News Media
GUARDIAN LOOKS BACK AT 2005
December 12, 2005 
Thanks to all of you who read the GUARDIAN and those in local government who KNOW or WORRY that you read it, we have become a voice for the people, however small.
Here are some of the highlights over the past six months since we got started.
THE POOP FARM story came “over the transom” to the GUARDIAN within a week or two of our first posting. It promises to be our best “investigative” story so far and has yet co come to a conclusion. Lots of auditing and criminal investigating going on.
BOOZE ON THE RIVER became a hot button issue and thanks in part of public interest, Boise got an Attorney General opinion that indicated they could probably enforce city ordinances on a state river.
EMS FUNDING was turned down by voters in May and the Ada County commishes got into trouble meeting in secret with a City Councilor during June to plan a sales pitch for the next election.
TREASURE VALLEY LEADERS headed for Sun Valley to plan how to impose their collective will on unsuspecting citizens.
LIBRARY BOND ELECTION was announced, but Boise leaders have yet to tell us how much it will cost to staff and operate the new branches if they are approved.
BENCH DEPOT neighbors lost a battle to get the size of an apartment-condo project reduced along Crescent Rim. They fought all summer, but the council went with the developer in the end.
G-BAD LOST again on a plan to get a convention center downtown. Voters turned them down twice and then developer Gary Christensen blew off a proposal for a “private project.”
ALOHA BUSINESS for the Ada Commishes caused yet another stir. The commishes and the treasurer visited the 50th state at taxpayer expense and there were not many happy taxpayers.
GROWTH EVERYWHERE was a constant topic. Calls for impact fees, mega subdivisions, “planned communities” at each end of the Boise Foothills, school bonds, crowded highways, unhappy folks along Ustick. We are growing ourselves to death.
THE ARID CLUB was the scene of a county commishes meeting that never took place to discuss funding for a detox center. Sheriff Gary Raney bobbled the ball on a meeting with the big money private guys and local officials. They still need a detox center, but state law MANDATES the state of Idaho provide the services–they have ignored the law.
BOISE CITY ELECTION saw former cop Jim Tibbs push out long time councilor Jerome Mapp and MAryanne Jordan easily defeated Christian activist Brandi Swindell. Vern Bisterfeldt ended up with what was probably the largest vote in Boise history as well.
INFILL SKINNY HOUSES dominated the local news in the late autumn as BSU took over much of south Boise and moved the unpopular houses out. The movers got caught, cited for “illegal parking” and some houses got declared nuisances which stand a chance of being smashed to bits if they aren’t gone pronto.
THE JONES SHOOTING was probably the saddest item we covered during the year. It was losers all around as the coroner, prosecutor, mayor, and mean spirited letter writers all chimed in. Few of us think we got the full scoop and a coroner’s inquest in the future is probably a dead issue.
HOMELESS CARE took over the spotlight as the weather cooled to typical winter temps. A tent city was averted when faith-based groups opened their doors on a temporary shelter basis.
Use your mouse and check the archives at the right either by topic or by month for details on stories.
We have acquired a bunch of regular commenters and even more readers–many in the media and government who find certain things “only on the GUARDIAN.”
Our goal is to continue to provide this forum and to act as GUARDIAN over our rights to vote, express our opinions, and control our purse strings. You can participate with your comments, or offer suggestions for stories through the “CONTACT US” link at the top right of the page.
As the Christmas Holidays approach things tend to slow down and the news tends to be a rehash of the past year. We may not be as prolific in the next few weeks, but remember you read it on the GUARDIAN first. Thanks for reading us.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Dec 13, 2005, 10:55 am
Just a nit-picky comment, Guardian.
On the Depot Bench vs. the Developer… you say the neighbors lost. Not true. The original proposal was substantially bigger than the final, approved plan. So the neighbors indeed had an influence, and they should be commended for their involvement. (Although seems to me if the owners of some of those 6000-square-foot Crescent Rim palaces of pretentiousness came out to protest a development that “wasn’t right for the neighborhood,” that would be ironic indeed.)
Dec 13, 2005, 12:10 pm
Way to go, Guardian, and thank you! I sure do appreciate your efforts to get to the heart of the issues and report the sub rosa dealings that don’t make it past the editors at the Statesman. Here’s to a great maiden year!
Dec 13, 2005, 10:37 pm
Steve – The neighbors LOST to a “holyier than thou” City Council that has a “pack’em in higher and deeper” mentality and to a developer that THREATENED the neighborhood at evey turn. The proposal for more units was simply his strategy to propose more – give up some – and get what he really wanted in the first place.
We did learn some great things – one of which is that Bill Clark is Alan Shealy’s good friend, Ellaine Clegg can recuse herself and still keep her hand (and nose) in every aspect of the process and that the City Planning Staff and Council can care less about what nieghbrhoods think – or look like after they destroy them.
Maybe they will destroy your nieghborhood next – then your view might change.
Dec 14, 2005, 7:16 am
Guardian,
Thank you for reporting and investigating “our” local governments and some of their exploitive shenanigans.
I also appreciate you supplying a venue to express our views and opinions.
Although we, as taxpayers are being, “robbed” daily through legal extortion , I do not plan to “relax and enjoy it.”
Again thank you, please keep up the great work.
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to you.
Dec 14, 2005, 4:29 pm
Excellent work, Boise Guardian. I can’t think of anywhere else that needed you more.
Dec 21, 2005, 3:35 pm
The ” Boise Guardian” has become a much needed American spokesman for better government here in the Treasure Valley. Thanks for a great year of letting us all know the truth about what local government was and was not doing. 2006 will only get better for all, thanks to the guardian ! Joe