Boise Guardian » Interesting Stuff

Shameless Panhandling For GUARDIAN

dave — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:59:13 +0000

Mr. Guardian:
I have once again renewed my annual voluntary subscription (donation) to the Boise Guardian. I appreciate your efforts, while I do not have the time to do much research for you, I can support your efforts through my contribution and encourage others to do the same. Please readers of the Guardian support the great thing we call BG not only through your comments but also through a donation, doing so shows the BG our true commitment to supporting holding government accountable and supporting those who step out on a limb on our behalf. Thank you…JJ

For those so inclined, push the green DONATE button on our PayPal account. The GUARDIAN is NOT a tax deductible organization. We don’t run any advertising and the donations help defray costs for things like parking, mileage, copies, website fees, public records requests, etc. We offer a “thanks” to JJ for his unsolicited endorsement.

Road Kill Smorgasbord Now Legal In Idaho

dave — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:12:46 +0000

If you have the urge to chow down on bobcat burgers or munch on muskrat, you are in luck!

Idaho Fish and Game reports this week that new road-kill rules passed by the legislature allow motorists to snatch up those prized parts of everything from dead moose to striped skunk and coyote found along Idaho highways.

Pressed duck is illegal, but pheasant pot pie is OK. No migratory birds can be salvaged. They must be left to rot. We note long-tailed weasel is legal, but due to portion size only children and seniors will be interested.

All you need to be legal is a computer or cell phone to apply for the necessary permit within 24 hours. Then you get a permit within 72 hours. Here is how they describe the process in a press release:
“A self-generating permit is available for printing after entering required information, including date, location and species salvaged. A copy of the permit must accompany the salvaged wildlife.”

The GUARDIAN had all sorts of questions about the process. For instance: if you make muskrat and skunk canapé’s do you need to have a permit posted on the table? Is it considered fair to use those big brush guards on the pick-ups that sit six feet off the pavement?

While they advise motorists to not stop on the freeway for a bull moose rack, there is no apparent requirement you have to kill the critters with the family sedan. You can just follow along and “salvage” what others whack and leave behind.

The press release notes:
“In addition to reporting a salvage, the following wildlife must be presented to the nearest Fish and Game office to satisfy mandatory check and reporting requirements: moose, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, mountain lion, black bear, wolf, bobcat and river otter.” Can’t you just see the F-150 pull up to F&G and a guy wearing a John Deere cap gets out and declares, “I am here to present a mountain goat as prescribed by law.”

The new rules also allow people to sell parts–except the meat–from legally salvaged wildlife, not including bighorn sheep. People may also retain and consume the meat of legally salvaged wildlife – but they do so at their own risk.

It appears about anything found dead on the road is… FAIR GAME.

Some Educated Thoughts To Consider

dave — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:12:13 +0000

Its an annual event this time of year: students graduate either high school or college, there are inspiring stories of old immigrants getting degrees, students overcoming emotional and financial hurdles, and of course politicos making commencement addresses to show they are “pro education.”

Just today we encountered a couple of youngsters (nearly everyone is a youngster to the GUARDIAN) mixing those foo-foo latte drinks at a local java joint who graduated from BSU “Magna Cum Laude.” Asked their plans for when they “grow up,” they both planned to go to grad school. A fellow barista is already working on a masters degree.

We also contacted a guy who left a flyer in the door that was NOT from a politician, so we read it. He wanted to do yard work. We gave him a call and caught him in the middle of a high school shop class where he is a senior about to graduate.

From a business standpoint (return on investment), the highschooler is much more “profitable” than the brilliant baristas. He has low overhead, little investment and can make upwards of $20 an hour.

The college grads have at least 4 years and perhaps $40,000 invested, are probably in debt to the government for student loans and have no job prospects on the horizon. This picture is common in the USA and something’s wrong with it.

This doesn’t mean we should be training landscape laborers, but it certainly offers food for thought regarding the value of a college degree, the “right” course of study, and the state of economics and education in America. Your educated thoughts please.

Ada County Buys Foreclosed Subdivision

dave — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:11:20 +0000

First it was the Idaho Land Board purchasing a private storage business, now Ada County Commishes bought a foreclosed subdivision on 250 acres north of Hidden Springs and east of Highway 55 for $240,000.

Known as Red Hawk Estates, the development fell on hard times and was foreclosed by Bank of The Cascades from Dry Creek Partners on January 19. As provided by Idaho code, the land was sold at a Sheriff’s Sale on Tuesday.

The Ada Commishes–Sharon Ullman and Rick Yzaguirre–rammed the deal through with a last minute change to the agenda and voted to place a bid. They met in executive session prior to authorizing the bid at the Sheriff’s Sale.

Efforts to get an explanation from various county staffers and officials regarding the motivation for the purchase have been futile. No one can tell us WHY the county purchased an undeveloped platted subdivision. There was only one other bidder at the auction. That party placed a bid of $230,000 on the barren foothills land.

The foreclosure and sale were properly advertised, but based on records and agendas posted at the Commish site, we can’t see any public discussion or consideration that would justify the sudden expenditure.

City Councilor And Mayor Create “Conflict Of Interest”

dave — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:27:09 +0000

Ever since TJ Thomson got elected he has kept a low profile with regard to his city council position–until now.

The GUARDIAN has learned the quiet councilor will be featured in a local version of “Dancing With The Stars” Saturday at the Boise Centre on The Grove, but one of the judges is Mayor Dave Bieter. We know politics makes strange bedfellows, but having a judge who needs to suck up to a councilor for funding pet projects seems “irregular” at best–and probably a conflict.

Since it is a fund raiser for MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY, we can give them a pass on the obvious conflict. The legacy media needs to investigate who his dance partner is.

A Dirty Little Boise Secret?

dave — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:17:37 +0000

A reader sent us a story he found in a national magazine about Boise. “We didn’t read it ma, the big boys showed it to us.”

We haven’t had a press release from city hall– or even heard of one being sent to the legacy media–about another “National Magazine Poll,” but MEN’S HEALTH rated Boise just one slot off the TOP TEN rank for smuttiest cities in the USA.

If they get us up there with “most livable” and “bike friendly,” there may be some socially redeeming value.

Thoughts From The Road

dave — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:53:47 +0000

The day job has the GUARDIAN on the road making photographs and observing the “American Condition.” We share some random observations.

–The new bridge across the Coloorado River below Hoover Dam is a great time saver if you are headed south of Las Vegas, but you can’t see it (or the dam) as you drive across. Thee is a parking lot and pedestrian access on the north end of the bridge.

–Arizona entrepreneurs have figured a way to sign up residents to buy solar panels for their rooftops. The the deals amount to obligations to purchase, but are to be repaid with the money earned by selling power back to the electric company that is forced to purchase the power. The real money is in the “Renewalable Energy Credits”–a mini version of the windmills lumped into thousands of invididual homeowners.

–Old semi-trailers are used along the freeways as billboards. Either to skirt a billboard law or just because they can be moved easily.
–Trucks outnumber cars by at least two to one on I-10 from Phoenix to El Paso, Texas.

–From El Paso to San Antonio you really have to WANT a speeding ticket…the speed limit is 80 mph. Some of the trucks actually go that fast, but the 585 miles stilll go slow, even at 80!

–Amazed at the number of people who choose not to watch news or read papers. A friend in boise gave up news for Lent and liked it so much he has adopted the practive permanently.

–Motorhome culture in Arizona provides lots of jobs. The big ones are everywhere–even with gas at $4 per gallon.

–Border Patrol seems to be everywhere. The inspection station at Sierra Blanca, Texas permanently blocks I-10 just like at a border crossing. Dogs sniff vehicles and the armed agents check everyone passing through…both reassuring and disconcerting.

Daily Paper Promotes On Line Neighbor Site

dave — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:29:28 +0000

DISCLAIMER–The GUARDIAN has never been to an ATM machine, rarely uses the drive up teller at a bank, fakes confusion for automated “check in” at the airlines, has never sent an electronic birthday card, and generally prefers to talk face-to-face with tellers, agents, friends, and other humans.

When we saw the majority of Monday’s front page (they call it the cover these days) of the Daily Paper devoted to yet another on-line phishing expedition aimed at gathering information, we just chalked it up to a “sign of the times.”

The site they promoted is called NEXTDOOR and it professes to provide a forum for neighbors. However it collects information about folks and here is what it says in the fine print agreement:

“In the future, we may create a section of the site to present offers for goods and services we think you’d like. If you decide to participate with an offer, you may be presented with an opportunity to share information with the merchant. If you accept the offer, then we’ll send the information you requested to share with the merchant. We won’t transmit information to the merchant until you explicitly ask us to do so. At that point, the data we deliver to the merchant will be governed by the merchant’s privacy policy, not ours.”

Which means “once the genie is out of the bottle, your personal data is no longer private.”

In our neighborhood, we actually TALK to each other. If a trash can is at the curb, one of us will return it to the garage. If someone doesn’t get home in a timely fashion, a quick call will get the dog let out because we all have keys to each other’s house. And you can bet there won’t be an ad on your doorstep if you talk about insurance, dog groomers, restaurants, or movies either.

Of Ethics, Conflicts, Right and Wrong

dave — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 01:51:24 +0000

We are left shaking our head almost daily asking the rhetorical questions, “What were they thinking?” and “doesn’t anyone know the difference between right and wrong?” Mom and Dad would be aghast.

The recent mess incident at the City-owned Idaho Ice World was a disaster waiting to happen. It all started back in 2008 when Team Dave’s Ethics Commission was asked for an advisory opinion. The question was whether or not it would be a conflict of interest for the City Hockey Director ($44,000 salary in public money) to also serve as a coach for his son’s Peewee league team. The panel ruled it would be OK as long as he wasn’t paid to be a coach.

We don’t understand their logic, but it is obviously a conflict for a parent to be the coach and also the guy who is the top dog when it comes to EVERYTHING involving the hockey program. He didn’t make any money from his “off duty” volunteer job, but it’s still a conflict.

That same ethics panel told Boise’s treasurer it was OK to put the arm on banks and others with whom he routinely deposits public funds, to help finance a convention of city treasurers. They said as long as he was soliciting funds for the group and not in his position as city treasurer it was OK. Give me a break! Nothing illegal or dishonest, but still a stinky act of panhandling and an obvious conflict.

Same is true for the State Senator who holds gas and oil leases and votes on laws that will regulate (or not) oil exploration and production in Idaho and on his land. Legislators ruled it was no conflict because he didn’t receive a personal gain (money) from his votes. HOGWASH! It’s a conflict, plain and simple. May not be criminal, may not even be dishonest, but it IS a conflict.

We can go on about the Nampa mayor using tax money to buy lunch for city employees so they can hear his “state of the city” speech. Or the mayor of Caldwell getting a family membership at the YMCA on the backs of taxpayers. Conflicts and total disregard for ethical behavior and understanding right from wrong.

When these events and practices reach critical mass, there is always an ethics panel, attorney general opinion, or others who defend the conflict. We readily admit some things are certainly “gray,” but Mom and Dad always said if you have to think twice about whether or not you should do something, it is probably wrong. We would add if you have to spend a lot of time justifying the action, it probably wasn’t the right thing either.

We all make mistakes, but these days they all seem to be justified, rationalized, and defended. If the city or a politico screws up, best to admit it, take steps to prevent a recurrence and more on. Mom and Dad would be proud.

Elk And Deer Herds Gather In Garden Valley, Spring Is Coming

dave — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:22:55 +0000

The GUARDIAN and Mrs. GUARDIAN made the annual jaunt to Garden Valley in search of big game concentrations and we weren’t disappointed. Spring is just around the corner.

Deer and elk seem to be everywhere and with the increase in human critters, it won’t be long before folks are tired of their shrubs being chomped by the deer and fences tromped by the elk. The elk look like herds of cattle grazing in the pastures.

Not many antlers in evidence and as long as you stay in your car and don’t crowd them, they don’t seem spooky or stressed. A car actually provides a great blind for shooting–pictures that is. Both of these were made using a 200 mm lens from an open car window.

Photo tip: turn off the engine after you get off the road and flip on your four way flashers. Then balance the lens on the door frame or window and demand the passengers HOLD STILL! With today’s modern digital cameras, you will probably be proud of the results.

Garden City Bike Ban Remains, Court Date Set