Boise Guardian | Business

Farmers Market Unlikely Despite Citizen Pleas

April 20, 2009 ⋅ 16 comments

Even with the qualifier of being a “Northender,” we doubt the people who want fresh veggies during the growing season under the politically correct greenie label of “sustainable,” will be able to overcome the powerful CCDC urban renewal agency (Capital City Development Corp.) or the Downtown Business Association. Those outfits control the popular Saturday market. [...]

Boise Considers “Trade War” Ordinance

April 14, 2009 ⋅ 32 comments

While perhaps well intended, Boise City Councilors are set to consider an ordinance that very possibly is contrary to State bidding laws and the United States Constitution. Calling it a “local preference ordinance,” Boise Councilors will hold a first reading of an ordinance revision that would deny EQUAL PROTECTION under the city bid law to [...]

“Rest of Us” Pay For Failed Development Costs

April 13, 2009 ⋅ 25 comments

Reporter Cynthia Sewell has an interesting piece in the Daily Paper about life in AVIMOR for the five residents of the so-called planned community of 850 homes. But who pays for that quiet existance? A GUARDIAN reader pointed out “the rest of us” are already on the hook to take care of failed developments like [...]

Risky Business In Local Government

April 4, 2009 ⋅ 10 comments

Wild projections of economic boom, be they for convention centers, a trolly, retailers in a court house, airport users, condo buyers, or golfers have a tendency to fall short. The weekend Wall Street Journal has a great example in story about funding woes for a golf course in CARLSBAD, CA. Substitute “GOLF” for parking, airport, [...]

Avimor Future Looks Bleak

April 3, 2009 ⋅ 22 comments

We haven’t heard any specifics yet about the long suffering saga of Avimor, the “planned community” in northern Ada County along Highway 55, but a report in the Arizona Republic about the parent company doesn’t bode well for the subdivision’s future and lends authority to GROWOTHOPHOBE predictions. The GUARDIAN previously posted a report in January [...]

Owyhee Plaza Good Deed For Public

March 3, 2009 ⋅ One comment

The management of the Owyhee Plaza Hotel gets a hearty ATTABOY from the GUARDIAN for offering up a free room to downtown businesses opposed to the 10th Street Transit Center being pushed by some local politicos. The free room is adjacent to the one rented by Valley Regional Transit to push for a transit center [...]

GUARDIAN Asks Reader Support For Citizen Journalists

March 1, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments

With the blessing and encouragement of some loyal GUARDIAN readers, we have decided to provide you with an “investment opportunity.” As part of the brave new world of publishing, we will accept contributions from one and all for any amount you care to toss into the pot. Click on the “DONATE” icon for details. The [...]

GUARDIAN Primer On Local Governments

March 1, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments

A recent reader comment requested that we post some sort of organizational chart explaining local government. We will give it a go, but space will limit detailed explanations. We will be glad to made additions based on reader comments from those in the know. Click on MORE for the complete summary.

Transit Guy Stands To Gain From Decisions

February 28, 2009 ⋅ 8 comments

Once again the Daily Paper’s Cynthia Sewell has come up with a GOOD STORY about developer Jim Tomlinson’s land holdings being considered as parts of a downtown transit scheme. The story accurately points out that Tomlinson is a member–and currently president–of the Downtown Business Association which is an official agency created by Boise City government. [...]

Businesses Could Be Forced To Pay For Trolley

February 7, 2009 ⋅ 13 comments

Struggling downtown Boise businesses could get whacked with a big tax bill for a trolley to nowhere if a funding scheme is created to go around the will of the voters. Rather than put the funding straight forward to a vote of the citizens, they are exploring the creation of a LID–”local improvement district.” LIDs [...]

Bungling Bureaucrats Botch Boise Buses

February 7, 2009 ⋅ 11 comments

In a refreshing bit of local journalism, Cynthia Sewell of the Daily Paper detailed a pattern of BUNGLING BUREAUCRATS either unwilling or unable to put together a plan to spend federal funds for a downtown transit center. The fed money was earmarked for Boise in 2005, but Boise City, the Urban Renewal Agency (CCDC), Ada [...]

Mayor Hotline January 10 to 16

January 22, 2009 ⋅ 14 comments

PRETTY MUCH “SIGNS OF THE TIMES” THIS WEEK. LIKE THE SNOW ON THE SIDEWALKS, CITY NEEDS TO EITHER ENFORCE OR RECIND THE LAW…THREATS ONLY OFFEND. NOTE: We apparentlyhave a Boise version of the “lady from Sacramento” and out of courtesy we won’t post, but the city does properly provide the public document for the GUARDIAN’s [...]

Idaho Records More Moves OUT than IN

January 10, 2009 ⋅ 18 comments

Idaho and Missouri are the only states west of the Mississippi River to have more people moving OUT than moving IN, according to records of the highly credible and scientifically astute Atlas Van Line MIGRATION REPORT. The moving company keeps records of all their moves and came up with the data indicating the GROWTHOPHOBE movement [...]

Avimor Sales May Total 6 Units

January 8, 2009 ⋅ 18 comments

Avimor has been beaten up in recent comments–especially on the Dry Creek “Planned Community” story. We got the following from an obvious insider and frankly what they apparently see as a positive sign is pretty weak. “Avimor has had residents since October. There are three homes closed, two with families living therein. One home is [...]

New Voice Sounding Like A GROWTHOPHOBE

January 2, 2009 ⋅ 28 comments

Here is a nicely written piece BY JEAN McNEIL, a Boise Freelancer, which also appeared in the Daily Paper. It is published with her permission. When I moved to Boise 30 years ago, I called it a 10-minute town – you could get from almost anywhere to almost anywhere else in 10 minutes or less. [...]

CWI Joins Long List of Faltering Ventures

December 28, 2008 ⋅ 21 comments

The new College of Western Idaho, set to open January 20, joins a long list of ventures that glibly blame “the soft economy” for failing to meet predictions. It looks like the long awaited opening will fall two-thirds short of predicted enrollment. We fear the bill of goods sold to voters was overly optimistic and [...]

The Real Dirt On Clean Air

December 9, 2008 ⋅ 10 comments

For growthophobes there may be a silver lining in that yellow cloud of pollution hanging over the Treasure Valley. Without reductions in current levels of existing pollution, new businesses won’t be able to locate here and dump their vile concoctions into the air. During a recent speech, the Idaho DEQ air quality czar said if [...]

Fame, Greed Behind Special Winter Olympics

December 4, 2008 ⋅ 26 comments

PREFACE I have lived in Boise all my adult life–38 of those 40 years in the first and only home I ever owned. There is no other place on earth I care to live. My roots go deep and I am on a first name basis with most of the movers and shakers, having known [...]

Friday Parking Holiday Downtown

November 25, 2008 ⋅ 9 comments

Team Dave is doing its part to provide an economic stimulus without using a taxpayer bailout. Mayor Dave Bieter has declared Friday to be a parking holiday with no enforcement of parking meters to help out both consumers and merchants in the downtown area. Motorists are being advised to obey safety areas such as crosswalks [...]

Politicos Continue Puppet Act For Chamber

November 25, 2008 ⋅ 6 comments

In the spirit of Christmas, local politcos continue to act as puppets of the Chamber of Commerce–often at the expense of commoners unable to buy the access to power the Chamber controls. For a mere $40 you can drink and munch with politicians who don’t even understand they are being used like Willy Nelson at [...]

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