The so-called “local option sales tax” is already allowed in resort towns under 10,000 population–such as McCall, Donnelly and Ketchum. The latest move is to allow the tax hike in cities of ANY size. Previously, the big issue has been the percentage of votes needed to hike the sales tax. Cities were after a simple majority to institute the tax and the legislative leaders wanted a 2/3 majority.

Here’s a thought:
Since the Idaho recall law requires 20% of REGISTERED VOTERS to sign a petition just to get a politico whom they want out of office on the ballot, why not use the same threshold for a vote on local option taxes–approval of 20% of registered voters? Good for the goose is good for the gander.

Congress currently has an approval rating of a mere 11-15% of citizens and with campaign donation laws so loose that businesses can donate massive amounts to candidates, incumbents are nearly “bulletproof.”

Local politicos run mostly unopposed, or with only token opposition–they claim it is due to voter satisfaction. The GUARDIAN suspects people are simply beaten down and apathetic. The rise of the Tea Party on the right and the Occupiers on the left attest to dissatisfaction at all levels of government.

Years ago when the legislature changed the recall petition law from “20% of those voting in the last election” to “20% of registered voters,” they made it nearly impossible to remove the bad guys. Perhaps tax hikes should be just as difficult. The recent Boise City election had a turnout well under 20% of registered voters.

Is it really wise to allow people with such a low voter approval the authority to tax and spend on the entire populace unless we can remove them from office easier than gathering signatures from 20% of registered voters?

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First it was the Hoku solar panel plant in Pocatello falling on hard times with plummeting stock prices and Idaho Power ready to pull the plug on its electricity. Now the planned AREVA nuke waste processing facility near Idaho Falls is on “hold” and recent industry reports don’t paint a glowing picture for that industry.

The French-owned AREVA continues its design phase because they get money from the citizens of the USA, but this nuke industryREPORT doesn’t bode well for the future of the firm.

The GUARDIAN has read reports from the HOKU home state of Hawaii and their business future doesn’t look very bright either. Both of these firms depend upon public money to survive, but politicos are getting the message during this election year to end subsidies for energy schemes ranging from corn fed ethanol to windmill farms.

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These taxing districts are limited in their legal ability to levy taxes and as property values declined, they have almost uniformly “gone to the max.” City and county governments can raise budgets up to 3% and levy accordingly to pay for their decisions. The following have set limits.

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Micron holds its “jobs” club over the heads of policy makers and gets all sorts of tax breaks–meanwhile the government pays all the workers who were laid off when jobs went offshore.

The Chamber of Commerce’s “Boise Valley Economic Partnership” is drumming up support for a $5-10 million fund to pay businesses to locate in the area. This, after their previous $5 million scheme to attract “high paying jobs” fell flat. Businesses don’t come here to pay higher wages.

Guv Butch is proposing a fund for local entrepreneur start ups. That’s better than helping the Chinese Communists and out of staters, but still not a good place to spend public money. If the idea and product are good, investors will buy in and profit.

In Twin Falls politicos are tripping over themselves as they pony up public promises of about $29,000,000 for a Chobani yogurt plant–a culture unto itself. That area has a history of attracting–and closing businesses.

Pocatello is about to fall victim to an ill-fated solar panel plant backed by the communist Chinese, but not backed with enough cash to pay their electric bill to Idaho Power. Hoku is teetering on the brink of financial failure despite massive infusions of urban renewal funds diverted from schools, the city and county. They also are beneficiaries of state and federal funds.

A hearing before the Idaho Public Utilities Commission over the proposed shut off of electric service to Hoku will be an interesting indicator regarding whether regulators go with the politicos and the POTENTIAL of “jobs” or rule to allow Idaho Power to cut its losses from a deadbeat customer.

Despite repeated promises, hoopla, and assorted pandering Boise can’t even get a Whole Foods chain store going. No doubt the folks at the Co-Op won’t shed tears over that news. If they have the money and Boise looks like a place to do business, Whole Foods would beat down the door of city hall with fists full of cash.

Citing Boise’s “proximity to west coast ports,” there was a big media push a month ago for a Zonda electric bus factory in Boise. The company had even moved its headquarters here. Don’t stand in line for tickets to ride that coach.

The overall message from we GROWTHOPHOBES is similar to that of former Gov. Cecil Andrus who opposed deal sweeteners: “If you have the money to pay your taxes and a fair wage, we welcome you with open arms. If you are shopping for rubes willing to PAY you to come here, please take your business elsewhere.”

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The company’s stock has plummeted to less than 1/4 its value earlier this year and is in danger of being delisted on the stock exchange where the current price is less than 60 cents a share.

The would-be polysilicon maker said losing power would delay the Pocatello plant’s commissioning and expose infrastructure to freezing as winter sets in. Southeastern Idaho’s hopes that Hoku’s $390 million plant will eventually add hundreds of green-energy jobs to the local economy have been shaken by uncertainty over whether the project will survive.

“If service is terminated, these high value systems may freeze, causing irreparable and material damage to Hoku’s plant assets,” the company’s lawyers told utility regulators in their complaint. “Any damage would need to be repaired, at additional cost, prior to continuing with the commissioning and operation of the plant.”

This failure to pay an existing Idaho utility a contractually agreed amount does little to help the local economy and could be a harbinger of the future for energy schemes dependent on government subsidies. We GROWTHOPHOBES have long welcomed corporations and individuals to our state as long as they can afford to pay the same taxes the rest of us pay and offer decent wages for the jobs they may create. If not, please visit one of the states competing against us.

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Due to corporate “downsizing” (job elimination), my company is no longer paying for the car they “required” me to purchase. I approached my lender and asked to refinance the loan for a longer term.

This institution holds more than 2x the amount of the auto loan in a CASH account and I have a very high credit score. The bank will not refi the loan because of my joblessness of one month. I just realized this morning that all my major credit cards (frequent flier, dept store, bank cards, etc) are with that bank.

They are offering me over $120k in credit & cash lines, I have $40k cash in their bank and they won’t refi a $15k auto loan, for which I have never been late? So ridiculous!!! I called my local credit union, and they are happy to refi (as long as I maintain an account of the value of the refi) with an interest rate of 2.51% – 50% lower than the banks best rate. Plus, the Credit Union told me on the phone that they would do this loan. I did not have to spend 2 hours sitting in a bank waiting for them to say no.

I am not going to use those credit cards anymore and I am moving my money today. We are responsible in part for our demise for buying things we didn’t have the cash for and allowing the bank to give us credit. The attitude of entitlement in this country needs to change and EVERYONE needs to start taking responsibility for their actions and think about what they are REALLY saying and doing.

Link to story Dorothy commented upon

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Based on the information provided by Boise City, coupled with their refusal to communicate with the GUARDIAN except as required by law, we offer the following map which details the values assigned to various parcels by the city as well as sale prices of other nearby properties.

To the best of our understanding the city is disposing of the 5 acre armory site and 200 acres of land adjoining the WinCo distribution center for $1.5 million and retaining parcels which have previously been declared “surplus property” as partial payment.

No current appraisals to establish current value of the properties were provided with the exception of the armory which has an outdated 2010 appraisal of about $500,000.

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The GUARDIAN broke the story last week about a complex land swap, but it was the DAILY PAPER that was able to put it together. We doubt if the story would have even been reported had the GUARDIAN also taken the hands off attitude of legacy media when it comes to local government.

While it can be argued the city is rid of surplus land that previously couldn’t even interest any bidders, the fact remains the city acquired useless land during one administration and subsequent administration has sold it in a secret transaction.

Our source’s speculation about what land would be involved in the trade was admittedly wrong, but when government refuses to cooperate, favoring private business through “serendipity,” it is hard to open the curtain of secrecy. Mayor Dave Bieter promised “transparency” in his administration, but the only transparency we see is a stone wall.

We simply find it hard to believe the explanation offered by Team Dave, claiming that while attending a conference in California Bieter had “a couple hours to spare” and visited a California land developer which led to the deal. RIGHT!

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GUARDIAN sources speculate part of the secret deal likely involves city acquisition of 200 acres northwest of Eagle. In summary, it appears the city has traded prime real estate along the freeway and near St. Luke’s Hospital for 200 acres of desert 10 miles outside of Boise.

The Council uses land swaps to avoid the spirit of the law. Cities are allowed to EXCHANGE land for the benefit of the citizens, but if they SELL retail property, they are required by Idaho code to first declare the parcel as “surplus property” and then sell it to the highest bidder.

One councilor was good enough to respond to a GUARDIAN query, but refused to reveal any details regarding the trades even though the transactions were already approved by the Council. Even worse in our opinion, we have learned several media outlets were aware of the story and declined to report it.

This latest deal, approved November 9, is another of those convoluted menage a trois swaps. A California developer, J&M Land, cut a deal with the city to trade 31 acres of city land near the Eisenman Road and I-84 interchange South of Boise for 200 acres of “equal value.”

In another move, they agreed to trade 13 acres of land along Eisenman near I-84 back to J&M in exchange for the 5 acre Boise Armory site on Reserve St. near #1 Fire Station and Ft. Boise Park. Unknown if the 13 acre parcel is part of the 31 they swapped in the first deal.

The GUARDIAN would love to hear from anyone with FACTS about why the city did this deal without offering the land to the highest bidder as well as the ultimate justification for the quiet deals–presented by Team Dave to the council.

There is no link on the City of Boise website to the details of the deal to include appraisals or the purpose of the swap. It was done at a “special meeting” and possibly (probably) stemmed from a secret meeting conducted two weeks earlier. The council is ALLOWED to hold secret “executive sessions,” to consider land deals, personnel issues, and litigation, but there is no REQUIREMENT to hide their acts from public scrutiny. More of the promised “transparency?”

Click on CONTINUE READING for the resolution language.

R-355-11, A RESOLUTION APPROVING A REAL ESTATE OPTION AND EXCHANGE AGREEMENT WITH J & M LAND TO PROVIDE AN OPTION TO PURCHASE APPROXIMATELY 30.85 ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY ALONG EISENMAN ROAD AND INTERSTATE 84, AND AN EXCHANGE OF THE PROPERTY FOR APPROXIMATELY 199.499 ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY OF EQUAL VALUE; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AND ATTEST SAID AGREEMENT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE

R-360-11, A RESOLUTION APPROVING A REAL ESTATE SALE AND EXCHANGE AGREEMENT WITH J & M LAND FOR THE PURCHASE BY J & M LAND OF APPROXIMATELY 13.02+/- ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY ALONG EISENMAN ROAD AND INTERSTATE 84; APPROVING AN EXCHANGE OF THE APPROXIMATELY 13.02+/- ACRES FOR APPROXIMATELY 5.18+/-ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY OF EQUAL VALUE AT THE BOISE ARMORY UPON SALE AND CLOSING; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AND ATTEST SAID AGREEMENT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
Presenter: John Brunelle, Mayor’s Office
ACTION REQUESTED: Approve Resolutions

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A recent examination of rate cases before the Idaho Public Utility’s commission on three separate rate cases all involving renewable energy show some startling differences in the electricity rates that have been agreed to between small power producers and the Utility’s involved.

A case in North Idaho involving the burning of waste wood for energy and just recently approved by the IPUC shows a 5 year contract with a purchase price which averages near $60/megawatt-hour.

A wind energy case before the commission between  Idaho Power and High Mesa Energy LLC is a 20 year contract with a levelized price of $56.43/megawatt-hour.

Also recently filed is a case between Idaho Power and Dynamis Energy LLC with a negotiated price which averages $92.35/megawatt-hour. This involves burning garbage at the Ada County landfill which has made the news recently because of the $2 million already forked over to Dynamis by Ada County Commissioners.
 
Granted, there are some differences in these contracts as to cost to utility’s and costs to developers but short of hiring a lawyer who is knowlegeable in energy law how, how does John Q. Public know whether the Utility’s and Generators of Electricity are acting in the public interest?

I would submit they are acting in their own interest. Without a consumer advocate, the IPUC will not have a chance to hear the other side of the story.

It’s not unreasonable for two people to look at the same project and come to different conclusions. Three knowlegeable people would be more fair.

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