City Government
Fickle Finger Of Fate Blows On F-35
December 12, 2018 
Even though we all thought the F-35 issue in Boise had been grounded, Team Dave and the wing nuts at Mountain Home were still manipulating public opinion. We didn’t see any news releases about the planned and then aborted junket to Florida at the expense of taxpayers (local and federal).
Katie Fite of Wild Lands Defense and the Stop Urban War Idaho coalition offers up an interesting addendum to the F-35 debate.
A Public Records request shows Boise Mayor Dave Bieter received an invitation for a military junket to Tyndall airbase in Florida in October. Mountain Home airbase Commander Joe “Solo” Kunkel, sent the invite for a Civic Leader tour, describing the trip as “an opportunity to further develop our relationship”.
Records show the Mayor and Airport Manager Rebecca Hupp were already tied up with a scheduled “critical” meeting with developers at the time of the junket. But the City persevered. Paperwork was filled out, and staffers Amber Pence and Sam Dotters-Katz were on deck for the trip. They were scheduled to assemble at Mountain Home AFB, and receive a “mission brief” from Kunkel before everyone embarked on a military plane to Florida. Kunkel had been stationed at Tyndall prior to his recent arrival in Mountain Home in 2017.
The trip drew near. The Air Force’s Trace Giles effused: “Let the countdown begin. We’re less than five days until we depart”.
Hurricane Michael, bearing down on the Florida panhandle, had other ideas. The hurricane leveled the Airbase where F-22s were stationed. The Pentagon just announced plans to rebuild it tailor-made for three squadrons of F-35s.
It seems the winds of fate blew away the chance for Team Dave to lobby Air Force brass, and continue trying to foist a noisy squadron of F-35 fighter jets on the citizens of Boise – even after the USAF last spring declined to station them here.
Incidentally, the Florida excursion was scheduled during the public comment period for the “Close Air Support” Urban War Range that Mountain Home airbase sought to impose on Boise and other cities across southern Idaho. That unprecedented air and ground operation proposal was finalized in November.
Just this week, folks in Boise received a mailer from the military saying the F-35 Draft EIS would be issued in late Feb. or March. Since the project is still in the Scoping period, the public can continue to submit comments on a Noisy Boise being Unlivable at http://www.angf35eis.com .
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Dec 12, 2018, 8:40 am
Team Dave really needs to listen to his constituents and not the special monied interests in Boise.
I wonder if he treats some staffers like he does the citizens and will he succumb to a #MeToo moment?
Come on Dave you can do better than this NO, means NO! We don’t want nor need the F-35. Take a look around no one really needs this plane.
Dec 12, 2018, 8:48 am
According to that EIS website, the front runners are Madison, Wisconsin and Montgomery, Alabama. I’ve never been to either of those fine communities, but I’m sure a squadron of F-35s would do wonders for their environments! (Much more so than the Boise Airport!)
We’ve got some awesome facilities nearby (but far enough away to not be so noisy) in the desert near Mountain Home, should they want to reconsider.
When I’m bicycling anyplace in Boise, it’s always VERY obvious to me (without even looking!) when a military aircraft is taking off from our airport.
Dec 12, 2018, 9:51 am
I’m still hoping that the F-35 program will tank under its own price tag. It’s coming to light that the DoD had received and “misplaced” $21 Trillion (yes, with a T) between 1998 to current. See “Exclusive:The Pentagon’s Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed” by Dave Lindorff. This means that the F-35 may be a money sink to hide spending fraud. Mark up one item to hide spending on another. The plane is also a tech prone problem child.
Senator Chuck Grassley has been hounding the DoD on its budget problems for many years. Trump called out the F-35 on its price tag as well. He should cancel it and go with F/A-18 Super Hornets.
The basing issue is one of Cabal fixing. There are entities that say “jump” and local “leaders” that ask “how high?” Only when the overlords are vanquished, will we get our communities back.
Dec 12, 2018, 10:58 am
Thanks Editor. I had a good laugh. Hope F-35’s remain mostly grounded due to their superior complexity.
Dec 12, 2018, 12:13 pm
What is the motivation of the Bieter Bots to bring the loudest aircraft the USAF has ever had to Central Boise? Jobs and economic impact will still happen if our base performed one of the many quiet tasks/functions. Will reduce air pollution too. Our air quality as bad as LA for much of the year after all.
Bieter, someone at the airport is performing high power jet engine testing on the ground at Boise airport at night. Low frequency rumble heard and felt several miles away. Please direct the culprit to point the noisy end out into the desert. As the airport owner/manager please get an FAA grant to build a hush fence around a designated test area. If you were a responsible airport manager this would have been done 20 years ago. FAA Boise, please look into this as I think the federal regs on airport noise are being violated by these routine late night jet engine tests.
Dec 12, 2018, 12:27 pm
Dearest Peons and Tax Donkeys,
Thank you so much for continuing to believe that voting for corporate whore candidates will somehow make things better for the citizens.
We couldn’t control you without your charming devotion to voting, you’re naive belief that TV and newspapers contain actual news, and not just propaganda, and you’re self medication to drug you into subservience.
We truly hope that our providing Bread & Circuses will keep you comfortable in your slavery and servitude.
We thank you for believing our endless false flag “mass shootings” are real, and thank you in advance for giving up your guns in the near future to protect “the children”.
Despite creating massive debt burdens and giving no consideration to conservation of resources for the future generations, we applaud your ability to believe our narrative that we care about “the children”.
If you watch TV, you know what comes next. The cop TV shows are all about torture being needed because “time is of the essence”. You know this is your future, and you will embrace the beatings to keep the Oligarchs in their God Given thrones of power.
Thank you for being powerless and weak,
The Oligarchs
Dec 12, 2018, 3:07 pm
It is way past time for a new mayor.
Dec 12, 2018, 8:45 pm
“point the noisy end out into the desert” – you mean where they are about to build 2000+ houses for “Syringa Valley”?
I can’t figure it why we’re surrounding the airport with houses and pushing for F-35s either!
Dec 13, 2018, 10:59 am
David says, “Team Dave really needs to listen to his constituents and not the special monied interests in Boise.”
What makes anyone think the “special money interest” are NOT his (and all politicians) constituents?
He is listening to his constituents- the ones paying the political expenses.
-Up we go into the wild blue yonder!
The foul here is that TWO staffers were approved and scheduled to travel to Tyndell. THAT is bs!!!
Just like the departing Police Chief Masterson going on a Florida trip, within months of his scheduled retirement. = Government employee “benefits” at the expenses of taxpayers.
9/25/18 Meeting:
C. TRAVEL REQUESTS
*1. Chief William L. Bones, Boise Police Department, to attend the Idaho Hospital Association Critical Incident Response Panel in Sun Valley, ID, on Oct. 7-8, 2018.
*2. Nic Miller, Mayor’s Office, to attend the 2018 Reinventing Our Communities:Investing in Opportunity Conference in Baltimore, MD, September 30-October 3, 2018.
*3. , Mayor’s Office, to attend the 2018 Civic Leader Tour at Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, October 9-10, 2018.
*4. Amber Pence, Mayor’s Office, to attend the 2018 Civic Leader Tour at Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, October 9-10, 2018
We pay it- they spend it. 🙁
Dec 13, 2018, 7:57 pm
Going into his fifth or sixth term (who can remember), Mayor Dave is still desperate to buy or manufacture a legacy: the trolley, the stadium, the obscenity of a library, the F-35, etc.
Anyway, as Steve Allen would say, “All seriousness aside…”, are Mr. Editor and I the only ones old enough to remember the Fickle Finger of Fate?
Dec 16, 2018, 6:17 pm
Another thing that I want to pass on. We must understand that many of these civic groups that make policy or advise for policy are more and more demanding that any decision is arrived at with consensus. This doesn’t mean that the decision is made when all at the table agrees, it’s made when a majority decides and the minority is made to agree by default because the group is based on “consensus” rules where in order to be in the group, you agree to vote with the majority even if you disagree with the majority decision. This furnishes the appearance of consensus and deceives the public into thinking that no controversy exists. That’s how these horrible decisions get pencil whipped into power.
There’s a very good Prager U video playing now that talks about Bureaucracies. It’s called “Who Are the Most Powerful People in America” and it’s really worth watching.
Dec 16, 2018, 7:00 pm
Dave Beiter’s legacy will be thousands of cookie-cutter apartments wedged into every open space in Boise, and the office space crammed into downtown boise.
Oh, and the sliding hillside (anyone remember that debacle?).
Dec 19, 2018, 1:36 am
BIKEBOY,I agree with you 100%