City Government
Mayor Hotline May 8 to 14
May 19, 2010 
PRO GROWTH, ANGRY CHRISTIANS, NO DRINKING WATER, MOTORCYCLE NOISE
5/13/10
Anonymous
Hammer Flat: When we first bought this Hammer Flat I wondered what this would do for the people of Boise. It’s obvious that there are some people who don’t want it to do anything for the City of Boise. Why not buy land up by Idaho City or Riggins for all the good this is going to do the City of Boise. I used to be quite active outdoors, skiing, hiking, doing all the outdoor things. But I can’t anymore. I’d like to have an entrance to something like Hammer Flat where a person can drive and sit in their car and look out across it and look at the animals. I’m really not a hunter; I have no interest in that. I’m really not a lot of things anymore. What does this do for the people of the City of Boise? It seems to me we spent $4 million; I understand this is dedicated money but I can’t get over what you do for small groups or for your own self interest that does not do anything for the people of the City of Boise. If they are locked out of it why not buy something out in the desert and lock them out of that? I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye on these things. It seems to me you go off on tangents that have nothing to do with the City of Boise. Why should the City of Boise be in the wildlife conservation business? We are in the city business running the city. Anyway, please look at this thing and see if there isn’t some way that there could be at least an entrance for it where you could drive in and look at it without even necessarily getting out of the car. Thank you.
5/10/10
James Otradosky
652 N. Morningside Way
Boise 83712
331 4137
Growth: Mr. Mayor I think you and the city council had better take a look at the center section of the 2010 parade of homes page 18and 19 and see where all the parade of homes are right now. The majority of them are all outside the city limits in Meridian and Eagle. I think you and the city council had better take a very hard look at that cause that’s where the housing and all the businesses are going instead of the City of Boise. You need to take a look at the infill and give people advantages of building within the city or are you going to keep on losing. It’s a serious deal cause people who come in and see where the people are building, that’s where they’re going to build their businesses and pretty soon the City of Boise will be a regular ghost town. Instead of worrying about your streetcar and your water park you’d better start worrying about where the people are building and where the business going instead of trying to build your resume up I think you should try to build the City of Boise up instead. Take your head out of the sand and get to work please. Thank you.
Action Taken: contacted
5/11/10
Anonymous
Drinking Fountain: Yes, I’m calling about the drinking fountain on the south side of the river about mile post 1.6 close to the Albertsons headquarters. It’s not turned on. That’s kind of a real important water fountain because there’s not too much in that area. Seems like every year they forget to turn it on or don’t turn it on. Can you tell someone from the parks to get it on? Thank
you.
BPR
5/13/10
Kathleen Osman
PO Box 1226
Meridian 83680
Invocation: I don’t agree with that Hindu prayer cause we were founded on Judeo Christian and they’re not even giving Christians equal time. You know, these days we’re getting persecuted and it just doesn’t seem to be right. I guess it would be o.k. if we were getting equal time and if these people were paying taxes and are citizens I understand that part, if they are part of the local government but are you going to open with Christian prayer as well? Where do we draw the line? What if Satanists then want to start opening up a prayer. Where do we draw the line? Muslims don’t have tolerance like that. We tolerate to a certain degree but now the other religions don’t tolerate this country that was founded on Judeo Christian values.
5/13/10
Cheryl Bliss
3589 S. Bayporte Pl
Boise 06
Invocation: I just wanted to ask David Bieter to not have a Hindu be praying at the council meeting in June. It totally goes against what we were founded on which is Christian religion, not the Hindu religion and I just think this is a big mistake. I would appreciate him not inviting that religion to be praying at the council meeting. And I’d love a response. Bye
5/13/10
Anonymous
Invocation: Having the Zen priest come here to open the council meetings with his prayer is a perfect reason to vote Mayor Bieter out of office.
5/13/10
Anonymous
Fraud: I live at Treadwell place and there’s a gal that lives at (DELETED #) Treadwell. She’s on social security disability, she’s on housing and she’s also on social security. She had her boyfriend buy her a jaguar and you know I’m concerned because I feel she’s defrauding the government. I’m a single grandmother and I raised my three young grandsons. They can’t even ride their
bicycles down the street without this woman calling and saying I’m allowing them to play out in the middle of the street. They have nowhere to ride their bikes. They can’t do anything, but yet she’s defrauding the government and going out and getting this new jaguar car. I’m really frustrated. I work at St. Vincent de Paul; I know how many homeless people there are; I know
how many homeless people with children there are and yet this woman can go out and buy a new jaguar and that is just so unfair. Thank you. Bye.
5/14/10
Beth Fain
Boise
853-6262
Invocation: I found out that you plan to have a Hindu pray for the City Council and it’s very offensive to me. It’s also offensive that you and the City Council had the Ten Commandments taken out of the park and yet you let this Hindu come in and recruit or whatever it is. It makes me very angry and upset, and offended. Have a nice day.
Action Taken: left message
5/14/10
Celeste Schmidt
Boise, ID 83713
Motorcycle Noise: I called a couple of weeks ago to ask about a meeting that was supposedly happening about motorcycle noise. I didn’t get the name of the person to whom I spoke in the Mayor’s Office but she referred me back to the police and someone called to say there was no such meeting ever scheduled. So we’re back to square one. The reason I had originally written back in October was because after going through several people at the Boise Police Department who said I’ll get back to you, let me check on that, I ended up in the Chief’s office with his ending up writing me a letter saying about motorcycle noise – there are two statutes on the books about it and we can’t enforce them because they’re just too hard. So, that’s why I had written to the Mayor’s office to say that’s not acceptable and what’s going to be done to resolve the problem. I don’t think I should have to sleep with earplugs in my ears because of the motorcyclists; I don’t think I should have to tell my relatives that I am sorry that they aren’t going to want to come and stay with me in the summer because of the motorcyclists; and I don’t think that my rights should be limited to the time when it’s too cold for the motorcyclists to come out. Please let me know what is going to be done about this problem. They are literally keeping people awake at all hours of the day and night and they are literally deafening if you are within ten feet of them, and the problem just gets worse because nobody does anything about it. Thanks.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
May 19, 2010, 12:16 pm
I am very sad that I grew up in a state full of people that will not allow others to have a different religious point of view. Last year the Boise City Council meetings were opened by Whitney United Methodist, Red Rock Christian Church, Boise Valley Christian, Vern Bisterfeldt and the majority of invocations were given by Alex Charlton. How about this…our country was founded with a line between church and state. Why do we have a prayer before a government meeting in the first place??
May 19, 2010, 2:25 pm
Being a motorcyclist I agree that there are some bikes that are overly loud. On the other hand they are by far not the only group that is to loud. Don’t forget the overly loud 2 door “civic” that run around with the rattling tin can exhaust and the radio causing ears to bleed.
May 19, 2010, 2:53 pm
It’s clear most of the complainers don’t have a clue that the Bill of Rights was written to keep religious preference out of government and that includes the Christians. This country was founded by those who were escaping the combination of religion and government. If you want to pray for governments to do the right thing do it on your own time and not at the government meeting. The posturing hypocrites who want to stand up in front of everyone and pray at the meetings are usually the last ones we can trust to do the right thing once the meeting is over (see Matt 6:6). If you profess to be religious, read the whole text. If you profess to be a patriot read the whole Constitution.
May 19, 2010, 3:53 pm
Amen, idaho101. LOL
I am not a religious person and don’t appreciate my time being taken up while superstitious people talk to imaginary beings.
The political prayer breakfasts irritate me as well. Surely all these people have enough time during the day to say their prayers privately.
May 19, 2010, 9:26 pm
If we crack down on motorscooter noise then we must also face the issue of F-35 noise.
I might say an Idaho spud in the tailpipe and a stick chaser to get r in real deep tends to send a message.
May 19, 2010, 9:52 pm
Christians are the most un-Christian of people. What hypocrisy!! People of one religion offended by people of another religion. It is just superstition – TJ got it right.
That 50-some-odd percent of Americans call themselves Christians is proof positive that our education system has totally failed.
May 20, 2010, 4:31 am
Celeste Schmidt is right about her rights. Riding loud is illegal under federal law. In fact, all new motorcycles made after 1982 are required to have an EPA noise compliance label attached to the chassis and a matching label embossed into the muffler. It’s illegal (and this is clearly explained in every owner’s manual) to replace the noise certified exhaust with one that isn’t certified or to tamper with the legal muffler to make more noise. This label law is designed so that states, cities and towns can adopt and easily enforce it. Denver did this in 2007 and has greatly reduced the numbers of loud motorcycles. Maine Citizens Against Loud Motorcycles supports the widespread adoption of the EPA label law.
May 20, 2010, 9:00 am
These people calling in to protest the Hindu prayer make me absolutely sick. Show some freakin’ tolerance, people. Do you think that anyone was swayed from their particular religious beliefs by this one prayer? Do you think Vishnu is going to take over the city? What could possibly happen that’s worth you protesting it?
As an atheist, I’m offended that there’s prayer at a public meeting in the first place. From there, it’s of no consequence whatsoever to me if the prayer is offered by Christians, Satanists, Hindus, Wiccans, whatever. It’s all one and the same to me.
May 20, 2010, 9:49 am
I suspect that the LOUD motorcycles are being piloted by non-Christians, and Hindus in particular! (/sarcasm)
As a practicing Christian, I’m embarrassed when “fellow Christians” display such bigotry. This country was founded not with “a line between church and state,” but rather as a big tent where all are free to practice their choice of religious beliefs, or none at all. I welcome the Hindu guy at my City Council meeting! (Rod exhibits bigotry as well, by lumping all of Christendom together as uneducated, superstitious fools.)
As for those who are offended by a prayer at a public meeting… don’t be so easily offended! “Serenity now!,” as Frank Costanza would say.
(-;
May 20, 2010, 11:04 am
Celeste Schmidt recently commented on motorcycle noise pollution in her
neighborhood. Many people are not aware that starting in 1983, all motorcycles are required to have an EPA noise compliance label permanently attached to the chassis and a matching label embossed into the muffler.
It’s illegal under federal law to replace the noise certified exhaust with one that isn’t certified or to tamper wit the legal muffler to produce more noise. This label system remains in effect as long as the motorcycle is operated on public roads and is designed so that states, cities
and towns can adopt and easily enforce it. The city of Denver adopted the EPA label system in 2007 and with consistent enforcement and substantial penalties, has
greatly decreased the numbers of loud motorcycles.
In April, the National Park
Service held a two day motorcycle noise forum in Colorado and invited Denver
officials to talk about the EPA label system. In New England, there have been a
number of attempts in the last year or so to adopt the EPA label system. Boston,
Mass., and North Hampton, N.H. have done so despite strong opposition by loud
bikers. Maine Citizens Against Loud Motorcycles (www.mecalm.org) has been working to
enact enforceable laws to curtail loud motorcycles which now plague many citizens
with their illegal noise.
May 20, 2010, 12:15 pm
Bikeboy, I didn’t use the word “fools”, but thank you for putting it out there!