City Government
Library Petition Drive Appears To Succeed
April 30, 2019 
The following is an open letter from David Klinger, one of the organizers of the petition drive to allow citizens a vote on the proposed library and sports stadium projects.
Dear Concerned Neighbor,
Petitions for ballot initiatives have to be signed on paper, and attested to, in person, before a notary public. Online signing isn’t an option and is fraught with security issues. We apologize if you had difficulty finding us … but an amazing number of Boiseans did. Here are the numbers, as of 4/30/19, of your fellow citizens who are simply asking for a vote on two of the largest and most impactful projects to come along in years in downtown Boise:
o Sports stadium — 7,148 signatures
o Events center/library — 7,311 signatures
The law required us to obtain signatures from 4,962 Boise citizens (20 percent of the citizens who voted in the last municipal election in 2017) who are also registered voters, within a fairly short amount of time (about eight rainy weeks). We produced more than 7,000 for each of the two ballot initiatives. The Ada County Board of Elections now has 60 days to review these petitions to determine whether the citizens qualify for a November 2019 vote.
And a vote is all we have asked for. Boise Working Together has not taken a position on either the downtown sports stadium or the downtown events center/library. We simply think that citizens — you and me — have a right to determine the future of their city … in this case, by having a more meaningful say on just two projects (their costs, their impacts, their benefits, and their drawbacks … in the form of a vote that might provide greater public consent than currently exists.
Thank you for your part in helping us assert that citizens should control their destiny … and that of this lovely city. Big projects require a “big tent”, and no government should ever fear a vote of its people.
–DAVID KLINGER
Note. When Klinger and his supporters presented the final batch of petitions to the City Clerk, Mayor Dave Bieter issued the following statement to the media: “This process activated the thousands of Boiseans who support these projects and refused to sign the petition. That grassroots support shows that Boiseans understand the benefits of these projects and want to see them happen.”
We find it strange Team Dave would construe a desire to vote as opposition to the projects or refusal to sign a petition advocating a citizen vote as support for the projects.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
May 1, 2019, 6:19 am
I guess I’m one of the Boiseans that doesn’t “understand the benefits of these projects”
May 1, 2019, 7:35 am
Your comments are spot on Mr. Editor. It is the mayor’s conceit that he and he alone knows both what is best and what people want.
Over the years I have signed petitions on issues that I opposed but believed should be brought to a vote, and issues I didn’t yet know my position on but favored the debate and the vote. Some people simply don’t sign petitions and that is not an indication of their preference.
May 1, 2019, 9:56 am
Team Dave routinely trots out the argument that, “Well, everyone already voted (for Mayor and Council), so why should we waste time holding another vote?!” We can take this to mean that Team Dave is concerned that in fact a vote in the negative on either the stadium or library will expose such municipal elections as a sham funded by the Chamber and show that Team Dave is in direct opposition to what the voters actually want. So we wind up with a Mayor and Council who do the bidding of developers, bankers and all of the other vested interests.
May 1, 2019, 11:39 am
Bieter seems to be losing it. He built a clique of insider puppets who now run this town. They are propped up by endless City Hall PR spin, media puff pieces about Livability, and expensive consultants like Strategies 360 and Spark, and their propaganda campaigns. No dissent or deviation from what Bieter wants is allowed. Now that citizens are becoming disgusted with the destruction of so much of the quality of life and environment in Boise, they are seeing through the propaganda spewed by City Hall.
Something that really struck me in getting is signatures is how many folks still do not understand all that is involved in these projects, or who have only a vague idea that something is going on related to the library. When they learn the City plans to demolish the existing library and the historic warehouse where the Foothills school is located and build yet another big ugly parking garage that will generate more of a traffic nightmare, and move the Cabin to a Park’s open space area, their faces visibly change. It’s like a light clicks on. They see this is a really big deal and they become concerned about it. Or they say things like: “If they need more space, why can’t they just build on to the existing library? Or build more branch libraries?”.
May 1, 2019, 11:48 am
It is now time to everyone you know to plan to vote “no”. on these boondoggle projects.
I expect to see the City spend our tax money on a BIG PR campaign to convince everyone to vote for the projects.
It is time to send a solid message to the city that we DO NOT agree with their kingdom building agenda and that they are NOT smarter than the voters. Time to get VOTE NO signs up all over time.
May 1, 2019, 12:41 pm
If The good Mayor actually believes what he says the vote will confirm his allegation that non-signers are all in favor of the Library and sports stadium as presented. If not perhaps a little crow pie would be in order.
May 1, 2019, 12:51 pm
So by Mayor Beiter’s logic those that refused to vote in the last mayoral election did not support mayor Bieter’s agenda? The cities missteps on a variety of issues is almost comical if it didn’t cost the tax payers so dearly. Mayor Bieter, city council, city of Boise – please stop.
May 1, 2019, 1:12 pm
According to the Mayor’s nonsensical statement, not signing the petition(s) — (even ifyou were aware of the petitions or not, and/or you were aware of the 2 proposed major projects or not) — would mean that you do not believe citizens should be allowed to vote, and by default you support the benefits of such projects. This is a great example of why it is critical to think before one speaks, and why words matter.
May 1, 2019, 1:18 pm
Typical of the power-hungry politician, who sees citizen involvement as a potential roadblock to pursuing his grandiose agenda. Paid for, of course, with other peoples money. Shameless political spin….
May 1, 2019, 7:18 pm
I believe the good Mayor is up for reelection this November. Honestly, I have had enough of his brand. Lets vote him out!
May 1, 2019, 9:09 pm
The last time they asked the voters’ opinion it was the fire bond. We said “yes” to $17M, and they’ve spent nearly $30M so far, and still not done.
May 2, 2019, 6:03 pm
Just to go on the record – I didn’t get to sign the petition – but if I have to crawl to the voting booth – I will and I WILL be voting against these white elephants.
You are dumber than you look Mayor Bieter if you think failing to sign the petition equates a vote in support of your unchecked arrogance.
May 5, 2019, 3:03 pm
The same absurd behavior occurring in City Hall is happening in D.C., in the post Mueller report release era. The Neo-Socialists are reacting with unbridled fury at anyone who does not accept their world view. So glad I bailed out of that crowd when I did. Dave Bieter equates anyone who signed this petition with disdain the same way Dems deem a Trump supporter as a defacto racist. We have reached the Poe Horizon in today’s political sphere.