City Government
Ball Park Bad Idea, Bieter Still Pitches It
Team Dave’s captain, Mayor Dave Bieter used the City Club of Boise Thursday as a forum to pitch a new public baseball park for private gain. We see it as another swing and a miss. At the same event, Bieter recruited the audience to seek petitions asking for a referendum to allow the city authority [...]
F-35 Opponent Questions Air Force Report
This is a GUARDIAN guest opinion By Kevin E. Cahill, PhD Is the Air Force being honest with Boise? The United States Air Force is proposing Boise’s Gowen Field as a possible Pilot Training Center and base for F-35A fighter Jets. The Air Force has just released a draft Environmental Review (Environmental Impact Statement or [...]
PEACE OFFICER Trumps LAW ENFORCEMENT
(Disclaimder: GUARDIAN is in Thailand working on erratic WIFI, so this may be old news) When the legislature proposed a draconian law to clear the old courthouse lawn of Occupy Boise protesters, they included a clause that would classify their property as “litter” and destroy it. Both Boise’s Top Copper, Mike Masterson and Super Trooper [...]
Judge Declines G.C. Bike Suit For Lack of Standing
The group trying to get bike access to the Greenbelt in Garden City got tossed out of court for “lack of standing.” It is a common move in Idaho courts, but it is the LAW. This from the Committee for an Open Greenbelt. (Pardon the formatting, GUARDIAN is on small computer in Asia.) Today Judge [...]
Urban Renewal Put To Death In CA
Here’s a LA Times article on the California Legislatures move to shut down all 400 of the “redevelopment agencies” (Urban Renewal in Idaho) as of February 1, 2012. The legislation was upheld by a 6-1 vote in the California Supreme Court. A caretaker will be appointed to pay off all remaining debt of each agency and [...]
“Pipe Dream” Turns Into Financial Nightmare For Refugees
We send our soldiers to fight for freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan and when refugees fleeing oppression arrive in the City of Trees to enjoy that freedom, they sometimes face even bigger battles. Such is the case of the guys who found themselves “victims” of a newly enacted city ordinance outlawing smoking in public places–like [...]
Draft Environmental Statement Paints Dark Picture For F-35 Fighters In Boise
Based on news from more than a year ago, it appeared the U.S. Air Force had abandoned plans to base the F-35 in Boise. Now, a report dated January 20 has surfaced along with a schedule for hearings in Boise this week. The EARLIER NEWS said Boise would possibly get Italian cargo planes rather than [...]
Kuna Mayor Seeks Committee View On Fees
Kuna’s mayor and planning director seem to have come to terms over a disputed $36,000 sewer and water hook up fee for two establishments owned by hizzhonor. Newly elected and former Mayor Greg Nelson owns a restaurant and a bar which apparently never paid hook up fees according to the Planning Director, Steve Hasson. The [...]
New Group Vows To Police Boise Coppers
A start up group calling itself BOISE COP WATCH plans to hit the streets this weekend armed with video cameras to record the activities of Boise coppers. Pete Rimkus, the organizer says BCW (Boise Cop Watch) will be on patrol in Boise, Idaho this Saturday Night, January 14th, 2012. Their goal: accountability through transparency so [...]
Local Option Tax Hike Bill Likely In Legislature
A bill to bump up the sales tax by 1%–with voter approval–will probably surface in the coming legislative session. Ironic that local politicos and Chambers of Commerce favor allowing voters to approve a sales tax hike when last year they almost uniformly opposed allowing citizens to vote on long term public debt at airports and [...]
Forget Convention Center Expansion, Fix What We Have
As 2012 opens the calendar we can plan on all sorts of schemes to attract visitors, create jobs, woo businesses, and otherwise grow ourselves into prosperity. The G-BAD boys and girls have expansion on their collective mind. How about simple fixing up existing Greater Boise Auditorium District facilities and make them better–not bigger? The Wall [...]
“Buying” New Business Not Worth The Price
We’ve all heard of the husband who purchased a new boat the couple couldn’t afford so the wife gets even by remodeling the kitchen and installing new carpet they also couldn’t afford. That same silly fiscal policy is being advocated by government and editorial writers from Idaho Falls to Boise–if a business isn’t financially sound [...]
More Details On Kuna Mayor-City Squabble
Based on a story in today’s DAILY PAPER by Cynthia Sewell, it looks like a pattern of cover up and ineptitude on the part of many of the players in the small Ada County town. Former and Newly elected Mayor Greg Nelson owns a couple of restaurants the city planning department says have failed to [...]
Mayor Hotline December 17 to 23
Since the hotline provided by the Mayor’s office has become more cryptic and less informative, the GUARDIAN this week will insert editorial comment to put selected comments in perspective. This is the same document provided to City Counselors. Perhaps they will switch to the GUARDIAN for more insight. 12/19/11 Tamba Vaughn Las Vegas ISSUE: Complaint [...]
Now EVERYONE Wants To Sue Nampa
Yet another lawsuit has been filed against the City of Nampa over the stormwater “fee” levied against property owners. If class action is granted, Nampa could have every property owner in the city seeking refunds for a sewer fee that many claim is an illegal tax. A class-action complaint filed Wednesday seeks to have Nampa’s [...]
New Kuna Mayor In Billing Dispute With City
A story in the daily paper Monday portrayed Kuna’s mayor-elect as a pro-business kind of guy when it comes to fees and regulations associated with new businesses and conciliatory toward neighboring city Meridian. However, Mayor-elect Greg Nelson didn’t have much good to say about planning and Zoning Director Steven Hasson and that probably stems from [...]
Nampa Stormwater “Fee” Could Go Down The Drain
A tax by any other name is still a tax according to the Idaho Supreme Court, but Nampa officials are holding tough on their position a new storm drain tax revenue scheme is just a “fee.” The Supremes ruled on a Lewiston case last month. The GUARDIAN first broke the Nampa story back in April [...]
Secret City Land Deals Explained On Map
The GUARDIAN has acquired numerous documents with regard to the land swaps involving the armory on Reserve Street and assorted Boise City-owned properties in the area of Eisenman Road and I-84. Based on the information provided by Boise City, coupled with their refusal to communicate with the GUARDIAN except as required by law, we offer [...]
Statesman Report Explains Secret Land Deal
After Boise officials refused to return calls or refused to discuss details of a secret land deal, the GUARDIAN has to offer a tip of the hat to the STATESMAN’S CYNTHIA SEWELL. The GUARDIAN broke the story last week about a complex land swap, but it was the DAILY PAPER that was able to put [...]
Garden City To Eagle: “Go Peddle Your Pedal Plans Elsewhere”
When Jim Reynold’s, Eagle’s new mayor recently sent a letter to Garden City’s mayor asking for a joint city council meeting to discuss greenbelt bike path ideas, he was told not to peddle his pedal plans in Garden City by Mayor John Evans. The Committee for an Open Greenbelt has been fighting for years trying [...]
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