Business
Mayor Hotline January 10 to 16
January 22, 2009 
PRETTY MUCH “SIGNS OF THE TIMES” THIS WEEK. LIKE THE SNOW ON THE SIDEWALKS, CITY NEEDS TO EITHER ENFORCE OR RECIND THE LAW…THREATS ONLY OFFEND.
NOTE: We apparentlyhave a Boise version of the “lady from Sacramento” and out of courtesy we won’t post, but the city does properly provide the public document for the GUARDIAN’s editorial judgement.
1/9/09
Roger Koyle
870-4832
Signs: I am calling to tell you guys that I think that this ordinance that you have about signs that’s coming out of the news is absolutely ludicrous. I’m a business owner and tough times like this the last thing we need is government imposing more authority and those kinds of restrictions on businesses trying to make it at a tough time. So, I am adamantly opposed to that, I am adamantly opposed to the Mayor and those who came up with such a smart idea.
Action Taken: contacted
1/12/09
Sam Glenn
608-0878
Prosecutorial Request: I’m a 26-year veteran and I wrote you a letter. I have no rights in Idaho and bull because I was born here. My wife beat me up, cut my throat because you have a dirty cop on your force and decided that men need to go to jail; I went to jail. Now I’m going to win my case. I want to know how in the hell to prosecute her. Nobody wants to file charges; I do. You give me a call; I voted for you too; let’s see if it’s worth it.
Legal
Action Taken: contacted
1/13/09
Kay Dorey
409-1831
Protesters: At St. Luke’s on the corner of Jefferson and 1st St., there is a large congregation,
very, very noisy individuals. I don’t mind the picketing, but they are really loud and raucous and
they need to stop making racket so that the patients that are in the hospital for care and
restitution can become well again. They don’t need this kind of trash talking, whistling, carrying
on; they need to keep their mouth shut or move away from the hospital. Please take care of
this; it’s been going on long enough.
Action Taken: contacted
1/13/09
Guy Summedor
3399 Pepperwood Dr.
Boise, ID
Signs: My comment is, and I want to get this to the Mayor, the current issue with all the business signs in the city to take them down, let’s do something about the political signs that always go up at the time of election and are taken down several months later, a lot of them. They’re more offending to the city than these business signs. Thank you.
1/13/09
Steve Fredriksen
896 E. Highland View Dr.
Boise, ID 83702
Signs: I’m calling regarding the sign enforcement and even though I am not out of compliance with the signs, there are several businesses around us that are being dinged on their signs. I’ve
got to tell you, the most effective form of advertising sometimes for these businesses that are barely hanging on is some of their signs. Every piece of business counts and it may make a difference between them being in business and out of business. Your sign people are going around yanking down everybody’s signs on the basis and that it doesn’t look sightly, especially
for the Idaho Olympics. I hope you don’t mind putting all these guys out of business because
that sign might be the very last thing that is keeping some of them alive. Number two, we now
have the Fire Marshall coming by and putting “Do Not Occupy” on all of our vacant spaces, and
this does affect me. Well, if people are looking at our space and it has a “Do Not Occupy” big
orange sign on there and somebody is not standing there explaining that they just need an
Occupancy Permit, which is fine, it really makes it difficult to be red tagged with such a bright
sign and makes our buildings look like they’re not up to code, which they are. It’s really hard on
business, and if the idea is to make it difficult to do business in Boise, Idaho, you’re doing a
great job of it because that’s exactly what’s happening in those two areas. Thank you for your
time.
Fire
Action Taken: contacted
1/13/09
LeRoy Lokken
4901 Parkwood St.
Boise, ID 83704
377-4939
Kudos: First of all, I want to congratulate you on the great job you’re doing. Secondly, I think in
these financial times when we are so tight that I would question why we have an Ombudsman
when we have a county and a city prosecutor who should be able to do that job or other
individuals in the Police Department. Also, I’m wondering why we have to have a spokesman
for every office. Can’t managers and supervisors handle that problem? It seems like there’s
money being spent on everything from retirements, insurance, office space, and equipment that
could be a savings for the city. Anyway, keep up the good work and I hope you understand
what I’m trying to say.
1/13/09
Bill Monaghan
322-1464
Solar Cycles: There’s a free DVD available from an educational Idea Channel on the internet.
You can call the 800 number 388-0662; it’s called the Story of Greenland and it’s an excellent,
excellent study by scientists on the history of solar cycles on earth, and it’s very important in
terms of budget spending for whatever we’re doing in terms of greenhouse gases, etc. Give me
a call if you have any questions and I need your fax number as well. (This man called today
and talked to me; I forwarded him on to Public Works Environmental. Gail Baker gave him their
fax number)
1/13/09
Anonymous Male
Hey Mayor Bieter, I just wanted to congratulate you on doing absolutely nothing on the drinking policy at Idaho Ice World and letting the figure skating director and hockey director charge money for private lessons on city taxpayer dollars. So, good job on that. I appreciate you not even giving a damn to support the city policies that you supposedly enforce and have come up
with. Thanks.
1/14/09
Ross Fitzpatrick
336-8577
Union Picketers: I’ve been walking past St. Luke’s three times a week for several years and lately I have noticed that there are a number of people out there yelling, screaming, hollering, shouting, and it’s very loud. I’ve seen the city editor about this and I called the police today and
the fellow I talked to had never heard of this and didn’t know that there was a law against disturbing the peace, and he didn’t know that I suppose there were supposed to be quiet zones around hospitals as they did when I was young. Anyway, I would think that the Mayor would sign a complaint about these people; it’s really bad. If were in a hospital, I wouldn’t like it; I don’t
like it just walking by and seeing these goof balls yelling and screaming. Anyway, that’s my comment; I think something should be done about it. I’ve seen Letters to the Editor about it,
people complain about it but nobody ever does anything about it. Isn’t there a law against disturbing the peace, especially in front of a hospital? Thank you very much.
Action Taken: contacted
1/15/09
Anonymous Male
Hey, I was out at Ice World today and saw that you made them take down the American Flag for the Special Olympics. I don’t know what country you think we’re in, but this is America. I’m sorry that you are so stupid that you have f___’d over our city for these idiots and have…yah just f___’d the whole city over for this God damned Special Olympics. So I just wanted to let
you know what an idiot you are and this is America, buddy, and I think it’s a shame that we have to take down the American flag for this crap. Thank you Mayor.
Lady from Sacramento called: 1/10/09 am, 1/10/09 pm, 1/11/09 am, 1/11/09 pm, 1/12/09 am
1/13/09 am, 1/13/09 pm, 1/14/09 am, 1/15/09 am, 1/15/09 pm, 1/16/09,
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jan 22, 2009, 9:23 am
Let’s see if I have this right. A crappy sign on a flimsy upright will bring business into your store? Especially in times when people don’t have any money to spend in the first place. I somehow fail to make the connection.
Take out an advertisement in the paper or TV, issue a coupon, but a bad sign is visual blight and a poor way to sell your products.
Jan 22, 2009, 11:55 am
I bet Hockey Dad is just suffering from that “Seasonal Affective Disorder” that you hear so much about, this time of year.
Perhaps his feelings would be assuaged if somebody would drive him down from the hockey palace to the Burger King on the zamboni, and get him an ice cream cone or something.
Jan 22, 2009, 7:18 pm
I personally have a major problem with intermittent and selective enforcement of the sign ordinances and that is that enforcement is intermittent and selective. Enforcement should be ongoing with revenue from fines dedicated to enforcement. In my opinion the sign ordinance is well thought out and necessary.
As an aside, Boise Town Square follows the letter of the law by only allowing human held temporary signs on their sidewalks and frontage, which is in compliance. They also have to allow the panhandlers holding hand made signs begging for handouts on the sidewalks. On a recent NPR show I heard that the paid sign holders were complaining that they made less per day than the panhandlers.
Jan 22, 2009, 10:53 pm
Put a $0.50 cent bounty on signs and they will disappear overnight. The can collecting crew will have a new target and the city will have cheap code enforcement.
They must cost about $10/each with the wire frames. Pretty soon the people violating the sign ordinance will figure out they can’t stay ahead of the scavengers collecting the signs.
Jan 23, 2009, 11:37 pm
They are about $3 bucks tops! But I really like your idea Paul!
Jan 24, 2009, 8:14 am
The “Union” Picketers have all the subtlety of a Hand Grenade!
God Bless ’em.
Jan 24, 2009, 6:30 pm
Re signs: If they’re in the way, blocking the sidewalk, etc., make business move ’em or remove ’em. Otherwise, leave ’em alone.
Re the noisy pickets: There are laws against disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct. If those were teenagers, the cops would nail them immediately. So where are the cops now?
These and many other problems could be avoided if the city officials would just show come common sense and enforce laws fairly and equally for all. (Or is that too alien a concept?)
Jan 24, 2009, 6:31 pm
Aw, c’mon; show us at least one example of the Boise version of the lady from Sacramento.
After all, you showed lots of hers before you cut her off.
Jan 25, 2009, 12:19 pm
RE: Pickets and Teenagers.
You’re making an Apples and Oranges comparison.
The “Union” Picketers are well within their rights (Local, State and Federal) to do exactly what they are doing. Even more, actually.
As far as what “Teenagers” or any other Private Citizen can get away with…
Knowledge (and a audio recorder) is power. Know what your rights and responsibilities are, and don’t be afraid to assert those rights when an officer or official attempts to persuade you otherwise.
And if you make sure they see your audio recorder, they’ll be as polite and courteous as a Maitre’De.
It’s the ignorant lemmings who panic and cave because the police roll in 10 deep in a meaningless show of force who get shafted (as used to happen in Nampa some years back, until the Canyon County Sheriff exposed – and refused to allow his Deputies to participate in – the despicable practice).
Rights unexercised are lost!
Jan 26, 2009, 8:35 am
If the carpenter’s union wants to hire day labor and homeless to walk these protest points, then so be it! Although, one must wonder who in the hell thought “picketing” and screaming at a school site was such a good idea! Very poor PR move, don’tcha think???
Jan 26, 2009, 8:39 pm
I disagree on the apples and oranges comment. Your are right that the union picketers are well within their rights to walk and show their signs. And teenagers are well within their rights to just hang around or walk along the sidewalk (as long as it’s before curfew).
But both are going beyond “rights” when the are being so noise and disruptive as to cause problems to other people; hence the enactment of laws against disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct.
Of course, some might argue that since these pickets are adults, they should be even more expected to act like humans instead of screaming animals, and show some respect for people trying to recover in the hospital.
Jan 26, 2009, 10:44 pm
Oops.
The typos above are not from drunken blogging; just from tired and not being able to see well. (Plus, perhaps, a touch of excess stupidity and carelessness.
Jan 27, 2009, 12:11 pm
In response to business sidewalk signage, here are a couple of links to information that may help people make a connection to the use of these signs and how they are one of the most cost effective marketing tools a business can use to increase sales.
http://www.chainleader.com/articleXml/LN906917011.html
http://www.xomba.com/3_ways_sidewalk_sign_can_boost_your_sales_revenue
Jan 28, 2009, 12:50 am
Gordon: I used to get slimed when I corrected other bloggers misspelling and soon learned to overlook same. It is the thought that matters – we aren’t getting grades here. It’s like when people say “you do the crossword puzzle in ink?” Well, yeah. Will I get into trouble if I overwrite a wrong answer?
Keep on posting. Errors in spelling and grammer will be forgiven – I probably have one or two in this blog.
EDITOR NOTE–Gordon spent part of his career at the Daily Paper editing me. He usually did a pretty good job and we are both still at it, but without pay now.