Reply #14: Actually the largest industry in Idaho is in the science and technology sectors.

[Major Hogwash]

Today, the largest industry in Idaho is the science and technology sectors. It amounts for over 25% of the State's total revenue and 70%+ of the State's exports (in dollars). Idaho's industrial economy is growing, with high-tech products leading the way. Micron amd HP are 2 of the largest employers in the state and also have the largest business portfolios in Idaho. Dell Computers has a large call center located in Twin Falls.

The second largest industry in Idaho is tourism, which surpassed argiculture in the mid- to late-90's in terms of dollars contributed towards Idaho's economy.

Agriculture is now the 3rd largest industry in the state.
Mostly potatoes and sweet beets, with some wheat, hops, and cattle rounding out the farming industries' contribution to Idaho.

The mining and timber industries have contributed less to the state's economy today than they did just 15 years ago.

Mining is a thing of the past and with the large SuperFund waste site near Kellogg not being cleaned up on schedule - as Kempthorne and Batt both assured it would be - there won't be any new, large mining sites allowed in Idaho for quite some time. After Kempthorne tried to have the Kellogg site delisted as a SuperFund site because it hurt tourism, I thought to myself "what a wad he must be." He didn't even care if people from the East visited that area of the state and wound up getting poisoned over it just for a few bucks.

The attitudes the people have determines how they vote, and the majority of Idahoans have very strict religious beliefs that tend to make them prone to authoritarian view points.

The Gay Pride parade in Boise was the largest they have ever had this last weekend.
Yet, there were only 500 people marching in the parade.
Of course, there were some ignorant protestors standing on either sides of the street with their little posters with some saying written on it about God or the bible, but attitudes are changing here, even if it does seem to be slower than molasses.
They wouldn't even have been able to march in downtown Boise just 10 years ago.