Growth
BSU To Use A “Forced Out” For Baseball Field
Even with the home team advantage, Boise State University has been unable to get to first base with several property owners over attempts to build a baseball field. Owners of properties at the following locations have loaded the bases during negotiations: A)–1104-1108 South Grant Avenue, the current location of an eight-unit apartment complex, owned by […]
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 […]
GUARDIAN Editorial–ACHD Fee Hike Wrong!
Passion about a particular cause can be an admirable trait, but use of elected office to manipulate public opinion on a ballot issue demonstrates a lack of respect for voters and a questionable use of financial authority on the part of Ada County Highway District commishes. WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? The commishes took a lesson directly […]
Team Dave Favored Business Over Citizens In Library Deal
Our top researcher and reader, “Clancy,” gets credit for dredging up an old GUARDIAN story and a Cynthia Sewell Statesman piece from 2011 calling into question the decision to lease the Boise Library warehouse and parking area to a private company, even though future library plans were well known. Some seven years ago the GUARDIAN […]
Wildlife Conflicts Mount As Population Soars
Recent issues with wolves developing a taste for mutton and at least one grizzly bear in Eastern Idaho seems to like veal (he killed a calf), have Idaho wildlife managers caught in a bind. Historically, ranchers and settlers spent many years and bullets wiping out the predators to insure the safety of their flocks and […]
Ada Commishes’ “YES, NO, MAYBE,” Becomes Unanimous NO!
At the regular Tuesday Ada Commish business meeting all three commishes agreed to forgo the forgone taxing proposal which resulted in a three way split last week. Jim Tibbs, and outgoing Commish Dave Case apparently caved to the public pressure to NOT add $3 million to the tax bill for a court room upgrade and […]
Boise Is losing Its Sense Of Right And Wrong
The time has come for Boiseans to step up and CARE about what is happening at City Hall! Dave Bieter won his first race for mayor with a campaign based on ethics. That was after the previous mayor lost his moral compass, traveled the world, abused his expense account, and forgot he had been elected […]
Boise City Gov’t Awash In Cash
Boise’s City Councilors held the budget hearing last night and it looks like they are awash in cash, thanks to massive growth and a law that allows them to raise the budget 3% per year. With the growth factored in, Boise’s general fund budget will increase 8% for a total of $236,000,000. They tried to […]
Guard Your Wallet While Politicos Seek To Pick Your Pockets
Folks, we gotta do something about the way our politicians are after every dollar we have. The blame can be spread around equally in Idaho between the city, county, and state electeds. We will attempt to offer some insight with the example of the Ada Commisshes plan to use $3 million in “foregone taxes” in […]
Open Space Advocate On Bike Park Decision
GUEST OPINION BY Katie Fite Public Lands Director WildLands Defense The Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission failed to uphold two separate Appeals of permits for Hillside Grading and Flood Plain development to allow construction of a two million dollar Mountain Bike Park in Military Reserve. The Albertson’s Family Foundation would pay for construction, taxpayers […]
ACHD Votes To Increase Fees On Cars, But Not Trucks
Ada County Highway District Commishes voted Wednesday 3-2 in favor of placing an open ended fee hike proposal on the November ballot which exempts vehicles over 8,000 lbs. from ANY local fees while placing the entire burden on automobile owners. Commishes Jim Hansen and Kent Goldthorp opposed the measure while Sara Baker, Rebecca Arnold and […]
State Rep Gannon Speaks To ACHD Fee Hike
Idaho State Rep. John Gannon has weighed in on the Ada County Highway District proposed fee hike and he favors charging the commercial trucks and vehicles over 8,000 lbs. fees similar to those currently paid only by passenger cars, according to documents acquired in a public records request. The GUARDIAN has railed against the unfair […]
Visser Tosses Hot Potato At Commishes
Ada Commish Rick Visser tossed out a hot potato to the Assessor and fellow Commishes Thursday morning when he appeared before the Board of Equalization (comprised of the three commissioners) to appeal his own property tax assessment. Visser was challenging a 21% hike in the assessed value of his home. He said all the houses […]
No End To Local Tax And Budget Hikes
As the budget season reaches full swing it is downright frightening how local officials are conditioning folks for tax and budget hikes. It is also a bit frightening how glibly the legacy media offers reports like this one from the Idaho Press and Idaho Statesman regarding the proposed new Boise Library: “On top of the […]
ACHD Proposes To Give Commercial Vehicles “Free Ride,” Stick Little Guys With Tax Hike
Ada County Highway District Commissioners will consider a craftily worded fee hike proposal at their July 11 noon meeting which places new fees squarely on the back of small passenger car owners while exempting the rigs that chew up our roads. The proposal, which is planned for the November 6 ballot, sets forth a fee […]
Three I-84 Crash Victims Served In USAF, New Wider Overpass Likely
Officials at Mountain Home Air Force Base confirmed the identity of three victims in the fiery I-84 crash were members of the U.S. Force. Here is the Air Force media release: Three Airmen from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, were killed in the accident Saturday night on Interstate84 in Boise, Idaho. The Airmen have […]
ACHD To Propose Tax Hike
The IDAHO PRESS reports Ada County Highway District Commishes are planning to put a tax hike proposal on the November ballot. Before they make the request ACHD would be well advised to work toward a fair tax that would not see us honest folks paying the bill for the commercial users and rental car companies […]
Tax Hike Due This Year AND Next!
The GUARDIAN has received several inquiries regarding property taxes following the assessment notices recently sent out by county assessors. The short version is this. YOUR TAX BILL WILL BE HIKED! Local politicos will brag they have “lowered the levy rate,” but when the value is increased the only way to profit is to sell your […]
More Growth (Cancer) Headed North
Back in the day there was a collective sigh of relief, a lowering of blood pressure and a sense of freedom when you turned off of State Street and headed north on Highway 55 at “Petticoat Junction.” The realignment of Highway 55 along with traffic signals at Hill Road and Floating Feather intruded a bit. […]
The GUARDIAN is Baaaack
The GUARDIAN has returned to duty and unfortunately we don’t have a lot of cheery news to report after covering 1300 miles of Idaho, Yellowstone, and vicinity. Great time spent with 14-year-old grandson and a chance to learn the addictive qualities of those “smart” phones. Amazing how fast and readily available information can be obtained. […]
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