City Government
Is City Council Seat A Conflict With Legislature?
Guest Opinion By DAVID KLINGER Unless you’re a first-time homebuyer in the “New Boise”, trying to scrape together a down payment for that $500,000 “starter home” in “America’s Most Livable City”, the notion of working two jobs to make ends meet probably doesn’t carry very much appeal. That is, however, unless you’re an elected City […]
Election (or not) With No Voters Is Possible
The May 17 election is set to include a ballot measure seeking bonding authority for nearly $ billion to build a development of about 7,000 homes in a development called “Spring Valley” north of Eagle. At last check the GUARDIAN found the Ada County election office could not find any “qualified electors” living within the […]
Bikeboy Peddles 200,000 miles
The following feature by “BIKEBOY” is a bit long, but it took him years of huffing and puffing the streets of Boise to chalk up 200,000 miles. Here is his account of life on the street. BY STEVE HULME In 1986, I was a working-class guy, married with two kids and another on the way. […]
Council Adopts Guardian District Idea
It looks like Boise City Councilors have come to their senses and adopted the GUARDIAN philosophy for the upcoming requirements for members of the commission that will set districts. The action took place at the Tuesday meeting. The GUARDIAN had suggested ( see previous post) the expertise of members was more important than their geographical […]
Council District Commission Important Move
Boise City Councilors will consider an ordinance Tuesday to create a commission to fashion the new districts mandated by the Idaho legislature. It will be a public hearing. While we recognize the need to have ONE MAN-ONE VOTE districts, this first step is only to establish the commission members. These planning units are indeed absurd […]
Council Studies Trailer Park Purchase
Citing a need to preserve low-cost affordable housing, Boise City Councilors discussed the purchase of a trailer park in the Vista neighborhood at Shoshone and Malad at a recent work session. Council President Elaine Clegg said, “This is a great opportunity to secure a revenue source for taxpayers and preserve shelter for our unhoused community […]
Corporate Giveaways, No Workers
We find it perplexing that when we have a “worker shortage” and a shortage of “affordable housing,” the state and local politicos are offering tax breaks to corporate billionaires to move to the Boise area. The recent announcement of a Meta data center moving to Kuna would be great if the predicted 100 workers were […]
Vern Calls It “10-42” After 53 Year Shift
By DAVID R. FRAZIER GUARDIAN EDITOR A dear friend and legend in police circles died Friday following a lengthy battle with assorted health issues. Vern Bisterfeldt was 84 and served the community as a cop, city councilor, and county commissioner over a period of more than 50 years. When I came to Boise in 1968 […]
Open Beds or Free Speech?
The governor has changed, the police chief is new, the state police colonel has changed, the mayor has changed, even most of the media reporters have changed. All that said, there is still the current issue of homeless camping on the state-owned former Ada County Courthouse, just like the OCCUPY BOISE movement did ten years […]
Boise’s Top Copper Investigated
Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee is the subject of an investigation apparently stemming from a physical incident with one of his subordinate officers. The investigation by the Idaho State Police has been reported locally by several media outlets as well as national media. The GUARDIAN along with other media have been “tipped” repeatedly for several […]
Guard Critical Of Mall Shooting Response
The following letter is from Mike Murphy, a former security guard who was on duty during the Towne Square Mall shooting incident. Murphy along with two other security staff have since resigned because “It is not safe to work there and we didn’t have proper safety equipment including body armor.” Murphy has sent this letter […]
Promoting Growth While Lamenting Lack Of Housing
Open letter to Airport Director Rebecca Hupp from David Klinger On an otherwise quiet Wednesday evening in September 2019, I returned from a trip to Warsaw, Poland, to the Boise Airport. I was one of only a handful of returning passengers at the baggage claim carousel around 6 p.m. that evening. Yet sparse airport attendance […]
Boise Mayor’s Secret Trip Betrays Public Trust
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has betrayed a public trust by entering into a secret agreement with an unknown business while depriving citizens of any knowledge of attempts to increase population and demand for services in the city. Her allegiance appears to be to corporate America rather than the citizens of Boise since she has a […]
Ada Elections Advice For Tuesday
Ada County Elections is encouraging voters to check their polling location and preview their ballot before heading to the polls on Election Day, November 2. Voters can confirm their polling location and see their ballot online using the Ada County Elections polling place LOCATOR. With new legislative changes and district boundaries, voters may not see […]
Water Bond Has Gravitational Force
The GUARDIAN has a basic understanding of gravity and understands water runs downhill (downstream). The largest bond in the history of local government in Idaho seeks authority to build a sewer treatment plant in the eastern part of Boise. It is the ONLY item on the November 2 ballot which can be voted upon by […]
Potential Trumpesque Boise Election
Discussing the various rules, changes, and laws regarding the upcoming Boise City election, the GUARDIAN discovered what could be a treasure trove of votes if city council candidates take advantage of the Idaho law. Those densely populated student housing areas along the Lusk St. area and Boise Ave. near the campus could yield close to […]
Pure Thoughts On Clear Water Issue
The following information is in regards to the “water renewal” (sewer) bond financing scheme on the November 2 Boise City ballot. GUEST OPINION By ERIKA BENSON What most voters will not know is there are other Federal funding sources that can pay for a lot of this, but Boise is going to use these monies […]
City Defeats Voters Prior To Bond Election, “Cash or Credit?”
The politicos at Boise City have pulled off a brilliant strong arm move without voters even being aware they have lost the power of the purse. See the story below for details, but here’s what it all means. Following all the rules for “transparency,” the council has decided to spend upwards of $810 million for […]
Dirty Tricks On Clean Water
In a classic “fox guarding the hen house” move, Boise city councilors favoring a sewer bond to accommodate development and increased population have approved a ballot proposal with no input from the public or folks who may be opposed to increasing public debt. Labeling the proposed sewer funding hike totaling $810 MILLION as “water renewal,” […]
Latest #1: Most Over Priced Real Estate
Boise has made another “Top Ten” list, this time for the most over priced real estate, according to FORTUNE Magazine. We get a kick out of listening to the radio ads for real estate agencies claiming to get the “highest prices” for the houses they sell. Simple logic would suggest that BUYERS avoid those agencies. […]
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