Guest Opinion by
RANDALL FRANCH, Esq.

The Legislature passed into law one bill to criminalize gender-affirming medical care and another to criminalize any person involved in interstate travel of girls for abortion. Gov. Brad Little signed those bills, although he did veto a bill criminalizing librarians for not engaging in certain book-banning.

Only one member of the Boise School District Board of Trustees, Shiva Rajbhandari, expressed his frustration with the Governor’s actions. He said aloud what many of us thought. Those thoughts were expressed with profane language, but they addressed the extreme threat that this Legislature had made to the health, safety and lives of too many young people in Idaho. That Gov. Little, supposedly the moderate Republican, would sign those bills, says much about the power that right-wing Republicans, controlled by dark money forces that they do not even know exist, exert on Idaho politics. Idahoans are not nearly as hateful as their Legislature makes them out to be.

The School Board reacted badly to Mr. Rajbhandari’s social media post. It determined that Mr. Rajbhandari had violated its Code of Ethics, although it did not identify any specific part of that code in its press release, or how and why Mr. Rajbhandari’s statements, made on his personal social media, should be subject to any action by the Board of Trustees. Free speech may make people uncomfortable; sometimes it must make people uncomfortable to force them to open their eyes to behaviors that must be stopped.

That Board should have expressed its own outrage at legislation that potentially subjects its most vulnerable constituency to harm and deprives them of the medical care designed and intended to save their lives. It should not have engaged in the bullying of Mr. Rajbhandari, who is still 18 years old, facing off, unfortunately, against a Board of much older, more experienced adults. This Board of Trustees should be vehemently opposed to bullying, even by this Board of Trustees, against one of its own members. Bullying must be opposed whether on school grounds or in Board of Trustee Boardrooms.

The steps that Mr. Rajbhandari is taking are not, as insisted by the Board, an exercise in rebuilding trust. It is simply punishment for free speech that they did not like.

There is no question that Mr. Rajbhandari had a first amendment right to address these matters, even in harsh terms. It is less clear that the Board of Trustees had any right to sanction Mr. Rajbhandari at all for his protected speech. Neither the School Board nor any other body consisting of elected officials should have any right or power to sanction another member for their constitutionally protected speech. The voters who elected Mr. Rajbhandari are the sole arbiters of sanctions to be imposed. That is what elections are for.

The School Board would have done far better to issue a press release criticizing language it did not like but strongly identifying with and expressing unyielding support for the LGBTQ+ community, as Mr. Rajbhandari wholeheartedly did. That it missed this opportunity shows a complete failure to stand up for the constitutional rights that all Americans, even board members, have and the rights of Idaho’s children to the medical care they may need.

EDITOR NOTE–The GUARDIAN has also questioned the propriety of the school board meeting in a secret (executive) session to discuss the private activities of a fellow elected official.

RESPECT THE CULTURE was actually emblazoned on the tailgate of a small truck. It got us to thinking.

How many of the thousands of newcomers to Boise and Idaho in general come here to join in the lifestyle, rather than change it? Do folks come here to take advantage of cheap labor, cheap electricity, business “incentives,” or do they want to become Idahoans?

We would welcome your thoughts. When farms start growing houses, schools are overstuffed, the roads are insufficient for the traffic volume, and there aren’t enough jail cells, the culture changes.

In a written message she claims to have been denied any satisfaction from school administrators.

She wants her son to be able to wear an “Army Stole”(apparently provided by the recruiter) during the ceremony similar to those who are in the National Honor Society. (A stole is a band of colored cloth worn over the graduation gown draped around the neck) Here is her request to the Boise School District board members:

“My request is this:
1. For this graduation cycle:
–All ROTC members at all BSD schools should be allowed and encouraged to wear their uniforms and/or military stoles the entire ceremony;
–All military recruits at all BSD schools should be allowed and encouraged to wear their military stoles for the entire ceremony;
–Inserts should be created for all BSD schools to include in the graduation programs that recognize ROTC and recruits. (I will commit to fundraising and making this feasible for Borah High School, if necessary.)
–And/or, during the graduation ceremony, these individuals be recognized for their service.”

In this election year it would be a good bet that a call to the Guv, or any of the congressional delegation would garner support for her request. After all, are good grades any more honorable than joining the service of one’s country?

Meanwhile local politico mothers and fathers work overtime to attract more population, cars, trains, planes, and buses through “incentives.” They want those of us who live here to finance their addictive habit.

As budget approval times approach for local governments, tax increases are coming and expansion of everything from schools to roads, coppers, city workers and traffic are imminent.

Those of us who have lived here and revere the lifestyle, weather, and culture of SW Idaho are an endangered species. In a nutshell we are being exploited by outside forces and have to pay the bill so developers and other “birds of prey” can flourish.

We often hear the cry, “We have been discovered and we can’t keep people from moving here!” True, but we shouldn’t have to PAY them to come here. Paylocity posted a testimonial on a chamber of commerce site which is worth noting:

“In Boise’s favor were state incentives like a Workforce Development Training Fund, a reimbursement program to help cover the costs of training and onboarding initiatives, and a Tax Reimbursement Incentive (TRI) of 28 percent for 15 years. TRI is an incentive available to new or existing Idaho companies that create 50 or more high-wage jobs in Idaho. Companies have the ability to receive a reimbursement on their payroll, sales and corporate income taxes up to 30 percent for a maximum of 15 years. TRI is awarded to companies that prove their stability and significant economic impact to the industry, community and state.”

Wouldn’t we ALL like to have a 28 percent tax kickback for 15 years?

To top it off, the land was formerly agricultural cropland. Meridian made it an urban renewal agency and none of the taxes on the multimillion dollar buildings go to schools, ACHD, the city or the county. Sadly, the scenario is repeated over and over.

In the annual budget competition between local governments to see who can offer the most “savings,” Ada County is this year’s winner. The commishes budget includes a $12M cut in property taxes. Don’t hold your breath because future budgets can “clawback” the foregone taxing authority. Just ask the Ada County Highway District.

ACHD is faced with dozens of needed road projects and they are exploring to use that clawback feature to add $7.5 million cash to their bank account. See this BoiseDev piece.

Boise City has approved a $276.2 million budget to include 44 new hires in various departments–because of growth. Officials predict a 29% tax hike.

All these new people and companies need a bigger airport with more flights. Alaska Airlines has a deal with the University of idaho to pay the carrier if their new route to Moscow-Pullman is not profitable. Also, we wonder about the “incentives” offered to airlines for new flight routes. Do they pay landing and gate fees like everyone else?

In summary, when local government works against the will of the citizens thinking they are “creating jobs” and “competing with other cities,” they are destroying our culture and a way of life that has been eroded almost to the point of destruction.

When growth is the number one concern of society it is counter- productive to encourage growth. The politicos have caused the price of housing to climb out of sight and then they strive to build some cheap housing to take care of the problem they themselves created.
They create that which they seek to escape.

That 160 acre parcel is south of the Victory Road School District headquarters and West Jr. High, between Maple Grove and Cole Roads. It was to be a park, but Boise officials recently announced plans to do a land swap with the Harris Ranch family for foot hills land they claimed is worth $15 million–including the value of lots they are entitled to develop, but will forego.

Margaret Carmel at BOISE DEV did a great job with one of their trade mark “Deep Dives,” documenting the trade details.

In a nutshell, it appears the deal would avoid the Idaho Code requiring cities to declare land surplus and sell it at auction to the highest bidder. Trades of “equal value” are allowed under the law. By using the trade route Boise City would be able to target the ultimate owner and avoid an auction. The GUARDIAN sees that as “insider trading,” plain and simple. At issue now is the true value of both parcels.

City fathers and mothers obviously were caught off guard when Boise Schools essentially established a “comparison value” for the neighboring 15 acres of land at $800,000 per acre.

The honest way to handle the entire deal would be for the city to sell the Murgoitio Park site at auction, then simply give the Harris folks $15 million cash from the auction proceeds which would logically bring in many millions more than the proposed $15 million trade deal.

ABC NEWS reports that spanking kids is legal in 19 states, but not in the Florida county where the video was made.

The GUARDIAN listened Wednesday to callers on the KBOI radio talk show and the overwhelming majority seemed to favor use of corporal punishment in schools–it is apparently legal in Idaho.

The GUARDIAN suggests that similar punishment would be in order for teachers who chew gum, put their feet on desks, are late for work or leave early. No doubt teachers would not violate the rules if they were bent over and smacked on the butt by the principal.

UPDATE 5/9/21–Florida coppers and prosecutor havre “cleared” the principal of any wrongdoing, saying mom was present and authorized the whacks.

A trusted source in the Southeastern USA sent the GUARDIAN a text saying SOCIAL MEDIA is on fire with news claiming Harsin will leave the Bronco stable and become a Tiger trainer.

We will offer some additional topics, but remember, it is only for lack of material that we make the offer. Let’s avoid COVID-19 and the Presidential race results please.

Here are some topics:

–Anyone else notice the plethora of California and Washington license plates lately. Are there that many visitors and newcomers or do our neighbors to the South and West just ignore the requirement to obtain Idaho plates?

–Are the California and Washington students paying out of state tuition or claiming Idaho residency without relicensing their rides?

–Is City Hall spending too much time and money on “affordable housing?”
What about forcing employers to pay wages commensurate with rent or housing prices? When citizens pay for “incentives” to builders and developers aren’t we just subsidizing development?

–We need more schools and jail expansion due to GROWTH. It would seem logical for school administrators and the sheriff to oppose any incentives, “economic development,” or other promotions aimed at attracting more population and demands on our infrastructure.

–Will the new Ada Commishes put a stop to recent schemes aimed at subverting the right of citizens to vote on public debt?

–Any thoughts about the special note on our Ada County tax bill referring to GOV LITTLE’S ONE TIME TAX REDUCTION in bold type. We never seem to name politicos when there is a tax HIKE!

Meanwhile, wash your hands, keep your distance, and wear a mask–even if it is just to keep others from bitching.

GUARDIAN reader Nate Murphy sent us a set of “wanted posters” from a 5th grade class at Whittier school which pretty much listed a one-sided view of early explorers from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake. The student-produced posters pretty much made conclusions that fly in the face off what older generations were taught in school.

Murphy was concerned enough about what he saw to share his views with the governor, Lt. gov., legislative leadership, and the state department of education. He didn’t get a single response.

We share his letter, the images which upset him, and the official response from the Boise School District’s spokesman, Dan Hollar.

MURPHY’s LETTER:

As a father of a 1st grader, home owner, and citizen of the Great State of Idaho, it brings me great displeasure to bring this to your attention. I received the pictures below from a 5th grade class in the Boise School District a few weeks ago. If you would be so kind as to review the pictures first, then come back to the body of the email, I think it would help put the following in context.

Is this lopsided interpretation of the new world explorers sanctioned by the Idaho State Department of Education? Or are individual teachers allowed to frame history as they see fit? Or, is this a common core standard that we are force fed in order to receive federal education dollars? If the answer to any of the aforementioned is yes, then this concerns me deeply.

Why are we teaching our children that wanting these explorers dead is okay? Are those the values we expect from our future generation? Especially when, it would seem, the narrative has been skewed? A good percentage of these children, especially those who don’t have parents that prepare their kids with critical thinking skills, are going to believe what their teacher says and will go on with life with an indoctrinated, depressed, view of our history and origins. Or, is that the intention?

If my daughter were attending this school, I’d ask her to provide evidence to warrant the charges depicted on these wanted posters. The charge that Sir Francis Drake is “Dumb” for instance, might not hold water. Or the charge that he was last seen “murdering someone” seems to lack specific evidence/context. Also, did the explorers do nothing good, or were they all evil all the time?

What about including positive info on the courage it took to blindly set sail into the ether, not knowing what might come of you? Or, maybe use this as an oppurtunity to remind the kids that taking risks can be a good thing. Or how about the valuable lesson of self reliance and working as a team, with regards to the crew in the middle of nowhere, themselves trying to survive.

And if it weren’t for explorers coming here centuries ago we’d never have such luxuries as trying to blame those past explorers, while viewing their actions in the past, through the eyepiece of the telescope of the present, for deeds, though some unfortunate, gave us this very land to comfortably complain within.

I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Nate Murphy

BOISE SCHOOLS STATEMENT:
Given the abundant amount of information available today, we believe it is important that our students have the skills needed to accurately weigh all the facts and information before coming to a conclusion. To build these critical thinking skills, our teachers ask our students to seek knowledge and ask questions. Students are also expected to be able to discuss topics from many points of view and present a well-rounded and thorough examination of the topic.

Studying historic explorers is part of our social studies curriculum. A key component of our curriculum is to encourage students to look at history from multiple perspectives. The objective of the assignment was to study explorers and to look at this time frame through the lens of the relationship between the indigenous tribes and the explorers. Unfortunately, a small and selective portion of the assignment is being used to make a political point and is therefore misrepresenting the overall intent of the assignment. When the complete assignment was presented during parent teacher conferences, parents were supportive of the lesson.

We invite any parent or patron of the Boise School District who would like to learn more about how our students are being prepared to think critically to contact us at anytime.

KBOI TV NEWS reports the scheme touted by Dave Bieter during his ill-fated run for reelection will be run by the schools in the future.

Team Dave awarded Spark ad agency $80,000 for an annual contract to front the Be Kind scheme. The GUARDIAN figures citizens of Boise are due a refund of at least $19,000 based on the fact the deal was cut short by nearly one-quarter of a year.

Let’s hope the school district is able to teach students to “be kind” without dumping $80,000 into an ad campaign. Maybe Clan McLean can recover some cash from Spark for the unused portion of the contract.

UPDATE 1/8/2020: Boise Schools told the GUARDIAN the program will be handled with existing staff and, “We sure aren’t going to pay Spark $80,000.”