ACHD
Posted Press Releases Portray “Different Story”
August 21, 2018 
In June the GUARDIAN posted a rant about GOVERNMENT being the local media these days.
Today’s “official versions” of local events really need to be compared to ALL the facts. Here is a sample of Tuesday’s events.
First off we got a PRESS RELEASE from the Community Planning Association (COMPASS) declaring the multi-county board of local governments had endorsed the ACHD proposed ballot measure to raise vehicle registration fees for Ada County cars, but not for vehicles over 8,000 lbs. Tom Dale, a Canyon County Commish, is chairman of COMPASS and he was quoted favoring the fee hike.
We noted he favored a fee hike in Ada even with the unfair language exempting heavy trucks. Upon talking with Dale, we learned he really “favored letting people vote, but apparently that included endorsing the fee hike–not just having a vote.” He said there was no need for an extra vehicle registration fee in Canyon.
Then, we learned from other sources that the entire ACHD board favors the GUARDIAN proposal to charge ALL vehicles and not just the small cars to pay the fee. In fact, there has been some pretty intense back room work on the part of legislators of both parties as well as ACHD commishes to “getter’ done.”
So much for voting to tax only Ada passenger vehicles. Our point? The COMPASS endorsement is premature and probably not needed if our sources are correct.
Later, along comes an ADA COUNTY RELEASE claiming the commishes approved a 2019 budget just shy of $281 million. The release quoted Commish Chairman Dave Case supporting the “tough decisions” over the budget.
Then we got a message from Commish Rick Visser informing us the budget represents a 14% increase over last year and he voted against approval. The official release never mentioned Visser’s dissent nor the 14% hike over last year’s spending.
Finally, Visser also mentioned that he and Commish Jim Tibbs (also on the COMPASS BOARD) both voted “no” on endorsing the ACHD fee hike. OUR POINT? Things are not as unanimous as they would have you think.
Government press reports tend to offer only a single point of view–usually that of the majority. We cannot rely on “official versions” of events any more than we can rely on ads telling us the legislature banned horse racing when they really banned slot machines.
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Comments & Discussion
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Aug 21, 2018, 11:02 pm
If what you state is true then there is formal fraud in the form of false statements being made by public officials.
It is time to have the AG involved.
EDITOR NOTE–The problem is the press releases offer only half the story. No crimes that we see.
Aug 22, 2018, 8:43 am
EDITOR is correct, but to get the whole story, ask for the official minutes of the public meetings when these conversations take place and votes are taken.
EDITOR NOTE–Western, good advice. Most groups have either audio or video recordings as well. In the case of ACHD, three commishes appeared before COMPASS and to the best of my understanding they sought endorsement of the ballot measure while also claiming that all five members want to tax trucks. Does that mean they secretly agree with the GUARDIAN? I think they see the fee hike as an insurance policy in case the legislature fails to pass a law.
Aug 22, 2018, 1:46 pm
My favorite media propaganda flub is the BBC announcing the collapse of World Trade Center building #7 collapse before it actually happened.
My close second is the Las Vegas massacre problem with the original story that was just exposed through a Freedom of Information Act request.
There is now a clear audio recording between police dispatch and the first police officer on the scene. The officer broke into the hotel room of the “shooter” but reported back to dispatch that none of the windows were broken. Dispatch said there must be, and asked the officer to check again. Upon a second examination the officer confirmed that all windows in the “shooters” area of access were intact, none broken.
Truth from government or the corporate media these days is a rare event. I would argue that government press reports are not the view of the majority, but are designed to fit a narrative they are trying to push for some reason being promoted by the wealthiest among us.
Aug 22, 2018, 7:00 pm
PR people from their respective organizations spin to please the most powerful executive or powerful buffoon so that the organizations can continue to gouge more money and not have to defend less results.
Media, should they attend could report the true proceedings.
If all the PR people collecting corporate salaries would band together to provide facts via some medium, they could make a fortune. On political ads alone. That would not be a violation of their jobs to supply facts.
Aug 23, 2018, 6:31 am
I don’t like to be spun. Especially when I am paying the salaries of the spinners. People just get too cute for their own good sometimes. It doesn’t matter whether it’s coming up with a finance scheme for new buildings that you need a business class to understand. Or telling me that a gambling initiative is not about gambling. Or making decisions look different than they really are. I guess as long as the media are more interested in “witty” chit chat and self-promotion than in actual news, we will get lots of recycled press releases and little else.
Aug 23, 2018, 11:52 am
Any salary increases for Commissioners and Department Heads/Directors? Just curious. i did not see such line items when I clicked the link, but I perhaps missed it. I seem to recall they are making close to $100,000 a year currently.
Aug 24, 2018, 5:03 pm
Tom Dale has a history of lies and spins while Mayor of Nampa, which eventually lead to his ouster from office. Now if we could oust him and Pam White as 2C Commissioners then we would be much better off.
No doubt the compass organization is also 100% behind the unrelenting growth in the valley that has now become a nightmare.
Finally and interesting note: A recent study shows senior citizens age 55+ plan to vote for any GOP candidate. I guess this is why politicos like Tom Dale get reelected over and over again.
Aug 25, 2018, 7:44 am
Tom Dale has never favored letting the people vote on anything either as Mayor or now as county commissioner.The jail problem is being solved with a scheme which will not involve voter participation as evidenced by taking foregone taxes to put up “temporary” jail facility’s.
As to favoring the fee hike as Compass head he can kiss the ass of ACHD and get no kickback at home as Canyon County is not responsible for roads or streets. We have three hiway districts and the cities have their own street departments.
Aug 25, 2018, 11:14 pm
Did you see the Paul Woods Live skit on ACHD Facebook that turned into the Craig Quintana lecture series?
https://www.facebook.com/AdaCountyHighwayDistrict/videos/253957172116234/
There’s nothing quite like hiring the former Commission mouthpiece to be the current mouthpiece of the Commission-backed non-profit, then have him teed up to shoot down people on the agency’s live video feed.
EDITOR NOTE: At the 4:12 point on the video there is actually some good news!