I wish him well in his new and difficult task…….I trully want that….. but this concept didn’t work years ago on the federal level……that guy was a great choice also.

What’s the game plan Mr.Guv?? Another layer of govenment has never helped anything I can think of….. anyone else know something I missed here??

Looks like out of all the people in the entire state there might have been a better qualified person. It appears that qualifications are not the highest priority for Risch appointments. Mr. Armstrong, the H&W guy, is just a payback for all the donations Blue Cross has stashed in political pockets over the last 10 years (see the sunshine reports). He has zero background in operations or computers – the two key places that need fixed at H&W. Blue Cross also hired Dirk’s daughter, Paula Froney’s husband, Tracy Andrus, Jerry Evans, and who knows how many others trying to buy-into their political ties.

Or maybe Risch is in fact just setting Tibbs up to take out Beiter.

Looks like out of all the people in the entire state there might have been a better qualified person. It appears that qualifications are not the highest priority for Risch appointments. Mr. Armstrong, the H&W guy, is just a payback for all the donations Blue Cross has stashed in political pockets over the last 10 years (see the sunshine reports). He has zero background in operations or computers – the two key places that need fixed at H&W. Blue Cross also hired Dirk’s daughter, Paula Froney’s husband, Tracy Andrus, Jerry Evans, and who knows how many others trying to buy-into their political ties.

Or maybe Risch is in fact just setting Tibbs up to take out Beiter.

I appreciate the political angle on the post and there is plenty to ruminate over. But the underlying issue of meth in our society is reaching epidemic proportions. It is one of our greatest social ills, clogging the courts with criminal cases and with determining what to do the children of meth abusers. Tibbs role will be to stick his finger in the dike.

Oddly enough there is a magic bullet. The primary source of the raw material for meth is a handful of manufacturers of ephedrine. They have resisted the government’s efforts to restrict their sales to legitimate buyers because they make too much money when they sell to the drug cartels. Remember quaaludes in the 70s. You don’t hear about them anymore because the raw material manufacturers voluntarily complied with government efforts to restrict sales. But not with the meth trade. Pharmaceutical companies actively lobby Congress to stop government efforts. For more detail go to this informative Frontline documentary on the subject: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/

Tibbs will merely be treating the consequences of meth abuse and unfortunately his job will give him little ammunition to do battle with the real culprits causing the problem.

Congratulations to Jim Tibbs who deserves to be amply rewarded for his years of service to the community. Perhaps his appoitment will highlight the states refusal to cooperate with City and County officials in establishing a much needed de-tox center.

The fact that this city does not have one is a real insult to our citizens.As for a potential conflict between tibbs and Bieter over who will be the next mayor…It’s hard to beat a Czar but it’s even better for the best man to win….

Good comments by the cynic. Regarding self-medicating… for all of recorded history, people have self-medicated. For some reason, we seem to enjoy altering our consciousness in one way or another. (Even very young kids love to spin ’round and ’round until they’re falling-down dizzy.) Problems arise when we’re dizzy and running over each other, stealing to buy our medication, spending the paycheck on meds instead of food for the family, etc. And… I’ve always had problems with the “czar” title, too… I’m glad you brought it up. Does it say “Idaho Drug Czar” on Tibbs’ business cards, or is that just an informal moniker, that wasn’t very well chosen?

Based on the story in this morning’s Statesman, the next mayoral election may turn into a referendum on drinking a social glass of wine. Evidently Tibbs had a drink at a party on the night Matthew Jones got shot, and afterwards drove a police car to the scene. Bieter is rippin’ into him for exhibiting such poor judgment. He shoulda taken a taxi.

(If I had Tibbs’ ear, I’d tell him that the state should relax our collective sphincters a bit on use/abuse of deadly reefer by the citizenry. THAT battle has been lost. Yet hundreds of prison cells are occupied by marijuana violators, costing the taxpayers millions. I’ve known a few marijuana users over the years, both casual tokers and chronic users. They’re essentially harmless, except arguably to themselves. I’d much rather see our tax dollars and manpower focused on abusers of meth, opiates, etc. – the truly-dangerous abusers.)

As long as we take a “cop” mentality (compound that with corrections background) to the problem we will continue to get exactly what we have. The lack of understanding and wholistic approach will keep us from progressing and will likely enable H & W to do what they have been doing; nothing. Unless you count foster care placements and then we can debate on the effectiveness. This is a not so cleverly disguised means to beef up a retirement and pay a boatload for gladhanding.

Tam, just exactly what IS a “cop mentality”? Drugs are an insidious addition to our culture, but they have been in virtually every culture in the history of this rock we live on. That doesn’t make them right, or beneficial, or the lack of logic involved with the ” lack of understanding and the holistic approach that will allow us to advance”. A cop is simply a person in society that has chosen to take employment enforcing the laws that we make up. There is no mentality change that takes place, other than to try and stay alive, when they put on the uniform. Simply some people doing their job.
At the risk of sounding simplistic, drugs are a “chosen activity”. Period! There is a decision to take part in an activity that society has deemed illegal. Once that decision has been made, the end is pre-determined. When more members of the society take drugs than don’t, the culture goes into decline and eventually disappears.
Unfortunately that is not pontificating, just history.