Boise Guardian | Economy

Ada Commishes Hold Line On Spending

August 20, 2010 ⋅ 12 comments

Of course it is a self-serving press release, but the facts from the Ada Commishes sure paint a different picture from the 3% maximum budget increase in Boise City and subsequent levy hike. PRESS RELEASE FROM ADA COMMISHES: On Tuesday, August 17th, the Board of Ada County Commissioners officially adopted the County’s Fiscal Year 2010-11 [...]

Ada Commishes Send Boise “Past Due” Message

August 14, 2010 ⋅ 16 comments

Looks like the GUARDIAN isn’t the only one with whom Boise officials can’t get along. The STATESMAN ran an enlightening piece Saturday by reporter Cynthia Sewell about the ongoing rift between Boise City and Ada County over the issue of who pays to provide magistrate court facilities. Ada Commishes are backing out of various financial [...]

CCDC Seeks Expansion Despite Statewide Opposition

July 11, 2010 ⋅ 11 comments

Boise’s Urban Renewal Agency–CCDC– seeks to double the acres where property taxes are diverted away from City, County, ACHD, and Schools with a new District in the 30th Street area. They will have to hustle to get ahead of growing opposition. The Daily Paper has a DETAILED REPORT. Urban Renewal agencies throughout the state have [...]

Ada County Electric Trash Deal Is Shocking

July 9, 2010 ⋅ 5 comments

Ada Commishes may be moving a bit hasty with plans for an incinerator at the Hidden Hollow landfill in an effort to get some of the “stimulus funds” from the Feds. On the face of it, a plan to allow an Eagle firm to build an incinerator and pay $1 a year for rent sounded [...]

Open Forum Weekend

June 25, 2010 ⋅ 6 comments

We don’t have much to offer, so it is YOUR turn to come up with some comments and topics. Here are some seeds. –Summer school principal brings her infant to school. At least one teacher complained to the GUARDIAN for fear of recrimination. Claims it interferes with job. Distric rep says no violation of policy [...]

Only “Small People” Suffer At Idaho Tax Agency

June 23, 2010 ⋅ 9 comments

Seems someone in Idaho State government has a new concept when it comes to “exemptions.” This memo was circulated at the Idaho Tax commission explaining why the tax commishes don’t share the furlough pain with the rest of the staff: Good afternoon everyone. This is a difficult and important message from us to all of [...]

Drilling For Money At BP Well?

June 17, 2010 ⋅ 15 comments

The GUARDIAN returned yesterday from a visit to Florida yesterday and it was interesting to see how many folks are “standing in the welfare line” that leads directly to BP. While we agree that BP should pay “all legitimate claims” and their leaking well has killed 11 humans (even though they may be small people), [...]

Forget Bureaucrats, Trust Your Politicos

June 9, 2010 ⋅ 5 comments

A series of recent events, backed up by press releases from the offices of politicos from City Hall to the United States Senate are leaving the GUARDIAN confused. Most recent was a move to locate TRACON–the local aviation radar operators who sit in a dark windowless room–in Boise instead of a consolidated facility at the [...]

Bieter Seeks To Abolish Citizen’s Right To Vote

June 3, 2010 ⋅ 13 comments

Using an appearance before the Chamber of Commerce as a “bully pulpit,” Boise Mayor Dave Bieter urged citizens to approve a proposed constitutional amendment that would serve only to abolish rights citizens currently enjoy to approve bonds to pay for airport facilities. We find it ironic the good Mayor seeks to abolish the right of [...]

Gas-Fired Power Plant Aborted, City Headed For Solar Deal

June 2, 2010 ⋅ 20 comments

Like their unending efforts to get into the train business, Boise’s Team Dave is headed into a scheme with a private business using public land–this time for yet another electricity generating facility. Back in January 2006 the GUARDIAN REPORTED on a below market lease subsidy deal for a gas-fired plant near Gowen Field. That plan [...]

Secret Deal Puts Hammer Flat In Limbo, Public Access To Truth Denied

May 29, 2010 ⋅ 9 comments

Sneaking around citizens has once again caused an otherwise good project to get a bad rap in Boise. The proposed Cliffs subdivision (known as Hammer Flat) on the plateau above Lucky Peak Dam has long been a winter home to deer antelope and elk. Wildlife groups fought the developer at public hearings and the development [...]

Crapo For Boise City Council?

May 28, 2010 ⋅ 13 comments

In the middle of the hub bub over thelack of public discussion–or even public awareness over the sale of Boise City land to the State of Idaho, Senior Sen. Mik Crapo’s PR machine sent out a press release calling for “TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY IN FINANCIAL REFORM CONFERENCE.” While this is at the national level dealing with [...]

Bieter Continues To Perform At Chamber “Live Aid”

May 21, 2010 ⋅ 5 comments

The GUARDIAN first posted a version of this story 5 years ago and thanks to our complaints about no free tickets, the Chamber of Commerce makes access available for free to those wishing to get up erly and hear Dave Bieter talk on June 2. We probably won’t hear about the public outcry AGAINST a [...]

Boise City Continues Quest For Train

May 18, 2010 ⋅ 13 comments

In yet ANOTHER attempt at playing trains, Mayor Dave Bieter has entered into a secret negotiation with the Boise Valley Railroad–the shortline that runs through town–to explore building a freight facility on land owned by Boise citizens. Seems that Team Dave can’t get support for a trolley. They also can’t get a downtown “transit center” [...]

BSU Finance and Land Use Planning 101

May 17, 2010 ⋅ 15 comments

This post was originally sent to the GUARDIAN as a comment from a reader. We felt it worthy of a full blown post. 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 [...]

Agency Leery of BSU Private Building Scheme

May 15, 2010 ⋅ 6 comments

As financial shenanigans on the part of public agencies have come to light on projects ranging from university housing to urban renewal projects, it becomes increasingly clear they depend on “flying under the radar” of public scrutiny. A report in the Saturday Daily Paper quotes BSU Prez Bob Kustra saying, Moody Investor Services, “Came along [...]

Crapo Seeks Law To Increase Local Debt Load, Tax Burden

May 12, 2010 ⋅ 12 comments

Idaho Senior Senator Mike Crapo is pushing to make it easier for Idaho’s local governments to get deeper in debt by making cash available to banks, but he fails to mention Idaho cities have to ask permission of voters BEFORE going to the banks. Those loans from local banks have to be repaid through higher [...]

Boise Not A “Tourist Friendly Town”

May 9, 2010 ⋅ 7 comments

Our good friend Tim Woodward over at the DAILY PAPER posted a story Sunday with suggestions of “what to do in Boise” for a visitor with a 6 hour layover. 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! [...]

Could F-35s Limit Wind Power Production?

April 28, 2010 ⋅ 2 comments

A story comes to us from TEXAS about the potential problems associated with wind power generation conflicting with radar used for both military purposes and weather predictions. Short version is spinning blades of giant windmills can create false radar readings or “shadows.” We are all used to seeing one of the many “chief meteorologists” explain [...]

Poet Paul Works Overtime On Economics

April 23, 2010 ⋅ One comment

THE COST OF SPIN DOCS… Police and School Districts must collar Every way they can save a dollar When the budget axe drops Don’t fire teachers or cops Cut spin docs Hightower, Exline and Hollar! ON BOISE’S DOWNTOWN… DBAn members may think The city is in the pink Perhaps they haven’t found The big hole [...]

Economy