Economy
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 [...]
Boise Continues Land Speculation, Swaps Property To Avoid Bid Law
Boise City Council continued the long established pattern of secret land speculation and urban sprawl recently with a series of land swaps at a gateway freeway interchange southeast of town. 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 [...]
Consumer Advocates Need Voice At IPUC
By HUBERT OSBORNE GUARDIAN Reader 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 [...]
Census Figures Explain Corporate Interest In Idaho
The folks at the Emmett newspaper came up with an interesting little nugget from a recent government report in the form of wage comparisons. Depending whether you are buying or selling, the Gem State is either near the top or near the bottom when it comes to wages. Our relative ranking among states explains in [...]
Chinese Electric Bus Factory, A High Voltage Route Or Short Circuit?
This guest post was submitted by a reader known to the GUARDIAN who is well versed in the bus transportation industry. By Jimmy D. Bus, Guardian Transportation Correspondent When it comes to electric buses in America, it appears Communist China’s Zonda Corp. attempted to establish a marketing beach head in the Treasure Valley six months [...]
Will Politicos Squelch China Demo Bus?
It will be interesting to see if Idaho politicos are as adamant about enforcing the “Buy America Act” when it comes to a demonstration electric bus for Camarillo, California as they were when Boston sought a waiver of the federal rules to get a demo locomotive in 2008. Zonda USA–which sounds a lot more like [...]
Communist China Learns Capitalism From USA Government Subsidies
In this modern day of Communist China leading the world in capitalist business ventures funded by U.S. Government taxpayers, we are not surprised to learn of Chinese plans to seek cheap labor in Idaho. The latest scheme is an electric BUS FACTORY to be built in the Treasure Valley. GUARDIAN GROWTHOPHOBES caution the enthusiastic Chamber [...]
PUC Plugs Into Dynamis-Idaho Power Deal
The Idaho PUC is now on the punch list for the “trash to electricity” deal proposed for the Ada County landfill. Idaho Power agreed to buy power from Dynamis’ project at the Ada County landfill for $92.35 per megawatt-hour. The proposal was submitted Tuesday to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. Regulators will evaluate it for [...]
Boise County Explores Bond Sale
Boise County Commishes issued a press release Tuesday saying they are exploring options to satisfy a multi million dollar federal court judgement. The DAILY PAPER quoted the release saying they may be able to have a smaller levy spread out over 20-30 years—just as the GUARDIAN suggested recently.
Geezer Group Talks Turkey Over Raising Rates
Taking advantage of the paucity of news during the holiday week, the oldtimers at AARP have issued a press release aimed at the electricity and water providers who want more cash for their current. With Thanksgiving just days away, AARP Idaho has released the hotly anticipated winners of its first annual Gem State Turkey Award [...]
Boise County Debt Easily Solved
DISCLAIMER: The GUARDIAN is not an attorney, but plays one in court when necessary. As a public service to the citizens of Boise County, we will offer some “municipal finance” advice about the ill advised actions of your Commishes with regard to bankruptcy and zoning the property for troubled teens. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn [...]
Big League Baseball Depends On Minor League Public Funds
The Better Boise Coalition is seeking extra innings in its game of “bulid a bigger Boise ballpark.” Every survey over the past few years predicts a homerun when it comes to building a new baseball park, but when it comes to financing they all strike out. The DAILY PAPER published a box score round up [...]
If Each New Job Creates 3-5 Other New Jobs, Does Each Job Lost Create 3-5 Added Losses?
The news from the J.R. Simplot Wednesday is bad any way you look at it. Loss of up to 1,000 jobs and closure of potato processing plants in Aberdeen and Nampa is not anyone’s idea of holiday cheer. It’s even worse using any of the gushingly optimistic estimates about “job creation” related to the new [...]
Yogurt Plant Represents A Different Culture
The announcement that a Greek company is building a yogurt processing plant in Twin Falls was greeted with understandable excitment in the Magic Valley–it means JOBS! The yogurt plant represents a different culture. One that knows how to milk taxpayers as well as the local cows. Magic Valley is one of the biggest dairy producing [...]
Occupier On Banks, No Confidence In System
By MsInformationBoise Occupy Boise Member Here in Boise, Occupiers have several local issues they have decided they’d like to address. One issue that has been discussed is the decision to build on the “Hole” downtown. For many of us it was a revelation the CCDC was subsidizing millions in public money towards the construction of [...]
Occupy Boise Marches In Solidarity With Oakland
Chanting, “We are the 99%” and “We are Oakland,” about 50 members of the Occupy Boise group marched around downtown Boise Wednesday night and congregated at City Hall. Members of the group told the GUARDIAN they were demonstrating solidarity with their counterparts in Oakland, California who came under physical attack Tuesday in a confrontation with [...]
M3 Spring Valley Development Has No Voters To Approve Financing Scam
The DAILY PAPER ran a comprehensive story today about a planned development north of Eagle which plans to take advantage of a recently passed law that is nothing but a financial scam. The law requires an election and approval of two-thirds of the resident property owners. According to the STATESMAN story, M3 Spring Valley is [...]
“Paper or Plastic?” Goes To Polls In Hailey
The question of “paper or plastic” will be answered by voters at the polls in Hailey November 8 when they cast their ballots on a proposed ordinance banning plastic bags. The issue got on the local ballot due to the efforts of the Wood River High school environmental club, W.A.T.E.R. (We Appreciate The Earth’s Resources). [...]
Developer Was PAID To Fill Downtown Hole
When Mayor Dave Bieter stood in front of the construction site wall at 8th and Main recently vowing to “tear down this wall,” he conveniently failed to let citizens of Boise know the private developer will be paid as much as $4 million by Boise taxpayers for his private venture. This is the stuff the [...]
More Questionable Spending By Politicos
The DAILY PAPER ran a good page one story Sunday detailing questionable spending by the Idaho Water Users on behalf of its director who is running for mayor of Eagle. The short version is the nonprofit group which represents water users (mostly irrigation customers) has acted as banker on behalf of the group’s executive director, [...]
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