City Government
Valley Taxpayers To Fund Chamber Of Commerce Sun Valley Junket
March 11, 2013 
For the 20th year citizens of Treasure Valley will be asked to fund a SUN VALLEY JUNKET for various elected officials and government staffers to learn about making Boise and the surrounding area more appealing to businesses and tourists.
The Chamber of Commerce website post says:
This year’s theme will be: “Building Livable Cities in the Boise Valley.” And what better location to begin the building process than 180 miles away in Sun Valley? Interesting how many folks follow each other to the “leadership” conference.
Sun Valley has benefited financially over the years as local officials leave their home territory to listen to a menu of speakers selected by the Chamber. They never seem to be able to have it in Boise, Nampa, or Meridian.
For years the GUARDIAN has written about the absurdity of leaving town in order to plan methods of promoting our towns. The event is funded by taxpayers, but taxpayers are generally frozen out of attendance by the $450 admission fee, $300 lodging, and transportation to get there. Such luxury is only affordable by executives, public servants, and those who own their own businesses.
The standard excuse for spending Boise area tax dollars in Sun Valley is to “gather leaders in an area where they won’t be tempted to leave or be distracted by other business.” That translates to kidnapping the deciders who hold the purse strings without having to account to the masses.
Another benefit of going so far away is the almost total lack of public scrutiny. Not only are citizens effectively priced out of attendance, the media outlets generally ignore the event as “not newsworthy,” especially as they struggle for financial survival.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Mar 11, 2013, 3:33 pm
Has anything ever come out of this junket in the last 20-30 years that they’ve held it? Other than fattening the coffers of the Chamber?
EDITOR NOTE–Presumably Sun Valley benefits from the extra cash brought in by the visitors from the Boise Valley.
Mar 11, 2013, 4:22 pm
Taxpayers get to pay the way for our elected and appointed officials to travel out of the area and get the full court press lobby efforts from the Chamber?
I would like to see what came of past trips to Sun Valley and the rationale why they can’t stay in town and use the Boise Convention Center for this meeting.
Is anybody listening… we are broke and the necessity of this is more than a little bit questionable.
Mar 11, 2013, 6:05 pm
The horse barn at the Idaho Center would be the ideal place for this gettogether. Hardly anybody visits there anymore
Mar 11, 2013, 8:06 pm
Flyhead: nothing will change until we get a change in the Bose Mayor and city council . PLEASE if you know any ethical people , encourage them to run for office. Council seats are up this year. The only thing evil needs to triumph is for good people to do nothing
Mar 11, 2013, 8:08 pm
Chicago Sam: the Boise Mayor and council ought a be right at home in the horse barn if there’s manure in there!
Mar 11, 2013, 9:33 pm
Why does this surprise anyone? Obama has spent 350 milllion last year in family travel expenses. Why not jump on the bandwagon?
Mar 12, 2013, 2:49 pm
How much did George W. Bush spend on HIS vacations???
Mar 12, 2013, 4:28 pm
Brian and Mame…..try staying on topic.
It would be interesting for them to provide a “scholarship” to a deserving blogger or two.
Mar 12, 2013, 8:59 pm
Clancy, I have a mother thank you.
Mar 13, 2013, 12:44 am
I do suggest that you attend and report back to us, Fraz!!! Since they appear to want to be away from prying eyes it would be nice to have you there.
Mar 13, 2013, 5:45 am
Mr Guardian
I think they should go to Hawaii or Tahiti or Bora Bora. If your going to go on a Boondoggle you should go all the way! You will be tempted to leave the meeting in Bora Bora. What better place to think about Boise Idaho than in Bora Bora.
Its just tax payers money!
Mar 13, 2013, 9:12 am
Brian, does your mother also have to inject some polarized political rhetoric into every conversation about every topic?
(I happen to agree with your sentiment, but Clancy’s right – it’s off-topic.)
Mar 13, 2013, 12:11 pm
I just checked and sure enough Mayor Tom Dale of Nampa will be going and Mayor Garret Nancolas is currently on a junket to Washington DC for the National League of Cities Conference. His calendar has the days of this conference blocked out with no mention of where he will be on those days.
Mar 14, 2013, 3:24 pm
“The standard excuse for spending Boise area tax dollars in Sun Valley is to “gather leaders in an area where they won’t be tempted to leave or be distracted by other business.” That translates to kidnapping the deciders who hold the purse strings without having to account to the masses.”
Can you say Melba?
Mar 14, 2013, 10:37 pm
They should just go to Canyon County and witness the 2C miracle. Make Boise more like what Idaho was.
Mar 17, 2013, 11:09 am
Picture at the top is beautiful but no skiing and no golf in Sun Valley later in April. Nothing to do there but have productive meetings! 🙂
Mar 27, 2013, 9:42 am
I agree with Slim Jim!
Mar 28, 2013, 3:35 pm
Editor: any chance you will go to this conference and report back to us?
Apr 25, 2013, 9:16 pm
So any follow up?