Brandon Hixon In Default to Wells Fargo Bank

It was reported to THE GUARDIAN, Idaho State Representative for Caldwell District 10 is once again in financial difficulty.  Rep. Hixon has a history of stiffing creditors and now this latest event as reported to THE GUARDIAN:

"Doesn't seem to matter much about a Representatives financial status but in legal ads today in Idaho Press Tribune page C12 Brandon Hixon of 919 North Plateau Drive Caldwell has not paid his house payment  of $1,625.80 since July"

A quick check of today's Press Tribune  Legal Notices on the right hand side of the page gave the details of this latest financial difficulty of Mr. Hixon.  Mr. Hixon is now more than $10,000 behind in his mortgage and late fees to Wells Fargo Bank.

Update: 12/28/2013.... THE GUARDIAN read the legal notice in the IPT again and noted Rep. Hixon's debt to Wells Fargo is $241,277.95 for his address listed as 910 N. Plateau Ave., Caldwell, Idaho.  A search of the Canyon County Assessor's data on the value of Rep. Hixon's home is $89,100.00.  Mr. Hixon managed to get Wells Fargo to give him 2.7 times the value of his home.

Fruitcake; You Know You Reall like It and Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone and a prosperous New Year! 

I can remember well the smell of a well made fruitcake made by my God Mother, she did not spare the rum in her recipe and the goodies in it were amazing.  It was moist, chewy and loaded with dried fruit and pecans and walnuts.  It was a labor of love and doled out a small piece at a time.  I think it got a bad name when it was produced commercially.  The bean counters kept the price down and the quality suffered as a result.

New Years Resolution: Quitting Tobacco

Every year the issue of resolutions comes up and this year is no exception.  THE GUARDIAN would offer for your consideration quitting tobacco.  I didn't say smoking as that does not cover the myriad of products that fall under tobacco use.  I have included a couple of graphic photos to help bolster your resolve to quit smoke and smokeless tobacco. 

I am probably one of the most ardent advocates of quitting tobacco and do so as a former smoker.  My last cigarette was in February of 1970.  I got started when I was in the Navy and cigarettes sold for a mere $1.10/carton of 10 packs of smokes, chewing tobacco was $0.25/can of Copenhagen.  A smoke break was a really good excuse to go topside and get some fresh air. 

All the bad news about tobacco and smoking was just starting to take hold with the public after the Surgeon General's Report of 1964 with a direct link between smoking and lung cancer.  Since that time it has been linked to a myriad of health issues.  Tobacco companies know the health issues and they know they are going to lose the battle in this matter but they want to lose it slowly.

My wake up call came when I was still in the Navy and was traveling to New London, Ct. for Submarine School in 1968.  I ran out of tax free smokes and bought a pack of Luck Strikes at JFK Airport for $0.93.  I was making $82/month at that time and it was not hard to do the math.  I could smoke or eat but could not do both on that income level. 

It was not until February of 1970 that I quit cold turkey.  Withdrawal is not a pleasant exercise and has been likened to kicking heroin in some of the journals.  It can be done, and there are millions who have come to grips with this challenge.  You can expect about three weeks of intense withdrawal before the urge to smoke begins to taper off.  It will be different for everyone who takes on this challenge.

Smoking is not something that sustains life, it costs a lot of money and will kill you off at least a decade or more as you continue to age. No matter how you do it, a lifetime of tobacco use will add up to around $100K.  THE GUARDIAN hopes you will consider giving yourself the gift of a longer life and resolve to try and quit the use of tobacco products.

Property Taxes Up 21% in Caldwell

The following is a letter to the editor of the IPT by Guardian reader Chuck Stadick.  He has outlined all the increases and where the money is going on property tax assessments this year.

"Just received my 2013 property tax bill, and it has gone up 21 percent vs. 2012. The major taxing agencies with increases were city of Caldwell, up $223; Highway District 4, up $34; Vallivue School District, up $147; and Canyon County, up $52.

Thanks Mayor Nancolas, school and highway officials, Canyon County commissioners, and last but not least, the urban renewal committees. I’m sure the feds will chime in and increase my Social Security by that amount once they find out, don’t you think?

* Chuck Stadick, Caldwell"