Thanks for your insight, Mr. Thomas. I have not directly dealt with annexation issues, so greatly appreciate that you’re giving voice to your experiences and knowledge. I completely understand the need to seek out and be receptive to hearing knowledge from people such as yourself, because without having first hand knowledge – and now I’m going steal a phrase I’ve heard – I don’t know what I don’t know until I don’t know it.

To address your questions, I am currently an excise tax auditor for the State of Washington. I mainly work from home, but travel regularly out of the state to other cities. Prior to that, I worked as a sales tax auditor for Idaho. While people tend to cringe upon hearing my current line of work, it has given me a very unique range of experiences that come together and make me uniquely qualified to serve on the City Council. I have seen first hand the disconnect between lawmakers and the people. Many of our lawmakers do not seem to understand the affect that poorly written or improperly researched legislation has on Taxpayers. When I come into contact with Taxpayers through my work, I always make it a point to talk with them and hear them out regarding how their businesses are doing, listen to their concerns and complaints about policies, proposed policies, and how their city’s decisions have affected them. I have participated in creating legislative proposals, have seen corruption, and have seen how some law and policy makers do not seem to understand that the money they spend was earned by our residents. Taxpayer money should be spent responsibly and efficiently, and respect needs to be given to the people who turned their hard-earned money over to their government. Since I have lived in and regularly visit large cities across the country, I also have a good deal of observational knowledge about how other cities handle growth, transportation, housing, etc. Additionally, I have intimate knowledge on how businesses are run in many different industries, and how they stay profitable.

Regarding my party affiliation, while this is a non-partisan election, I realize that this is important to a lot of people. Unfortunately for those who like to put people in boxes, I do not cleanly fall on either side and dislike what our two-party system has become. I believe in reducing the size and reach of the government at all levels while still offering assistance to those who need it, and in providing the tools to those who just need a helping hand in order to become successful, productive members of society. I believe that the State of Idaho should rescind the restriction on letting cities raise their own minimum wage. I believe that Idaho’s Right to Work law should be repealed, but that union activity should be strictly related to negotiations with the employer, and that the expenditure of union dues needs to be reasonably linked to costs associated with performance of those duties (in essence, there should be no excess funds available to be used for political donations or donations to other groups, due to the fact that union members are otherwise being forced to fund candidates or organizations that they may not support). I believe that all levels of government need to implement real fiscal responsibility out of respect for the people they govern; and if one wants fiscal responsibility, an auditor is a good person to keep an eye on finances. Overall, I’d say that I lie right-of-center by today’s definitions.

All this being said, I am not bought and paid for by anyone. I have seen the way government works, and I want to enact change.

Thanks again,
Rachel Misnick

EDITOR NOTE–Everyone take note. This exchange is way too long. We want to provide a forum space, but please keep it reasonable.

Hi Bieter Begone,

I’m well aware of Washington’s problems due to minimum wage hikes, specifically Seattle, and just because I work for the state certainly doesn’t mean that’s how I want Idaho to be. I love how Idaho is a state known for its freedoms – I just want to see power handed back to local governments. Even Governor Otter was conflicted on the minimum wage bill and did not sign it. I see your anger, but you’ve definitely misinterpreted what I wrote. I would love to talk with you about it, but the editor has asked to keep this short. My number is 208-695-1009 if you’re willing to discuss.

Thanks for the details about your understanding of Boise and ideas about where we should go.
However, while you seem to have an understanding of the overall statutes regarding annexation, the devil that we’ve experienced recently in NW (now )Boise has been in the details. There is no ‘voting’ regarding annexation in the sense that we as individuals got to cast a ballot. Instead, if you moved into a subdivision that was served by (then) United Water, you automatically ‘voted’ for annexation, probably without having any idea that you had done so, and without any ability to change that vote.
So, developers build subdivisions out in the country, City annexes, promising more control of future, rezones, developers build, build, build and no more country. Hard not to think this wasn’t orchestrated by developers and the City hungry for a larger tax base.
No one living out here who didn’t cash in wanted it.

I’ve read what I could find on the other candidates for Boise City Council Seat 2. Nothing really stands out as, “Yuk, not them!” but your views are most in line with my own. You have my vote. For the haters out there, I don’t know Rachel from Adam.