Business
Commish Raises Funds For Chamber
March 7, 2007 
At $25 a head for 500 heads, Wednesday’s “Live Aid” (State of the County) breakfast speech by Ada Commish Fred Tilman grossed at least $12,000 for the special interest private lobbying group commonly known as Chamber of Commerce.
For years the GUARDIAN has suggested the commishes and mayors of the valley are out of line, starring as the big act for these Chamber of Commerce funding raising events.
We point out that these profitable events would be more properly presented on behalf of homeless people, the Idaho Food Bank, or similar groups who are not lobbying for a special interest to aid wealthy. If they are truly worthy of note, they should be performed at the normal meeting times and locations.
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Comments & Discussion
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Mar 7, 2007, 4:33 pm
What?
I thought it was illegal to be homeless and hungry in Idaho.
Mar 7, 2007, 5:25 pm
It’s my understanding that the Mayor of Eagle already let it be known that next year (if re-elected) she will present her State of the City address in the auditorium at one of the local schools rather than at an Eagle Chamber luncheon. Apparently she also wants to make it some kind of fund raiser for a charitable cause in the community, although I didn’t hear which one or even if she has identified the beneficiary. If the concept works, maybe it’ll catch on elsewhere?
Mar 7, 2007, 9:02 pm
If I dig deep enough I can almost see a point in Boise City making their presentation to the Boise Chamber. However, the digging produces a deep dark hole, the smell is bad, and if there really is a point down there, it is a tiny one.
But, if the point is a tiny one for Boise City, it is a microscopic one for Ada County. Especially when they do it year after year.
Why wouldn’t the county make the presentation to the Eagle Chamber? How about the Meridian, Garden City, Kuna or Star chambers? It wouldn’t hurt the Comms to remember that those are also Ada County cities. Wouldn’t their chambers also benefit from some additional “funds?” Couldn’t they rotate the favor?
The guardian has an excellent idea about using the opportunity to benefit a variety of charities. They could also use the chance to benefit the biggest charity in the county, namely the County!
Instead of rotating among the business lobbying chambers of commerce, why not rotate among a whole variety of needy county programs? Why not the Fair Grounds? The county already owns the facility and they are perpetually short of funds. Or how about the Ridges to Rivers, or the County Park Systems? How about the EMS system? How about aid to the homeless, or the county welfare system? As the Guardian suggested, it is an excellent chance to do some good. It might even be a chance to lower taxes at the same time.
Mar 14, 2007, 8:52 am
It is simply all about the money going to the chamber. Period.