City Government
Reader Question And History Lesson Worth A Look
QUESTION Editor, could you possibly educate me (and others) a bit about Boise and its real estate swapping? In every other city in which I’ve ever lived, city government tended to focus on the day-to-day, mundane, “unsexy” aspects of municipal government — fixing the street lamps and the potholes, making sure the police department ran […]
Boise Defers To Developer Wishes Yet Again
The politicos at Boise City Hall are at it again, placing their loyalties with the developer community rather than the taxpayer-citizens. They have given the California developer, Local Construct, an extra four years to complete a deal they have so far failed to live up to. After an illegal attempt in 2003 to build a […]
Reader’s Argument Against Property Taxes
A GUARDIAN reader sent in this comment on a previous TAX POST. For the sake of reader debate, we figured it worth posting up front. GUEST OPINION By Greg C I’m quite amazed at the back and forth between pro property taxes and against. This folks is exactly what politicians thoroughly want! The never ending […]
Boise To Accept Library Written Comment
Folks who feel they are being steam rolled into building a “Taj Mahal” library and moving the Literary Cabin tell us there is one final shot at being heard by the City Mothers and Fathers. Written e-mail comments are being accepted at librarycampus@cityofboise.org until November 27. Feel free to comment on the GUARDIAN, but be […]
Woman Injured By Dinosaur That Scootered Away
It finally happened last Sunday in Boise, not Jurassic Park. The first injury accident with one of those e-scooters took place at 6th and Front Streets in Boise. Witnesses said it was a hit-and-run dinosaur. Here is the official police report: Boise Police and the City of Boise continue to monitor E-Scooter use across the […]
Build It And They Will Come, but Where?
The IDAHO PRESS published a story today revealing there are ongoing talks between developer Chris Shoen and BSU acting president Martin Schimpf over a joint baseball park. GUARDIAN reader Larry Rincover has offered his own thoughts on a baseball stadium and it is pretty much “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” GUEST OPINION By […]
Police Oversight Is Akin To Insurance Policy
The GUARDIAN has long considered the Boise Office of Police Oversight (Ombudsman) as a representative of the citizens and an “insurance policy.” You hope you don’t need it, but glad it is there. After a series of “critical incidents” resulting in the death of a police officer and numerous suspects, the ombudsman office was established […]
Boise Ombudsman Acting City Attorney
Unless Boise’s Team Dave has quietly appointed a new person to oversee police “critical incidents,” the current ombudsman will be in a position to both investigate and defend Boise coppers. Seems that Natalie Camacho Mendoza, the ombudsman, is also the interim Boise City Attorney, according to an e-mail notification sent to Fourth District Court. Camacho […]
Trash Talking Boise Scooters
Long-time reader Steve “Bikeboy” Hulme is a full-time bicycle commuter and obviously not a fan of motorized scooters or bikes, even with electric motors. He has shared his thoughts with the GUARDIAN. He opens with a memo from the Downtown Business Association. Hello! Boise will soon join a growing number of cities offering E-bikes and […]
Secret Deal Prompts Call For Probe
Three activist groups opposed to a mountain bike park in the Military Reserve are represented by Boise attorney Bruce Bistline who delivered a letter to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office calling for a probe into both the process Boise City Council used to approve the project and an alleged open meetings law violation. It all […]
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 […]
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 […]
“Rock Star” Contract Costly To Boise Taxpayers
Great research and reporting by Don Day at BOISEDEV on the Rock Star contract Boise citizens have to pay the proposed library architect for upscale travel. Following up on the GUARDIAN story about Boise Mayor Dave Bieter’s “Team Dave” agreeing to make first class payments for architect Moshe Safdie to travel and stay in Boise, […]
Boise Schools To Launch Marketing Campaign
Boise Schools has taken a page directly out of the Team Dave play book by seeking an advertising agency to create a demand for their services. The district will dedicate $175,000 for an advertising campaign in 2018-19, with an ongoing commitment for at least three years, according to documents obtained by IDAHO EDUCATION NEWS. Advertising […]
Library Hidden Costs Leave Bad Taste
We have had several readers contact the GUARDIAN expressing concern about the library proposal. Chief concern is the funding plan which is as “loosey-goosey” as the the fire department bond which was approved by voters, but failed to live up to its promise. Here is an excerpt from the preliminary contract with the “world class […]
Boise Fire Dept. Inept On Finance Plans
Long time GUARDIAN readers will recall “we told you so!” when it comes to recent revelations about Boise Fire Dept. financial ineptitude disclosed by the Idaho STATESMAN. In his Statesman Thursday piece, reporter Sven Berg said Boise officials spent twice as much as they promised four years ago in a bond proposal. The bon d […]
Bikers Jockey For Current Span Near Les Bois
By Steve “Bikeboy” Hulme GUEST OPINION (plea) If you lived in the area during the winter of 2016/17, you will surely recall the unusually “snowmageddon,” and the ensuing flooding. The torrents of water forced authorities to remove a bridge behind Les Bois Park when it was in danger of collapsing, due to erosion of the […]
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 […]
Boise Real Estate Speculation
When Mayor Dave Bieter “just happened to have some spare time to meet with a developer pal who ran “J & M Land” during a visit to Palo Alto,” the GUARDIAN QUESTIONED methods used by the City of Boise to swap land, and speculate on development of the city-owned armory building while flipping industrial park […]
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