Business
“Cleaning Woman” Is Bieter Council Finalist
Three years ago she wasn’t good enough to mop floors for Boise City and today Sylvia Hampel is among seven finalists seeking appointment to the City Council to fill the vacancy created when David Eberle moved to Garden City. As CEO of Clearview Cleaning Service, Sylvia Hampel was awarded a contract in 2011 to clean […]
Consultant: State Should Avoid Commercial Property
Four years after the GUARDIAN revealed the Idaho Land Board was operating a commercial storage business, a consultant has concluded the state should stay out of commercial investments. “It’s the concentration issue, the lack of diversity,” explained consultant Janet Becker-Wold of Callan and Associates. “If something happens to that property, then your whole portfolio can […]
Do Idaho Potatoes Have Cancer Potential?
In what appears to us to be a bungled marketing attempt for a genetically modified potato, the J.R. Simplot company raises the specter of cancer in potatoes currently being marketed to and by McDonalds. The company claims the new “Innate” variety has less asparagine, which has the potential to become a carcinogen – acrylamide – […]
X-Country Drive Observations
We have been on the road delivering the 12-year-old family car to a relative in Florida. The drive prompted a bunch of observations worth sharing from the 3,000 drive. –Speed limits have increased to the point there is little risk of a ticket. The old 55 mph has been replaced with 70 m.p.h. on state […]
Fear of Legislature Power Is Prudent
Our favorite saying with regard to political power is, “POWER CORRUPTS. ABSOLUTE POWER IS REALLY GREAT IF YOU HAVE IT.” Constitutional amendment HJR 2 is an attempt by the legislature to acquire absolute power. It needs a “NO” vote. We don’t endorse candidates, but when it comes to constitutional amendments and bond issues, we feel […]
Bieter Insiders Promote Gypsy Cab Scheme
The lobbying firm, “Strategies 360,” with a local office run by newly elected Boise School Board member Brian Cronin, has a special service to offer it’s apparent new client Uber. That “special service” is ACCESS to city officials on behalf of the new gypsy cab scheme which debuted Thursday in Boise. It doesn’t take much […]
After $600,000 Study, Street Car Still Flunks
Like the perpetual college student, Boise’s attempt at a transport system for Downtown is long on study and short on finding a job. The so-called “Circulator” (also dubbed “Desire Named Street Car and Trolley Folly”) has been the dream of Mayor Dave Bieter and his “Team Dave” for a decade while it serves as a […]
New Hawks Owners Try For Double Play
Its the same old story. New Owners come to town, love the place, love the fans, love the weather, love baseball, and love to have the community build them a new stadium. Such is the case with the new owners of the Boise Hawks Baseball team. No longer with the Chicago Cubs, the Hawks will […]
Balukoff Wants Tight State Rules, But Don’t Impede Local Leaders Wishes On Tax Breaks
Last week we posted a piece after having a coffee chat with A.J. Balukoff, the Boise businessman who is running as a Dem for the office of Governor. We talked about various tax breaks, including the practice of the Idaho Land Board owning businesses and leasing tax exempt state-owned buildings to commercial businesses. Balukoff suggested […]
Leap Before You Look, Cart Before Horse…
Don Day points out on Twitter the irony of Boise officials offering a prize to youngsters under 12 for their creative ideas of what to do with City Hall Plaza. The prize for the winning idea is a free pass to Roaring Springs Water Park… in MERIDIAN! This type of logic is infectious with Boise […]
New GUARDIAN Banner Photo
After years of sticking with the same picture for the banner, the GUARDIAN has caved to reader suggestions and updated the image above. While the old photo was what we liked about Boise–a clean view of the foothills over the downtown–the new one is much more compact, thanks to the intent of local politicos and […]
Airport Retail Contractor Offers “Extras” With Bid
Boise City Councilors Tuesday approved without discussion an agreement with an airport retail concession vendor which includes making annual “donations” to a private non-profit group and Boise Parks. Buried in the proposal is a kick back offer to the city. George Prentice of the BOISE WEEKLY waded through the 1300-plus-page agenda and found this gem: […]
Gardner Courts BSU For Tax-Exempt Space
UPDATE 6/19/14 STATE BOARD OKed THE DEAL OUTLINED BELOW. Meeting in Idaho Falls, members of the State Board of Education approved the proposal. Looks like the Gardner Company has found a pot of gold in the form of government funding for downtown Boise projects. Latest move to get public funding for a pair of proposed […]
BOI Could Build $30M SkyWest Facility
We would eagerly welcome a $30,000,000 investment by regional airline SkyWest to build a maintenance facility in Boise as announced by Mayor Dave Bieter Friday. Taxes on a $30 million structure could amount to more than $500,000 a year for Boise Schools, ACHD, Ada County, and Boise City. But it is unlikely it will happen. […]
Government Give Aways–Impossible Dream
However well intended, we have a serious problem with fee deferrals, job training credits, landing fee waivers, and all other forms of “corporate welfare.” With promises of “stimulate the economy” along with “job creation” businesses are scamming local, state, and federal government agencies. The GUARDIAN recently filed a public records request with the airport to […]
ACHD Joins Boise In Gardner Fee Defferal
One thing Boise and Ada County Highway District officials seem to be able to agree upon is special treatment for the Gardner Development Company. Boise fees of about $500,000, and ACHD impact fees of between $1.2 million and $1.4 million are due before Gardner is allowed to occupy its a two-building, office/retail/parking/convention project, atop an […]
Give Away $.5Mill To Developer, But Pay Your Parking Tickets
Boise is ripe to be #1 on the “EASY PICKING” list compiled by developers. The BOISE WEEKLY’S George Prentice reports city officials have cut a deal to defer $500,000 in fees owed by Gardner Development, the outfit which has been anointed to build the latest version of the “Transit Center” which is planned beneath one […]
Social Engineering Or Prudent Planning?
The DAILY PAPER had a good story by reporter Sven Berg Sunday detailing plans by Boise officials to offer “developer welfare” for downtown apartments catering to young professionals. We see it as social engineering. Efforts to increase population density — not to mention traffic and urban crowding — have not been particularly successful due to […]
Who Will Pay For Airline Welfare In Boise?
Boise’s Airport (BOI) is asking the City Council for approval of even more welfare for airlines in addition to the $100,000 waiver of landing fees for the first year of new service routes. Now, they want to give away ticket counter space and parking with the hope such a discount program will encourage an airline […]
Simplot, Gardner Projects Differ In Funding
The announcement by the J. R. Simplot Company to build a nine story headquarters at 11th and Front while Gardner plans a new project at 8th and Main brings to mind the differences in funding. Simplot’s project won’t depend on public money like the Gardner project which depends of lots of public money–just for the […]
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