Growth
Sun Valley Politico Junket
Finally! The GUARDIAN has found common ground with local politicos and the Chamber of Commerce. We both discuss ad nausea the topic of growth, blueprint for growth, smart growth, regional cooperation, transit, local option taxes etc. AND WE HAVE BOTH ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING! The difference is the GUARDIAN does it for free. Once again the hard […]
Merrill Linked To Avimor Success
If folks had any doubts about former Eagle Mayor Nancy Merril’s involvement promoting growth in the foothills, read this excerpt of a letter sent to John & Nancy Merrill by Avimor president and general manager Dan Richter. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued interest and help in bringing […]
Little Sympathy For Tamarack Demise
Growthophobia is likely to break out in the wake of recent events surrounding a failing resort in Valley County. Small businesses, bankers, and contractors are suffering as a result of the “troubled Tamarack Resort.” The “trouble” is they don’t pay their bills or live up to promises made. The latest hit is the closure of […]
Developer Has Illegal Water Company
Ada County developer Greg Johnson has been operating an illegal water system without approval of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission according to 4th District Judge Michael McLoughlin. The judge ruled in favor of homeowners who became ensnared in a property owner nightmare when they hooked up to a community well owned and operated by Johnson. […]
March 15 Bike Protest Set
Civil disobedience is raising its noble head in Garden City Saturday as proponents of legalized biking plan to stage a Saturday demonstration. The two wheeler folks are calling for a peaceful protest and urge supporters to either walk or ride bikes along the stretch of Greenbelt which the City Council has declared “pedestrian only,” despite […]
Growth is Sour Note For Idaho Future
Guv Butch Otter wants a flat rate automobile registration fee of $150 to add some badly needed cash to the state’s road building program. Probably a good idea. Butch has enough business savvy to know when you are in trouble the last thing you do is increase your staff and plant size. Makes a lot […]
No Bikes Past River McMansions
We have heard from Gary Segers who uncovered Garden City bike path info in records at the State Lands Office. Segers claims the intent of the riverside path is for mix of bikes and pedestrians and a GC councilor says otherwise. Seems the money folks lead by developer/ John Evans want to keep the two […]
Engineering Boise Rail Line
Through a $2,000,000 purchase and subsequent donations, Boise acquired about 18 miles of rail line from the Union Pacific in 2000. It was part of a grand “Industrial Park” development scheme of the previous administration at taxpayer expense. The rail in question runs along the east end of Federal Way to the Union Pacific mainline […]
No Avimor Poop For Boise
We recently got a whiff of pending plans on the prospects of placing poop from Avimor in Boise. The GUARDIAN broke what is really a significant story last month in the saga of the planned community in northern Ada County and the subject of AVIMOR POOP . We revealed the developer wants to use a […]
Irrigation Proposal Makes Sense
Monday’s mail provided an “official check” from the Nampa Meridian Irrigation District in the amount of $4.78 and a note saying the Board of Directors had reviewed the plight of Brian Bandhauer and waived the taxes previously paid by the GUARDIAN. As a certified GROWTHOPHOBE, we have given the issue of charging homeowners for water […]
Chamber Hype Is Merely Hype
Remember all the euphoria coming out of the Chamber of Commerce, Boise State, and the Idaho Tourism Development folks after BSU won the Fiesta Bowl. There were claims of intense interest on the part of businesses wishing to locate corporate headquarters in Boise, brilliant students standing in line to attend the place with the blue […]
GUARDIAN Stops Lien On Home
The Nampa-Meridian Irrigation District has placed a lien on the home of a Meridian man over a disputed $4.78 late fee. The insanity of a government agency spending untold cash to chase $4.78 so outraged the GUARDIAN that we drove to Nampa to pay the bill ourselves and put an end to the childish behavior. […]
Avimor Plans Place Poop In Boise
COPYRIGHT BOISE GUARDIAN The Avimor planned community north of Eagle along Highway 55 plans to use Boise City sewage facilities to treat sewage before dumping it into the Boise River. Boise officials have never heard about it. The GUARDIAN has confirmed Avimor plans to build an “activated sludge” plant in the foothills and clarify raw […]
Property Taxes Likely To Rise
Despite the nationwide decline in housing sales–and the subsequent value of homes–it is likely 2008 will bring a property tax increase. Here’s why. Ada Assessor Bob McQuade tracks local sale prices and has appraisers in the field on a daily basis. He predicts the valuations will be pretty much flat. Some of the “McMansions” may […]
Idaho Nukes For California Consumers?
When smooth nuke power promoter Don Gillespie hit the airwaves and pages of the local media with plans for an electricity generating nuclear plant near Bruneau along the Snake River, he didn’t spark much opposition—especially since Jeremy Maxand rolled out of the Snake River Alliance office for greener pastures. With potential cooling towers on the […]
THOU SHALT NOT POLLUTE
We find ourselves a bit fed up with the inability of the politicos to do much more than talk about our dirty air for fear of discouraging growth. It may take some political will–not found today, but the proposed GUARDIAN LAW will stop out-of-county polluters. The GUARDIAN LAW will be real simple: “THOU SHALT NOT […]
Air Quality Talk Will Create Hot Air
Plan on a lot of HOT air when folks discuss BAD air at a “Town Hall” meeting Tuesday at 7p.m. in the council chamber of Boise City. Experts from all the local planning, air quality, and highway agencies will each give presentations. If they follow the usual protocol, the politicos and bureaucrats will spew their […]
Growth Trumps Open Space, Beauty
A recent week making photos in Mexico City made us realize that no matter how many people we attract or how many buildings we erect, Boise is a “small town.” Regardless of how much furniture you stuff into a small house–it is still a small house. Crowded, but still small with less open space. Same […]
Sub Primes Abound In Boise
Looks like the housing market isn’t the only place with sub prime loans. –They guy who brought us the “green” bank building seems to be “in the red” on a condo project at 10th and Main. There was a foreclosure notice to the tune of $2.5 million posted in the Daily Paper legal ads a […]
City Land Deals Raise Warning Flags
Since its inception the GUARDIAN has urged Boise City to get the heck out of the land speculation and development business. A recent story by Kathleen Kreller with a headline “BOISE AIMS TO PAY FOR BRANCH LIBRARIES WITH LAND SALE would make it appear the politicos have seen the light and will let the private […]
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