Politics
Boise City Travel Expenses Soar 27%
The Daily Paper posted a story today which said an internal audit caught some small issues regarding department travel. Most of the things mentioned by auditor Steve Rehn dealt with late reports and lack of receipts. The big issue that jumped out at the GUARDIAN was a single year jump from $471,300 for travel in [...]
Boise FAA Tower To Control Bozeman
In what can only be an “ironic irony” the new Boise air traffic control tower which is head and shoulders above most any building in the state will serve as the approach control radar service for Bozeman, Montana. Before the politicos got involved, the plan was to have Boise’s TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) operated [...]
Legislative Dems Were Given Ammo To Fire At ACHD
The GUARDIAN has obtained numerous documents from Boise City relating to the Feb. 14 sabotage attempt aimed at ACHD during a meeting with legislators on Valentine Day. As it turned out the ammunition for what was intended to be an ambush on ACHD ultimately exploded in the face of the shooters. Ross Borden of Mayor [...]
Mayor, Council President Jordan Sent “Poison Valentine”
Mayor Dave Bieter and Councilor Maryanne Jordan acted without the knowledge of at least half the City Council when they caused an anonymous letter to be delivered to legislators claiming ACHD had a bad relationship with other Ada County cities and other allegations. The GUARDIAN sought responses from the entire council so citizens would know [...]
Boise Attempts “Valentine Day Massacre” On ACHD, Shoots Mayor, Council In Foot
A bungled attempt by Boise City to ambush the Ada County Highway District’s relationship with the Idaho Legislature on February 14 has ignited a unified firestorm of disgust and outrage from the mayors of Meridian, Kuna, Star and Eagle, the Ada County Commishes, and the ACHD board. The sleazy attempt by those in the office [...]
State Seeks To Hide Security Video From Public Scrutiny
In what appears to be an overreaction to the armed guy prowling the legislative chambers with a troop of Boy Scouts, the Idaho department of Administration is pushing a bill in the legislature that would deny “security video” recorded by public agencies from public viewing. That means citizens of Boise wouldn’t get to see the [...]
Ada-Dynamis Deal Runs Out Of Energy, Commishes Kill Project
It isn’t electrifying news, but the new Ada County Commishes have disconnected with Dynamis over the proposed trash-to-energy plant at the county landfill. Dynamis gets to keep the $2 million the previous board paid the private company and agrees to not sue Ada for any future claims. “We fought to get the $2 million back, [...]
Boise Gives Away Fire Service Outside City
Each budget season local governments across the USA look for ways to fund essential services. According to the Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE there is a move to charge fees to tax-exempt properties ranging from churches, and hospitals to government agencies and institutions of higher learning. In Boise the most glaring example of free city services lies with [...]
“State of Boise” Asserts Baseless Authority Over Idaho Parking Garage
Boise’s Design Review committee is probably getting just a tad too big for its britches over denying approval of a State of Idaho parking facility near the capitol and it could backfire if the conservative legislature is asked to approve things like local option taxing authority. There is no legal requirement for the state to [...]
Lobbyist, Reporter Too Close For Comfort?
GUARDIAN reader Clancy Anderson passed along some research on the issue of reporter vs lobbyist with the Idaho Freedom Foundation and its editor, Wayne Hoffman. By CLANCY ANDERSON I do not see enough separation between the Idaho Reporter and the Idaho Freedom Foundation. Mr. Hoffman states the day to day operations are independent of him [...]
Controversy Over Video Record Of Legislature
Video coverage of the Idaho legislature, who can record the action, who owns the recording, and preserving the record–often punctuated with jokes and banter–is shaping up as a big issue at the legislature. Idaho Public Television records all the floor action by the politicos, but they have a deal that calls for the recordings to [...]
Ada Elected Officers Sworn In Monday
ADA ELECTED OFFICERS (left to right) Treasurer Vicky McIntyre, Clerk Chris Rich, Sheriff Gary Raney, Commish Rick Yzaguirre, Commish Dave Case, Commish Jim Tibbs, Coroner Erwin Sonnenberg, Assessor Bob McQuade, Prosecutor Greg Bower Dave Case is the new chairman of the Ada County Board of County Commissioners (“Commish”) after the board met early Monday, January [...]
State Salaries Show Spending Priorities
State Controller Brandon Woolf has launched a great new website called TRANSPARENT IDAHO which shines the light of public scrutiny on how our taxes are spent. He built the site for $28,000 using part of his annual budget to do it. That light was glaring with intensity when the GUARDIAN took a look at HIGHEST [...]
Personal Property Tax Repeal Could Open Proverbial “Can Of Worms”
Before the personal property tax repeal has even been considered, the GUARDIAN got a call from a guy who has figured out how to beat the system–with a loophole that will be as bad as the current system. He predicts not only a loss of revenue from personal property taxes, but a steep decline in [...]
Winter Doldrums, Not Much New To Blog
The GUARDIAN is still here, but there isn’t much new to share. Even the Statesman has resorted to devoting the front page to news that’s 100 years old–featuring Kuna and Eagle history books that have apparently hit the stores recently. Legislature is in town, Boise State football is over, Repubs and Tea Party still don’t [...]
Can One Forget Details Of First Booze Encounter?
Senior Mike Crapo got the standard penalty Friday for first time DUI (DWI in Virginia)–drivers license is suspended for one year, he was ordered to pay a $250 fine and attend alcohol awareness classes for 10 weeks. He begged forgiveness and apologized outside the Alexandria, Virginia court after the sentence was handed down. Idaho media [...]
No Takers For Honor Code At Lesiglature
Despite coming off a year that included members being charged with or convicted of lying, cheating, and stealing none of the leadership would go on record at a Friday media conference to adopt of a version of the West Point honor code as the foundation for ethical behavior among legislators. The GUARDIAN noted lawmakers will [...]
Legislative Ethics Need Honor Code Like U.S. Military Academy
Idaho’s legislature has a crisis in confidence following numerous ethical lapses on the part of members–some have been convicted, some have lost leadership roles, and others have lost face. On the third day of the 2013 session they have devoted considerable time to “ethics training,” and they hired outside counsel. The GUARDIAN has offered perhaps [...]
Name Your Favorite Stories For 2012
We trust everyone has opened their Christmas gifts, eaten a hearty meal and is now ready to reminisce about the past year’s news. Without a doubt the Ada-Dynamis energy to trash scandal has dominated the GUARDIAN posts, but there have been plenty of other misdeeds uncovered in government. You can use the search engine at [...]
Crapo Joins Politicos Bringing Shame On Idaho
Looks like Idaho Senior Senator Mike Crapo can expect lumps of coal in his Christmas stocking. Santa found out who was naughty and nice. The self proclaimed abstainer wasn’t watching traffic signals close enough. Crapo has joined the ranks of Idaho politicos who have brought shame to the Gem State with his Sunday morning drunk [...]
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