Perhaps Win-co will work with local food growers so we can buy local food at a price we can afford. Local apples at Albertsons get shipped to Ogden, UT and back to Idaho stores. Not to mention the other stuff like eggs and milk. Food distribution will be a critical issue in the future.

As to the jobs WinCo is bringing in, they won’t match the salaries of the engineers, but Micron also let folks go that worked the line.

Does any one believe that the jobs in a WINCO warehouse will compare to the jobs lost at MICRON?
Logic would tell you if Davey boy gets credit for the 200 warehouse jobs HE brought to Boise, then HE needs to take the blame for the 1200 jobs lost at Micron! Doesn’t sound quite so good now does it? The bottom line here is that Davey boy would take credit for the sun rising over Aldape summit if he thought for a second he could get away with it.

Check out how much land is in the surplus-to-sell pipeline. Truly, the amount for lease we are all talking about here is miniscule in the big picture. You can find the numbers. They are out there if you ask.

As for a “boost to the economy, especially for the driving schools that teach those engineers to handle forklifts and trucks!” I think those that are currently in need of work would look differently at the situation, driving a forklift offers a better living than jobs many in the valley. At least this is one type of employment that they can’t ship to China. Concerning the long-winded response, it’s hard to address all issues in life with a simplistic 30-second sound bite.

The G-man has a problem with the government acting in secret, NOT WinCo. Would you advocate the police purchasing cars with no bids to get a better price as you mentioned?

No one has a problem with WinCo, it is the city involvement. If indeed they are planning to lease public land, how are they going to finance the things Team Dave keeps saying they will finance through sale of surplus land (libraries, police buildings, etc.)?

This could be a boost to the economy, especially for the driving schools that teach those engineers to handle forklifts and trucks!

Just because it will be new to Boise, with 200 “new jobs” does not in and of itself equate to additional population growth. What Guardian overlooks is that Micron just laid off around 1,200 people, who will most likely not see their jobs at Micron return any time soon, if ever. What are they supposed to do? What happens to the other businesses in the area that rely on the money these former Micron employees spend in our local economy? I think it is quite reasonable to figure that a large number of people already residing in Boise will take those jobs. I also think it is reasonable to suppose that others in Boise making less than necessary to support their families will look to WinCo for a better opportunity to provide a sound living for themselves and their families.

This in turn will help to assure that secondary economic impacts do not take other businesses down with Micron’s fall. If you look at it in the economic sense, we are still at a net loss for jobs and the vitality they bring to our economy.

Now lets look at it from the environmental standpoint. Yes, more cheat grass will fall to the wayside for a distribution center near Micron. Yes, I know there is more there than cheat grass, but let me assure you there are no endangered species in that area (if there were, I’d be one of the first to say “no way”). Secondly, warehouses generally don’t use huge amounts of water like other forms of industry. Studies conducted by the Idaho Department of Water Resources, with the help of the Bureau of Reclamation, have shown that while we in Boise do live in an arid climate, there is enough water in the Upper Treasure Valley area for the foreseeable future. Thirdly, undoubtedly any business will add to traffic, but if this warehouse is able to make use of a rail access point, it will not put as severe a strain on vehicular traffic in the area as a warehouse without rail access. Lastly, in terms of dealing with the issue “in secret,” why would an entity in the market to buy anything, car, house, land, stock, whatever, want to publicize it? That would only start a bidding war, drive up the price and send them elsewhere. Goodness knows the last time I bought a car, the last thing I wanted the dealer to know was his car was the one I wanted, or my bargaining power would have expired on the spot.

In terms of the fact that some of this land is going to lease rather than surplus-to-sell, in the big picture, it is a Very Small amount. That is what the budget workshop said last June. By far, the majority of surplus land is in the pipeline to the auction block. In our form of government, the City Council sets policy. The Mayor is more like a CEO that caries out the policies set forth by the Council. If a business were to approach the City Council with an offer to lease a piece of land, the City Council would vote on the issue and if passed, the property would be removed from auction and a least contract written.

This is not merely a means to circumvent the voter and act as speculators. While it may not be drawing property tax, it is drawing revenue monthly in the form of rent that is used for ongoing expenditures.

Lastly, I’ve attended different community functions, and as far as I could tell, the various Council members, Vern, Maryanne, Elaine, David, Alan and the Mayor, despite the obvious differences, still get along. At Council meetings, they are able to discuss issues they may not agree on, but are polite, ask questions and respond respectfully.

Maybe Jim should speak up a bit more, ask more questions if he isn’t sure what the issues or implications are, get clarification and voice his concerns rather than simply saying no one will let him participate. Jim Tibbs wasn’t the only new member to join the Council the night he was elected, but somehow he feels he was the odd man out from day one. I think in his case, it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

He’s balanced the budget while expanding city services. He’s building new libraries and recreational centers. He doubled the neighborhood grant program. He went door-to-door for the Community College effort. He’s made the city greener and more environmentally-friendly. He’s added more than 100 acres of parks. He’s protected open space and stood up to sprawl. Crime is down. Downtown is thriving. His efforts led to Ada County to give more planning authority to cities and to ACHD bringing in ULI and working toward a higher standard when it comes to traffic.

Bieter has earned another four years.