EDITOR NOTE–Forget about it Joe! It takes 20% of the REGISTERED voters just to get it on the ballot and we seldom have that many vote.

BTW, since the mayor has not taken a raise in eight years, and council in six, the 20- and 18-percent hikes ARE about equal to cumulative cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) over those periods. If an automatic COLA were added to their salary ordinance, this kind of seemingly steep pay hike could be avoided.

Looks like Ms. Arnold has her eye on that $110,000 seat. The lady doth protest much.

EDITOR NOTE–As we understand it, the raises are a two step process. Also, the 8 yrs. without a raise is a red herring. Bieter has often bragged about not using a city issued car or taking a raise and it has gotten him reelected. HE never said he would ask for a raise during a campaign. Also, the newest councilors are paid the same as the longest serving. If Bieter is defeated, his opponent will get the higher salary as well.

In an ethical world, the Mayor and Council would have raised this during the summer of 2013 during the budget hearings. But then, the furor would be fresh and perhaps some decent alternatives would come forth to run our city instead of the same stale liberal hacks.

I have a reasonable solution…If you don’t think the mayor and city counsel’s pay will keep up over time then just tie it to the CPI and have it adjusted for inflation. But giving yourself a flat raise is the definition of self serving. Anyone who is in support of such a raise is 1) someone who also benefits financially from the Mayor and City Council or 2) your a one sided political hack.

A plausible solution is for Team Dave to become super cheap on taxes for all, and super hands-off of small manufacturing / reseller type businesses which sell products outside of Boise. For example one of our biggest successes is the national pull into Boise for corporate jet maintenance at the airport. However, Team Dave will tax them off the airport soon with further airport expansion tax and spend projects.

Also perhaps Luke’s can start to pull business from other states. To do this they need short wait times and very high quality. (Cleveland Clinic like concept.)

Team Dave points to service sector jobs as a success, but unless these are servicing outside of the Boise area the money is just pushed around a circle and taxed at each transaction. Money for him each time but the pot is getting smaller with each cycle.

Since none of this has passed through the minds of the Team Dave brain trust, we need a new mayor.

EDITOR NOTE–There is a history of bad blood. Bieter wanted to take over ACHD in 2007. https://boiseguardian.com/2007/03/08/bieter-wants-control-of-achd/ He also has pushed for a trolley for years without getting approval of ACHD, a sore point to say the least. But to be clear, Arnold is writing on her own behalf, not in her official position.

The raise amounts to pennies per taxpayer per year. The City of Boise is a bigger operation than all but a handful of corporations in the entire state. Where are your complaints every time the CEO at HP or Micron or Simplot or DL Evans Bank gets a raise?

Steve Appleton’s Micron stock was nearly a penny stock but he had the money to own and operate numerous aircraft and recklessly fly aerobatic aircraft. Most employees at Micron barely make enough to own and operate a car. What’s up with that?

Meanwhile, the real economic parasites on Wall Street are making millions and profits as big as ever despite the fact they were responsible for all the hand wringing all you hand wringers are doing.

EDITOR NOTE–Hardly fair to mix private and public. Totally different standard. CEO takes from shareholders, politicos take from citizens. If it is only pennies, why do politicos need to risk being tossed out? Notice they don’t give selves raises during election years.