Amendment Seeks To Deny Voter Rights

The Idaho legislature will soon be considering HJR 005 which looks pretty tame at first glance, but it is designed to deny citizens the right to approve long term debt at airports and allow airports to go into the real estate speculation and rental business. Here is the GUARDIAN’s take on the bill.

The net [...]

No Stopping a Runaway Train (Trolley) Enthusiast

Team Dave is still pushing for a trolley, and can’t seem to understand the meaning of NO, despite public opinion and denial of U.S. Government funds.
Last week the Feds turned down Boise’s request for about $40 million in “TIGER” funds for the Desire Named Street Car (also affectionately known as the “Trolley Folly”). The [...]

Update On Desire Named Street Car

The DAILY PAPER has joined the long list of opponents to Team Dave’s “Desire Named Street Car” with a HUGE EDITORIAL in Sunday’s edition. They didn’t go soa as advocating a massive increase in the bus system, but it is clear (to us) the Statesman has come over to the GUARDIAN side.
Reporter Cynthia Sewell [...]

Driving, Texting Don’t Mix–For Anyone!

The Feds have just come out with strict rules against texting while driving for truckers. Meanwhile, cities and states across the nation have weighed in as well. Idaho legislators will probably consider a bill against texting and driving this session.
The GUARDIAN previously WEIGHED IN on all the talk against texting while driving (we [...]

“E” Will Get You Passing Grades On Bikes

By JIM KERNS
Deputy Chief, Boise PD

The tragic deaths of 3 cyclists this last spring led to a call to action for the citizens of Boise to become more aware of the bike riding public. It seems that there are many polarized attitudes regarding bike riders on public streets. If you read the blogs, [...]

Better Buses Buttress Baltimore Business

Just in case you still hadn’t had enough on the Desire Named Street Car, a GUARDIAN reader sends us an interesting link about using–would you believe– BUSES to serve downtown Baltimore.
Before any money is pumped into a Boise trolley, we think some buses would be much wiser. Apparently the folks in Baltimore, Bolivia, and [...]

TJ Withdraws Support Of Street Car Vote

Basing his judgement on the unsuccessful petition drive efforts of the candidate he defeated in November, City Councilor TJ Thomson has withdrawn his support for a public vote on the funding for a street car in downtown Boise.
In a statement to the GUARDIAN, TJ said, “The fact that David Litster was not able to acquire [...]

Cyclists Call For Enforcement of New Law

By STEVE HULME, BIKEBOY
Guest opinion
With last summer’s three fatalities still painfully in mind, bicycle enthusiasts turned out to testify at Boise City Council’s Tuesday meeting in favor of bike laws aimed at increasing safety.

City Council considered – and passed with minor but significant amendments – some new laws recommended by the mayor’s Cycling Safety Task [...]

Parks Plan Could Solve Trolley Issue

Boise Parks workers have come up with a plan that could solve the goose problem AND the trolley debate.
At a February 2009 meeting, Boise’s Park Board voted to pursue a plan to use stray border collie dogs from the Humane Society, trained by prison inmates to chase the pooping geese out of the parks. [...]

GUARDIAN Top 2009 Stories By Month

As the legacy media does its annual TOP TEN stories to fill space between the holidays, the GUARDIAN has done the same thing based on what we have posted in the past year.
In rereading some of the posts and comments, it appears we have an inordinate number of comments on police and fire stories. [...]

GUARDIAN Christmas Wish List

For those who believe in Santa Clause, we have a Christmas wish list which has plenty of room for additional items.

A toy train for Dave Bieter so he will stop trying to force a trolley and AMTRAK upon the kind, decent inhabitants of the City of Trees.
A toy ambulance for the Boise FD so they [...]

Politicos Seek To Mandate FAA Decisions

A story in the DAILY PAPER today by Joe Estrella says the Federal Aviation Administration is scurrying to get ahead of the politicos in their desire to move the local approach radar facility from Boise to Salt Lake City.
Idaho and Boise politicians cite “economic and safety concerns” in their opposition to the move. After [...]

City Allows “Other Side” Into Open House

Early visitors to the City’s street car open house had a chance to get information from at least one opponent of the proposed $60 million project.

Jim Monihan, known to GUARDIAN readers as “Cyclops,” had made repreated requests of Team Dave’s press agent, Adam Park, to have space at the Street Car Open House being [...]

TJ Favors Vote Of People On Trolley

Boise City Councilor-elect TJ Thomson told the GUARDIAN Monday he favors a vote of the citizens on Team Dave’s proposal to spend $60,000,000 on a downtown street car.
When asked if he favored a vote, Thomson flat out said, “Yes, I support a public vote on the Street Car.”
With regard to the petition drive by [...]

More On “Desire Named Street Car” (sorry)

EDITOR NOTE–We hate to keep beating this Trolley Horse, but the politicos and press just won’t let it die.
Team Dave Just won’t quit
Pushing this streetcar bit
There is no way they can
Cover this crazy plan
They’ll just put a LID on it!
–Poet Paul
Both the DAILY PAPER and the BOISE WEEKLY have published stories about the Desire [...]

Poll Supports GUARDIAN Transit Plan

According to a poll commissioned by the Daily Paper, 63% of folks in the city of trees agree with the GUARDIAN position that we should upgrade the bus system and forget about the “Desire NAmed Street Car.”

OK, they didn’t exactly say they supported the GUARDIAN position, but we have indeed advocated bus improvements over a [...]

Poet Paul’s Post

On the change of command at Idaho’s transportation Department.
Transportation was run by Pam Lowe
Otter said she had to go
Butch gave the whole mess
to a Michiganer named Ness
So much for “Buy Idaho”!

Trolley PR Transparency Not So Clear

FROM POET PAUL–
The streetcar bid was Cronin’s wish
Now there seems to be something amiss
The facts are apparent
And may not be transparent
But we can certainly see through this!
Chalk one up for the DAILY PAPER! Using the public records law and some good old fashioned reporting skills, Cynthia Sewell raises some good questions about Team Dave’s [...]

How A Bad Idea Just Got Worse

Only Team Dave and a handful of people with blinders and earplugs think there is public support for a $60 million trolley to nowhere in downtown Boise.
Just when we figured the issue was off track, council candidate Dave Litster sends us a lettter he received from the CCDC confirming the agency is budgeting $75,000 for [...]

Boise Taxpayers Pay Bill For Eagle Bus

In a move that defies logic, Boise taxpayers are spending at the rate of $1,000 a year per round trip passenger that Eagle City officials have refused to pay.
It all started when Valley Transit–the regional bus outfit–said they would discontinue the “Highway 44 Express” which ran twice daily out State Street to Eaqgle, Star, Middleton, [...]