Growth
Nampa Homeowners Face $48 Flat Tax Hike
Question: When is a tax not a tax? Answer: When it comes in the form of a mandatory “fee” from Nampa City Hall. Mayor Tom Dale has sent a letter to property owners inviting them to attend an April 27 meeting at the Nampa Civic Center to discus a plan to curtail the continued pollution [...]
Idaho Cities Battle For Convention Dollars
GROWTHOPHOBE (growth o phobe)–”One who opposes growth just for the sake of growth. Usually refers to municipalities and governments seeking to increase population and attract businesses merely for the sake of growing without due regard to long term affect on citizens and taxpayers.” The opposite of GROWTHOPHOBE is GROWTHOPHILE and that special breed seems prolific [...]
Hammer Flat Declared “No Fly Zone”
Hang glider enthusiasts are at odds with Boise City–especially Team Dave–because they have been banned since the land came under public ownership using $4 million in public Foothills Levy funds. John Kangas, spokesman for the group claims his fellow flyers have soared over the eastern edge of the city for 35 years from the Crow [...]
Idaho Offers Businesses A Welfare Home
While Idaho legislators are looking for money in all the wrong places, the text from a Dept. of Commerce brochure is quite revealing. In short, the state and local governments are in an economic civil war with their neighbors in a battle predicated upon seeing who can give away the most. Businesses decide where to [...]
Urban Renewal Remains Without Oversight
Despite the efforts of urban renewal reform proponents, non-government agencies funded by tax dollars remain without oversight, thanks to a legislature apparently averse to allowing citizens a voice in their government. At least 10 bills were considered during the session–most aimed at allowing citizens some sort of vote to either create UR districts, approve debt, [...]
BoDo Developer “Passionate” About Niagara Falls
We got a tip about Boise developer Mark Rivers’ attempt to hustle some bucks out of the city of Niagara Falls, New York–not unlike the parking garage deal he got from Boise’s CCDC for the Hampton Inn. When we looked at the details of the deal and the way the mayor dishes out studies and [...]
Urban Renewal Bills Moving Along
In a comprehensive look at current legislation, Idaho Statesman reporter Cynthia Sewell explains the issues surrounding urban renewal in Idaho. Check out her piece, it is worth the read on an important issue for any who cherish the right to vote and shape their surroundings.
Boise Officials Avoid Public Scrutiny
Boise officials have continued a legacy of backroom deals and deceptive behavior on a foothills convservation project that probably is a worthwhile endeavor. The Hammer Flat land acquisition was done in secret using $4 million in Boise tax funds with the explanation the deal had to be secret to keep the price low–action permitted by [...]
Boise County Bankruptcy Is Historic
While Boise County is set to file for bankruptcy in federal court, there probably won’t be any auctions for snowplows and road graders in the near future. Since the developers who won the $4 million judgement against the county are themselves delinquent in paying their property taxes to the tune of $368,182, we expect a [...]
City Should Strike Out On Foul B’ball Survey
Boise’s City Council will consider a wind up and pitch from Team Dave on Tuesday to commission yet another survey–this one on baseball–and no doubt the results will claim a home run on a bunt. This field of dreams will be built on the premise that a big stadium will be worthy of a AAA [...]
Local Issues Cropping Up In Legislature
The GUARDIAN is familiar with much of what’s on the plate of lawmakers this session. We brought the issue of a state-owned storage business to the attention of readers last fall. Sen. Russ Fulcher of Meridian went after the deputy director of the State Lands Department in a Senate State Affairs committee hearing Wednesday over [...]
Cheatgrass And Growth Are Hot Topic
Range managers and scientists from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management are meeting in Boise this week to figure out a way to reduce the invasive cheatgrass species found throughout the southwest Idaho desert, according to a DAILY PAPER report. If they find a solution it could save Ada taxpayers some money. Last summer in [...]
F-35 May Not Fly In Congress (or Boise)
Despite the endorsement of the Boise City Council and Team Dave, it looks like the skies over Boise won’t soon be bothered by F-35 fighter jets. The program is grossly over budget. Here is a WEBPOST from last Friday detailing the problems. http://spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/aerospace/military/us-joint-strike-fighter-f35-hits-afterburners-on-cost-overrun No word from the State, Feds, or Boise about mixing military fighters [...]
Some Grist For The Coffee Shop Mill
We offer a round up today of some topics of conversation, bearing in mind the legislative crazy season will soon be upon us. That means the legacy media will do their “one stop shopping” at the Statehouse instead of Bronco Stadium. –The G-BAD boys will get a report from a consultant on Monday saying it’s [...]
Avimor Parent Could Leave Arizona Buyers On The Hook
One of our GUARDIAN admirers in Arizona sent this news story regarding a planned community in that state developed by the same outfit that built the Avimor development off Highway 55 north of Eagle. The story points out the potential nightmare Idaho buyers could face if infrastructure is financed using a law that SunCor/Avimor lobbied [...]
Garden City Seeks Bridge Funds From Public
Garden City has taken its thinly disguised campaign to keep bicycles off the Greenbelt to the DAILY PAPER and Idaho Parks in an effort to find nearly $1 million to build a pedestrian-bike bridge across the Boise River to silence the call to allow bikes on the north side of the river. The Idaho Statesman [...]
Nampa Cheese Plant Noisy As Promised
Nearly two and a half years ago the GUARDIAN published a CHEESY STORY about an impending noisy, smelly new whey tower that would have caused Little Miss Muffet to fall off her tuffet. Here’s what a nearby frustrated neighbor has to say about the noise at Sorrento Lactalis’ cheese plant. By TOM FLANARY Eight and [...]
Boise County Prospectors Still Abound
Since the gold rush days of the mid 1800′s, Boise County has been a target for get rich quick schemes…like the guys who “salted” gold in the area known today as Bogus Basin to make it appear a valuable claim. The huge forested county north of Boise has a history of suspect local government, a [...]
Tuesday’s Daily Paper A Pleasant Surprise
We honestly doubt the GUARDIAN can take any credit, but Tuesday’s STATESMAN was chock full of local news of substance! They even offered up an editorial opinion. –The Simplot family JUMP project got unanimous approval from the City P&Z commission and in the process the design review committee was publicly spanked for “overstepping the bounds [...]
Chamber Seeks Bankrupt Firms, Asian Boutiques
The DAILY PAPER ran a page one story Monday about a new guy at the helm of the Chamber of Commerce’s “Boise Valley Economic Partnership.” It’s a scheme aimed at attracting new businesses to the Valley. We certainly wish him luck, but after reading some of his plans and knowing the dismal failure of the [...]
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