Business
No Need For Urban Renewal On Vista
With the increasing push to expand the reach of Boise’s Capital City Development Corp. (CCDC) to include the “Vista corridor,” we took a closer look at the commercial properties which are targeted for urban renewal designation. One of the deciding factors to include an area into the urban renewal fold is BLIGHT. It appears to […]
Boise Coppers To Purchase Gay Bar
Boise’s City Council has approved the purchase of a “gay bar,” the Lucky Dog Tavern, at 2223 Fairview with the intent of using it as a future substation. Appropriately enough, the location was also once a donut shop. The city acquired the property for $1.15 million but the city has an agreement that will allow […]
Developers Dump Big $$$ For ACHD Fee Hike
Property developers have paid many thousand dollars to the “Citizens For Better Transportation” PAC in an effort to pass a proposed Ada County Highway District vehicle fee hike on the November ballot. It comes as no surprise to the GUARDIAN that big developers seek to raise fees for the average automobile owner while exempting all […]
Boise Preys On Auditorium Cash Reserves
The Greater Boise Auditorium District (GBAD) is awash in cash from the local hotel room tax and Boise City’s Team Dave is trying to get their hands on it. The City Council will discuss a scheme at Tuesday’s meeting that would allow them to sell the Grove Plaza and fountain for $8 to 10 million […]
Treat The Cause, Not The Disease
We note Mike Wetherell’s Statesman OPINION regarding planning for mass transit failed to get to the core cause of our “transportation woes”–GROWTH. Rather than create more cancer treatments and simply concede “cancer will always be around,” let’s eliminate some of the causes. Wetherell’s admonitions to clear freeway medians and expand rights-of-way along State Street sound […]
Idaho Growth Defies Logic
By DAVE FRAZIER, editor I have lived in Boise for 50 years. All but two of those years in the same house. I am the oldest guy on the block and number two for length of residency behind a neighbor who was born here. I have pretty much lived my entire adult life in Boise […]
GUARDIAN Editorial–ACHD Fee Hike Wrong!
Passion about a particular cause can be an admirable trait, but use of elected office to manipulate public opinion on a ballot issue demonstrates a lack of respect for voters and a questionable use of financial authority on the part of Ada County Highway District commishes. WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? The commishes took a lesson directly […]
ACHD Commishes, Director Push Fee Hike On Advocacy Website
Highway District Commishes in Ada County are sponsoring a WEBSITE advocating passage of a fee hike on private cars. Ada County Highway District Commishes are openly campaigning to impose a 75% vehicle fee hike on Ada County car owners, but not on vehicles over 8,000 lbs. Rather than campaign to use some of their heavy […]
ACHD Commishes Feud Over Secret Fee Hike Attempt
The Ada County Proseutor is looking into complaints from Ada County Highway Commishes over a series of e-mail messages from Commish Jim Hansen which appear to cut a “back room deal” to raise Ada County vehicle registration fees. IDAHO STATESMAN reporter Cynthia Sewell paints a picture which portrays Hansen as a power broker attempting to […]
Adams Is “St. Lukes” Of Idaho Newspapers
The Adams Publishing group is fast becoming the “St. Lukes” of the news business in Idaho. They have as many newspapers as St. Lukes has medical facilities. The Adams family chain purchased the Boise Weekly Wednesday, adding another link in the growing chain of daily and weekly newspapers owned by the group throughout southern Idaho. […]
Team Dave Favored Business Over Citizens In Library Deal
Our top researcher and reader, “Clancy,” gets credit for dredging up an old GUARDIAN story and a Cynthia Sewell Statesman piece from 2011 calling into question the decision to lease the Boise Library warehouse and parking area to a private company, even though future library plans were well known. Some seven years ago the GUARDIAN […]
No End To Local Tax And Budget Hikes
As the budget season reaches full swing it is downright frightening how local officials are conditioning folks for tax and budget hikes. It is also a bit frightening how glibly the legacy media offers reports like this one from the Idaho Press and Idaho Statesman regarding the proposed new Boise Library: “On top of the […]
ACHD Proposes To Give Commercial Vehicles “Free Ride,” Stick Little Guys With Tax Hike
Ada County Highway District Commissioners will consider a craftily worded fee hike proposal at their July 11 noon meeting which places new fees squarely on the back of small passenger car owners while exempting the rigs that chew up our roads. The proposal, which is planned for the November 6 ballot, sets forth a fee […]
The GUARDIAN is Baaaack
The GUARDIAN has returned to duty and unfortunately we don’t have a lot of cheery news to report after covering 1300 miles of Idaho, Yellowstone, and vicinity. Great time spent with 14-year-old grandson and a chance to learn the addictive qualities of those “smart” phones. Amazing how fast and readily available information can be obtained. […]
Growing To Death Like Cancer
Growing Like Cancer Idaho is experiencing a growth spurt unequaled since the days of homesteading, free mining claims, free cattle grazing, and water rights. Guess what? The modern version of those government give aways come in all sorts of “economic incentives” which has local citizens PAYING corporations to move businesses to the Treasure Valley and […]
Alto Via Settlement Is Slippery Slope Of Muddy Facts
When the GUARDIAN heard news reports last week that Boise City officials had entered into a settlement with property owners in the Alto Via subdivision regarding costs of demolition of houses deemed uninhabitable and a danger, we took notice. What got our attention was the refusal of city officials to reveal how they were spending […]
Greenstone Properties Operating Illegally?
After a GUARDIAN reader commented about Greenstone Properties, the developer seeking to build the downtown stadium and related housing and commercial complex, we decided to check the law regarding doing business in Idaho. Here is what the Idaho Constitution has to say about “foreign” (out-of-state) corporations: ARTICLE XI, SECTION 10. REGULATION OF FOREIGN CORPORATIONS. No […]
Crowd Jeers Stadium Guy Like An Umpire
Dressed in a dark blue blazer and light blue shirt, Geoff Wardle, local counsel for the developer who wants to build a ball park on Americana looked remarkably like a baseball umpire and the crowd treated him like one. They jeered him and challenged most of his statements, cutting him off in mid sentence when […]
Retired Educator Adresses Mayor, Councilors
Most of the following testimony was presented at last night’s Town Hall meeting, but with just a few seconds left to present, Mr. Neil Parker was cut off by Mayor Dave Bieter at the three minute time limit. The entire presentation is posted here as it seems to be an eloquent statement echoing the thoughts […]
Most Speakers Oppose Growth At Town Hall
In a respectful “town hall” meeting at Boise Fire Station #4 on Ustick Road Wednesday night, speaker after speaker told the Boise Mayor and Council they were tired of the growth or the rapid pace of growth. Describing idyllic scenes of the past being blotted out with high density apartments, about 90% of those speaking […]
Recent Comments