Comments on: What About Combat Pay?

By: Yogi

Yogi — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 17:01:56 +0000

Serve at the pleasure of an elected committee? What a hoot! Keep them informed of potential controversies? Will the Commissioners keep the PR person informed of the controversies they intend to create? The salary isn’t bad if one has a good fall-back position. I don’t see any long-term prospects in this one. Besides, Melinda Nothern is very good at what she does.

By: Robert Boester

Robert Boester — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 15:09:05 +0000

the Guarian wrote:
“The duties are a treasure trove for stand up comedians and bloggers”.
The Guardian meets at least one of these qualifications (blogger). So, why don’t you give it a go, David? 🙂

By: Sharon Ullman

Sharon Ullman — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:52:13 +0000

Thanks, Treva! Unless you decide to go for it and land the challenging P.R. gig with the county, our little group of citizens’ advocates can use someone with the common sense and intelligence you routinely display in your letters to the editor and comments on the Boise Guardian site. We are working to promote open, accountable local government with elected officials who just do the right thing and don’t waste taxpayers’ dollars. We have several projects going right now. A few of them are:
• trying to get detailed information on the courthouse financing scheme to find out the long-term cost and liability to Ada County’s taxpayers;
• working to gather more detailed information about the county’s spending practices to better inform the taxpaying public; and,
• observing the county’s operations in an effort to determine whether the commissioners are truly complying with the Idaho Open Meeting Law.
For Treva and anyone else who is interested, please give me a call (362-0843) if you want to help.

By: Treva

Treva — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 01:54:46 +0000

Sharon: If you need an assistant in your “keeping them honest” campaign, just give me a call. I work cheap. (Or should I apply for the commissioner’s PR position? Good money… Hmmmm….) Treva Hamilton

By: Tam

Tam — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 00:10:38 +0000

They probably think it will take a whole year to find anyone daft enough to really WANT that job. They wouldn’t dare be without insurance…what and have to answer questions themselves? Get real.

By: Steve Hulme

Steve Hulme — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 00:10:34 +0000

Sharon Ullman: “Are they planning on having two [PR persons] now?”
Perhaps they figger with two, their PR will be twice as good! And what’s a measly $60k to the good taxpayers of Ada County?

Regarding the suggestion that a City Council member needs a college education… I dispute that. I’d take somebody with proven common sense and communications skills any day, over some College Poindexter. (Part of the current problem at the Council, IMO, is a preponderance of folks who figger they’re so smart they’re only distracted by the yokels they “serve.”)

By: Porcupine

Porcupine — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 23:57:24 +0000

Crim445

I think it would be a good experience if you ran. Not me! I am happy that we have anyone running against the current ones, at least we have a choice! Thankless job and everyone is mad at you. If you like the long hours and having no family life its the job for you…. but of course if you have a college education you can make much more money somewhere else. ( Unless you want to start getting into free trips like some of our past ones). You will also just love going around begging for money. And don’t forget about about the last hour phones calls that PAC’s with money will be making to defeat you!

One of the best and brightest City councilors that we had was Mike Weatherall. Got burned out. Don’t think we will ever be able to replace him…

By: Sharon Ullman

Sharon Ullman — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 21:44:39 +0000

Just noticed that the Ada County commissioners' Open Business Meeting Agenda for Tuesday, November 1, has the following item listed: Agreement No. 7029-1-05 – Renewal of Professional Services Agreement with Summit Communications. http://www.adaweb.net/body.asp?SN=Commissioners&url=http://www2.adaweb.net/ComAgen.nsf?OpenDatabase&ss=4000 Summit Communications is Melinda Nothern, the County's current Public Information person. So why are the commissioners renewing the annual contract (it was $45,000 for the past year) with the current PR person while also advertising for a new $50,000 - $60,000 one? Are they planning on having two now?

By: crim445

crim445 — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 19:06:56 +0000

Been to them frequently and often Porcupine. Brandi is not qualified, despite the behavior of our current city counsel members, if you consider that she does not have any college education, lacks understanding of basic constitutional principles, is void of rational problem solving skills, and has a criminal conviction. As a person around the same age with a graduate level education and a broad background in public service, I understand that the issues facing Boise are complex and at time overwhelming. Under your rational, Brandi meets the lowest bar set by our most uninterested council members; the bar should be set higher and I am guessing Marianne Jordan has gotten that message.

By: Thistle

Thistle — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 15:50:11 +0000

The job description of the new position sounds very similar to that of the Commissioner’s job description. I am OK with that, except having already elected someone to do those things I don’t see the need for the redundnacy.

However, if the Commissioners would care to step down so that we could start over and once again try to elect some responsible commissioners, that would be an action I could support.