As for the bad stuff: I think The Boise Guardian as pretty well got it pinned down (although there probably is some that even the BG hasn’t found about about … yet.)

As for the good stuff: Hmmmm …
Oh, wait: A lot of it’s good — if you’re a developer. Growth, growth, growth — never mind what you have to destroy in order to build whatever you want to. I guess some of it’s good, too, if you run a gas station or an auto body shop; after all, more people means more cars, more traffic snarls, more gas burned, more fenders bent …

See, there’s a bright side to everything — except maybe Mayor Dave’s brain.

Boise continues to appear on various “best places to live” lists… typically in business and get-rich-quick endeavors. (But also in recreation-oriented, bicycle-geek, etc., type of lists.) Which keeps newbies with dollar-signs-in-their-eyes flowing this way (and typically setting up a domicile in some outlying area and contributing to the ever-expanding sprawl). As a lifelong Boise resident, I’d add that to the “bad” side of the list.

Junkyard Dog gives plaudits to the infill standards, etc.

I’d agree — except that I’d bet a dollar to a stale doughnut that they don’t mean any more than all the other zoning ordinances, long-term plans, etc.: They apply until somebody with a lot of money wants to do something that violates them. Then, presto: exemptions, conditional-use permits, changes in the rules, or just ignore ’em.

Infill is good, though. Otherwise, omygod, there might be a bare spot of ground in the city, which everyone knows is supposed to be completely covered with house, apartments, stores, parking lots, etc. Not one square centimeter for anything open and natural, that’s the mantra.

I agree with the dog, though on the other comments — especially the one on the P&Z foxes guarding the henhouse (apparently no rules against conflict of interest, eh?), and the one about not wanting to be mayor.

Guess that job’s like president: Gotta be someone smart enough to be able to do it, and stupid enough to be willing to.

Can Team Dave take credit for the “Cheesecake Factory” coming to town? I know KTVB was ALL OVER that story! (And Cabela’s, too! I guess the Missus can drop off the Mister at Cabela’s, and then head for the Cheesecake Factory with the credit card. Ka-ching! Ka-ching!)

Exactly what IS the Cheesecake Factory? Is it something like Hooters?
(-;

Using your postings as a database I think you did a pretty complete job. One item missed was the bum rap the city got from the Boston College coach and the misleading reporting from the Idaho Statesman at the MPC banquet.

And I agree you won’t hear much if any of your list at the state of the city in September. I too wish a broader charitable purpose were the result of the breakfast revenues. The Chamber’s own members are being held hostage for that event as well as the state of Ada County event.

Here’s a few other things that happened that may or may not have been in the guardian archives:

The city brokered a deal to get the East Parkcenter Bridge back on track and prevent ACHD from dragging the matter into court.

Boise efforts and dollars provided the basis for Senate passage of a 19,000 acre land exchange which will protect permanently more than 4,200 acres of open space in the Boise foothills. The US House will pass it this fall.

While the Guardian mentions no completed contract with the police union I believe he overlooks that a contract was sealed with the firefighters.

City leaders were part of the community effort in support of the Boise School District bond election, which got 71 percent of the vote versus the “paltry” 57 percent support for new libraries.

The city received a 70 acre park donation from Larry and Marianne Williams, adding another jewel to the Boise River.

Two other great things that have happened for Boise is Kempthorne is gone and Judy Peavey will soon follow.

For the most part, I’m in agreement with a lot of the above posts– especially Junkyard Dog and Slim Jim. But Rod’s post has inspired me to point something out that’s been on my mind for awhile– look, people, you should no more be drinking and floating the river than you should be drinking and driving. It’s a waterway and it’s dangerous and if you want to navigate it you need to be sharp. And, yes, I’m a native and I remember the good ol’ days when you could slam a six-pack cruising around town or down a fifth as you tubed the river, and maybe when we were a little smaller we could wink at that kind of behavior. But the city’s grown, we’re all adults now, quit whining because you can’t get s***faced on the river anymore. Hey, here’s an idea– float the river and THEN get wasted!!! All these supposed “adults” saying that they won’t do the float anymore because they can’t drink beer is just pathetic. You know, I would have agreed with you– when I was 22! And I’m no teetotaller. But there’s a time and a place, and out upon the water is not it.

End of rant. But here’s something else to think about while I’m feeling contrary– it’s interesting that there’s a strong nativist bent in the comments on The Guardian, as well as a strong Bieter-bashing contingent. But has it occurred to anyone that Bieter himself is a native? His family has deep roots in this community, he’s been here most of his life, and lives in town in a well-established, old neighborhood. Not drawing any conclusions, here. Just sayin’.

Oy vey– Mr. Logic trumps. OK– we should expect better from “one of us”– so I guess my question is: as a native son, do we hold him to a higher standard and come down on him all the harder when he fails to live up to it? Or do we cut him some slack, just because he is a “hometown hero”? I don’t have an answer. Though I’ll admit that I’m more sympathetic to him than some others around here. But I’m a Basque Boise High graduate, so I admit I’m biased.