Boise Guardian » Foreign

GUARDIAN Apology, Out of Contact

dave — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:39:24 +0000

For all those who have wondered why so little new material has appeared, it’s because the day job has the GUARDIAN in Asia.

We paid a brief visit to Yangon, Myanmar (Rangoon, Burma) where we stopped by Aung San Suu Kiy’s home. She was under house arrest for nearly 13 years, but it was hardly a cramped cottage. The walled estate at 54 University Road is next to the U.S. Embassy.

She offers “hope” to the impoverished nation, but is by no means a shoe-in. Everyone we talked to had a very specific “wait and see” attitude. She is on the front page of newspapers and draws rock star-type crowds–a far cry from Romney!

At the moment we have internet connection over breakfast on the beach at Koh Samui Island in Thailand. We visited a school and found that elementary kids are getting computer training.

The island is full of Russian, Swedish, and Aussie tourists who have Totally outstripped its capacity to offer infrastructure like sewer, water, and internet connections.

We will be back early next week.

Will Politicos Squelch China Demo Bus?

dave — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:45:11 +0000

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 a franchise deal than “Chinese capital investment in America”–has announced plans to locate a corporate HQ in Boise with a production facility nearby. They claim to have technology for electric buses capable of running 300 miles on a single battery charge.

On its website, Zonda USA quotes Camarillo, Calif., Mayor Mike Morgan praising the company after a tour of its all-electric bus and battery manufacturing facility in China. He’s hoping to get a Zonda bus for a demonstration project in his city next year, he said Monday, according to the STATEMAN’S ROCKY BARKER.

If it really is a Chinese company, ZONDA’S website is absurd. It purports to “support the troops and veterans.” They made no mention of the BSU Broncos or the Idaho Humane Society.

A Spanish firm wishing to build locomotives in Kentucky was denied a waiver in 2008 for two prototype engines to be built in Spain. That deal was identical to the one proposed by Camarillo, CA. They are after a demo bus (presumably built in China) with subsequent vehicles to be made in the USA.

Communist China Learns Capitalism From USA Government Subsidies

dave — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:27:41 +0000

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 of Commerce cheerleaders to tread lightly. The buzz often preceeds questionable public expenses–and failure.

Yes, we have a work force nearly 10% unemployed, but big employers like Albertson, HP, and Micron can dump a lot of workers and their families on society when their business wanes or management leaves town. Claims of a great work force, lifestyle, education opportunities, energy resources, and proximity to markets ring hollow to realists. Most often businesses come here based on cheap labor, cheap power, and how much taxpayer money they can get.

Over the years we have seen the likes of Tamarack and the tennis star fail to produce on a ski resort and hotel. No surprise when the GM Saturn plant didn’t get built at Kellogg.

Lockheed tried to convince the government Idaho Falls was a perfect location for a space station launch site because it was a mile closer to the moon than Cape Canaveral.

Then there was the clamor to locate the super colliding super conductor at the “ideal location” in the Idaho desert.

The rumor of a Boeing plant in the area of Kuna never gets off the ground, but surfaces periodically.

Team Dave had a gas-fired electricity plant all but pumping volts near the airport along with a massive train-truck-plane shipping facility. They also were touting solar panels providing covered parking at the airport remote parking lot, but now seek another parking ramp. So far all have been abandoned or curtailed.

Meanwhile the Communist Chinese are taking advantage of local and US Government subsidies for energy projects like the Hoku solar panel plant at Pocatello and now a factory to build buses. This in addition to whatever will or will not happen with the “research park” idea near the airport.

In short, we GROWTHOPHOBES welcome any business venture willing to pay a fair wage, build its own facilities, and pay taxes like everyone else. If they can’t do that, perhaps Communist China has more to offer.

For us there is just something missing when China finds it more profitable to build something in Idaho than in their homeland.

Yogurt Plant Represents A Different Culture

dave — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:06:25 +0000

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 areas in the USA–thanks to restrictive environmental laws in California which prompted dairymen to seek greener pastures in Idaho where it is easier to pollute and they are closer to cheap hay watered from the Snake River and the aquifer.

As we have noted in the past we GROTHOPHOBES welcome businesses that wish to pay a fair wage and the same taxes anyone else pays. This deal, like most “new business announcements” leaves a sour taste when we learn they got PAID to come to Idaho.

The politicos and the Chamber of Commerce will all tout figures of how much cash will be pumped into the economy, but the fact remains taxpayers end up footing the bill for everything from infrastructure to “job training.” The IDAHO REPORTER checked out the details on the job payments. Seems the company is being paid over $5K for each job–they won’t pay to train their own work force!
The TIMES-NEWS reports $29 million in Urban Renewal funds diverted from schools, the city, county, etc. will go to aid this new Greek business–about 25% of the announced $128 million price of the facility. Sounds kinda like the news from Europe where Greece is getting a bailout.

Libya Has History In Idaho Politics

dave — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:58:26 +0000

Moammar Gadhafi once had ties to Idaho when politicos stood in line to sign deals with the Libyan strongman who was in power during the Frank Church tenure as chairman of the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee.

The GUARDIAN editor worked on assignment for the New York TIMES during the circus-like atmosphere when a delegation of Libyans came to town to buy Idaho wheat in the late 1970′s. John Evans was governor and a Libyan-born professor at the University of Idaho brokered a deal with the Idaho Wheat Commission to sell Idaho wheat to Libya.

The true motivation of Gadhafi and his delegation was to put political pressure on Senator Church to release C-130 military aircraft being withheld from Libya for fear they would be used against Israel. When the deal was signed the Libyan representative said there could be more deals to benefit Idaho farmers if they could convince their senator to release the aircraft purchased by Libya.

History will note that farmer Steve Symms beat Church at the next election and there are also pictures floating around the internet of Rep. Symms and Gadhafi exchanging gifts. One of which was used by John Evans in an attempt to link Symms to Libya’s military dictator during his 1986 unsuccessful attempt to oust Symms from his Senate sweat….ironically Evans had welcomed the Libyan wheat buyers to Idaho.

While the wheat farmers met with the foreign delegation, others milled about the Riverside Hotel seeking to sell everything from cattle to beans. All were met with a line that went something like, “We love Idaho products and people.” It was pretty gushy and hugely manipulative.

The NY TIMES was eager to catch the less than sophisticated Idaho folks signing an agreement with a “anti-zionist clause” which prohibited any financing, brokering, transporting by Jews or Jewish companies. Gadhafi didn’t care for Israel or Jews. Sure enough the Idaho folks signed the deal to deliver the wheat to Tripoli, complete with the anti-zionist clause.

Ironically, when it came time to deliver, the deal called for HARD RED wheat. Idaho grows mostly SOFT WHITE. Panicky Idaho wheat commission staffers made a quick phone call to a Portland grain dealer and secured an equal amount of HARD RED wheat. While the Idaho politicos basked in their international trade glory, not a kernel of grain came from Idaho.

United Water Seeks $7,616,015 Annual Fee Hike

dave — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:29:59 +0000

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 per day or $5.82 per month.”

Put another way, the company is seeking an average of nearly $70 per year from most of us residential customers and much of the reason is due to successful water conservation measures which cut the volume of water consumed. Total increase would amount to $7,616,015 a year which is about a 20% increase.

Look for the PUC to give them about half of what they say need, thus cutting the amount of US$ going to France.

Jobless Woes Persist, Government Can’t Fix

dave — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:46:06 +0000

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 advocates, and even “debt consolidation” services. There weren’t many jobs being offered with the exception of police and military recruiters.

On the drive home, the radio news in my American-made Japanese car reported the U.S. Post Office was about to layoff 120,000 workers and close 3,700 offices. The same newswcast noted conservative congressmen and business leaders were seeking tax cuts and elimination of “government regulation” to CREATE JOBS.

From the City Councilor in the tiniest city to the President of the USA, politicians all want to CREATE JOBS. Simply put: Government can’t CREATE JOBS shy of massive depression-era public works projects. Jobs are created when business has a product or service consumers wish to purchase.

Like the job fair, far too many “businesses” want income, but they are unable to produce a product or service. We have become a consumer nation saddled with paying for telephone minutes that are never used, fees to access our own money from a bank, late fees, restocking fees, dealer document fees, transaction fees, wire fees, surcharges…the list is endless. And none of these CREATE JOBS.

Problem is we get NOTHING for most of those fees and don’t think twice about paying them!

Government has lowered interest rates and plowed newly printed money into financial institutions with no new jobs. Government lowered interest rates with no new jobs. Government has lowered taxes with no new jobs. Their common defense is “it could have been worse.” Major U.S. corporations are offered tax cuts at all levels only to CREATE JOBS in a foreign land.

Given the penchant for lowering interest and taxes in the hopes of CREATING JOBS, the
Post Office should logically lower the price of stamps to save 120,000 jobs.

The problem at the Post Office is really a microcosm of the entire economic crises facing the country–things are different. The internet, e-mail, and Fed-X– combined with “electronic payments” and assorted iPhone coupon schemes have dealt a near fatal blow to the Post Office as we once knew it. Same for the job market.

American Business is able to profitably conduct its affairs and manufacture its goods “offshore,” but still depends upon a domestic consumer base. Until that situation changes no one will be able to CREATE JOBS.

Serious Attitude On Speeding In Canada

dave — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:58:56 +0000

The day job took the GUARDIAN editor on a lengthy road trip during the past couple of weeks, including a spin around the North Shore of Lke Superior in Canada.

The 90 kph speed limit translates to 55 mph. These big blue and yellow signs were an intimidating factor when it came to passing someone doing about 50 mph. For conversion, use .60 times 50 kph and you get a mere 30 mph. Imagine how easy it is to pass a slow mover and punch it to 80 mph downhill.

Our final thought on traffic laws in Ontario was, “do they use anesthetic for the surgery if you get caught with a DUI?”

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Frazier Slide Show At Hillcrest Library!

dave — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:27:26 +0000

PERITO MORENO GLACIER

GUARDIAN editor David R. Frazier has a day job that takes him around the world making educational and travel pictures for everyone from National Geographic books to World Book Encyclopedia.

HIGHWAY 69 MENDOZA-SANTIAGO

The good folks at the new Hillcrest Library! requested a slide show about Argentina which will be presented THURSDAY JULY 14 at 7 p.m. We have no idea the size of the audience, but the room is not large, so prepare to make friends. We are offering more than 300 images from at least three expeditions to the land of gouchos, mountains, and waterfalls.

LaBoca BARRIO

It will be an informal presentation with plenty of time to share stories and even get a taste of native empanadas from Tangos.

Yellowstone Is Green 23 Years After Fire

Chinese “Takeover” Is Like Japanese Boom Of 1980′s

dave — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:40:06 +0000

Conservative American blogs have created a significant buzz over the issue of a “Chinese Takeover” of America and much of the fear mongering is centered in Boise–thanks to statements by politicos seeking the almighty Renminbi.

Some of those concerns have a foundation in fact. In reality, the situation so far is much like the Japanese spending frenzy of the 1980′s when much of Hawaiian commercial property was sold to huge Japanese firms and the Asian auto makers built plants throughout America.

Boise City officials used public money to encourage support of a constitutional amendment in 2010 that enabled airports like Boise’s to go into debt without a vote of the people.

GUARDIAN editor David R. Frazier had successfully sued Boise to prevent long term debt obligations without a vote of the citizens. The Idaho Supreme Court agreed with Frazier and issued the “Frazier Decision” in 2006 which mandated elections, keeping in line with the Idaho Constitution.

The legislature subsequently passed the amendment which exempted airports, public hospitals, and power generating facilities, from the constitutional mandate to seek permission from voters before entering into debt. A simple majority of voters passed the measure at the November 2010 election–they got what they voted for.

The efforts of the politicos were successful. The voting rights of citizens were abolished and now cities can sell bonds (debt) to build anything connected to an airport, lease land, buildings, etc. to be repaid by rent payments. The hidden agenda was obviously aimed at using the public resources to benefit business–even Chinese Communist business.