Business
Local Banker To Join GBAD Board
The GUARDIAN has learned of the imminent appointment of Rob Perez, a local banker, to the Greater Boise Auditorium District Board. He will be confirmed at the Monday meeting to fill the vacancy created by the departure of former board member Mike Fitzgerald. The following bio was provided by the District: Rob Perez joined Idaho […]
House Panel Votes To Keep State Out Of Commercial Ventures
On a 15-1 vote The House Resources and Conservation Committee approved a measure Wednesday to prevent the state endowment fund from purchasing and running businesses. This is a practice the GUARDIAN revealed in 2010 when the Dept. of Lands went into the private storage business with the purchase of Affordable Storage in Boise. With an […]
Dynamis Deal With Idaho Power Gets IPUC Approval
The so-called trash to energy project planned for the Ada County landfill has passed a hurdle with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The IPUC approved the rate contract Friday between Dynamis and Idaho Power saying, the agreement “contains acceptable contract provisions,” and is in the best interest of the parties and ratepayers. Dynamis was denied […]
Idaho PUC Proposes Power Payment Program
The Hoku Solar panel plant in Pocatello is still not up and running and it appears to the GUARDIAN it may never reach production, despite all kinds of taxpayer subsidies and tax credits. The company got behind in its payments to Idaho Power and now the Idaho Public Utilities Commission is proposing an agreement that […]
Bill Would Limit State Role In Commercial Business
A Bill to limit the Idaho Land Board’s role in private sector-type commercial enterprises has been introduced in the legislature. The GUARDIAN made public the state’s ownership of Affordable Self Storage in 2010, touching off a controversy which has the Dept. of Lands claiming they “do it for the children.” Meanwhile business interests and some […]
Williston, N. Dakota — Growthophobe Heaven
The following list has been circulating on the internet with several copies being directed to the GUARDIAN since it is prime fodder for our GROWTHOPHOBE philosophy and followers. We talked to a Williams County, ND Deputy who not only confirmed the accuracy of the data, but told us, “We have a fair number of people […]
Chinese Communists Pony Up Cash For Hoku Power Bill
The troubled Hoku solar panel plant in Pocatello got a $10 million infusion of cash from its Chinese Communist parent company this week which should allow them to pay their Idaho Power bill before the plug is pulled. In action before the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Hoku has sought to amend a contract with Idaho […]
Idaho Dept. Of Lands Posts Loss On Commercial Ventures
Thursday we asked Gov. Butch Otter about his thoughts on the land board going into the commercial real estate business. Otter stressed that he was adamantly opposed to the state operating enterprises that would otherwise be found in the private sector. He said as long as the state remained in a LANDLORD capacity and avoided […]
Eastern Idaho Energy Dreams Slowly Crumbling
Eastern Idaho’s grandiose efforts to attract business with “incentives” taken out of the pockets of taxpayers are slowly crumbling despite feeble attempts at life support. First it was the Hoku solar panel plant in Pocatello falling on hard times with plummeting stock prices and Idaho Power ready to pull the plug on its electricity. Now […]
Dark Days Ahead For Hoku?
Idaho Power still has its finger on the power switch at the Hoku solar panel plant under construction at Pocatello, but the Idaho Public Utilities Commision is telling the utility to wait awhile before cutting electricity. Idaho Power Co. had threatened to shut off electricity after the Honolulu-based polysilicon maker missed a $1.9 million November […]
Forget Convention Center Expansion, Fix What We Have
As 2012 opens the calendar we can plan on all sorts of schemes to attract visitors, create jobs, woo businesses, and otherwise grow ourselves into prosperity. The G-BAD boys and girls have expansion on their collective mind. How about simple fixing up existing Greater Boise Auditorium District facilities and make them better–not bigger? The Wall […]
“Buying” New Business Not Worth The Price
We’ve all heard of the husband who purchased a new boat the couple couldn’t afford so the wife gets even by remodeling the kitchen and installing new carpet they also couldn’t afford. That same silly fiscal policy is being advocated by government and editorial writers from Idaho Falls to Boise–if a business isn’t financially sound […]
Idaho Power May Pull Plug To Hoku Plant
The Hoku solar panel plant struggling to get itself up and running in Pocatello can’t even pay its agreed upon electric bill to Idaho Power, it was revealed in a filing before the Idaho Public Utilities Commission Thursday. The Chinese backed company has been the beneficiary of all kinds of public largess including local urban […]
Now EVERYONE Wants To Sue Nampa
Yet another lawsuit has been filed against the City of Nampa over the stormwater “fee” levied against property owners. If class action is granted, Nampa could have every property owner in the city seeking refunds for a sewer fee that many claim is an illegal tax. A class-action complaint filed Wednesday seeks to have Nampa’s […]
New Kuna Mayor In Billing Dispute With City
A story in the daily paper Monday portrayed Kuna’s mayor-elect as a pro-business kind of guy when it comes to fees and regulations associated with new businesses and conciliatory toward neighboring city Meridian. However, Mayor-elect Greg Nelson didn’t have much good to say about planning and Zoning Director Steven Hasson and that probably stems from […]
Dorothy Goes Down Yellow Brick Road To Credit Union
This is a new comment on a previous post and we felt worthy of a stand alone story By DOROTHY Guardian Reader Due to corporate “downsizing” (job elimination), my company is no longer paying for the car they “required” me to purchase. I approached my lender and asked to refinance the loan for a longer […]
Secret City Land Deals Explained On Map
The GUARDIAN has acquired numerous documents with regard to the land swaps involving the armory on Reserve Street and assorted Boise City-owned properties in the area of Eisenman Road and I-84. Based on the information provided by Boise City, coupled with their refusal to communicate with the GUARDIAN except as required by law, we offer […]
Statesman Report Explains Secret Land Deal
After Boise officials refused to return calls or refused to discuss details of a secret land deal, the GUARDIAN has to offer a tip of the hat to the STATESMAN’S CYNTHIA SEWELL. The GUARDIAN broke the story last week about a complex land swap, but it was the DAILY PAPER that was able to put […]
Boise Continues Land Speculation, Swaps Property To Avoid Bid Law
Boise City Council continued the long established pattern of secret land speculation and urban sprawl recently with a series of land swaps at a gateway freeway interchange southeast of town. GUARDIAN sources speculate part of the secret deal likely involves city acquisition of 200 acres northwest of Eagle. In summary, it appears the city has […]
Probation Officer Probe Moves To Canyon
The grand theft case against Ada County Misdemeanor Probation officer Austin Plew was moved to the Canyon County prosecutor Monday at the request of the Ada County prosecutor. A preliminary hearing is set for December 22. In the poorly worded complaint, Plew is charged with taking cash in the amount of “more than $1,000” over […]
Recent Comments