Archive for June, 2005
Ex Ada Commissioner Rants
By Sharon Ullman, Former County Commissioner Are you miffed about the way Ada County commissioners have handled the EMS situation? How about horse racing, Lariat Productions, and Les Bois Park? Unhappy about how much County property tax you have to pay, commissioners holding illegally closed meetings, or taking trips to Hawaii? If so, mark July […]
Library Bond Vote Set
The Boise City Council has wisely scheduled a bond election next February 7 asking voters permission to spend $30 million for branch libraries. The GUARDIAN supports libraries in concept and practice. If the City wants the measure to pass, they need to play fair and honest with voters–something that has been lacking in the past. […]
Bench-Depot Neighborhood Update
Folks opposed to a major apartment-condo complex near Crescent Rim and Peasley are well organized and adament about their objections. They have organized a Garage Sale set for July 9, a neighborhood rally July 11 and a massive turnout for a city council hearing July 13. The basic concern is the size and density of […]
Screw the Public!
After voters twice denied the Greater Boise Auditorium District bonding authority for a new convention center, the board agreed Friday to take a lesson from Boise City and do an end run around those pesky voters. The deal calls for developer Gary Christensen to pay one dollar to lease valuable public land at 13th and […]
Let My People Vote!
Ok. Budget news is cheaper and just as effective as Ambien when it comes to sleep aid. That said, we need a little outrage (maybe just concern) over a budget proposal that Boise will salt away $2.5 mil a year of our tax money– “earmarked” to build a police station when the slush fund reaches […]
Developer To Make Own Laws
Young developer David Hale has made his mark in Boise cramming tiny two story houses into existing neighborhoods to the delight of growth advocates and the consternation of some preservationists. Now he has aimed his creative sights on some older buildings on the western edge of downtown in a newly created urban renewal district managed […]
Aloha “Official Business”
UPDATED VERSION WITH LINKS Ada County Commissioners Judy Peavey-Derr and Rick Yzaguirre along with Treasurer Lynda Fischer are planning on attending a county government conference in Honolulu July 15-19…at taxpayer expense. Peavey-Derr has said she will pay for much of the trip with personal funds. Why is it all these government officials never go to […]
Aloha “Official Business”
UPDATED VERSION WITH LINKS Ada County Commissioners Judy Peavey-Derr and Rick Yzaguirre along with Treasurer Lynda Fischer are planning on attending a county government conference in Honolulu July 15-19…at taxpayer expense. Peavey-Derr has said she will pay for much of the trip with personal funds. Why is it all these government officials never go to […]
Aloha “Official Business”
UPDATED VERSION WITH LINKS Ada County Commissioners Judy Peavey-Derr and Rick Yzaguirre along with Treasurer Lynda Fischer are planning on attending a county government conference in Honolulu July 15-19…at taxpayer expense. Peavey-Derr has said she will pay for much of the trip with personal funds. Why is it all these government officials never go to […]
Aloha “Official Business”
UPDATED VERSION WITH LINKS Ada County Commissioners Judy Peavey-Derr and Rick Yzaguirre along with Treasurer Lynda Fischer are planning on attending a county government conference in Honolulu July 15-19…at taxpayer expense. Peavey-Derr has said she will pay for much of the trip with personal funds. Why is it all these government officials never go to […]
Aloha “Official Business”
UPDATED VERSION WITH LINKS Ada County Commissioners Judy Peavey-Derr and Rick Yzaguirre along with Treasurer Lynda Fischer are planning on attending a county government conference in Honolulu July 15-19…at taxpayer expense. Peavey-Derr has said she will pay for much of the trip with personal funds. Why is it all these government officials never go to […]
Ada Commissioners Need to Pay
With an olive branch in his teeth and a white dove of peace tattooed on his body, City Councilor Vern Bisterfeldt made a visit to his old haunt, the Ada County Commission, last week at a scheduled meeting seeking to reduce friction between the city and county governments. City officials seem to have lost sight […]
Poop on Hold For Audit
We got a message from the office of Mayor Dave Bieter with a copy of a memo from the Human Resources Director (old folks call that personnel) assuring the Mayor and City Council that a full and complete audit of the city owned Twenty Mile South Farm has been formally initiated. The GUARDIAN applauds the […]
Cool Heads For Hot Float
The Idaho Attorney General has issued an opinion that Boise cops can write tickets for violation of city open booze container ordinances on the Boise River–just like they do on state highways within the city. Last month when it looked like a crack down on open containers was imminent, there was a pretty strong reaction […]
City Owned Stores
Here’s a lesson in ethics and proper conduct for Boise’s Parks Department. The business of government is GOVERNMENT–not retail marketing. Ice World indoor skating rink was donated to the city over a year ago and despite having a tax-free facility, they can’t break even financially. The city loses $125,000 a year providing an ice rink […]
Poop Farm: “Where’s The Beef?”
With more irregularities (financial that is) being documented daily, we think the Boise City Council may finally believe the GUARDIAN and look into the allegations at the Poop Farm south of Boise. One reader commented on the previous story (More Dirt on The Poop Farm) calling it the “tip of the iceberg” at the Boise […]
Snail Mail Spam Filter
Boise City may have the ultimate spam blocker for all the junk we get via the U.S. mail…they want to change the numbers on your house. Like most things the city does, it is to accommodate DEVELOPMENT. Here is a novel idea: stop building and “infilling” because it causes too much confusion with addresses! Wasn’t […]
Can You Hear Me Now?
When citizens show up to voice their opinions at public hearings and on the “placebo phone” (mayor’s hotline 384-4404) Boise officials are not noted for jumping very high or issuing glowing press releases coated with sugar and spice. However, after the city spent seventeen grand on a
More Dirt on The Poop Farm
Looks like the folks at Boise City don’t communicate too well when it comes to problems down on the farm. We were promised “transparency in government” with these new elected officials, but it seems the view is a bit clouded. To make it worse, we hear a disgruntled employee has blown the whistle to what […]
Meridian Madness
Meridian officials better be careful about what they wish for because wishes sometimes come true. Meridian’s City Mother, Tammy DeWeerd, is aiming to be like her big brother to the east and creating a “Vision for Downtown.” That includes getting an act of congress to reclaim the Union Pacific Railroad’s land in the core of […]
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