Economy
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, [...]
When The “Nonprofit” Saints Go Marching In It’s A Taxpayer Shuffle
A rather straight forward business story in the DAILY PAPER got our attention last week with a look at the tax return of St. Luke’s “nonprofit” medical center. The hospital has been buying up private, for profit medical practices at a rate bound to get the attention of taxing authorities and consumers alike. In the [...]
Gateway West Power Line Will Dominate Future News Of The West
GUARDIAN editor Dave Frazier toured the coal fields of Wyoming this summer as part of the day job at his DRFPHOTO.COM His observations in photos and words. ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT COPYRIGHT DAVID R. FRAZIER It falls under the name of “Gateway West, but the issue is electricity, who wants it, who can sell it, [...]
United Water Seeks $7,616,015 Annual Fee Hike
Interesting how one can spin the numbers when it comes to making millions upon millions of dollars for a French-owned monopoly company like Suez United Water. We got our water bill today which includes a notice the company has filed for “rate relief” with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission asking for a mere “19 cents [...]
Drink Up And Snuff Your Butts
Apart from the intrusion into individual liberties, Boise’s proposed smoking ban is about as likely as the 18th amendment (prohibition) of ever succeeding. Most absurd is the attempt to ban smoking in drinking establishments–debated at a public meeting Wednesday. To put the issue in perspective, consider this: It is perfectly legal to drink intoxicating alcohol [...]
Debt, Economy, Just A credit Card Thing
A GUARDIAN reader sent us this economic “comparison” which may be a bit simplistic, but it certainly puts not only our economic woes in perspective, but illustrates why so many Americans don’t see a problem. • U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000 • Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000 • New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000 • National debt: $14,271,000,000,000 • Recent [...]
Chamber Wants YOU To Pay While Business Gets Tax Breaks
The Idaho Chamber Alliance met in Meridian this week to plan how to influence the legislature. The Chamber of Commerce is a private special interest lobbying group–not officially connected with government. The alliance consists of 21 chambers of commerce from across Idaho, including Boise Metro, Eagle, Garden City, Gem County, Kuna, Meridian and Nampa. Their [...]
Can’t Find Local Officials? Try Valley County’s Tamarack Resort
If you can’t find your local mayor, city councilor, or county commish, try looking at Tamarack Resort in Valley County. These members of the “Treasure Valley Partnership”–comprised of local elected officials–are spending YOUR tax money for hotel rooms, travel, and rental houses to meet and discuss a topic near and dear to Treasure Valley residents: [...]
Bad News: Property Taxes Rise Over 30% In Past 4 Years
We are in much deeper economic trouble than it would appear when we take a close look at property taxes in Ada County. The Daily Paper’s Cynthia Sewell filed a TAX STORY Thursday which was accurate enough, but didn’t sound the alarm we should all be hearing. Sewell properly noted that property values are going [...]
Jobless Woes Persist, Government Can’t Fix
By DAVID R. FRAZIER, editor BOISE GUARDIAN We visited a “job fair” recently, but rather than an arena full of employers recruiting workers, we found countless private and public educational institutions vying to take the last nickel from the pockets of the unemployed through assorted training offers. There were several charitable organizations seeking volunteers, verterans [...]
What Citizens And Candidates Should Know
Each election cycle, the GUARDIAN tries to stimulate interest in the local Boise City election with a posting about issues, budget, etc. Here is the current attempt–10 days before the filing deadline for council and mayor races. Issues of concern to candidates and citizens alike: –Fire department has taken over the North Ada County Fire [...]
Businesses Halt ALL Campaign Contributions?
Finally, a reason to drink Starbucks coffee. The CEO of STARBUCKS has begun a national move to financially boycott all congressional and presidential elections. He claims to have 100 businessmen onboard who will stop making campaign contributions (payoffs). Imagine what would happen if all the developers and contractors did that at the local level. Or [...]
Petition To Dissolve GB Could Circulate
The latest round in the battle of the GBAD boys (and girls) is a potential petition drive to dissolve the Greater Boise Auditorium District. IT would require 3,000 valid signatures to get it on the ballot. The two players who say they may circulate the petition (copy below) are a couple of losers in last [...]
Leave Town To Attract Boise Tourism, Business
Treasure Valley Politicos just “DON’T GET IT.” They want to attract people to the Treasure Valley for tourism and economic development, but they choose to do their backroom deals clear up at TAMARACK in Valley County of all places. It makes no sense to the GUARDIAN for all the citizens of the various units of [...]
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