Most of these major downtown structures pay NO TAXES to city, county or schools.

Even the Republican Party has a plank to bring the UR agencies into line with a state constitutional requirement that local governments must seek voter approval for debt. Current law declares urban renewal agencies to be “independent bodies corporate and politic.”

Once a district is created–usually by a city council–all the taxes on improvements and appreciation are diverted from the coffers of cities, counties, school and highway districts. Meanwhile the rest of the taxpaying public living OUTSIDE the district has to make up the lost revenue.

Worst of all, urban renewal districts have NO OVERSIGHT of any elected governmental body and are totally apart from cities, counties or the State after they are created by a city council.

Nearly all the taxes are diverted from BoDo, the Grove Hotel, and all of the downtown towers built in the past 25 years. The widow on fixed income, families, and others are forced to make up the shortfall in taxes to pay for the police, fire, and municipal services to the area within the urban renewal district.

It may be a noble cause to “renew” blighted areas, but it should be done with assent of those of us who pay the bills and not serve to benefit a select number of developers as is often the case.

Related posts:

1. Bieter Seeks To Abolish Citizen’s Right To Vote
2. Amendment Seeks To Deny Voter Rights
3. Crapo Seeks Law To Increase Local Debt Load, Tax Burden

METHANE POWERED ELECTRIC GENERATOR AT ADA DUMP

They issued a “REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST” for anyone willing to talk about using trash to generate energy and potentially building a “Renewal Energy Industrial Park” at the Hidden Hollow Landfill near Hidden Springs subdivision.

They already generate some electricity with a methane gas compressor plant that recovers gas from the rotting trash. As long as the Commishes don’t put any public money into one of those cobbled together “private-public partnership” schemes, it could have some potential.

Certainly doesn’t hurt to talk about the idea which will no doubt compete head-to-head with Boise City’s grand scheme to convert the airport into a giant industrial park financed by bonds that will supposedly be repaid by rent. Both city and county should stay out of the land speculation business –especially trying to become landlords.

The GUARDIAN was skeptical of projected revenues four years ago. Records show the generator has never attained the projected $324,000 annual income, but has indeed proven viable.

The following are revenues from the sale of landfill gas:

Fiscal Year 2007 – $132,311.66
Fiscal Year 2008 – $262,272.71
Fiscal Year 2009 – $289,632.23
Fiscal Year 2010 (through May ONLY) – $176,431.50

Total through May 2010 = $860,648.10 in revenue from the sale of landfill gas.

COMPLETE TEXT FOLLOWS:

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1. Ada County Electric Trash Deal Is Shocking
2. Idaho Sheriffs Use Deceptive Marketing Scheme, Plan To Dump Telemarket Firm
3. Bieter Seeks To Abolish Citizen’s Right To Vote

We probably won’t hear about the public outcry AGAINST a trolley and the money spent to promote it. Don’t look for Hizzoner to detail the secret $150,000 settlement his attorneys made with the guy Tasered by a copper. Doubt they will talk about the continued refusal to open the Depot to the public during summer tourist season or the lack of directional signs for visitors. Not likely he will detail his failed attempt to attract AMTRAK either. Hope the food is worth the price of admission.

For years Boise’s mayor has been the featured act for a breakfast show that grosses as much as $45,000 with proceeds to the Chamber of Commerce coffers….$45-55 a plate and 1,000 guests. It costs $55 if you don’t belong to the Chamber. Ada Commishes curtailed the practice several years ago and ceased donating about $70,000 in citizen funds to the lobbying organization.

It is not the event or access for the public that we question. It is a bunch of business people “buying” access to government officials and the government official acting as the “headliner” with the proceeds going to a very limited special interest group–-the Chamber of Commerce.

Team Dave never gives a STATE OF speech before the City Council, or the Vista Neighborhood Association. It’s always for business rather than needy causes.

This unholy alliance between local government and the Chamber of Commerce is taken for granted.
We would venture there are more members of the Idaho Education Association or the NRA than the Chamber of Commerce, but do you think they could get exclusive rights to charge $45 a plate for a STATE OF THE CITY speech? Hasn’t happened in the past five years the GUARDIAN has reported on it.

THE GUARDIAN would like to see future “STATE OF THE” events donate their profits to groups like the IDAHO FOOD BANK, HOMELESS SHELTERS, or even a DETOX treatment center.

Not many citizen-taxpayers are able to attend a $45 breakfast meeting–-they have to go to work if they have a job. Their boss might be able to pull it off, deduct the $45 as a business expense, and provide the Chamber with even more cash to influence government leaders. We are experiencing government by the “elite class” and it is contrary to good government and democracy.

Related posts:

1. Boise City Continues Quest For Train
2. Bieter Seeks To Abolish Citizen’s Right To Vote
3. STATESMAN Readers Bash Bieter Trolley

Seems that Team Dave can’t get support for a trolley. They also can’t get a downtown “transit center” going and recently incurred the public wrath of a developer who has threatened to leave town if a transit center is built near his land.

They failed to get AMTRAK to stop here despite expenditure of millions of dollars in public funds and manpower to get a route through Boise.

The latest attempt to manipulate public opinion will be a Wednesday media event at the Depot (which is closed to the public most of the time) announcing a deal with BVRR.

Boise City will pay the private railroad company public tax dollars to maintain and service the stretch of rail currently owned by the city and leased to Union Pacific as a parking lot for empty rail cars.

Ultimately Boise wants to provide public land for a private transfer facility for those containers that haul freight on ships, trains, and trucks. Expect to hear that it will be great for the environment, jobs, the economy, and of course “the children.”

Boise has owned several hundred acres of land south of Gowen Field and has been in the land speculation business for several years, even going so far as to get a Federal license to own and operate a railroad.

A previous plan to “sell rail service” to warehouses and create a switching system failed after a $113,000 survey was conducted by the city government. The Union Pacific reportedly balked at that pipe dream.

Although the office of Mayor Dave Bieter refuses to provide press releases to the GUARDIAN, we feel this info is pretty accurate and worth sharing with citizens in advance of any manipulated media photo ops.

FROM POET PAUL–

The trolley idea came and fell
Now the mayor has a new track to sell
If Dave must have a train
Let’s avoid taxpayer pain
And buy Bieter a Lionel!

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1. Bieter Continues To Perform At Chamber “Live Aid”
2. No Stopping a Runaway Train (Trolley) Enthusiast
3. “No Fact” Train Rally Held At Depot

By DEAN GUNDERSON

BSU has held an A1 Bond rating by Moody’s for its last few issuances. This puts it on a relative investment risk on par with the countries of South Korea, the Czech Republic and Estonia (not great, but not bad either).

What Moody’s is concerned about is the increased amount of pressure university’s will experience to commit their financial reserves to service long-term leases in these types of public/private ventures. And, this is a much bigger issue than just little ol’ BSU.

In 2002 bonds issued by Greece, and in 1996 bonds issued by Iceland, also had A1 ratings — and look where these two countries have ended up.

If BSU continues to play with the public/private venture “fire” it’s going to get its fingers burned by having its bond ratings dropped to A2 — identical to Botswana’s ratings. This will adversely effect its ability to sell bonds at favorable rates and leave it unable to fund much-needed capital projects.

I’m not opposed to BSU providing much needed on-campus student housing, but it should be on-campus and state-owned. Further, on-campus student housing should also automatically generate a higher land-use efficiency — freeing up poorly utilized land, “land banked” as surface parking lots and an overabundance of one- and two-storey structures.

The last time I checked, students who live in on-campus dormatories also have a car parking space set aside for their use. Whether such spaces are for lease (rolled into the dorm room’s rent, or acquired through a parking permit purchase) or made available for “free” — is a terrible waste of precious land resources. If a student lives on campus, they shouldn’t also have a parking space available for their use.

If BSU were really interested in improving their financial rankings, it needs to run a tighter ship by improving how they use their existing resources (all resources: financial, human, and land).

A consistant theme of Kustra’s tenure has been: “Private good, Public bad”. Few have questioned this approach, as long as they stood to gain. But, public education is not a private corporation — and it cannot be operated like one. It has to be held to a higher ethical standard and it must be absolutely transparent in its business dealings. Kustra, unfortunately, runs a very opaque administration — and I, for one, am very appeciative that Moody’s stance brings to light the inherent risk associated with public/private ventures.

Related posts:

1. City Has Poor Record On Land Speculation
2. Boise City Buys Out of County Land
3. Boise Purchases More Out of County Land

What my nice guy friend didn’t mention is the Boise Depot–which he suggested as worthy of a visit–is CLOSED TO VISITORS most of the time! Another formerly spectacular view is from Table Rock where one can see nearly 100 miles, but that too is closed to visitors–unless you are able to hike up a steep dirt road. The state-owned vacant hilltop Governor’s Mansion is also closed to the public.

Despite repeated (admittedly negative) comments from the GUARDIAN no one wants to step up and put directional signs around our city. Every major intersection should have directional signs like the one we saw in Sacramento last week. Until we can get our act together to tell folks what there is to see and how to get there, it is premature to even THINK about a convention center or expanded air service.

The GUARDIAN editor travels the world and Boise has to be one of the least “tourist friendly” places when it comes to directional signs. We have posted stories and images from Spain, Italy, Cleveland, Michigan, and California. All our tourist officials can come up with is plans to build a convention center.

Related posts:

1. Boise Officials “No Show” At Town Hall Meet
2. SW Boiseans Sent Out Of Town To Vote
3. Town Hall Meeting Video On Line

Here’s how Gunderson did the graphics–something the Hawks’ consultant would charge big bucks for!

“The red dashed outline on the image of S.F. Giants AT&T Park is the scale outline for the Fairwiew site — so you can see a direct comparison. The light bluegreen dashed line is the outline of the existing Hawks Stadium’s fenced area — with an outfield adjusted to meet generic Major League standards.”

Team Dave will be encouraged that it is almost mandatory to have some sort of transit in operation. Parking is also an issue along with a good chance of “road hazards” from home runs and foul balls on Fairview and Main.

Our overall conclusion is: BUILD IT ANYWHERE YOU WISH. IF YOU WANT PUBLIC MONEY IT IS MANDATORY TO ALLOW THE CITIZENS TO VOTE ON THE FINANCING.

With regard to financing, here is how it boils down: A $20,000,000 bond at 5% for the maximum legal term of 24 years will cost just shy of $119,000 PER MONTH…or $1.44 MILLION a year for a total payout of $34.5 million. That’s also about $4,000 per day or for you minimalists $166 an hour 24/7 for 24 years–attorney wages.

Bottom line for us: there probably isn’t a revenue stream to support the investment given the competition from the MORRISON CENTER, CENTRE ON THE GROVE, FAIR GROUNDS, IDAHO CENTER, BSU PAVILION, new EAGLE AMPHITHEATER, and about a dozen high school fields.

Click MORE for FAIRVIEW SITE.

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1. Boise Joins Growthophobe Movement, GUARDIAN Offers “Back Story”
2. Volunteers Work To Keep Park Open
3. Copper Ignores “FIRE LANE” To Park Scooter

We got word from Minneapolis that all are not happy about spending public funds for a baseball park–a message both Boise and Meridian need to examine closely as they begin to compete for the minor league Boise Hawks venue.
Here is the MINNEAPOLIS STORY from the Star Tribune.

Reader Steve Edgar recently offered a well researched lengthy comment about unemployment and home foreclosures on the Micron profit posting “TWO QUARTERS DOES NOT A SUCCESS MAKE.” We would be happy to offer space to anyone who can make sense out of just how much a few inches of snow REALLY mean to the economy.

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2. GUARDIAN Predicts “Rain Out” On Boise Ball Park
3. We Are In Midst Of Economic Civil War

In our mind, that shouldn’t be news–businesses are SUPPOSED to show a profit. The STATESMAN story doesn’t mention that Micron has lost so much over the years as the largest “non-profit” in the state they probably won’t pay ANY income tax in the foreseeable future, thanks to loss carry forward credits.

Meanwhile, that same edition of the Statesman had more the 70 trustee sales advertised on home loans gone bad…no doubt some of those debtors once worked at Micron. Our point is this: Do two profitable quarters at Micron offset 70 home foreclosures as an economic barometer?

Related posts:

1. Economy Is Elephant In The Room

The GUARDIAN contacted Vaughn Killeen, executive director of the Association who confirmed the letter and bill were sponsored by his group. He also said he was working to terminate the relationship and noted “some deceptive practices by the vendor.” He favors a directing marketing campaign for funds.

Killeen went on to say the Association makes about $40,000 a year from the marketing program. Based on the discussion with Killeen that means the private marketing outfit takes close to $200,000 in the name of drugs and coppers from Idahoans.

We sympathize with the purported goals of the Sheriffs’ Association, but hooking up with deceptive marketing firms only serves to undermine their cause. The Association lobbies on behalf of its members, conducts jail inspections to insure compliance with health and security standards, and serves as a legitimate forum for exchange of ideas and training standards. Hustling citizens for cash is tawdry endeavor they should avoid in our opinion.

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1. Ada Dump Seeks Green Power Trash Talk
2. Bad Sports Not Treated Alike In Idaho
3. Cops Aren’t The Only Dog Killers