CCDC
Trust, But Verify Library Vote
February 10, 2019 
With pressure mounting from the GUARDIAN, former BSU Prez Bob Kustra, Vanishing Boise, and Rep John Gannon, Boise City councilors say they will discuss a possible public vote on the proposed library and stadium. See IDAHO PRESS story for details.
There is a petition drive underway to obtain 5,000 signatures that would put the question on the ballot.
We are “cautiously optimistic,” about the council’s decision. The devil is in the details. The vote must be a binding vote that will either open or close the public purse strings for the two projects.
Citizens have too often been manipulated with surveys, advisory votes, and claims that electing a politico gives that person approval for any and all actions.
ACHD claimed citizens favored a fee hike in passenger cars while exempting trucks over 8,000. However, when an actual binding vote was counted, the measure failed miserably.
Any ballot measure should be clear and concise: “Shall Boise City spend $80 million in tax money for a library?” The poorly worded contract with architect Moshe Safdie ignores common safeguards for Boise taxpayers, but a vote to either go forth or halt the project will have the force of law and transparency.
These projects are so “profound” they need citizen approval and authority for any debt. Circumventing the Idaho Constitutional requirement for citizen approval of debt is unacceptable.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Feb 10, 2019, 2:48 pm
I believe the public needs to recognize that a city, Boise City, doesn’t spend money PEOPLE DO. The PEOPLE spending our money are ELECTED PUBLIC SERVANTS. Their continued ACTIONS show working harder for the WANTS of out of town architects and sports team owners VS the NEEDS of their constituents.
I believe our Elected public servants have scheduled a town hall meeting on February 21 at the Bown Crossing Library! However no time was included in the information emailed.
Feb 10, 2019, 3:58 pm
When and where will this discussion take place?
EDITOR NOTE–Idaho Press story says “soon.” See other comment in this thread.
Feb 11, 2019, 6:16 am
My guess is this ship has already sailed….Oh and I’m not sure that using Bob Kustra as a supporter is a good idea with the fiasco going on with BSU baseball. Don’t remember putting that up for a vote.
EDITOR NOTE–BSU is not local tax money and to his credit, Kustra has come out in favor of citizens twice recently.
Feb 11, 2019, 9:38 am
Mr. Editor
But the baseball sport is being paid for with student funds…..and no vote… and they did away with wrestling that affect many student scholarships. No vote. I see many similarities between Kustra and Beiter.
JMHO
Feb 11, 2019, 12:17 pm
Is there someway we can peer into the fiances of these folks. It seems people with little money join politics and become wealthy somehow. If not themselves, their families, loyal associates, and associated businesses do well. Magic? Hmmm??
Feb 11, 2019, 12:41 pm
Town Hall Meeting FY 20 Budget:
Thursday, February 21
6:00 to 8:00 pm
(1800 to 2000 for military types)
Library! at Bown Crossing
2153 E. Riverwalk Drive
https://www.livboise.org/liv-stories/2019/help-inform-the-fy20-budget/
Feb 11, 2019, 2:28 pm
If no bond money is at stake, what threshold do you propose? What if 65% vote in favor? Is that enough support for the library?
EDITOR NOTE–If no DEBT involved, a simple majority is enough.
If the debt is manipulated by laundering through CCDC (alter ego of the city) it should simply be outlawed as a violation of Article VIII, Sec. 3 of constitution. You personally could not get away with an annual lease with 20 renewals and no collateral. Framers of constitution never contemplated CCDC as a way to subvert power of citizens.
Feb 11, 2019, 6:03 pm
For the constitution to be law it has to be enforceable.
Feb 11, 2019, 10:20 pm
I do realize we vote for our leaders and entrust them to make decisions for the good of all. HOWEVER, I know many long time supporters of the current mayor and council who hope they will pay very close attention to this issue and realize that many who have backed them for a long time really do want them to hear us on these particular matters. We would like to have the opportunity to vote.
Feb 11, 2019, 11:01 pm
@Frank. Certainly you do not believe the elected are public “servants”. They are our leaders and a leader usually knows better than the minions, thus the never ending attempts to limit public oversight…so fall in line and thank our leaders for being smarter than you and I.
Feb 12, 2019, 3:21 pm
jj- Boise City leaders KNOW they are smarter than the voters and tell us that all the time. They KNOW that the voters SERVE THEM – not the other way around. The voters serve them by sending them tax money.
Feb 12, 2019, 5:53 pm
Today Boise Working Together has submitted their petitions for the Stadium and the Library. It will take up to 10 days to receive their official title and signature gathering can begin. The petitions have been revised significantly and have considerably more teeth than originally submitted. As Boise increases the number and reach of urban Renewal agencies realize that the spending and project have just begun.
Feb 13, 2019, 7:40 am
This is going to be a $100M place for bums to hangout. It’s every Dem’s dream to cultivate a rotten city core. Boise is way behind on progressive homeless ideology and this new community center is just what is needed to make Boise the homeless nirvana.
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/rats-public-defecation-and-open-drug-use-our-major-western-cities-are-becoming-uninhabitable-hellholes
https://www.newstatesman.com/world/north-america/2018/12/how-seattle-s-public-library-stepping-deal-city-s-homelessness-crisis
Feb 13, 2019, 5:03 pm
I wouldn’t try to make this partisan. Plenty of “dems” would like to have a say. Case in point: John Gannon.
Feb 15, 2019, 1:48 pm
Boise City (all cities in the Treasure Valley) PUBLIC SERVANTS could benefit and learn from Wisconsin (FOXCONN) and NY (AMAZON)
They pay:
$0 for Schools.
$0 for Public Safety.
$0 for Infrastructure.
$0 for Research and Healthcare.
Why should corporations and development that contribute nothing to the pot be in a position to take monies from the public? All of these projects and the unchecked growth in the valley are always a thinly disguised attempt to extract maximum tax concessions for their loyal donators just look at the jail problem in Caldwell.
Feb 15, 2019, 7:01 pm
This is not about dems, homeless, and giving up because a ship has sailed. It is about responsibility in city management and the spending of tax dollars by consent agenda and resolution – like 100 millions is an everyday routine thing. Let us vote. And lower our tax rates and so we can keep our money if you don’t want to give us a say. We would not have these issues if Boise City did not have an excessive amount of our hard earned money.
Feb 18, 2019, 2:03 pm
Voices need to be raised at the City Council Town Hall FY 20 (Budget Year 2020) Meeting about getting funding for this potential park site. You’ll have up to 3 minutes (minion enforced) to voice your concerns so be prepared and stay on topic.
Meeting details:
Thursday, February 21
6:00 to 8:00 pm
Library! at Bown Crossing
2153 E. Riverwalk Drive
https://www.livboise.org/liv-stories/2019/help-inform-the-fy20-budget/
Obviously the City has not had 2020 vision on the potential for this park site even though discussions about it have gone on for many, many years through at least two different Park Directors. It also was discussed during the Energize Our Neighborhood – Vista debacle.
Mar 5, 2019, 6:47 pm
A couple of weeks ago I posted regarding ‘value engineering’ and the proposed Boise Library.
BoiseDev website has an article about architect, et. al. are scrambling to CUT COSTS on this budget-buster.
I called it!!