Down" by HPB
1. Claim: BCHA and Ketchum Housing Department (KHD) are functionally the same.
• Clarification: While BCHA and KHD share administrative overlap, they serve different jurisdictions and purposes. BCHA is a regional agency governed by a multi-jurisdictional board. KHD is a city department focused on Ketchum. Cost-sharing agreements and staff time allocation methods (including indirect cost recovery) are common in inter-agency partnerships.
2. Claim: BCHA/KHD spending is up 60% with minimal new housing.
• Clarification: The $500K to $800K staffing increase likely reflects not just staffing but consultant services and one-time implementation costs related to expanding programs or compliance needs. The claim lacks comparison to other housing departments or context about programmatic expansion (e.g., new developments, Bluebird, Lift Tower, etc.).
3. Claim: BCHA units trap low-income owners in a "Hotel California" scenario.
• MISLEADING: Deed-restricted housing is intentionally designed to be affordable in perpetuity, with appreciation caps ensuring affordability for the next buyer. These limitations are disclosed upfront. The argument ignores that appreciation caps are standard across resort towns to combat displacement and second-home speculation.
4. Claim: Deed-restricted owners are burdened by maintenance and HOA fees without relief.
• PARTIALLY TRUE: Maintenance costs do increase over time. However, proposals to mitigate these costs (e.g., rent flexibility, emergency reserves, shared equity models) are being discussed nationwide. It’s misleading to claim these efforts are predatory—rather, they reflect nationwide challenges in balancing affordability and ownership responsibilities.
5. Claim: Market-rate housing in new projects is being misrepresented.
• UNVERIFIED: The article accuses BCHA leadership of “bait and switch” on market-rate units (25% claimed vs. 10% actual). However, no sourcing is provided. Unit composition in proposed projects often shifts during negotiation and funding finalization, especially when subject to tax credit or HUD constraints.
6. Claim: The city’s housing approach excludes essential workers.
• INNACURATE: Bluebird and other BCHA projects include essential workers in eligibility criteria based on local employment, not just AMI (Area Median Income). Some essential workers may fall outside of LIHTC bands but are eligible for local preference units or future mixed-income projects.
7. Claim: Nonprofits like ARCH and WRCHT can do better.
• OVERSIMPLIFIED: ARCH and WRCHT are valued partners, but they rely on BCHA/KHD for land, funding, and program oversight. Eliminating the housing department could cut off their operational support and coordination role in regional housing strategy.
1. Claim: BCHA and Ketchum Housing Department (KHD) are functionally the same.
• Clarification: While BCHA and KHD share administrative overlap, they serve different jurisdictions and purposes. BCHA is a regional agency governed by a multi-jurisdictional board. KHD is a city department focused on Ketchum. Cost-sharing agreements and staff time allocation methods (including indirect cost recovery) are common in inter-agency partnerships.
2. Claim: BCHA/KHD spending is up 60% with minimal new housing.
• Clarification: The $500K to $800K staffing increase likely reflects not just staffing but consultant services and one-time implementation costs related to expanding programs or compliance needs. The claim lacks comparison to other housing departments or context about programmatic expansion (e.g., new developments, Bluebird, Lift Tower, etc.).
3. Claim: BCHA units trap low-income owners in a "Hotel California" scenario.
• Misleading: Deed-restricted housing is intentionally designed to be affordable in perpetuity, with appreciation caps ensuring affordability for the next buyer. These limitations are disclosed upfront. The argument ignores that appreciation caps are standard across resort towns to combat displacement and second-home speculation.
4. Claim: Deed-restricted owners are burdened by maintenance and HOA fees without relief.
• Partially True: Maintenance costs do increase over time. However, proposals to mitigate these costs (e.g., rent flexibility, emergency reserves, shared equity models) are being discussed nationwide. It’s misleading to claim these efforts are predatory—rather, they reflect nationwide challenges in balancing affordability and ownership responsibilities.
5. Claim: Market-rate housing in new projects is being misrepresented.
• Unverified: The article accuses BCHA leadership of “bait and switch” on market-rate units (25% claimed vs. 10% actual). However, no sourcing is provided. Unit composition in proposed projects often shifts during negotiation and funding finalization, especially when subject to tax credit or HUD constraints.
6. Claim: The city’s housing approach excludes essential workers.
• Inaccurate: Bluebird and other BCHA projects include essential workers in eligibility criteria based on local employment, not just AMI (Area Median Income). Some essential workers may fall outside of LIHTC bands but are eligible for local preference units or future mixed-income projects.
7. Claim: Nonprofits like ARCH and WRCHT can do better.
• Oversimplified: ARCH and WRCHT are valued partners, but they rely on BCHA/KHD for land, funding, and program oversight. Eliminating the housing department could cut off their operational support and coordination role in regional housing strategy.
1. What costs are shared? BCHA has no funding other than from Ketchum except for a small contribution from the country to subsidize one project. The fact that the staff doesn’t keep time sheets to allocate costs tells you something.
2. “Likely?” Look at the budget. It’s not what you say it is.
3. You must have never attended a BCHA public meeting and listened to people complain about this conundrum.
4. Ditto. Parley the last meeting.
5. Source are the staff memos from the RFP meeting g and the. The MOU meeting.
6. Please tell me how many essential workers live in Bluebord + Northwood Place or any of Ketchum’s deed restricted housing. Good luck with that.
7. Compare your answer for 6 to the same analysis for them.
You need to do some actual work before you make your claims. My claims are all sourced to publicly available information.
Sorry for my multiple comments - your website is quite bit clunky for a new user.
Another Bloviation, HPB. I did do actual work to an extent that resulted in the objective comments. If you did, then respond to each paragraph in my post.
o Example: Feb 22, 2022, BCHA Board meetings noted use of consultant Agnew Beck on strategic planning, Lift Tower Lodge sewer repairs, and staffing transitions blainecounty.org+2blainecounty.org+2blainecounty.org+2.
👉 Documents to download:
• Oct 3, 2023 Minutes PDF
• Feb 22, 2022 Minutes (BCHA Board meeting excerpts)
B. ARPA Funding & Projects
• Online Location: Blaine County “Projects” page
o Documents ARPA support for BCHA’s short- and long-term housing efforts
A. Project Ketchum Portal & City-County Coordination
• While not directly searchable, Project Ketchum functions under BCHA staffing, detailed in multiple BCHA mentions above (e.g., coordinated funding and governance).
Well done Perry. It appears the momentum for local MAGA (Malignant Asinine Growth Agenda) up and down the valley entirely absent of any coherent vision or legitimate long-term planning is rapidly diminishing as citizens are finally aware of and better understanding the greedy intentions of those engaged in the hideous transformation of the Wood River Valley into every other formerly nice place to live. Now citizens have finally accepted the assignment of stopping this MAGA nightmare both nationally and locally.
Covid was ruthlessly exploited by moneyed interests (real estate, resort) rushing to cash in on the infinite demand for residential opportunities in the Northern Rockies (ID, UT, WY, MT) as white flight is no longer from urban to suburban but from suburban to the Intermountain West. Local officials willingly throwing the development application rule book in the toilet to accommodate "Aspenization," long the tired Chamber of Commerce dream from the 80s of obstinate aging boomer influencers in the community who will soon be reaching their expiration dates.
Perry, in the personal email I sent you recently I suggested I would reveal to you the real purpose of the emphasis on these affordable housing boondoggles. In a superficial valley preoccupied with appearances, the hollowing and associated social engineering of Ketchum by toxic gentrification left the community bereft of any warm bodies to convey the impression that it was a functioning, living community rather than the exclusive enclave for the uber-wealthy and STR investment opportunity it has become.
Ketchum is a cemetery of rich old white folks, fabulously expensive headstones and mausoleums the residences they have built as a testament to their avarice and half a century of conservative corruption of the political economy. The purpose of the low-income affordable housing projects you are at war against intentionally engineered to deny entry to "essential workers," is to create the appearance that Ketchum is inhabited, and not just in the winter and high season. I am pleased that those with a willingness to live in such a sterile community are willing to move to Ketchum, but they are simply props in the local MAGA (Malignant Asinine Growth Agenda) movement to convey the false impression of a diverse and vibrant community.
BTW Perry, all the high-salaried SV acronym jobs with not much in the way of work required buys a whole lot of loyalty to the aggressive profit privatized risk socialized resort tourism agenda so heavily subsidized by taxpayers, creating considerable putrescent bureaucratic bloat locally. That pattern reflected around the housing issue as you have so clearly stated.
The passage is a highly charged opinion piece, with a caustic and accusatory tone. It’s written in the style of a political diatribe or polemic, relying heavily on rhetorical flourishes, sarcasm, and invective. The tone is angry, mocking, and disdainful, aimed at both local policymakers and broader cultural/political trends.
Yes Webking, excellent analysis of intent, style, and tone, a consequence of my refusal to subjugate my opinions predicated on TRUTH offered as an antidote to the relentless lies fabricated by corrupt and incompetent officials at every level of government to promote the greedy agendas of moneyed interests and the fascist oligarchs who bought a political party (R), the SCOTUS (Citizens United), and WH, money now totally contaminating the poltical process and our elections, with the extremist MAGA Republican propaganda machine, FOX NEWS, inciting poltical violence from those on the right, while Utah Senator Mike Lee lies about the ideology of the individual assassinating State Representatives in MN. The same Mike Lee hell-bent on selling off our public lands to the fascist oligarchs funding this intentionally amplified confusion and chaos strategy as part of their authoritarian assault on our democracy.
Webking, someone much smarter than you long ago reflected on the incompatibility of democracy and unfettered capitalism.
The following prophetic analysis from Einstein written in May of 1949 applies that massive intellect to economic systems and government rather than systems and laws of physics governing our universe. It is less a promotion of socialism than an indictment of the inevitability of corruption by unfettered capitalism through THE MERGING OF STATE AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP with the intent to consolidate power and wealth for elites, again (CAPS), the primary characteristic of "fascism." "Trickle-down" simply a tired euphemism for "fascism." Aggressive conservative corruption of the poltical economy and promotion for over half a century of an economic paradigm which I define as "Parasitic Capitalism" has landed us in the current political ditch of extreme division in which we find ourselves. The "Parasitic Capitalism" inherent in "trickle-down" doesn't work anymore when the tick gets bigger than the dog!
"Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights." - Albert Einstein in the Monthly Review, May, 1949.
Mr. Hughes, the analysis you read was a summary—not the kind of unfocused stream of consciousness you seem to prefer. Below, I present my point-by-point observations, free of any inappropriate or offensive remarks.
Separation of Opinions from Facts
Statement Category Notes
“Well done Perry. It appears the momentum for local MAGA... is rapidly diminishing…” Opinion No data is cited; “MAGA” is redefined sarcastically.
“...entirely absent of any coherent vision or legitimate long-term planning...” Opinion Evaluation without evidence.
“Covid was ruthlessly exploited by moneyed interests...” Opinion with speculative factual basis
Exploitation of pandemic-era migration is debated but plausible; no specific evidence cited.
“...white flight is no longer from urban to suburban but from suburban to the Intermountain West.” Partially factual This trend has been documented, but the framing here is ideological.
“Local officials willingly throwing the development application rule book in the toilet...” Opinion / Hyperbole No specific ordinances or examples cited.
“Aspenization, long the tired Chamber of Commerce dream...” Opinion “Aspenization” is a real term but used here with a mocking tone.
“...aging boomer influencers... reaching their expiration dates.” Opinion / Sarcasm Ageist and dismissive language.
“...superficial valley preoccupied with appearances...” Opinion No objective support offered.
“Ketchum is a cemetery of rich old white folks...” Opinion / Metaphor Not factual; dramatic metaphor.
“...fabulously expensive headstones and mausoleums the residences they have built...” Metaphor / Opinion Colorful but not factual.
“...conservative corruption of the political economy.” Opinion / Allegation A sweeping accusation with no substantiation.
“The purpose of the low-income affordable housing projects... is to create the appearance that Ketchum is inhabited…” Speculative Opinion An assumption framed as fact; no evidence provided.
“...local MAGA movement to convey the false impression of a diverse and vibrant community.” Opinion Argumentative framing.
“...SV acronym jobs... not much in the way of work required...” Opinion / Dismissive claim No data or evidence; sweeping generalization.
“...aggressive profit privatized risk socialized resort tourism agenda...” Opinion / Political framing Ideological argument with no clear examples.
“...putrescent bureaucratic bloat locally.” Opinion / Insulting metaphor Not a factual statement.
Summary
This is almost entirely opinion-based, with few to no verifiable facts or references to specific decisions, people, or policies that can be fact-checked. The language is designed to inflame or rally a particular viewpoint rather than inform a neutral reader. While some of the themes—like pandemic-era migration, housing shortages, or tourism-driven gentrification—do have real-world correlates, the way they’re framed here is ideologically loaded and speculative.
I say Ketchum gets out of the housing business altogether. Let’s use the money for. roads and other infrastructure. I am outraged that the city has to raise money separately for the roads when our taxes are so high.
Ha! Ketchum city staff is making the argument that our taxes are TOO LOW. We need new leadership in City Hall that cares about the people who live here rather than the people who don't and the people who seek to exploit Ketchum for their own profit, leaving us holding the bag (like PEG).
I did something I don't really want to be doing here. I "moderated" some of the comments. They were two people attacking each other (not me; I let those ride).
We all benefit from substantive contributions. I encourage people to challenge my logic--I want to learn from everyone I can.
Let's minimize the ad hominem stuff unless someone is a "public figure." Come after me all you want, but leave each other be.
Thanks.
I was somewhat alarmed when the city purchased a Pines unit. I know that project is decades old. I have some experience with 30-40 year old condos. They usually have deferred maintenance.
I was a director for a project in Boise. The siding was rotting underneath. Waterlines were bursting regularly. Each condo got a special assessment. For the small condos it was $23,000. For the large condos it was $63,000.
I believe that Sunburst Condos in Elkhorn had $43,000 assessments each to replace rotting decks about 2-3 years ago.
This is not affordable to people who need affordable housing.
Furthermore, insurance is skyrocketing on aging condo complexes. That increases dues substantially.
It is completely unfair to let the deed-restricted units not pay their share and saddle the other owners. This will lead to reduced sales prices (because those owners will not want to be in that situation), which will make the complex value and quality just circle down the drain. Which will lead to the deed-restricted units losing value as well. Really not a great way to start into homeownership.
I don't want to upset anyone, but I really don't understand why we are not building affordable housing in Hailey and Bellevue. These are wonderful places to live. People could have an actual house and not tie their financial future to an aging condo complex.
It's a tough one. Older units are more affordable...for a reason. But then they may requires so much updating that they are not affordable. I know several people who passed on buying these units from the City after evaluating the full cost of ownership.
Special assessments at the levels you cite are evidence of financial misfeasance of the HOA Board of which you state you were a Director.
I came on as director to solve the problem created by previous boards.
I think it rash to accuse anyone on the previous boards of malfeasance. The fact of the matter is HOA boards are constructed of good-hearted people who want to contribute, but who mostly do not have any financial expertise or and expertise in long-term maintenance. In addition, they are usually loath to do a reserve study let alone actually fund an appropriate reserve for future maintenance. That's because they don't want to increase dues.....on themselves!
It is a widely known problem with HOA boards.
The board composition you described is, unfortunately, not uncommon. However, board members—particularly those serving as elected officers—are exposed to liability when they fail to uphold their fiduciary duties. It sounds as though you’re giving them the benefit of the doubt because they’re “nice people.”
Were you aware of these issues before purchasing your unit in the HOA, or did they come to light afterward?
Also, to clarify terminology: I used the term misfeasance, which refers to an act that is improper but done unintentionally. Malfeasance, the word you used, refers to intentional wrongdoing.
Were your efforts to correct the course ultimately successful?
Great article - you sum up the issues precisely. Additionally, at the June 18 meeting, BCHA made an exception for a couple who owns a cabin (second home). The vague and ambiguous policies allow BCHA to do this on a case by case basis. To allow people who have a second home, even if it is a seasonal home, to be qualified for affordable housing is a dereliction of duty. BCHA should be shut down indeed!
County wide organization would solve a lot of cost going to administration. That’s a start and then look to county land that is purchased by all Blaine county entities together.
Perhaps we’d then have enough money to build projects that families want to live in.
Especially important to hire a group leader that understands the numbers!
Fact Check Summary: Key Claims Reviewed - "Let's Shut it Down" by HPB
1. Claim: BCHA and Ketchum Housing Department (KHD) are functionally the same.
• Clarification: While BCHA and KHD share administrative overlap, they serve different jurisdictions and purposes. BCHA is a regional agency governed by a multi-jurisdictional board. KHD is a city department focused on Ketchum. Cost-sharing agreements and staff time allocation methods (including indirect cost recovery) are common in inter-agency partnerships.
2. Claim: BCHA/KHD spending is up 60% with minimal new housing.
• Clarification: The $500K to $800K staffing increase likely reflects not just staffing but consultant services and one-time implementation costs related to expanding programs or compliance needs. The claim lacks comparison to other housing departments or context about programmatic expansion (e.g., new developments, Bluebird, Lift Tower, etc.).
3. Claim: BCHA units trap low-income owners in a "Hotel California" scenario.
• MISLEADING: Deed-restricted housing is intentionally designed to be affordable in perpetuity, with appreciation caps ensuring affordability for the next buyer. These limitations are disclosed upfront. The argument ignores that appreciation caps are standard across resort towns to combat displacement and second-home speculation.
4. Claim: Deed-restricted owners are burdened by maintenance and HOA fees without relief.
• PARTIALLY TRUE: Maintenance costs do increase over time. However, proposals to mitigate these costs (e.g., rent flexibility, emergency reserves, shared equity models) are being discussed nationwide. It’s misleading to claim these efforts are predatory—rather, they reflect nationwide challenges in balancing affordability and ownership responsibilities.
5. Claim: Market-rate housing in new projects is being misrepresented.
• UNVERIFIED: The article accuses BCHA leadership of “bait and switch” on market-rate units (25% claimed vs. 10% actual). However, no sourcing is provided. Unit composition in proposed projects often shifts during negotiation and funding finalization, especially when subject to tax credit or HUD constraints.
6. Claim: The city’s housing approach excludes essential workers.
• INNACURATE: Bluebird and other BCHA projects include essential workers in eligibility criteria based on local employment, not just AMI (Area Median Income). Some essential workers may fall outside of LIHTC bands but are eligible for local preference units or future mixed-income projects.
7. Claim: Nonprofits like ARCH and WRCHT can do better.
• OVERSIMPLIFIED: ARCH and WRCHT are valued partners, but they rely on BCHA/KHD for land, funding, and program oversight. Eliminating the housing department could cut off their operational support and coordination role in regional housing strategy.
Rick Webking - Boise (formerly Sun Valley)
Mr. Webking, You now live in Boise, so why are you involved? What are your remaining ties to Ketchum? We deserve to know your conflicts of interest.
I have no, repeat, no conflicts of interest. so sue, who are you????
Good to know. I am a permanent resident homeowner.
:)
Fact Check Summary: Key Claims Reviewed - "Let's Shut it Down" by HPB
1. Claim: BCHA and Ketchum Housing Department (KHD) are functionally the same.
• Clarification: While BCHA and KHD share administrative overlap, they serve different jurisdictions and purposes. BCHA is a regional agency governed by a multi-jurisdictional board. KHD is a city department focused on Ketchum. Cost-sharing agreements and staff time allocation methods (including indirect cost recovery) are common in inter-agency partnerships.
2. Claim: BCHA/KHD spending is up 60% with minimal new housing.
• Clarification: The $500K to $800K staffing increase likely reflects not just staffing but consultant services and one-time implementation costs related to expanding programs or compliance needs. The claim lacks comparison to other housing departments or context about programmatic expansion (e.g., new developments, Bluebird, Lift Tower, etc.).
3. Claim: BCHA units trap low-income owners in a "Hotel California" scenario.
• MISLEADING: Deed-restricted housing is intentionally designed to be affordable in perpetuity, with appreciation caps ensuring affordability for the next buyer. These limitations are disclosed upfront. The argument ignores that appreciation caps are standard across resort towns to combat displacement and second-home speculation.
4. Claim: Deed-restricted owners are burdened by maintenance and HOA fees without relief.
• PARTIALLY TRUE: Maintenance costs do increase over time. However, proposals to mitigate these costs (e.g., rent flexibility, emergency reserves, shared equity models) are being discussed nationwide. It’s misleading to claim these efforts are predatory—rather, they reflect nationwide challenges in balancing affordability and ownership responsibilities.
5. Claim: Market-rate housing in new projects is being misrepresented.
• UNVERIFIED: The article accuses BCHA leadership of “bait and switch” on market-rate units (25% claimed vs. 10% actual). However, no sourcing is provided. Unit composition in proposed projects often shifts during negotiation and funding finalization, especially when subject to tax credit or HUD constraints.
6. Claim: The city’s housing approach excludes essential workers.
• INNACURATE: Bluebird and other BCHA projects include essential workers in eligibility criteria based on local employment, not just AMI (Area Median Income). Some essential workers may fall outside of LIHTC bands but are eligible for local preference units or future mixed-income projects.
7. Claim: Nonprofits like ARCH and WRCHT can do better.
• OVERSIMPLIFIED: ARCH and WRCHT are valued partners, but they rely on BCHA/KHD for land, funding, and program oversight. Eliminating the housing department could cut off their operational support and coordination role in regional housing strategy.
Rick Webking - Boise (formerly Sun Valley)
Fact Check Summary: Key Claims Reviewed
1. Claim: BCHA and Ketchum Housing Department (KHD) are functionally the same.
• Clarification: While BCHA and KHD share administrative overlap, they serve different jurisdictions and purposes. BCHA is a regional agency governed by a multi-jurisdictional board. KHD is a city department focused on Ketchum. Cost-sharing agreements and staff time allocation methods (including indirect cost recovery) are common in inter-agency partnerships.
2. Claim: BCHA/KHD spending is up 60% with minimal new housing.
• Clarification: The $500K to $800K staffing increase likely reflects not just staffing but consultant services and one-time implementation costs related to expanding programs or compliance needs. The claim lacks comparison to other housing departments or context about programmatic expansion (e.g., new developments, Bluebird, Lift Tower, etc.).
3. Claim: BCHA units trap low-income owners in a "Hotel California" scenario.
• Misleading: Deed-restricted housing is intentionally designed to be affordable in perpetuity, with appreciation caps ensuring affordability for the next buyer. These limitations are disclosed upfront. The argument ignores that appreciation caps are standard across resort towns to combat displacement and second-home speculation.
4. Claim: Deed-restricted owners are burdened by maintenance and HOA fees without relief.
• Partially True: Maintenance costs do increase over time. However, proposals to mitigate these costs (e.g., rent flexibility, emergency reserves, shared equity models) are being discussed nationwide. It’s misleading to claim these efforts are predatory—rather, they reflect nationwide challenges in balancing affordability and ownership responsibilities.
5. Claim: Market-rate housing in new projects is being misrepresented.
• Unverified: The article accuses BCHA leadership of “bait and switch” on market-rate units (25% claimed vs. 10% actual). However, no sourcing is provided. Unit composition in proposed projects often shifts during negotiation and funding finalization, especially when subject to tax credit or HUD constraints.
6. Claim: The city’s housing approach excludes essential workers.
• Inaccurate: Bluebird and other BCHA projects include essential workers in eligibility criteria based on local employment, not just AMI (Area Median Income). Some essential workers may fall outside of LIHTC bands but are eligible for local preference units or future mixed-income projects.
7. Claim: Nonprofits like ARCH and WRCHT can do better.
• Oversimplified: ARCH and WRCHT are valued partners, but they rely on BCHA/KHD for land, funding, and program oversight. Eliminating the housing department could cut off their operational support and coordination role in regional housing strategy.
Rick Webking Sun Valley Now Boise
1. What costs are shared? BCHA has no funding other than from Ketchum except for a small contribution from the country to subsidize one project. The fact that the staff doesn’t keep time sheets to allocate costs tells you something.
2. “Likely?” Look at the budget. It’s not what you say it is.
3. You must have never attended a BCHA public meeting and listened to people complain about this conundrum.
4. Ditto. Parley the last meeting.
5. Source are the staff memos from the RFP meeting g and the. The MOU meeting.
6. Please tell me how many essential workers live in Bluebord + Northwood Place or any of Ketchum’s deed restricted housing. Good luck with that.
7. Compare your answer for 6 to the same analysis for them.
You need to do some actual work before you make your claims. My claims are all sourced to publicly available information.
Sorry for my multiple comments - your website is quite bit clunky for a new user.
Another Bloviation, HPB. I did do actual work to an extent that resulted in the objective comments. If you did, then respond to each paragraph in my post.
1. It's not my website. It's Substack.
2. I did. Point for point.
To HPB and your sidekick, William the Conqueror.
Your point-by-point fails to support your comments, and your claim that you actually do work is laughable. ff is some "real work." GO FOR IT 🥸
🏡 Blaine County Housing Authority (BCHA)
A. Board Minutes & Public Records Portal
• Online Location: Blaine County AgendaCenter → Agendas & Minutes → Blaine County Board of Commissioners
o Example Minute: Oct 3, 2023, County Commissioners’ meeting where BCHA’s Chair Keith Perry announced:
Staff additions (Frances Solano)
Winter housing strategies
Proposed ordinance for up zoning in Spruce Subdivision
blainecounty.org+9blainecounty.org+9blainecounty.org+9.
o Example: Feb 22, 2022, BCHA Board meetings noted use of consultant Agnew Beck on strategic planning, Lift Tower Lodge sewer repairs, and staffing transitions blainecounty.org+2blainecounty.org+2blainecounty.org+2.
👉 Documents to download:
• Oct 3, 2023 Minutes PDF
• Feb 22, 2022 Minutes (BCHA Board meeting excerpts)
B. ARPA Funding & Projects
• Online Location: Blaine County “Projects” page
o Documents ARPA support for BCHA’s short- and long-term housing efforts
blainecounty.org+9blainecounty.org+9blainecounty.org+9blainecounty.org.
• FY2022 Board of Commissioners Minutes (Feb 24, 2022):
o Approved BCHA’s ARPA request for $45k: capacity building, housing counselor, and Lift Tower upgrades
blainecounty.org+1blainecounty.org+1.
👉 Documents to download:
• Feb 24, 2022 Minutes PDF (with ARPA item)
• Project page PDF or link with ARPA allocations
C. Continued Updates & Board Staffing
• Jun 27, 2023 Minutes:
o Cty/City joint funding of $150k for BCHA
o Ketchum Housing Director proposes hiring coordinator and funding for outreach, translation
blainecounty.org+3blainecounty.org+3blainecounty.org+3blainecounty.org+1blainecounty.org+1.
• Nov 14, 2023 Minutes:
o FY 2024 contract approved with City of Ketchum for BCHA services
o Appointment of Ana Torres to BCHA Board
blainecounty.org+6blainecounty.org+6blainecounty.org+6.
👉 Documents to download:
• Jun 27, 2023 Minutes PDF
• Nov 14, 2023 Minutes PDF
🏘 Ketchum Housing Department / Project Ketchum
A. Project Ketchum Portal & City-County Coordination
• While not directly searchable, Project Ketchum functions under BCHA staffing, detailed in multiple BCHA mentions above (e.g., coordinated funding and governance).
• Feb 22, 2022 BCHA minutes mention Lift Tower Lodge infrastructure work with Ketchum collaboration blainecounty.org+2blainecounty.org+2blainecounty.org+2.
👉 Documents to download:
• Same PDFs as above; note coordination sections.
B. Ketchum Staffing Contract
• Nov 14, 2023 Minutes: Include FY 2024 service contract between Blaine County and City of Ketchum for BCHA operations blainecounty.org+7blainecounty.org+7blainecounty.org+7.
📎 Summary of Source Matrix
Entity Document Date Location
BCHA Oct 3, 2023 Minutes (housing update) 10/03/2023 AgendaCenter
Feb 22, 2022 Minutes (strategic planning) 02/22/2022 AgendaCenter
Feb 24, 2022 Minutes (ARPA $45k request) 02/24/2022 AgendaCenter
Jun 27, 2023 Minutes ($150k & hiring) 06/27/2023 AgendaCenter
Nov 14, 2023 Minutes (FY24 contract, appointment) 11/14/2023 AgendaCenter
Projects page (ARPA allocation) Ongoing Projects portal
Ketchum/BCHA staff Jun 27, 2023 Minutes (proposing staff hire) 06/27/2023 AgendaCenter
Feb 22, 2022 Minutes (Lift Tower Lodge joint work) 02/22/2022 AgendaCenter
Nov 14, 2023 Minutes (FY24 contract) 11/14/2023 AgendaCenter
Please crawl back under your rock where your fetid brain can stay moist in its rot!
Well done Perry. It appears the momentum for local MAGA (Malignant Asinine Growth Agenda) up and down the valley entirely absent of any coherent vision or legitimate long-term planning is rapidly diminishing as citizens are finally aware of and better understanding the greedy intentions of those engaged in the hideous transformation of the Wood River Valley into every other formerly nice place to live. Now citizens have finally accepted the assignment of stopping this MAGA nightmare both nationally and locally.
Covid was ruthlessly exploited by moneyed interests (real estate, resort) rushing to cash in on the infinite demand for residential opportunities in the Northern Rockies (ID, UT, WY, MT) as white flight is no longer from urban to suburban but from suburban to the Intermountain West. Local officials willingly throwing the development application rule book in the toilet to accommodate "Aspenization," long the tired Chamber of Commerce dream from the 80s of obstinate aging boomer influencers in the community who will soon be reaching their expiration dates.
Perry, in the personal email I sent you recently I suggested I would reveal to you the real purpose of the emphasis on these affordable housing boondoggles. In a superficial valley preoccupied with appearances, the hollowing and associated social engineering of Ketchum by toxic gentrification left the community bereft of any warm bodies to convey the impression that it was a functioning, living community rather than the exclusive enclave for the uber-wealthy and STR investment opportunity it has become.
Ketchum is a cemetery of rich old white folks, fabulously expensive headstones and mausoleums the residences they have built as a testament to their avarice and half a century of conservative corruption of the political economy. The purpose of the low-income affordable housing projects you are at war against intentionally engineered to deny entry to "essential workers," is to create the appearance that Ketchum is inhabited, and not just in the winter and high season. I am pleased that those with a willingness to live in such a sterile community are willing to move to Ketchum, but they are simply props in the local MAGA (Malignant Asinine Growth Agenda) movement to convey the false impression of a diverse and vibrant community.
BTW Perry, all the high-salaried SV acronym jobs with not much in the way of work required buys a whole lot of loyalty to the aggressive profit privatized risk socialized resort tourism agenda so heavily subsidized by taxpayers, creating considerable putrescent bureaucratic bloat locally. That pattern reflected around the housing issue as you have so clearly stated.
The passage is a highly charged opinion piece, with a caustic and accusatory tone. It’s written in the style of a political diatribe or polemic, relying heavily on rhetorical flourishes, sarcasm, and invective. The tone is angry, mocking, and disdainful, aimed at both local policymakers and broader cultural/political trends.
Tone Analysis
• Tone: Aggressive, sarcastic, polemical
• Style: Rhetorical, emotionally loaded, metaphorical
• Intent: Persuade or provoke, rather than inform
• Audience: Like-minded critics of local development, perhaps sympathetic to anti-gentrification or anti-tourism-expansion views
Yes Webking, excellent analysis of intent, style, and tone, a consequence of my refusal to subjugate my opinions predicated on TRUTH offered as an antidote to the relentless lies fabricated by corrupt and incompetent officials at every level of government to promote the greedy agendas of moneyed interests and the fascist oligarchs who bought a political party (R), the SCOTUS (Citizens United), and WH, money now totally contaminating the poltical process and our elections, with the extremist MAGA Republican propaganda machine, FOX NEWS, inciting poltical violence from those on the right, while Utah Senator Mike Lee lies about the ideology of the individual assassinating State Representatives in MN. The same Mike Lee hell-bent on selling off our public lands to the fascist oligarchs funding this intentionally amplified confusion and chaos strategy as part of their authoritarian assault on our democracy.
Webking, someone much smarter than you long ago reflected on the incompatibility of democracy and unfettered capitalism.
The following prophetic analysis from Einstein written in May of 1949 applies that massive intellect to economic systems and government rather than systems and laws of physics governing our universe. It is less a promotion of socialism than an indictment of the inevitability of corruption by unfettered capitalism through THE MERGING OF STATE AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP with the intent to consolidate power and wealth for elites, again (CAPS), the primary characteristic of "fascism." "Trickle-down" simply a tired euphemism for "fascism." Aggressive conservative corruption of the poltical economy and promotion for over half a century of an economic paradigm which I define as "Parasitic Capitalism" has landed us in the current political ditch of extreme division in which we find ourselves. The "Parasitic Capitalism" inherent in "trickle-down" doesn't work anymore when the tick gets bigger than the dog!
"Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights." - Albert Einstein in the Monthly Review, May, 1949.
Mr. Hughes, the analysis you read was a summary—not the kind of unfocused stream of consciousness you seem to prefer. Below, I present my point-by-point observations, free of any inappropriate or offensive remarks.
Separation of Opinions from Facts
Statement Category Notes
“Well done Perry. It appears the momentum for local MAGA... is rapidly diminishing…” Opinion No data is cited; “MAGA” is redefined sarcastically.
“Malignant Asinine Growth Agenda” Opinion / Sarcasm Satirical redefinition of "MAGA."
“...entirely absent of any coherent vision or legitimate long-term planning...” Opinion Evaluation without evidence.
“Covid was ruthlessly exploited by moneyed interests...” Opinion with speculative factual basis
Exploitation of pandemic-era migration is debated but plausible; no specific evidence cited.
“...white flight is no longer from urban to suburban but from suburban to the Intermountain West.” Partially factual This trend has been documented, but the framing here is ideological.
“Local officials willingly throwing the development application rule book in the toilet...” Opinion / Hyperbole No specific ordinances or examples cited.
“Aspenization, long the tired Chamber of Commerce dream...” Opinion “Aspenization” is a real term but used here with a mocking tone.
“...aging boomer influencers... reaching their expiration dates.” Opinion / Sarcasm Ageist and dismissive language.
“...superficial valley preoccupied with appearances...” Opinion No objective support offered.
“Ketchum is a cemetery of rich old white folks...” Opinion / Metaphor Not factual; dramatic metaphor.
“...fabulously expensive headstones and mausoleums the residences they have built...” Metaphor / Opinion Colorful but not factual.
“...conservative corruption of the political economy.” Opinion / Allegation A sweeping accusation with no substantiation.
“The purpose of the low-income affordable housing projects... is to create the appearance that Ketchum is inhabited…” Speculative Opinion An assumption framed as fact; no evidence provided.
“...local MAGA movement to convey the false impression of a diverse and vibrant community.” Opinion Argumentative framing.
“...SV acronym jobs... not much in the way of work required...” Opinion / Dismissive claim No data or evidence; sweeping generalization.
“...aggressive profit privatized risk socialized resort tourism agenda...” Opinion / Political framing Ideological argument with no clear examples.
“...putrescent bureaucratic bloat locally.” Opinion / Insulting metaphor Not a factual statement.
Summary
This is almost entirely opinion-based, with few to no verifiable facts or references to specific decisions, people, or policies that can be fact-checked. The language is designed to inflame or rally a particular viewpoint rather than inform a neutral reader. While some of the themes—like pandemic-era migration, housing shortages, or tourism-driven gentrification—do have real-world correlates, the way they’re framed here is ideologically loaded and speculative.
Mr. Webking