Business
What Happened To Honesty And Common Sense?
August 5, 2013 
Gotta admit it has been difficult to write much in the way of “constructive” criticism lately with all the crooked businessmen and business deals coming to light and politicos trying to match the business folks.
We have a plethora (for non-library types that’s a whole bunch) of scams that have come to light and not much good to say about them. Consider:
–Ed super Luna and his 15 year contract for school WiFi with a lengthy list of campaign contributors and former staffers mixed up in the deal.
–Corrections Corp. of America (CCA) trying to fly under the radar with all its lawsuits, but a Fed Judge is shining at least a small beam of light on the allegations.
–Tamarack crook gets 17 years for ripping off pension plan, but the Frenchman is still a fugitive. We got repeated PR “tips” from an outfit working on behalf of the convict claiming it was a federal conspiracy to convict him.
–Hoku solar plant in Pocatello has gone bankrupt and cost the city and state millions of dollars and the result is none of the promised jobs and economic boost.
–A Charter plane operator in Pocatello is trying to get cash for a Pocatello-Nampa airline which will never get off the ground.
–Zonda electric bus is still a no show, despite huge fanfare when they announced Boise HQ two years ago. Even their phone is disconnected.
–Boise officials and Chamber of Commerce want feds to pay $700,000 for airlines to fly unprofitable routes to east coast to shave a couple hours off travel times.
–Fire and EMS tout a “major agreement” to send closest fire or EMS unit regardless of jurisdiction. Great idea and it was implemented more than 20 years ago by then chief Phil Johnston. It won’t work for areas with NO FIRE protection.
–Boise City is about to annex 1,000 acres into the city, expand areas of service and continue to claim we need a “vibrant downtown” to stem urban sprawl. Those with more than 5 acres continue to get city services and not pay city taxes while remaining an enclave.
–Councilman and Mayor brag about Allumbaugh House detox center at panhandler hearing and the place won’t even take in ANY homeless drunks and drug users off the streets as originally intended. They knew not of what they spoke.
–Gallatin Group gets $200,000 for 30 days work on website and related “launch” of health care exchange.
Other than that we are having a great summer except for the endless heat. Catching a few fish which is why we haven’t had too much time to dwell on the above.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Aug 5, 2013, 11:42 pm
My elderly and ailing mother-in-law has caused my absence from town a couple of times this Summer so, some of these topics are “new news” to me. Where are these 1000 acres? Are the contiguous to one another, or is it multiple parcels? And, to the City Leaders really have much influence over flight schedules? Are they wanting quicker and easier access to centers of financial and political power seats in the East? Or, are their kids going to college out of State?
EDITOR NOTE–The annexation parcels are scattered in most cases, but some are significant as they continue to sprawl to the east where the deer used to feed in winter–several annexations are at request of developers of course. As to the air service it is so, CEO’s will relocate their business in Boise.”
Aug 6, 2013, 2:17 am
It’s no longer needed. People are so stupid these days they will elect a known liar and give money to known thief. The proof is in Washington DC–The only prospering city in the nation.
Aug 6, 2013, 9:18 am
I give up. This is overwhelming. I would go crazy just trying to keep up with all the prompts to followup on each and every one of these. But keep after them.
Glad I am reviewing books and movies.
Aug 6, 2013, 11:23 pm
Thanks ed. for the added info. Do you (or does anyone in reader land) know the status of the “development plan” to the south and/or south-east with the industrial park purposal of several years ago? Is the new Broadway exchange of I84 a part of this? Where is the City Limits in that area now, are there plans to annex south in that area, or extend City limits along I 84 to the South-East? Anyone know? And, how about south along Cole Road? I seem to remember that, that the area between Curtis and Cole was being eyed as expansion as a housing area once, several years back – anyone know what became of that? Money dry up, or what?
Aug 7, 2013, 1:50 am
I guess it went with good ole Bob Berrier.
Aug 7, 2013, 10:19 am
Grumpy.. in the what ever happened to the Grand Plan department. What about the big park that was proposed between Maple Grove and Cole. Seems to me they were hyping it when they did the big SW annexation. The City Web site shows a master plan.. but nothing more.
Aug 7, 2013, 4:23 pm
When I first read it Hemingway’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” was required reading.
At the time, I thought Pilar’s description of their treatment of many of the local Spanish “officials” as extremely harsh and unjustified.
I later rediscovered Hemingway’s books as diversions on long deployments for pleasurable reading.
On revisiting “For Whom the Bell Tolls” many years later, and observing the apparent phenomenon of how power can corrupt our own public “servants,” I am no longer so sure that some of those wannabe masters, starting at the local level, may not have had it coming.
P.S. I am NOT advocating the violent overthrow of our government! But we sure could use some accountability and lawful repercussions for those who continually subvert their elected and appointed duties.
Aug 8, 2013, 3:25 pm
As long as there is an endless supply of taxpayer dollars handed out before vetting and certificate of need we will continue to suffer all the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayers.
Another thing that really ticks me off is the use of “consultants” to prepare a bunch of pretty pictures neatly bound together and pawned off as the greatest thing since sliced bread and attach a charge of $100k or more for this fluff.
I have seen the “consultant” approach used to justify; jails, fairgrounds, admin. buildings and on and on. And when the project turns out to be a huge blunder it is all blamed on those incompetent “consultants”.
A blue ribbon effort of local residents with the help of a facilitator can come up with better end results at a much lower cost.
Elected and appointed officials hate running projects through the rinse cycle with local citizens who may actually put the stop loss order out on a project they deem a waste of taxpayer dollars.