As far as your own love affair with billionaires in the spirit of Ayn Rand, I say fine, except that in a world where one is truly self-made….billionaires couldn’t exist because they would not receive welfare and assistance from the government and an honest financial system would guard against all the coinage stacking up in one corner, without a FED and dodgy schemes to manipulate people with. Everyone should be wary of super wealth stacking up in the hands of a few, where power usually follows and corruption reigns. Stealing comes in all forms…and it’s still stealing. If you think billionaires don’t steal, you’re very naive. Governments steal via taxes and a monopoly of power, and now they steal for billionaires. None of it is legit.

I live in the USA, and it is clear you do not. I hope our immigration laws are friendly to you. Best wishes.

For the non library types as BG often says…

Oligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía); from ὀλίγος (olígos), meaning “few”, and ἄρχω (arkho), meaning “to rule or to command”)[1][2][3] is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, religious or military control. Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families who typically pass their influence from one generation to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary condition for the application of this term.

Throughout history, oligarchies have often been tyrannical (relying on public obedience and/or oppression to exist). Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich,[4] for which another term commonly used today is plutocracy.

I cut my teeth on Chomsky’s theories of linguistics. But he left me with “The Responsibilities of Intellectuals,” which is maybe single-handedly responsible for the intellectual left’s takeover and control of American universities. He is a socialist, true and true and while that is a political ideology I respect, I reject it out of hand.

He also left me when he didn’t believe the South Vietnamese people had a right to self-determination. Others of us shouldered arms and American responsibility.

J Smith, I would LOVE to have 30 exotic and rare cars, what is wrong with that? I would love to have the money to buy billboards along the highways and promote what I believe, why is that evil?

I would love to own newspapers and print the news, and the opinion-truth as I see it. What is wrong with that?

If the billionaires got Otter elected, what is wrong with that? It still took my vote, and you stayed home.

If the billionaires got Raul Labrador elected, what is wrong with that. It still took my vote, and you stayed home.

Nope, you can wallow in your billionaire victim porridge all you want, but Saturday is a great day, and a day that I will write thank-you’s to my elected representatives who perpetuate this Republic. Even if they do so imperfectly.

EDITOR NOTE: “Power corrupts and absolute power…is really neat if you have it.”

Ross Perot is rich, he ran, and didn’t win. Mitt Romney is rich, he ran, and didn’t win. Bill Clinton was not rich, he ran, and won. Of course he’s rich now, and corrupt…but that wasn’t your point.

I grew up wanting to be rich. I was jealous of those with two car garages – we had a carport. I was jealous of those with two bathrooms in their house and a den! Wow, that was rich. But that is not why you don’t vote…people with those things.

Today I have them, and I am rich. Not by standards of Simplot or Trump, but by world standards I have much. And I vote, and I study the candidates and their platforms. And my vote is worth two votes, not due to corruption but due to me voting and you not voting. You give this to me and blame the rich. It is your slothfulness to your civic duties that is to blame.

GBAD’s mandate is to spend money in order to serve the people with convention facilities. The people had their chance to vote on this in what, 1959? And they approved. Every city in the nation has some sort of convention facilities and this idea goes back to ancient Rome or even Greece, if not further.

If GBAD is sitting on a big wad of cash and they don’t spend it, then that is a failure to serve the people. And what the heck people, the money likely does not come out of your pocket. It comes out of paying hotel guests.

I don’t necessarily agree with the guardian on this one, but the law is the law and good for him if he can win court battles. It’s not an easy thing to do.

However, there’s a lot of old sayings at play. Like:

1) the end doesn’t always justify the means.

2) stepping over dollars to pick up dimes

3) careful what you wish for

Finally; those of you who want change, then start lobbying for additional council members.

Please extend your thought to the point, “the average politician is not well informed either” as the average politician is just the average person with some motive for an election.

GBAD is made up of friends of City Council members. “Hey buddy you wanna run for office, and my people will help you out!”
TJ Thomson was the Treasurer to at least two of the GBAD campaigns… and the IDP paid people to orchestrate a campaign for it…
A firefighter of 13 years is somehow well versed in directing a convention center? Great for him for getting involved. We need more like people like that, but doing it on their OWN initiate instead of just making “an alliance”.

Why? Well there’s about 14 million dollars sitting in GBAD coffers, Bieter would love to influence for his downtown. South Boise? Too bad. Return it to taxpayer? ha! Stop the tax all together since it is excessive? Ha!

IMO most local politician are people upset about something that happened (ACHD commissioners), or someone with nothing else to do and wants to have the key (JP Derr– think local HOAs on steroids), and others are people who get some personal ego power play or think they know what is right for other people (the liberal Bieter team):

not exactly the reason for “making a good informed decision”.

GBAD and CCDC should be disbanded and whatever worthy efforts they do, should be done so by the City Council. Seems pretty simple.