Comments on: Ludwig Steps Down From CCDC

By: what a cryin' shame

what a cryin' shame — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 14:39:22 +0000

add my two cents to yours.

By: My Two Cents

My Two Cents — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 20:07:45 +0000

CCDC started as a redevelopment agency in 1965, back in the days when downtown needed help and could be considered “blighted.” The Guardian advocated for its being disbanded back in 2007 https://boiseguardian.com/2007/04/12/time-to-dissolve-ccdc/ and noted in 2019 that CCDC has no political independence https://boiseguardian.com/2019/04/16/independent-body-corporate-and-politic/. Similar types of redevelopment agencies were disbanded by the courts in California, recognizing that such agencies inappropriately control and use public tax dollars to benefit developers. As noted in the California lawsuit, “[t]he projects had nothing to do with reversing blight, but everything to do with subsidizing private real estate ventures that otherwise made no economic sense.” Boise downtown is far from “blighted” and hasn’t been for a long time. CCDC should have been disbanded long ago.

By: what a cryin' shame

what a cryin' shame — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 03:56:19 +0000

So now I’ve been informed that someone named Graybeal from the city says that the city is going to pony up $100k to supplement the $90k that CCDC gave to street newspaper vendors for their stands. HOLD YOUR HORSES GRAYBEAL!

The city is not in the newspaper business. The city is not in the streetscape business either. Are the paper people going to pay us for this? Aren’t they responsible for their stands on the sidewalks if they fall over. HOLD YOUR HORSES GRAYBEAL!

This is a good test for the new administration. Did the city sign some obligation previously for these things? What law allows these things on the street, and who does it say is responsible?

This is sounding like another give away because the city is too rich. A hundred grand here, a hundred grand there. It is not the city’s job to pay for what the CCDC tells us to pay for. Holy cow.

By: Frank

Frank — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 13:25:33 +0000

The CCDC is like training wheels on a bike. At SOME time They are needed.
The city elected public servants over the years have included the CCDC in all growth to a point that our public servants are working for the CCDC not the property owners of Boise. This scenario was most obvious at the meeting last summer, at South Junior High, to create urban renewal on the Bench. We’ll see if Mayor McLean is Dave Bieter in a dress?

By: Legislature Screw Up

Legislature Screw Up — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 20:59:07 +0000

The fact is that the Idaho Legislature screwed up and allows this kind of insider collusion.

They failed to understand that urban politicians like Beiter / McLean and others do not respect the voters and will find any way possible to get around them.

Further the legislature allowed urban politicals to define blight as “anything we want it to be – – neener…neener!!”

By: Brian Vermillion

Brian Vermillion — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 10:11:37 +0000

“Paulette Jordan”, I had hoped I would never hear that name again.

By: XX

XX — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 06:18:11 +0000

Idaho law does allow CCDC to be elected by vote. But the prior leadership benefitted from the appointee “back-scratching” arrangement.

By: what a cryin' shame

what a cryin' shame — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 04:25:30 +0000

We should also very publicly look at the definition of blight. That’s what urban renewal was for. It wasn’t to enrich developers, property owners, or neighborhoods. The smell test is almost literal perhaps.

If urban renewal dollars are redirected from fire, police, school for development, by law, then how did the former mayor make agreements to compensate the schools, or not take from the schools. Was it for political support?

But if there is a law, can you legally create agreements contrary to the law? I don’t think so.

The city could enforce their zoning code to eliminate nuisance properties without having to do urban renewal. Does this say that most property owners are jerks, or just broke and without ideas about how to improve their own properties?

Even better, are the banks in on this scheme? Possibly.

By: chicago sam

chicago sam — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 23:48:44 +0000

At the very least Board members should be elected

By: UGH

UGH — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 19:59:34 +0000

There should be ZERO board members who are also on city council. For heaven’s sake. Spread the leadership around. There is incredible talent all over the valley. Let’s encourage each other in our neighborhoods to get more involved so there are MORE voices at the table.