Economy
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 [...]
Land Board To Build Brew Pub?
Not satisfied with the controversial ownership of a public storage business, Idaho’s land board has apparently decided to enter the brew pub and restaurant business. We doubt if they will send out press releases, but the state agency is advertising for a construction manager to oversee building a restaurant and brewing facility. The request for [...]
City To Hike Power Franchise Fee?
The Idaho Freedom Foundation reports Boise has plans afoot to raise the franchise fee Idaho Power pays to do business in the city by 50%. The City claims the $800,000 increase in revenue will go toward “infrastructure improvements,” but like the conservative leaning IFF, we see it as nothing but a money grab that will [...]
Yet Another Baseball Park Survey
Team Dave and a group calling itself the Better Boise Coalition is aiming to commission yet another survey about the feasibility of building a minor league baseball park in Boise. They are doing wonders for the consulting industry, but everything is predicated upon the “need” for a new ball park. The Boise Hawks team is [...]
County Hikes Spending By 11%, No Tax Jump
The Obama administration and the Washington Repubs could use the talents of the Ada Commishes and budget planners when it comes to public spending and taxing within a balanced budget. Seems that Ada County plans to raise its SPENDING by 11%, but not increase taxes. This after four years of touting the fact they left [...]
Firefighters Seek To Fill The Boot With “Stupid Person” Fees
Boise’s City Council approved a set of “stupid person” fees on behalf of the Fire Department Tuesday night. It must take one to know one. Here is the price list for “AT FAULT” fees these elected politicos approved. -Residential false alarm: second $75, three or more, $150 each. -Commercial false alarm: second $125, three or [...]
BIGGER Isn’t Better, BETTER Is Better
The downtown deciders need to take lesson from the previous Bronco Football God, Dan Hawkins who once proclaimed that “Bigger isn’t better, better is better.” The Sunday DAILY PAPER has a story by Cynthia Sewell detailing the the “options” for a new convention center. One of the ideas would involve demolishing a newly constructed county [...]
Caldwell Gives Taxpayer Cash To City Employees
The City of Caldwell has quietly passed along tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to city employees at a time when unemployment is at historic high levels and property values are declining. Caldwell GUARDIAN editor Paul Alldredge caught the item on the “consent agenda” of the city council and obtained the resolution. Otherwise it would [...]
Guv: Storage Business Purchase “Was A Mistake”
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has withdrawn his support for a controversial Land Board decision to own and operate a commercial storage business. The GUARDIAN revealed the state ownership–which competes directly with the private sector–in an EXCLUSIVE story last November. Otter told the IDAHO REPORTER his support of the decision to invest in the private retail [...]
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