City Government
Bieter Elected By 11% Of Registered Voters
November 9, 2011 
It looks like politics as usual in the City of Trees following the Tuesday election. No changes and a vacant seat filled by a hand picked Bieter boy.
Incumbent Mayor Dave Bieter was elected to a third term with a whopping 11% of the eligible votes. While those who won will proclaim the turnout of only 16% of eligible voters was an indicator of how pleased the citizens are, we choose to call it what is–APATHY.
Like baseball, politics is a game of numbers. Team Dave will tell you their guy got 74% of the votes cast. The GUARDIAN sees it as 89% chose not to vote for him. Both figures are correct.
Top vote getter was Councilor Lauren McLean who garnered 12%. Not bad when you consider she had no opposition.
The only real race was the manage a trois between former Chamber of Commerce PR spinmeister Ben Quintanna, school admin guy Mike Cunningham, and contractor Lawrence Johnson. Quintana walked away with a solid 56%.
Here is the official tally:
REGISTERED VOTERS – BOISE CITY . . . 108,341
VOTER TURNOUT – BOISE CITY. . . . . 16.02%
BALLOTS CAST – BOISE CITY . . . . . 17,359
BOISE MAYOR
David Bieter . . . . . . . . . 12,640 74.28
David B Hall . . . . . . . . . 4,377 25.72
BOISE CITY COUNCIL SEAT 1
Lauren McLean . . . . . . . . . 13,685 100.00
BOISE CITY COUNCIL SEAT 2
Michael Cunningham . . . . . . . 4,851 29.57
L.W. Johnson . . . . . . . . . 2,325 14.17
Ben Quintana . . . . . . . . . 9,227 56.25
BOISE CITY COUNCIL SEAT 3
David Eberle . . . . . . . . . 12,539 78.10
David Pappy Honey. . . . . . . . 3,516 21.90
BOISE CITY COUNCIL SEAT 5
Elaine Clegg . . . . . . . . . 13,310 100.00
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Nov 9, 2011, 10:27 am
Mr. Guardian, I voted 100% non-incumbent. (The only exception was McLean – I voted for her because she was appointed, not elected. Now she’s officially working for me.)
Why non-incumbents?
Like our Founding Fathers, I believe in governance by citizens, rather than by career politicians. (IMO, many of the fiscal problems we’re experiencing at every level of government are the result of “alliances” between career politicians and the various special interests that directly/indirectly sponsor their careers.)
Nov 9, 2011, 10:31 am
Graham Paterson won the Director’s election for the Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District.
Nov 9, 2011, 1:38 pm
What amazes me is the level of apathy at the local level when it comes to voting. It is the one place where your vote really counts for something. Mayors and City Councilors spend your money on all manner of “things”.
We have people in Arab countries trying to get the opportunity to have a say in their government and here people just don’t care. Are our elected officials that good or have we abdicated our responsibility as citizens to become brain dead regarding local politics?
I have not missed many opportunities to vote. I take it as a civic responsibility to become informed about issues and vote when given the chance. On the other hand I don’t want people who don’t take the time to cast and informed vote participating in the process.
Nov 9, 2011, 3:33 pm
It wasn’t “teamDave” who claimed he got 74% of the vote, mr. F, them’s the FACTS! Also, 89% didn’t choose to not vote for him but chose simply not to vote. How sad.
EDITOR NOTE–Junkie, you got me on semantics (we acknowledged the 74% was accurate as well as the 89% who didn’t vote for him) and we agree on sad. Now what is Team Dave gonna do with all the cash they raised?
Nov 9, 2011, 3:33 pm
One of the local tv stations interviewed some people in downtown Boise and asked if they voted. Their answers were an embarrassment. Most didn’t know who was running or even who the mayor was. Now we are faced with having to listen to Bieter’s voice on tv for another term. Thanks folks.
Nov 9, 2011, 4:23 pm
I think a 74% landslide by Bieter leaves us with the obvious conclusion that the citizens of Boise overwhelmingly support the construction of the trolley in downtown, along with a downtown baseball stadium and a downtown transit center. After all if residents didn’t want to “buy” into Bieter’s dreams, they would have voted against him, wouldn’t they?
EDITOR NOTE–You obviously speak for the vocal 11 per centers.
Nov 9, 2011, 5:28 pm
I think you’re analsyis is just completely wrong on this one. If the mayor and council were doing a crappy job, they would have gotten more than just token (if any) opposition. The fact that they didn’t speaks volumes about how good of a job they are doing. In this day and age, I refuse to believe that people are as apathetic as you suggest. While city elections always have lower turnout, I think part of the reason they were so low this year is because the general satisfaction. If ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
As for me, I am proud to live in the City of Boise and very proud of its elected city officials. We have a good thing going and I am glad we don’t have so many crazies here that it gets screwed up (unlike a city to the north that will remain nameless).
EDITOR NOTE–Time to fess up. How much did you make off the campaign or was all your advice to the winner “free?”
Nov 9, 2011, 7:00 pm
the other 89% knew that voting was futile and would not change the way the Mayor or city council thinks.If you elect one good person the other 5 kill them with counter votes. Just what happended to Mr Tibbs.
Nov 9, 2011, 7:51 pm
My advising of any candidates was limited and was unofficial. I didn’t make anything.
Nov 10, 2011, 8:59 am
Actually Dave, that was tongue in cheek. But it also helps explain why the growth of government is the natural tendency of society. Definitely not my preferred tendency as I would like to make government at all levels as small as possible. There is no way to cut down the level of the federal government, because at the state and local level government always continues to grow. So next year when Bieter starts touting his choo choo with funds from the next great federal stimulus, with claims if we don’t use it we will lose it, he will also tout his mandate for mass transit that was such a big part (ha) of his landslide victory.
Nov 10, 2011, 3:31 pm
Every politician raises campaign money whether or not there is an opponent. Hopefully, the rules in place for how to use those funds will be followed. Given the goofs of some former politicians, the Bieter bunch will know better than to convert to personal use. I have faith.
EDITOR NOTE–Do you think it may be used as “seed money” for a campaign for higher office?
Nov 14, 2011, 8:23 am
Well the votes were counted on the 9th and now that Bieter has his mandate, here come the articles for the stadium in the Statesman. Look for more articles on transit centers and trolleys between now and the first of the year as Bieter and his apparatchiks in the local media parlay his 11% into BIG local government. And the best part is that if you believe all the reports in the statesman, this will all be great for you.