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City Government

Mayor Hotline January 19 to 25

 January 27, 2008 ⋅  Post a comment

GOOD COP, BAD COP, BAD OMBUDSMAN, TAP DANCING CRAIG

1/23/07
Anonymous
BPD: I was very dismayed about the policeman and the Burkett boy. I wasn’t so much distressed by the cop’s behavior because you expect that in a certain percentage of cops anywhere in the US. I was really distressed by the Police Chief’s reaction; does he not accept the validity of having an Ombudsman. He certainly has suffered all the many advantages of having the Ombudsman agree with him up to this point. I think his reaction to this is very, very troublesome. We lived in LA for many years and this was just the sort of thing the pre-stage, the Rodney King incident, but it went on for years with the police chief never accepting responsibility for any misdeed by any of his people. It was not well understood, but the police there got to the point where they were beating on everyone – white, black, or green, and it wasn’t just a racial thing. I would say that Boise should be careful here because the police are starting to get a heavy handed reputation as the Senator said. As far as we’re concerned, we live outside of Boise, but I’m not going to come downtown there any more at night. I have to come down in the day time, but this is a very, very scary thing to us. Coupled with the motto of the new post-graduating class of the State Police, it’s clear that the police are getting into a kind of buck mindset here in Idaho. I think that you should take some action to at least pull the Police Chief aside and remonstrate with him a little bit. This seems very clear cut to me and it’s unacceptable for him to say the Ombudsman is wrong in this case. Thanks for listening. I’m not leaving my name or address, although I’m sure you can record my phone number. I’ve had a lot of friends who are cops and I know if you complain about police in many places, you get on a list and they harass you. Take care and I hope you find a solution to this. Bye.
BPD

1/20/07
April
Meridian Mobile Park
Cherry Lane
Employment, Rent and Dance: I wanted to leave a message to the Mayor regarding a few issues that I would like to address that I feel he should be concerned with since I believe these issues do affect the economy. I’ve lived here four years now and what I’ve seen in the work force, I believe it to be unfair labor practice. Employers are misleading potential employees with job stability that doesn’t exist; which in turn leads to early layoffs. Also I’ve noticed, which I’ve had happen to me, employees having to resign from employment due to misrepresentation of the job classification by the employer. Since we have to, as potential employees, divulge everything to them – be honest, take drug tests, criminal background checks, etc., I just feel like it’s their duty to be honest with that potential employee as well. I don’t think that’s happening. The other issue is rent control. I don’t know if you have rent control in Idaho; I think it needs to be if it’s not. Making a person’s rent go up, a landlord increasing rent every single year is not helping the economy when there’s no justification for the increase in the rent. It’s just because; maybe they just want more money. When there’s an increase, I believe it should be a fair and reasonable amount according to the living standards. I think that would help out. Those are the issues I wanted to point out and I hope you all will listen. I think I speak for other people as well.

The other thing I wanted to mention is – the problem with the Mayor, I believe his last name is Craig, it bothers me that you type cast it as tapping, or some kind of toe tapping. This is what dancers do; I’m a dancer and I’m actually offended that you would take something that he did and call it toe tapping. You know dancers do that; it takes hard work and determination to be able to be a tap dancer and I don’t think it falls into the classification of what he was doing. I think what he did, you should call it what it is and not toe tapping. I would appreciate it and I believe dancers who are out there doing tap or any kind of dance style, it’s like an insult to take what he did and call it something that is what we do. If you could change that, it would be good.
Action Taken: contacted

1/22/07
Mrs. Jen Telander Whitewing
P.O. Box 709
Boise, ID 83701
BPD: I feel so horrified by the latest events in my reality and against my body that I think going up to Bogus and digging a snow cave, somewhere where the ski patrol doesn’t know where I am, and papering the inside of said igloo with documents received from the police department, the Allstate Insurance Company, that doesn’t care if I live or die, and various other entities out there who would love to hassle me with reams of paper, yet somehow never help me survive in any regard, well I could spend the whole winter up there. I’m just that kind of woman. If you feel like you need to hassle me with another piece of paper, or torment me with the police ombudsman, then you can attempt to reach me at my P.O. Box 709, Boise, ID 83701. I have gotten so miserably harassed by the police that I feel rather unsafe in my own rental house.
BPD

1/23/07
Greg Corrie
671 East River Parklane #150
BPD: Good afternoon Mayor Bieter and members of City Council. I’m a Meridian resident but I own and operate my own business here in Boise and have for the past 16 years since relocating here from Colorado. I just wanted to tell you that I want to express my extreme anger and displeasure at Pierce Murphy, the Police Ombudsman. I also want to express my absolute and total support for the Chief of the Boise Police Department. I think he spoke eloquently; I think he represented his law enforcement personnel, his officers, with a tremendous amount of respect, a tremendous amount of concern for the situation that occurred. Let me say as a former law enforcement officer in Colorado, and an avid supporter of law enforcement, but also a much larger supporter of the fundamental rights that each of us have, and that’s the right to free speech, the right to move freely, the right to voice our opinions, and the right to be able to do things in this city without fear of reprisal from any faction, including law enforcement. But Mike Burkett represents the people in the State of Idaho in his specific district. It would be my request that Mike Burkett resign his position as a legislator; that he apologize to the City of Boise and its public at large for the absolutely unbelievable behavior of his son, who chose to be in an area where there were American flags and a display of flags, and to disrespect not only the current military people, and the people who serve in this country as law enforcement, fire fighting, and any capacity, but the fact that a legislator’s son would go down to a place, which I consider to be somewhat hallowed ground, and disrupt the face, or even pull and prank with regards to the flag display is beyond me. Mr. Burkett perhaps ought to spend most of his time searching inward as to how he has failed as a parent. Perhaps Mr. Burkett ought to just go ahead and save us all a lot of taxpayers’ money; his son blew it; his kid blew it. It wasn’t the police officer’s problem. You know what, it’s fortunate that he, the police officer, was there to handle the situation because I think some of us out here in the general public, if we had been faced with the same similar circumstances, may have reacted differently toward Mr. Burkett’s kids, and perhaps would have even acted in a much more aggressive manner. I think it’s time for the Mayor and the City Council to look at Pierce Murphy’s position. I don’t see where in all of the reviews, in all of the things that he has added any more value to the city than the Internal Affairs or the exterior way that the Boise Police Department or any other police department can be investigated by the Attorney General’s office or a special prosecutor. I honestly think it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money; I think it’s a waste of time. I don’t know if there is a religious or political connection between Mr. Murphy’s and Mr. Burkett, but I cannot believe that Pierce Murphy, the Police Ombudsman, would even find in any way, shape, or form, the officer involved in this thing. The video tape may be grainy, but I guarantee you, if it were my son that was down there defacing or vandalizing an American flag or display, I guarantee you my son would be putting flags every 10’ between here and Idaho Falls, or he’d be putting flags between Boise and the Veteran’s cemetery. I think it’s important that Mr. Burkett understand that the rest of us out here understand it’s tough to be a parent and we understand how difficult it might be, but for him to publicly speak and disrespect the Boise Police Department, and use the process for political gain to protect his little boy who should have never been down there doing what he was doing. That in and of itself ought to be looked into. I whole heartedly support the Police Chief and the officers involved. I’ve had great contact with the Boise Police Department; I’ve even had some contact where it wasn’t necessarily as friendly as it needed to be, but I’ve found them to be nothing but professionals. I appreciate this American right to voice my opinion. Keep up the good work Mayor, and to the City Council, I think you’ve got an excellent Police Chief and excellent leader. Thanks.
BPD

1/23/07
Diane Snyder
2661 N. Dalton Lane
Boise, ID
Code Enforcement: We have a field up here that’s full of tumbleweeds; they’re 6’ tall and 3-4’ around. Every time the wind blows my whole yard fills up with them. Last time I had 40 of them and about half of them were the big ones. I’ve called Code Enforcement and they say they can do nothing, yet it’s a fire hazard in the summer and I know they make people cut their weeds down. I see that they get people to clean up their yards, their old junk and jalopies, and I had asked the Code Enforcement officer to find out who owns the lot. I got a call back today from a lady named Pam and she said that they can do absolutely nothing about it and even hinted that I maybe hire somebody to clean it up myself. I can’t find out who owns it. I’m 77 years old and I live on Social Security and I’ve just about had it. I know that they can do more. There’s cigarette butts thrown there in the summer, cars turn around in there in the summer and it’s a fire hazard. I want something done about it. Would you please call me back? Thank you.
PDS
Action Taken: Contacted

1/23/07
Anonymous
ACHD: I am calling about snow removal and city walkways. Is there not an ordinance about that? The condominium complex that border Leadville, Pennsylvania, Division, and Colorado Streets is not clearing their walks and has become a hazard. Thank you
ACHD

1/24/07
Mike Murphy
No Pants Day: Dear Mr. Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Mike Murphy, one-time bull moose candidate for Mayor, erstwhile erasable muckraker, and skurge of narcissistic motorists and NASCAR want-to-be’s, and those that tolerate them. The 2008 brings a kinder, gentler Mike Murphy. I am engaged with others in phone-positive endeavors that you may find interesting. The first is the establishment of Boise’s first annual No Pants Day. I invite you to visit www.boisenopantsday.com for more information. As if you are all forwarded to a my space page because of its multi-media capabilities, you may need to speak with your IT folks to unblock access to it, or view it on your personal computer. It’s already taken on a life of its own in accessible expectations. I invite you to embrace Boise’s first annual No Pants Day and consider participating yourself. All the best.

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