Growth
City Has Poor Record On Land Speculation
The Daily Paper ran a lengthy story Saturday detailing plans by Team Dave to sell a bunch of “surplus property” to finance other projects intended to stimulate the economy through GROWTH. The City can’t be trusted to follow through. Since the inception of the GUARDIAN we have watched the city buy land with grandiose plans […]
Governments Fight Each Other With PR Efforts
The last minute “panic attack” to to get the Air Force to locate not one, but two bases of F-35 fighter jets in Idaho brings to mind some the other ill fated government-funded Public Relations efforts we have seen over the years. If the F-35 follows in the footsteps of most of the other projects […]
Boise Purchases More Out of County Land
When it comes to phosphorous, a plethora of people and pots of poop puts plenty of pressure for proper procedure to prevent pollution and provide protection. A plan by Boise’s Public Works Dept. to reduce phosphorous in the Boise River sounds like a good environmental move on the face of it and one that could […]
Macy’s Departure Is Due To Inept Government
Macy’s leaving downtown Boise comes as no surprise. For more than 40 years we have watched officials tout their “vision for the future” in downtown Boise. It changes with each new planner and consultant. The Bon Marche (Macy’s today), J.C. Penney’s, The Mode, Falk’s I.D. and many smaller merchants vanished, thanks to the far and […]
Boise City Buys Out of County Land
Last week at a special council session, Boise City acquired a piece of land in Boise County known as Stack Rock. The landmark is a popular spot with hikers and mountain bikers who previously had to cross private property to reach it. We just hope Boise doesn’t get a hankering for Tamarack! It was acquired […]
GUARDIAN Top 2009 Stories By Month
As the legacy media does its annual TOP TEN stories to fill space between the holidays, the GUARDIAN has done the same thing based on what we have posted in the past year. In rereading some of the posts and comments, it appears we have an inordinate number of comments on police and fire stories. […]
GUARDIAN Christmas Wish List
For those who believe in Santa Clause, we have a Christmas wish list which has plenty of room for additional items. A toy train for Dave Bieter so he will stop trying to force a trolley and AMTRAK upon the kind, decent inhabitants of the City of Trees. A toy ambulance for the Boise FD […]
Growthophobes Claim Victory In Water Fight
That mega subdivision planned north of Eagle needed a gusher of groundwater and came up with only a trickle as a result of an Idaho Department of Water Resources ruling Monday. The developer known as M3 won approval for only one-sixth of the water right requested from Water Resources in what GROWTHOPHOBES living north and […]
Hyped Development Now Pathetic Footnote
Interesting note for GROWTHOPHOBES out Eagle way. When the developers offered all the hype for a golf course community, the city fathers and mothers of Eagle jumped aboard and all crowed about pumping millions upon millions of dollars into the Treasure Valley annually. It never happened because the developers didn’t have the money–as with Avimor, […]
Urban Renewal Agencies Plot State Law Revisions
While most of us are planning for the holidays and trying to finance toys for the kids, urban renewal agencies around the state are plotting legislation that will give them unbridled control of spending public funds for projects that belong under city control–like sewers, transportation, and public buildings. Their plan to get the state law […]
City, Simplot Can’t Agree On New Building
A proposal for an agricultural museum and new offices for the J. R. Simplot Company to be built by the family foundation for about $100 million in downtown Boise is apparently on hold. Simplot and City officials have been meeting to hash out designs issues after the city declared the initial Simplot idea was not […]
Boise FD Expands Service Area With Takeover
When Boise Fire Department closed #6 station at Liberty and Fairview 15 or more years ago, they turned around and PAID what is now the North Ada District to provide fire service to that station and the surrounding area along Fairview. Now, after years of “fee for service,” the BFD is doing a flip flop […]
STATESMAN Readers Bash Bieter Trolley
Mayor Dave Bieter continued his pitch for a trolley in the narrow streets of Downtown Boise with an op-ed piece in the Daily Paper Wednesday. Out of 10 comments posted so far, there was one flat out supporter, one “sorta for it” and eight who flat out were against it. Count the GUARDIAN in the […]
SW Boiseans Sent Out Of Town To Vote
Boise has a new ordinance giving preference to local vendors, but apparently that doesn’t apply to polling places. According to the latest information on the city website, they are sending people out of town to vote–but only in two southwest Boise precincts. If that sounds peculiar, take a look at the City Limits map and […]
PUC Policy Pleases Persistant GROWTHOPHOBES
While many Idaho bureaucrats and developers claim “growth is inevitable,” the Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved a measure that will force developers to pay their fair share of providing power to homeowners. With only minor modifications, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission has adopted an Idaho Power Co. request to require developers and builders to […]
Transit Experts Vindicate GUARDIAN
For years the GUARDIAN has been poking fun at Team Dave. Senator Senior Crappo, and all the rest of those who favor trains. Each time we poked holes in their ill advised dreams, survey, and yes–SCAMS, we pointed out the need for a decent bus system before anything else can even be considered. Here is […]
Boise Caters To Contractors–Again
No lesson learned from the “Boise Pit,” Valley County’s Tamarack, or Avimore by Team Dave. The latest move catering to contractors and developers of commercial projects simply defies financial logic. Mayor Dave Bieter is “deferring” building permit and inspection fees on new construction until an occupancy permit is issued. Also, impact fees for police, fire, […]
Team Dave Sees The Light–FINALLY!
After years of lame excuses and spending thousands of taxpayer dollars in Sun Valley to discuss local problems, Team Dave has finally written the Chamber of Commerce suggesting that just MAYBE it would be a good idea to hold the annual indoctrination of local “leaders” in Treasure Valley. KTVB CHannel 7 had a GOOD STORY […]
“Rest of Us” Pay For Failed Development Costs
Reporter Cynthia Sewell has an interesting piece in the Daily Paper about life in AVIMOR for the five residents of the so-called planned community of 850 homes. But who pays for that quiet existance? A GUARDIAN reader pointed out “the rest of us” are already on the hook to take care of failed developments like […]
Decision Due To Dissolve Developer Deadlines
By TONY JONES Critics of the county’s policies dealing with planned communities, and the manner in which the Commish’s handle all things public, will feel vindicated learning the county is quietly preparing another gift for the development community. Under current county code, when a planned community is approved, the developer has two years to get […]
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