City Government
Time To Stop The Trolley Folly
Too much tax money has been spent doing surveys, plans, and proposals for a local transit system. Those who administer COMPASS, CCDC, and Valley Transit have demonstrated remarkable ineptness in providing any workable system. Those elected officials who sit on the various committees and boards have demonstrated a remarkable lack of leadership and concern for […]
Boise Stimulus Projects Identified
The Team Dave folks at Mayor Bieter’s office are keeping a scorecard of funded projects from the feds. Here is the current list: Transportation 36th Street Bike and Pedestrian Bridge: $550,000 Northeast Downtown Sidewalks: $519,000 Ada County Highway District ADA Sidewalks: $500,000 Ada County Highway District Thin Lift Overlays: $4 million Ada County Highway District […]
Guardian Sucks Up To Governments
We need to offer up some kudos to the local government types. First, the Ada Commishes will hold their first Town Hall meeting of the year on Wednesday, March 25 at 6 p.m. in the Meridian City Hall. Aside from a short presentation to begin the meeting ( there is no set agenda) they are intentionally keeping […]
Eagle Mayor On Legal Thin Ice
Eagle’s Mayor, Phil Bandy is skating on some legal thin ice and the temperature is rising with regard to his refusal to make public the names and resume’s of applicants to fill a vacant city council seat. Bandy has ordered the clerk’s office to withhold the public information contained in the applications and until today […]
Mayor Hotline Feb 28 to Mar 6
TEN COMMANDMENTS, NO TO TRANSIT PLAN, IDLE FLEET CARS, IDLE VAGRANTS, LONGER AND MORE INTERESTING THAN MANY HOTLINES 3/5/09 Ida Belle Fernau Fleet Vehicle: Hello, this is just a question. We were out of town this last weekend and when we got ready to leave, there was a City of Boise vehicle in the parking lot […]
Owyhee Plaza Good Deed For Public
The management of the Owyhee Plaza Hotel gets a hearty ATTABOY from the GUARDIAN for offering up a free room to downtown businesses opposed to the 10th Street Transit Center being pushed by some local politicos. The free room is adjacent to the one rented by Valley Regional Transit to push for a transit center […]
Mayor Hotline February 21 to 27
IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE TRANSIT COMMENTS , LOTS OF COMMANDMENTS, YEA DAVE, MAKE CATS STAY HOME! 2/26/09 Marc Clark 112 N. Wilson Boise, ID 345-6612 Transit Center: I’m commenting about the Treasure Valley High Capacity Transit Study. I received a flyer in the mail. I looked it over carefully and I see under “next steps”, it […]
GUARDIAN Primer On Local Governments
A recent reader comment requested that we post some sort of organizational chart explaining local government. We will give it a go, but space will limit detailed explanations. We will be glad to made additions based on reader comments from those in the know. Click on MORE for the complete summary.
Transit Guy Stands To Gain From Decisions
Once again the Daily Paper’s Cynthia Sewell has come up with a GOOD STORY about developer Jim Tomlinson’s land holdings being considered as parts of a downtown transit scheme. The story accurately points out that Tomlinson is a member–and currently president–of the Downtown Business Association which is an official agency created by Boise City government. […]
Raleigh, NC Has New Transit Center
A GUARDIAN reader was nice enough to send us a link to a story about a new transit center in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina along with a story about their new DOWNTOWN CIRCULATOR which of course is a rubber tire vehicle as instead of steel rail buried in the street. As for the transit center, it […]
Mayor Hotline February 14 to 20
WHO PAYS WHEN COPS TRASH HOUSE?, MASONS OPPOSE 10th St. TRANSIT MALL, TICKET $$, LED LIGHTS, FEARS OF NOISY TEEN CENTER, TRASH TALK 2/13/09 Wendy Coddel Debby Mayer (roommate) BPD: I thought that I should give you a call to let you know of an incident that occurred at my home last Friday. My house […]
Biden Visit Prompts “Illegal Detainment”
THE GUARDIAN RECEIVED THIS COMPLAINT FROM A READER WHO ALSO WAS A SUPPORTER OF THE SPECIAL OLYMPIC GAMES. WE WELCOME ANY INSIGHT–OFFICIAL OR CONJECTURE. Thursday, February 12, 2009– During Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Boise and his appearance at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games at the Qwest Arena, Boise City Police and […]
Park Board Slips In Goose Plan
A GUARDIAN EXCLUSIVE By DAVID R. FRAZIER Boise’s Park Board voted unanimously Thursday to continue efforts to hire a goose herding border collie with a prison record to help control goose poop piling up in the public parks. Seems the Idaho Humane Society has offered up a plan to use border collies with a natural […]
Taxpayers Fund COMPASS Legislative Party
The GUARDIAN has obtained more information about the taxpayer funded party set for Thursday evening to curry favor with legislators to advance their “agenda” in the Idaho Legislature. While the invitation sent to COMPASS members said “We will have heavy hors d’oeuvres and a hosted bar,” we have learned from COMPASS executive director Matt Stoll […]
COMPASS To Provide “Hosted Bar” to Legislators
COMPASS, the Community Planning Association funded by local city and county governments throughout Ada and Canyon Counties has scheduled a 2009 Legislative Reception Thursday to include free booze. Each city and county pays dues to COMPASS which supposedly acts as a regional planning agency for things like Transit. Just in case anyone in the unwashed […]
Merchants Not Onboard 10th Street Bus Hub
Despite official claims to the contrary, based on what we have seen and heard about a transit mall on Boise’s 10th Street, it looks pretty much like a done deal. The goal is to get a federal grant from 2006 spent before a March 2009 deadline. Officials at all levels of government–and there are many–are […]
Copper Chief Shares Caper Recap
One of the most prized possessions of a police chief is an annual crime report that actually shows a decrease in crime. Top Copper Mike Masterson shares the complete CRIME-REPORT with GUARDIAN readers. With fewer calls for service it demonstrates there should be time for coppers to write a few traffic tickets in the course […]
ACHD Chair Snubs Citizens, Denies Comments
Ada County Highway District Chairman Carol McKee went back on her word Thursday and snubbed at least two citizens who wished to share their thoughts about a proposed street closure relating to a “multimodal transportation center downtown.” When GUARDIAN readers expressed an interest in speaking at a Thursday joint meeting of the Boise City Council […]
Daily Paper Sells Feature Space To ACHD
DISCLAIMER–At the risk of sounding like a pitchman for female politicos who have recycled themselves back into office, the GUARDIAN was fascinated by an item posted on a new blog by Sara Baker, the newest Commish on the ACHD board and a former Boise City Councilor. Like Ada County Commish Sharon Ullman, Baker runs a […]
Missing Buses Located With BPD and BFD
The buses are all present and accounted for, but the manner in which possession of the government property has been transferred between agencies has caused concern for managers. The coppers have a couple of the exploding buses at a desert location where they will be used for–EXPLOSIVE training–and some SWAT team exercises. Boise Police command […]
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