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Does Anyone Care About Voter Apathy?

Top winners in the Tuesday GBAD election captured about 1.5% of the registered votes.

Not only were most voters in Ada County asleep when the Greater Boise Auditorium District (GBAD) votes were tallied last night, they napped rather than vote at all. Only 9,457 of the registered 175,849 voters (5%) bothered to exercise their right to vote.

We gotta admit $13 million is chump change in these days of government budgets with so many zeroes it takes a pointer just to count them. But does anybody care if we have a baseball park vs a convention center? The answer is a resounding NO!

To put things in perspective an honest look at the numbers reveals incumbent GBAD board member Peter Oliver was the top vote-getter with 50.17% of the votes CAST. That means a mere 1.6% of the REGISTERED voters chose to allow him a voice in how many millions of tax dollars will be spent and how downtown Boise will look in the future. Mayor Dave Bieter’s fireman pal, Jim C. Walker, garnered 1.5% of the vote in his victory. By the way, our three- term mayor was elected with 11% of the potential votes last election.

REGISTERED VOTERS – TOTAL . . . . . 175,849
BALLOTS CAST – TOTAL. . . . . . . 9,457
VOTER TURNOUT – TOTAL . . . . . . (5.38%)

GREATER BOISE AUDITORIUM DISTRICT DIRECTOR – 2 YEAR TERM
George Tway. . . . . . . . . . 2,861 (49.83%)
Peter Oliver . . . . . . . . . 2,880 (50.17%)

GREATER BOISE AUDITORIUM DISTRICT DIRECTOR – 6 YEAR TERM
Vote for 2
Rob R. Perez . . . . . . . . . 2,142 (19.43%)
Jim C. Walker . . . . . . . . . 2,647 (24.02%)
Stephanie Astorquia . . . . . . . 2,168 (19.67%)
Noah D. Bard . . . . . . . . . 379 (3.44%)
Steve Berch. . . . . . . . . . 2,433 (22.07%)
John May. . . . . . . . . . . 1,253 (11.37%)

As usual we find it interesting how patriotic many Americans can be when it comes to “fighting for our rights” in foreign wars, but fail to exercise the basic right to vote.

Four Votes Approve $781 Million Development Debt

The Spring Valley CID north of Eagle needed a 2/3 majority vote to pass Tuesday and it got exactly 4 out of six votes to approve the $325 million bonds worth a total of $781 million after interest. Future homeowners will have to repay the debt.

VOTES PERCENT

REGISTERED VOTERS – TOTAL . . . . . 7 (100.0%)
BALLOTS CAST – TOTAL. . . . . . . 6 (85.7%)

SPRING VALLEY BOND QUESTION RES. 12-02
IN FAVOR . . . . . . . . . . 4 (66.6%)
AGAINST . . . . . . . . . . 2 (33.3%)

SPRING VALLEY BOND QUESTION RES. 12-03
IN FAVOR . . . . . . . . . . 4 (66.6%)
AGAINST . . . . . . . . . . 2 (33.3%)

The single vote allowed at the last minute by a representative of M3 Development was apparently the clincher. The Ada Clerk, with advice of counsel, determined the development company could have a single vote, even though the person didn’t live within the district and was not personally a property owner.

M3 To Get A Single Vote (Updating Previous Post)

In an election eve development Monday afternoon, Ada County Clerk Chris Rich as decided to “spoil” all 50 of the ballots sent to M3 headquarters in Arizona.

However, M3 has come up with a local “authorized rep” in Ada County who will be allowed to cast a single ballot, bringing the number of voters to 6 deciding the fate of $781 million in bonds and interest. Five of the voters are renting property within the Community Infrastructure District. The M3 rep does not live within the district, but is being considered a “property owner” for purposes of voting.

Fifty Votes From M3 Development To Be Sealed, Not Counted

Ada County Clerk Chris Rich told the GUARDIAN Monday that 50 ballots from the M3 development owner north of Eagle would not be counted in tomorrow’s bond election after both the Idaho Attorney General and Ada County Prosecutor determined only residents of Idaho and the district could vote.

That leaves the fate of $325 million in bonds with a value of about $781 million after interest, in the hands of five voters in two families. Both families rent homes in the Community Infrastructure Development (CID) which seeks approval in order to finance 7,000 residential lots and provide sewer, water, irrigation, and roads.

Future property owners would be left to pay off the cost of the development bonds through liens on their property.

LETTER FROM PROSECUTOR follows: Continue reading here…

Panhandling Ordinances: Anything Helps, God Bless

Boise’s city fathers and mothers are once again grappling with how to “get the bums off the streets.” (no political correct notes please)

Tuesday the councilors will discuss three proposed ordinances which are wrought with definitions and circumstances bound to cause confrontation, diverse interpretation and enforcement.

Aggressive Solicitation Ordinance: prohibiting solicitation of money from motorists on a roadway, soliciting from persons who are eating and drinking at sidewalk cafes or standing in service lines, soliciting outside entrances to banks or near ATMs, solicitation within 20 feet of bus stops or taxi stands or solicitation within 20 feet of any parking payment station or within any public parking garage. Violation would be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

Would firefighters still be able to fill the boot? And just WHERE can those sad folks holding creative pasteboard signs stand? And more importantly, where does the beggar come up with the cash to pay a $1,000 fine?

Civil Sidewalks Ordinance: prohibiting sitting on or lying on a publicly owned infrastructure not designed for sitting, such as planters, trash receptacles or utility boxes, in building entrances or exits, in driveways or loading docks. Violators would be issued a warning before any citation is written. If a citation is written, it would be an infraction costing $61.50. A subsequent violation within 24 hours would be a misdemeanor. The ordinance includes exceptions for medical emergencies, wheelcahirs and strollers, special events and parade viewing.

Are we really asking coppers to accost “decent people” propped up against a planter or doorway chatting about a new baseball park because the object wasn’t designed for sitting? Equal protection under the law!

Public Placement Ordinance: requiring a permit for erecting a tent, stage or placing tables or chairs on public property. The ordinance exempts personal property such as bikes and other temporary items used while visiting a park, attending a picnic, sporting event or parade. Violations would be a misdemeanor.

It would appear those entrepreneurial kids with lemonade stands face the $1,000 and six months in jail as well!

Note to city mothers and fathers: FAGETTABOUTIT! There are already enough laws on the books to cover disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, obstructing traffic, etc. When a law is aimed at a specific segment of society, if the trigger is pulled it can backfire.