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And The Winners Are…
November 8, 2005 
Boise Citizens and the local mainstream media can all pat themselves on their collective backs over the voter turnout for the City Council election.
With 30% of city voters casting ballots, turnout was more than double the previous council race.
Jim Tibbs’ solid 10% victory over incumbent councilor Jerome Mapp should lead to some spirited discussions at Boise City Council meetings. Word on the street is Tibbs will be taking a shot at Dave Bieter’s mayor job in two years, but Tibbs remains mum for now.
Maryanne Jordan surprised us not with her win, but the huge margin of victory at 70% of the votes. Safe to say she got ALL the greenie and pro choice/ women’s votes along with even some men. Her organization and ability to attract special interest cash was unique in Boise council races.
Brandi Swindell didn’t really have a platform and she was perceived by some as the “revenge candidate” over the issue of moving the Ten Commandments monument from Julia Davis Park.
Vern Bisterfeldt may be the single biggest vote getter in recent city history. With that much horsepower (77%) behind him, he is likely to become more of a force on the council.
Challenger Mark Seeley used his campaign to call attention to the plight of the homeless, and in the process came across as a decent, intelligent citizen who would do well on a city board or commission. Don’t be surprised when Bisterfeldt makes the nomination if Seeley decides to serve.
What does the future bode for Boise? The single biggest issue we heard repeatedly from citizens at three candidate forums was they felt the City Council was not paying attention to what they needed, wanted, and said.
Tibbs has promised to listen, Bisterfeldt more often than not goes with the electorate, and Jordan may have gotten the message even though she had a stunning victory and will no doubt claim a mandate or at least “affirmation” for her past efforts and positions.
Finally, don’t forget one third of the councilors are now ex-cops.
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Comments & Discussion
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Nov 9, 2005, 11:31 am
Election is over. Thank goodness no more slogans…..wait , what did I read this morning. School Bond election in a couple of months (I think it would be better if they rounded up to 100 million)… New libraries are needed… and lets not forget the convention center.
Slogan for School bond? Let’s educate our kids in new buildings…
Slogan for Libraries… Let’s not forget the homeless need a warm place and computers also…
Slogan for Convention Center…We don’t care how you vote, we are going to build it any way.
And I thought we would be through with elections for a while. Silly me
Nov 9, 2005, 3:08 pm
I hope all the politicians get their signs down before the next election.
Nov 9, 2005, 4:27 pm
I guess there were no surprises. I hope the newly elected council members (incumbent and otherwise) will see there was no clear mandate, no resounding affirmation of what they stand for. Majority votes were not so much about who they are or what they stand for…but about the challengers and what they weren’t and what they didn’t stand for. That is not a mandate, it is in fact a lesser-than-two-evils resolve. I contend that Tibbs needs to lose his grinning through gritted teeth and let the real work begin. He is very good at getting others to do his difficult work and looking good in the end. There is no one now…just him. All the expensive suits, stylish hats and ostrich boots in the world aren’t going to help him out now. There is no overtime, no free dry cleaning, no company car. He is on his own. I additionally contend that IF something comes of this Jones investigation, that reflects upon his botching of this post-incident, he should resign. Otherwise we were duped and he duped us.
Nov 9, 2005, 6:00 pm
Tam
I would agree with you if Tibbs was a Vandal, but he had his tent up at the last BSU game shaking hands… so that makes him a Bronco right? Wait now that I think about it ,didn’t he have his tent set up at the Kibbie Dome a couple of weeks ago?
Well what ever. All of our problems will be solved in Jan.2006. Oh am I going to enjoy the GUARDIAN during the school bond election, etc., etc.
Nov 10, 2005, 1:21 pm
Mr. Tibbs may have won the electorate, but he lost his reputation for being a “man of his word” when he took the Interim Chief job agreeing to the one condition that he not submit his name for the position, then turned right around and was “convinced” by others to do just that. So is this what we have to look forward to when he’s on the Council . . . taking a stand but being “convinced” to immediately betray that stand? And I’m sorry, but two ex-policemen on the Council in a year when union contracts need to be re-negotiated for both fire and police does not bode well for general employees who do not have a union.
Nov 10, 2005, 3:00 pm
Peaches,
This IS what we have to look forward to. And Katie-bar-the-door, when the contracts are to be negotiated. Tibbs was the Union negotiator for a time, and was the “President” of the management or commanders’ association (read union) for even longer. He is NOT a fiscal conservative. He likes perks, skiing, gladhanding, making jokes, perks, and skiing. I guarantee that even though Tibbs does not have the respect of some rank and file because they saw him as more media than cop, there was plenty of joy in mudville when the results were made final, because the purse strings just came unraveled.
Nov 10, 2005, 11:43 pm
“Finally, don’t forget one third of the councilors are now ex-cops.”
Right, two ex-cops but don’t forget one owner of the cop shop. I like policemen but when it comes to the old law and order versus rights and liberties debates, or budgeting matters, I’d have to say the cop perspective is overrepresented on the council.