City Government
Boise’s Spin Doctor
December 15, 2005 
A tip of the GUARDIAN hat to Boise Mayor Dave Bieter’s spin doctor, Michael Zuzel, for his treatment of the Poop Farm case and former City farm manager Dave Skinner.
Skinner has been charged with felony misuse of public funds.
How Dr. Zuzel was able to get Dan Hawkins to take therapy in the form of a coaching job in Colorado on the day the Poop connected with the proverbial fan is amazing. Attention was diverted to the important things in Boise–winning coaches instead of city hall scandals. It was like everyone was on antidepressants.
The City obviously provided video to the TV stations and spoon fed a sugary placebo of “We jumped on it and the system works,” which was regurgitated by all the mainstreamers.
We have been assured by inside sources that only after the GUARDIAN began posting the facts did the city launch their audit and the diagnosis of irregulaties spread like bird flu as they went along.
The issue at the Poop Farm goes way beyond the obvious criminal activity. The real problem is the alleged offenses were allowed to happen without oversight or audit. A single arrest is like taking cold pills–you feel better, but the illness is still there. City officials would be better served to see this scandal as a warning sign that their fiscal hygiene has allowed financial irregularities to exist.
We have been told there are new diagnostic procedures being enacted in purchasing as a result of the investigation and audit–which the GUARDIAN applauds.
We have also heard stories of employees at the Poop Farm renting vehicles and equipment from themselves on behalf of the city. Sort of like doctors sending you for therapy at a facility they happen to own. Bad medicine any way you look at it.
The mayor told us he, “didn’t expect any more charges,” but the audit report is being withheld because others say more criminal charges may be forthcoming. Not good to mix prescriptions without talking to your spin doctor first!
We haven’t heard anything from city hall sources, but expect there will be some “spankings” administered in days and weeks to come to those who allowed these crimes and irregularities to happen.
Take a couple aspirin, get some sleep and call me in the morning.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Dec 16, 2005, 8:35 am
Guardian,
I think you pegged this one. D Hawkins as front page news? Hardly, but there it was and is. These overpaid coaching mercenaries come and go like Hollywood marriages.
Skinner as the scapegoat and Hawkins sellout certainly reeks of the incessant O.J. trial coverage. In a very feeble way, it imitates Bubba’s air campaign in Kosovo. Those distractions just happened to coincide with revelations of Monica’s humidor incident. “Really, Trust us, this is what you need to ‘care’ about. . .”
(Its unfortunate that Skinner’s tastes in tractors were so esoteric. I could really use the “loan” of a smaller rig with a three point, PTO, front end loader and post auger.)
Dec 16, 2005, 9:55 am
Well Gurardian as far as Hawkins leaving on the same day this story broke…. It’s kind of like my Dad (rest his soul) used to tell me…. I would rather be lucky than smart any day of the week…. Our Mayor and the city got lucky!
Dec 16, 2005, 11:45 am
So you’re saying, Mayor Bieter arranged for Colorado to hire Hawkins, and do it quickly, and in such a big way, that it would drown out any other story that would come along for about a week, so that the mayor would have a chance to avoid the publicity of cleaning the Poop Farm fiasco, a conclusion that, if anything, shows the Mayor in a moderately good light?
Dec 16, 2005, 6:57 pm
Obviously, the Stateman considers BS-You football more important than government corruption. Indeed, if the number, size and placement of football stories are any indications, football is the most important thing in the world according to the Statesman.
The consequences of government corruption need no explaining to the sentient citizen.
The consequences of football however, elude me. I just wish the Statesman would print an editorial explaining just why BS-You football is so flipping important to us all; how this coach’s leaving will affect our lives; and what we should do about it. Are we safe?
Dec 16, 2005, 10:49 pm
Lets be honest about this, if the city’s Whistle Blower policy was working as the
mayor claims, there would never of been a reason for the employees to of gone
outside the city to seek help.
It appears that both the mayor and the city council needs to have a reality check.
The Dave Skinner situation and what happened represented the weakness of their
Whistle Blower policy, certainly not the strength of it.
I have to hand it to those that reached out and did something when it became
obvious that the city was not going to do what was right.
As long as we have government that wants to bend or skirt the rules, there will
always be a need for reporting media like the Boise Guardian and employee policies
against going to them.
Dec 16, 2005, 11:04 pm
The Mayor and Council DO NOT DESERVE credit for bringing this to light – the Guardian deserves the credit!
From those of us on the “inside” we THANK YOU for doing a job that our city officials, the TV stations and the Statesman FAILED to do.
Dec 17, 2005, 9:52 am
At the risk of painting the picture with very sweeping strokes… I believe the local media are giving the local public what they want to see. If you conducted a poll, most people would tell you that the BSU coaching change is a bigger story than some city employee siphoning off taxpayer dollars. Sad but true.
Furthermore, I’d say most people have become jaded and cynical with regards to government at all levels. If 60% of registered voters show up at the polls, it’s considered high turnout. (Even fewer show up for local elections.) And I believe for most people, it’s a foregone conclusion that politicians are more interested in their careers than in serving the citizens who elected them. And that there’s corruption in government that’s so deep-rooted it’s just part of the system.
GO PETE! (The new BSU head football coach.)
Dec 18, 2005, 4:46 pm
The good people of Boise owe the Boise Guardian for pointing out the ongoing corruption still rampant in their City Hall. Bieter and council will try to take the credit, but without Frazier’s guardian none of us would have been made aware of this mis-use of tax payer’s funds!
Dec 27, 2005, 10:07 am
You have just touched the apex of the iceberg for the city government. Just think of all the “city governments” and “county governments” in Idaho. Not to mention the state government.