City Government
To Which Drum Do They March?
The Boise City Council vs Ada County Highway District feud drew a strong rebuke from the IDAHO STATESMAN editorial board Saturday over the widening of Ustick Road. The gist of the editorial was “play nice,” but the GUARDIAN got to thinking: Other than the Chamber of Commerce, what group is really happy with the city […]
Boise: “No Thanks to Historic Funds”
Despite repeated attempts by the Idaho Historic Preservation Office to give Boise some cash, the Boise mayor’s office passed up the chance for $5,000. Mayor Bieter also has left a seat on the city Historic Preservation Commission empty for more than a year. In response to a query from a GUARDIAN reader last June, we […]
And Then There Were Three
All three incumbent city councilors in Boise now face challengers with the addition of a self proclaimed one issue protest candidate, Mark S. Seeley. Seeley, 44, will go after Councilor Vern Bisterfeldt’s seat, challenging him on the plight of the homeless and the fiasco over the operation of a Community House, the former City homeless […]
Swindell vs Jordan
Talk About Rehabilitation! Brandi Swindell was sentenced to 25 hours of community service for her role in a protest over removal of the Ten Commandments rock in Julia Davis Park. Now she wants to do it full time. To hear incumbent city councilors tell it, she will do 25 hours community service the first day […]
Depot Remains “Private”
When the world’s largest operating steam locomotive came to Boise Sunday, it was banned from parking at the most beautiful Depot in the Northwest. So much for promoting rail transportation. The historic “Challenger” was relegated to a stretch of weed-lined track west of the Depot because a private party had rented the Spanish mission-styled landmark. […]
Boise City 101
With the September 30 filing deadline only four days away, Boise’s November 8 City Council election is the subject of intense disinterest by potential candidates. So far only Jim Tibbs has announced a run against an incumbent. He is challenging Councilor Jerome Mapp. No one else has stepped forward to run against either Vern Bisterfeldt […]
Council Race Off to Slow Start
With the City Council election less than six weeks off, the city is awash with intense disinterest in the people we allow to decide how more than $150,000,000 is spent each year. The only non-incumbent to register as a candidate is former acting police chief Jim Tibbs. He has been attending city council and neighborhood […]
Pandering To Business
Like the “unknown Democrat” who responds to the President’s Saturday radio address, the GUARDIAN is compelled to put Mayor Dave Bieter’s “state of the city” speech in perspective. You have to realize this cheerleading session is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the mayor raises a gross sum of about $30,000 so businesses can […]
Boise, GROWING with Bieter
In a front page display by reporter Brad Hem, the IDAHO STATESMAN offered a retrospective of Mayor Dave Bieter’s first 21 months in office and the conclusion was “mixed reviews.” In typical mainstream media style, the newest link in the Knight-Ridder chain offered a near perfect blend of cheers and jeers. Bottom line in Hem’s […]
Surprise! Micron Expands in Singapore
Those IDAHO tax breaks granted to Micron have really paid off–the company was able to pump $250 million into expansion of a 265,000 square foot production facility in SINGAPORE. The Idaho Statesman barely noted the irony with a business story shorter than this blog entry. The good news is we won’t have to feed, house, […]
Seriously Silly Stinky
Ustick Road has the potential of being a skunk with more stripes than a zebra–but it will still stink, thanks to a “compromise” between the Boise City Council and the Ada County Highway District. Regarding road improvements Boise thinks , “If you don’t build it they won’t come,”. ACHD wants to build their standard 5 […]
Meridian School Bond Battle
The taxpayer snipers have their sights trained on the upcoming Meridian School Bond battle and early indications show the District’s volunteer army may not be as experienced as their tax foe adversaries. The first skirmish had kids used as innocent couriers for a pro bond post card that crowds the line of propriety with a […]
Heart Attack on Live TV
Cable TV channel 11 put some real drama in the Wednesday night special City Council meeting when a member of the audience suffered an apparent heart attack on camera. It happened shortly after midnight after about 50 people from the Depot Bench neighborhood had offered testimony against the proposed four story apartment condo project. At […]
Appearances Take Two
The Boise City Council now explains the rush to get their own raises approved was nothing nefarious (for you non-library types that’s wicked or sneaky). It was just a scheduling error. They euphemistically explained to the Idaho Statesman that it was just a “scheduling error” that forced them to waive the required three readings of […]
Appearance Really Matters
In its ongoing quest to garner public confidence and support, the Boise city council offers this little gem in the agenda for the Tuesday August 30 meeting: “FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD READING OF AN ORDINANCE FIXING THE SALARY COMPENSATION FOR BOISE CITY MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS; PROVIDING FOR A WAIVER OF THE READING RULES; AND […]
The Saga of John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who will tire you out just listening to him because his sharp mind is usually about three steps ahead of his mouth. The result is a conversation with so many diversions he seems wacko. Well, he IS a little wacko and proud of it. JP is […]
For You Library Types
The Boise public library is making history by offering the citizens of our fair city a chance to actually VOTE on how their tax dollars are spent. The last bond election was at least 10 years ago when a park bond failed. After that failed attempt, the city switched to a strategy of asking judges […]
Correction on Community House
We ran this little brief last week about homeless problems: COMMUNITY HOUSE The Boise city council turned down a non-cash “equity bid” of $250,000 from Community House Inc. as down payment on the City owned homeless shelter. The council then turned around and GAVE them $206,000 to pay the bills at the privately operated facility. […]
Don’t Hit Rewind Button
Former Boise City Attorney Susan Mimura could use some good PR advice if not legal advice after filing a $500,000 claim against her former employer. She has filed a tort claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, claiming loss of wages and damage to her reputation after the city council fired her in the […]
Don’t Hit Rewind Button
Former Boise City Attorney Susan Mimura could use some good PR advice if not legal advice after filing a $500,000 claim against her former employer. She has filed a tort claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, claiming loss of wages and damage to her reputation after the city council fired her in the […]
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