I would expect there were high level staff at CWI who presented this purchase to the Board for their approval, and it is these staff who should have had better advised the Trustees and have given more thought and preparation to the deal.

Some comments suggest people are being paid off for this transaction, I am not sure that is true versus alarmists who assume every bad government deal is corrupt politicians taking bribes in dark, smoke filled rooms. It is questionable that a CWI foundation member was also the attorney representing the Seller, but that Foundation member properly stepped down, I just wonder when in the discussions of the transaction did he step down? Immediately, or only after suggesting/marketing the property to CWI?

EDITOR NOTE–He stepped down from the foundation board Feb. 4. Deal was signed by his client April 1. The elected president of the CWI board said they had been looking for 18 months. Documents we obtained said he was aware his client was about to enter into the deal. The tone of the internal e-mail also referred to the resignation as “not for bad…hopefully for good.”

Never said anything remotely like that but I did concede that competition would be good. But not at the expense of the loss of 100s of thousands in tax increment financing. That is the pointed I have repeatedly made. And not just over the CWI thing, I have made this point going back years. Search the guardian archives.

“Actually, business that are close to colleges generally see an increase in revenue. Again, another positive.”

You mean like fast food joints and beer gardens?

“Lastly, all your arguments (aside from just the angry ranting) should be directed at the board of directors,”

Since when is pointing out facts a ranting? You’re practicing shoot the messenger which is a type of straw man fallacy. FACT: Loss of tax increment revenue. The very reason 30th ST. URD was created was to keep taxes collected in the area for renewal of the area.

FACT: Homes north of State are assessed at and selling for more than identical homes south of State. Do I really have to pull out some comps? If you have an explanation other than the excess of run down rentals then you have not provided it.

Prime example of absentee landlordism: The Bob Rice Ford site, you really think that added to property values in the area? Another famous absentee landlord: The Consolidated Concrete (Quinns) plant site, which is now being made into Esther Simplot Park. As far back as the 70s the neighbors were complaining about that site and Mayor Amyx cut a deal with the Quinns with respect to annexation. All the city planners wanted Class A open space, Amyx gave the Quinns light industrial.

And here we sit 45 years later finally getting the open space. A half a century of blight finally getting addressed.

Hmm, why did Harris Ranch explode with new development while west downtown hasn’t? Why did Parkcenter’s River Run explode with development in the 70s but west downtown didn’t? Blight, that’s why. And blight is 90% caused by absentee landlords.

Funny money government dealings have become too commonplace for comfort.

Cancelling the purchase contract or not, there needs to be an investigation into what they hoped to get away with.

All kinds of stuff has been built to deal with the growth of Meridian and Nampa except for higher education. Look at how many high schools have been built out that way in the last 10 to 20 years.

And now CWI wants to locate just a mile and a half downstream from BSU?

Please try to positively identify the positive implications for the 30th Street area losing $100s of thousands in tax increment financing for neighborhood improvements. Some have said spin off businesses. Well, please inventory the businesses by BSU, see what you come up with. High paying office type jobs? Please inventory the quality of rental property around BSU. The plethora of run-down rentals and their absentee-landlords bring down the property values of owner-occupiers in the BSU area. Where’s the positive in that?

The diversion of tax revenue away from the neighborhood is the very reason the 30th St. Urban Renewal District was created. And now, the district’s most valuable property will be permanently taken away as a contributor to the neighborhood.

I guess, maybe, the competition would be good for BSU and students. But duplication of services is bad for taxpayers and elimination of tax increment financing is bad for taxpayers of the 30th St neighborhood.

What about BSU? Does the city really absorb all the costs associated with BSU’s existence?

So if a CWI campus gets built isn’t there some way to extract at least some kind of remuneration?

EDITOR NOTE–BSU pays a bit for coppers, but city loses on the deal. Fire is free and a very large consumer of fire service. Same for Capitol Mall. City official position is it is a fair trade off to have such a vibrant economy.