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The bums hung around a bit longer this year. Right up to the Dec 8th snow storm. They have been gone for the last month. It's a seasonal thing. They will arrive in town around early April and stay until it gets too cold. Unlike San Diego, Pocatello doesn't try to attract bums by opening shelters and feeding them. Much of the population survives on minimum wage retail and restaurant jobs. There isn't a large tax base that can be wasted on "social" programs. It's hard enough to keep the pot holes filled, streets plowed and enough police/fire to handle the minimal needs.

I laughed my ass off last year when a "low rider" with a full set of hydraulics arrived in town. The snow and ice fixed his wagon pretty fast. We did have an unpleasant experience at the Barnes & Noble in Idaho Falls. A bunch of hispanic gang bangers parked their cars on the service road in front the store and had a "picnic" going on the tables in front of the internal Starbucks. It caused a real traffic snarl as people tried to drive around the illegally parked vehicles. The shopping mall security finally convinced them to park properly in the available parking spaces.