ACHD
Commish Baker Dissed On ACHD Plaque
October 7, 2009 
THE PARK CENTER BRIDGE TABLET MINUS BAKER'S NAME.
When the new span was dedicated last week, she wandered down the abutment anticipating seeing her name etched in brass for all to see. However, she discovered that even as an elected member of the ACHD board, someone apparently decided to insert previous board member David Bivens’ name on the list of Commishes for the 2009 dedication instead of hers.
She does have a point on HER BLOG when she says, “…After all, they specially recognized the ACHD director and the ACHD lawyer as well as the Dallas Harris family and others and could have just as easily put Dave Biven’s name there.”
Intentional or not. Egotistical or not, Sara Baker can claim the title of “Stealth Commish.”
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Oct 7, 2009, 11:38 pm
How much did the plaque cost? I’d rather none of those folks, but rather all those that paid the bridge were listed… “Thank You Tax Payers” “This bridge cost you $$”
Oct 8, 2009, 6:31 am
I don’t blame her a bit for being mad. The taxpayers had the gall to elect someone out of the mold and by God that person is going to suffer for it. Sara has done more for openness in ACHD than anyone in my memory.. and that goes back to its start. As for “arrogance”–well-behaved women seldom make history.
Oct 8, 2009, 8:36 am
Sorry Sara, you hade zero to do with the bridge. Honestly, do you really care anyway?
Oct 8, 2009, 8:41 am
There are some pretty good reasons for wanting to NOT have your name on that bridge. Such as, $20 million plus for a bridge that serves only about a hundred homes.
At a time when just about every road west of Broadway is at, or way beyond, capacity, you can safely play croquet in the middle of the E. Parkcenter Bridge do to the lack of traffic.
A whole lot of taxpayer money dumped in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Oct 8, 2009, 11:18 am
Sara was obviously WAY OFF when, during the annual budget process, she proposed streamlining the ACHD PR Department from its current 6 (!) employees, to save the taxpayers a few bucks.
They need a 7th PR associate – the Plaque Specialist!
(/sarcasm)
The plaque is GORGEOUS, by the way! And I say that sincerely. I’d be curious to know how much it set the taxpayers back.
Oct 8, 2009, 11:36 am
I strongly disagree CO. That’s the last impediment to the east/west transit corridor, feeding directly from the connector, and its a decade or two late. People here have been griping about the lack of transit options. Personally I’m glad this finally came to fruition. Its been open less than two weeks so judging by its traffic quantity at this stage is woefully premature.
I agree with your assessment erico, especially your last comment.
Oct 8, 2009, 11:50 am
Oh,please, Sara. You had nothing to do with the project. All of the decisions regarding the bridge were made LONG before you even considered running for office. Dave Bivens deserves to be on the plaque, you don’t.
To the casual observer, in years to come when a bridge connection will cost far more than it did today, you will see usage by hundreds of home owners and businesses. I thank the folks at ACHD for having vision.
Oct 8, 2009, 12:20 pm
Oh, please, Sara! How could you possibly even think that your name should be on the plaque. You have to do something in order to be recognized. All of the tough decisions regarding the bridge were made years before you even considered running for ACHD Commissioner. Dave Bivens was there from the beginning and deserves to be on the plaque, you don’t.
Oct 8, 2009, 12:21 pm
Question, Sisiphus, How many times do we have to build the east/west corridor.
About a decade ago we spent about $200 million revamping federal way to Gowen. Extending Gowen east to the river, and building a major high bridge across the river, thus rerouting Hwy 21 away from the poor abused citizens along historic Warm springs.
Now they, and you, tell us this bridge was-is needed to do the same thing. Talk about lack of memory!
This bridge, the cost of which was supposed to be picked up by the harris ranch developers, is a scandalous misappropriation of taxpayer money that would be much more beneficially spent in places like State west of Eagle.
Adding insult to injury, if you go stand at the EPB bypass for awhile, you will notice that roughly half the traffic bypasses the bridge. More failed planning from ACHD.
Oct 8, 2009, 3:19 pm
You people are pathetic. If you actually research her opinions from her blog you will see she agrees Bivens should be on the plaque but not as acting commissioner. Moreover, her point was that at no time in her presence was this change discussed. Therefore it was a decision they made on their own, secretly to spite Sara. Her point was to show how petty they are, putting herself at risk for clowns hiding on comment boards to put her down. If you disagree with her positions come to the meetings, or run yourself. I have seen her do as much as she can to help the tax payers of the county and the roads.
Oct 8, 2009, 6:00 pm
sisyphus and I agree. I rest my case.
Oct 8, 2009, 8:17 pm
Let’s notice The Statesman has not done anything with this story.
Let’s also notice the ACHD advertisment banner is now back on the Statesman in the last 2 weeks. YOUR tax dollars wasted advertising for ACHD to be a more friendly agency cuz that’s what ULI recommended to them.
Coincidence?
Oct 8, 2009, 9:39 pm
Idaho Native is right on! Sara, you had nothing to do with the bridge. How could she possibly even think that your name should be on the plaque. Stop grandstanding, you are the laughing stock of most of District 5. The tough decisions, frustrations and mistakes regarding this bridge were made years before you even considered running for ACHD Commissioner. I agree that Dave Bivens deserves to be listed on the plaque as Commissioner, he was there from the beginning, you weren’t.
Oct 9, 2009, 12:23 am
We should put inspiring quotes and date built on plaques not names of commissioners and lawyers. What’s the obsession with self-aggrandizement?
Public structures like this should remain unattributed to an incidental group or individual, especially not a group of public servants.
Oct 9, 2009, 7:25 am
I agree with Lucas, why a plaque at all?
14 comments and you all missed the point, the point was that the 4 commissioners besides Baker authorized the plaque in a private meeting. What other private meetings are going on?
And no, I’m no fan of Baker. I contacted her, before the election, about the 30th St Extension, which is something many in my neighborhood want built. She admitted knowing nothing about it, but she sure knew everything about the Ustick widening.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think a potential ACHD commissioner should have some idea about the top 20 or 30 proposed projects especially when the project has been on the drawing board for 40 years or more.
Sara, if you’re listening, drop the revenge over Ustick shtick, it’s done. It looks a million times better and traffic is a billion times better and honestly, I see only a small number of properties that took it in the shorts.
To Casual Observer:
West Boise has gotten millions in ACHD expenditures in the last ten years. Do I have to list them all? 27th is the busiest residential street in Ada County even busier than WS Avenue prior to the East Parkcenter bridge. 30th Extension has been proposed for 40 years which is about 10 years longer than the East Parkcenter bridge. The next major project should be the 30th Extension.
Traffic count sources from ACHD’s own traffic count web page.
Oct 9, 2009, 9:38 am
Having now witnessed Ms. Baker’s appropriately characterized tantrum I’m going to revise my comments. Pick your battles Sarah. Absolutely there needs to openess and I applaud your efforts to do so but not when the recipient of those efforts is your own personal aggrandizement. The efforts to deflect the focus to the people who elected you won’t carry on this issue which in the grander scheme of things will seem self serving to the typical voter’s thirty second attention span. The unwritten rule to which you cite on your blog makes for a very weak case. Do I think you were shafted? Perhaps. But your comparison to Stalin is vitriolic hyperbole. It may be accurate regarding secrecy but it invokes an evil historical character responsible for killing millions of people that has NO place in this issue and does nothing but add to divisivness in discourse. You may have had a point but its now lost. I’d apologize for these very public missteps, but not for your motive to examine the decision making process, and perhaps pursue the matter internally. But this is clearly the wrong issue to make a stink about. Please give me the shovel.
Oct 9, 2009, 9:44 am
In answer to your question east ender, so long as population growth remains unchecked, and unaggressive planning is allowed to rule, the expansion will never be done.
Oct 9, 2009, 10:02 pm
Lucas Bumbach wrote: “What’s the obsession with self-aggrandizement?”
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha………deep breath…….ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…..deep breath
Oct 11, 2009, 10:14 am
For the curious, you can watch Baker bring this up at the commission meeting here http://www.achd.ada.id.us/MeetingsAgendas/CommissionMeetings/Archive/2009/10-07-09.aspx
(click “Watch entire meeting” – it’s only about 5 mins)
Personally, I found her actions at the meeting unprofessional, hostile, accusatory and HIGHLY passive-aggressive. Her blog post follow up struck me as whiny and petulant.
Oct 12, 2009, 7:48 am
One’s exclusion from a bridge plaque does not equal Stalinist Russia. Stalin actually, you know, killed people. That one analogy renders her entire argument as stupid.
Should she have been on the plaque? Probably.
Can I see why she’s not? Absolutely.
Oct 21, 2009, 10:22 pm
Ms. Baker is a sitting ACHD commissioner. She should have been included on the plaque, since the project was completed during her term. Mr. Bivens is a former ACHD commissioner and major contributor to the project; he is rightfully acknowledged. Next time you are in Merrill Park, check out the Eagle Pathway System plaque, circa 2004. I can understand why Ms. Baker is ticked — to omit her was a sign of disrespect. However, “Stalinist tactics” rhetoric and tantrums have no place at public meetings.