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Guardian Top Stories

Emergency Texters, A National Issue

The Idaho House of Representatives is about to consider a “no texting bill” that passed the Senate Wednesday.

Interestingly, we don’t see any exemptions for coppers and firefighters. The Fed transportation people, AAA, and just about everyone who has watched a car weaving slowly down the road agree that reading and writing on computers while driving is as dangerous as DUI.

It makes no sense to allow coppers–or anyone else–split their attention from driving to texting and today the NEW YORK TIMES ran a front page story about the dangers. Good to see how the world comes around to the GUARDIAN line of reasoning!

Here is a great quote from the TIMES story that spells out the reality:

“There’s no way you could do this without eventually running into something,” said Officer Shawn Chase, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol, as he demonstrated use of the Gateway computer in a cruiser. And yet, he said, he has tried it, and others have, too.
“The first time you almost rear-end something, you say, ‘Whoa, I better not do this,’ ” he said. “You learn quick.”

Boise Joins Growthophobe Movement, GUARDIAN Offers “Back Story”

In a brilliant act to cut development in the Foothills, Team Dave has apparently seen the light and joined the GUARDIAN GROWTHOPHOBE movement.

Boise City Council Tuesday made public the purchase of Hammer Flat – a 701-acre wintering range for mule deer, elk and antelope in east Boise – using funds generated by the 2001 foothills serial levy. The Mayor and Council approved the $4.1 million expenditure at a special council meeting Tuesday at City Hall and we applaud the purchase.

The back story is more fun.  Exact details may never be known, but this is what the rumor mill suggests–based on historical facts:

Seven agencies, Ada County, Boise County, Idaho Dept of Fish and Game, the Idaho Land Board, Boise City, BLM, and the Forest Service, over about 30 years, pieced together the Foothills Policy Plan in 1997.  The Foothills Levy, the funding mechanism was passed in 2001.  The plan specifically targeted the Hammer Flat area as critical for acquisition to protect wildlife habitat.  As late as 2004, Fish and Game tried to purchase Hammer Flat for about $2 million, and was out gunned when the Hammer Flat developer offered about five times that amount.
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School For Pregnant Teens Cheaper Than Welfare?

We’re going to take a big step and post the following information which comes from Andy Hedden-Nicely, a one time Democrat politico for the U.S. senate, and one time founder of the Boise WEEKLY. As with any one-sided post from outside the GUARDIAN fold, we will gladly accept opposing views of approximately the same length.

Hedden-Nicely noted state budget cuts to education and says, “Debi is the Head Teacher at the Marian Pritchard School for Pregnant Teens. This school is a Boise Public High School and its fate will be determined by the Trustees of the Boise Public Schools.”

“Teen Pregnancy and Parenting Fact Sheet”

• About 50% of our students come from outside the Boise School District each year;
• We serve between 65 and 90 students per year;
• Without our school, students would have to drop out of school one to two semesters due to maternity leave and not being able to place a child in day care prior to 6 week immunizations;
• Generally after being gone as short a time as three weeks post partum, students will drop out, whereas if they return in 2 weeks as we do, they are more likely to stay in school;
• Without an on campus day care facility, students cannot immediately return to school, the drop out rate goes up;
• Teens who choose to parent will not get the parenting education needed to be a successful parent at a traditional school;
• Our school can offer bed rest options, otherwise students have to dropout during a extra complicated pregnancy;
• Teen pregnancies are considered medically high risk;
• We can house students 18 to 21 years old for 90 days, and by April 1, 2010 can house them up to 2 years;
• This is a non judgmental environment, students who try to re-enter regular high school end up coming back;
• We have students who attend 3-4 years up to graduation;
• Peer mentoring occurs;
• When post partum depression triggers non attendance, we can track this and the social worker can assist family with mental health care;
• In the smaller “program” model, the school and parents are more closely allied in making sure the student attends and stays in school;
• Teen pregnancy and parenting: 50% dropout rate, 80% chance will live in poverty without education–http://www.sdhdidaho.org/hpro/app_risk.php
• 85% to 87% graduation rate, 95% of our seniors have post secondary plans;
• Comprehensive approach to teen pregnancy/parenting is best educational practices;

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Bruneau Dunes Could Be Abuzz with ATVs

During the Vietnam War an Army officer explained a village had to be burned “in order to save it.”

Idaho Parks Director Nancy Merrill finds herself in that same situation today as she considers allowing dune buggies to chew up the tallest free standing sand dune on the continent to possibly make a few bucks to fund parks.

She told the Associated Press that ATVs traditionally bring in more cash than “passive users”–like hikers, campers, and fishermen. Dune buggies are allowed on 11,000 acres of Federal land west of St. Anthony in Eastern Idaho.

Merrill has a good point about stimulating the local economy with ATVs. The GUARDIAN talked to some emergency responders in Freemont County who told us they sometimes dispatch 2 or 3 ambulances DAILY to the dunes in summer months. Seriously injured riders get frequent flyer miles aboard Life Flight helicopters due to the remote location and difficulty in transporting patients across the loose sand. Only one death was reported there last year, but we were told it was a , “slow year.”

Slow year or not, the Freemont County Sheriff has a permanent sub station at the dunes where full time deputies patrol the sand astride ATVs.

All this comes about in the wake of dwindling revenues and steep budget cuts in Idaho state government. Gov. Butch Otter is attempting to woo businesses to Idaho where he claims the tax climate is “business friendly.” The greenies from Oregon and California will be hard pressed to “sell” gas guzzling noisy ATVs to management and employees seeking solitude and peace in Idaho.

Butch and the lawmakers can expect a sandstorm of comments from people like the newly formed “Friends of Idaho State Parks.”

All Public Records Should Remain PUBLIC

Freedom of Information in Idaho is being attacked by some of the people who have taken an oath to uphold the constitution and the laws of Idaho–coppers.

The police bill approved last week by the senate state affairs committee would allow police, prosecutors, and prison guards to conceal their private phone and home address numbers on public documents–like deeds and court records. They would be allowed to list their work address and phone number instead. A similar bill approved by the House would exempt hunter’s names from public scrutiny passed by a 55-14 vote as well.

They claim it is too easy for people “with grievances” to harass coppers, hunters, and their families. The bill presents more questions than answers. What happens when a copper retires? Does he or she still get to keep their address confidential?

A big dilemma arises when a copper gets convicted of a sex crime, which looks–based on today’s news–like a possibility in the near future. The sex offender law mandates he register his address for one and all to know (but not to harass). Since he or she was a copper, the address could be secret to preclude harassment if the proposed law passes.

There are legitimate reasons for exempting victims of crimes and certain others, but to routinely exempt public officials is simply wrong. Soon the judges won’t want citizens to know they live in multi-million dollar homes (or slums), city councilors who pass local ordinances could move to exempt their addresses, and teachers who pass out bad grades will seek exemptions. Then of course there are witnesses in trials, jurors, and car dealers who sell lemons to disgruntled motorists…do we all live in fear of each other?

Ironically, coppers, retired coppers, prison guards, judges, city councilors, school board members, indeed–ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS–are allowed to carry concealed guns without a permit in Idaho. What have we come to when these “rulers” exempt themselves from concealed weapons laws and now they want to be exempt from accountability on public records. They want to “represent” the citizens, but they fear those they represent.

Here are just a few reasons the public has a right to keep public records public:

• A judge in a civil case would be living way beyond his means, prompting a ruling favoring debtor like himself.
• A politico could claim to be a hunter, but never held a hunting license…is he a liar or a poacher?
• Activists like Bruce Willis could claim to have voted a certain way in Idaho, but never have been registered to vote (this happened).
• Politicos could live outside a district they represent and conceal their address. (A former mayor once listed an address outside the city on a deed).
• A police chief could assist a crooked mayor moving stolen city property and hide the video from public scrutiny.
• Wages for public jobs could be misrepresented to garner support.
• Transportation employee “misuse of equipment” could be concealed from citizens.

When exemptions are made for special interest groups, we all suffer.

UPDATE March 9– In what can only be termed “fair play,” Robert Millage–the poster child for the hunter records secrecy bill–has posted all the comments (mostly negative) about being the first hunter to legally kill a wolf in Idaho in modern times. His WEBSITE. We condemn those who harass him, but defend their right to voice their opinions.

In an ironic twist, Millage posts all the names, phone numbers, Facebook pages, and e-mail addresses on all the comments he has received, even though his site is not a “public record.” Millage offers comments below.