Dave Frazier
Payoffs and Funny Money
Here is a fun look at the political payoffs in the Boise City Council election based on the finance reports filed with the City Clerk. Seems apparent the developers and fire department union are paying the most and will probably stand the best chance of a good return on their investment. The pro-lifers who paid […]
Insider Trading at Tamarack
President George W. Bush may have gone mountain biking last summer on trails illegally carved out of National Forest land by Tamarack Resort. Since the public was not allowed to witness his ride, it is hard to be certain exactly which trails he rode when he visited the resort at the behest of Governor Dirk […]
Boise Wrong on Ustick Issue
The ongoing feud between the Boise City Council and Ada County Highway District over Ustick Road is a direct result of rampant developments along the once rural country road. After years of approving thousands of housing units, office parks, retail outlets and their own library-recreation center along Ustick, Boise has created the demand to widen […]
Poop Farm Crime?
The GUARDIAN had a surrogate ask Boise City for the audit report that has been completed into the financial “irregularities” at the Poop Farm. Our agent got a nice letter back–but no audit results. Seems there is more to come according to the letter which said the audit couldn’t be released because it is part […]
Popkey Caves to Swindell
Perhaps taking a hint from previous Statesmen writers who fueled the fires of the religious right, columnist Dan Popkey offered an apology to city council candidate Brandi Swindell for perviously printed remarks she labeled as sexist. In his Sunday column, Popkey acknowledged that he knew better and shouldn’t have said things about Brandi’s good looks. […]
Inquest: Too Many Cooks
Too many cooks “spoil the broth” and the same is true for investigations. In the the case of the tragic police shooting death of 16-year-old Matthew Jones it is time to start serving up “the broth” from the inquiries. The FBI has been called in for a civil rights investigation and we figure that move […]
What About Combat Pay?
Looking for a job as a war correspondent and don’t want to visit Iraq? We have a tip for the guy or gal seeking danger, excitement and the thrill of combat. The Ada County Commissioners are looking for a full-time public relations person to make friends with the community and the media. The job posting […]
Give Me More, Give Me Bigger!!
Like the odor from the sugar factory and feedlots, we have become inured (for you non-library types that’s “accustomed to something unpleasant”) to the effects of growth in Idaho. Easy to sound like an old fart that wants to return to the “good old days” on this issue, but folks we are assaulted daily with […]
Prosecutor Has Inquest Conflict
The GUARDIAN has received several reader inquiries about the on again-off again-on again coroner’s inquest into the death of 16-year-old Matthew Jones who was shot and killed by a Boise police officer last December. The Ada County prosecutor has a definite conflict of interest since the only potential defendant is a policeman on the same […]
The Difference is Local
KBCI TV Sunday morning talk show host Walt Baker didn’t help the station’s reputation for “fair, balanced, accurate, we report-you decide,” news coverage when he interviewed Boise city council candidates Jerome Mapp and Jim Tibbs on his October 16 broadcast. Walter Baker is a long time supporter of Jim Tibbs and even made a cash […]
Big Lie Continues
The Idaho Statesman ran a front page puff piece Sunday about BoDo, the newest development about to open in downtown Boise and included the ”big lie” which remains untrue, though oft repeated. The Statesman reported, “The project will also boost Boise property tax revenues, create hundreds of jobs and is expected to trigger new Downtown […]
Campaign Trivia
While plenty of ink and airtime is being consumed over City Council candidate Brandi Swindell’s web site pictures (are they glamour shots?) we have noticed that Councilor Jerome Mapp is decked out in what may qualify as “sartorial splendor.” The gravel voiced incumbent appears to be wearing square framed designer glasses, flashy ties, and loose […]
Shoe Tree for Troops
The GUARDIAN was driving along U.S. 20 between Vale and Juntura, Oregon recently and came across this “Shoe Tree.” Many of the shoes are signed and dated. They are mostly sneakers of some sort, but there are cowboy boots, hiking boots, sandals, and more hanging from the branches of the lonely tree. At the cafe […]
Kudos on Library Vote
Updated Post 5 pm 10/19/05 Boise City Councilors deserve kudos for allowing the public a vote on a proposed $38 million library bond. This move by the council–just three weeks prior to an election–marks a departure from past policies that went around voters and did not allow them a voice in major building projects. The […]
Poop Farm–The Fan Comes Closer
The resignation of Boise’s Poop Farm manager Tuesday brings the proverbial fan a little closer to what it is destined to hit. The “BioSolid Waste Recycling Facility” is located on desert farm land near Kuna. No word if the resignation stems from investigations and a major audit surrounding finance and management practices within the Boise […]
Brandi Gets Boost?
If past storms are any indication, the Idaho Statesman’s lightning rod reporter, Dan Popkey, will attract some high voltage strikes from the Christians after endorsing Maryanne Jordan for Boise City Council. In the Sunday edition Popkey fired some less than friendly sniper shots at challenger Brandi Swindell, calling her “an extremist who opposes condom use […]
Best Defense is Good Defense
A GUARDIAN EXCLUSIVE Those three Ada County Commissioners facing charges filed by the Idaho Attorney General for allegedly violating the open meeting law know a good thing when they see it. The lengthy legal battle with Lariat Productions over the lease at Les Bois Park had many legal turns and twists navigated by Lariat’s lawyer, […]
Ada Offers Gas Guide
When we noticed a link to a commercial gas price list site on Ada County’s official website, we figured it was a great idea to have an official County Consumer Price Guide. But why limit the service to just gas? The county could link to those mortgage finder sites so people could save on house […]
Infill Out…Sort Of
Southeast neighbors led by Fred Fritchman took a 2×4 to the Boise City Council mule Friday and apparently “got their attention.” Once they got whacked between the eyes with complaints of three duplex homes sneaked into a tiny space in the middle of the night on Hale St., they called an emergency council meeting and […]
To Which Drum Do They March?
The Boise City Council vs Ada County Highway District feud drew a strong rebuke from the IDAHO STATESMAN editorial board Saturday over the widening of Ustick Road. The gist of the editorial was “play nice,” but the GUARDIAN got to thinking: Other than the Chamber of Commerce, what group is really happy with the city […]
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