Here is his statement:

Statement from Mike Masterson
March 20, 2023

“I recently took the first step to run to be the next Mayor of Boise by filing a Declaration of Candidacy with the Secretary of State’s Office. In the coming weeks, I will be talking to as many Boiseans, organizations and businesses as possible to determine what my campaign would look like if I chose to move further with my candidacy.

It is already clear to me that in order to lead this incredible city into the future, we need a mayor who prioritizes public safety, affordable housing, fiscal responsibility within the city’s budget and mayor’s office, finds permanent solutions to address homelessness and, above all, who can restore public faith and transparency in our city’s government.

I appreciate the encouragement and support of so many of my friends, family, and neighbors who have expressed confidence and trust in my leadership abilities already, and am excited tcao explore this opportunity to once again make Boise the safest, most livable city in the country.”

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?

Four out of five Guantanamo detainees whom former President Barack Obama released in exchange for former U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in 2014 now hold senior positions in the interim government created by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Adding further to the Idaho role in the Afghanistan War, Boise attorney David Nevin has represented at least one of the prisoners at Guantanamo.

We welcome any comments and factual story content.

Here are some trending topics of discussion:

—Brian Harsin sits out Auburn Football practice and stadium openers.

–Was it time to leave Afghanistan after 20 years? More defense contractor mercenaries died than real soldiers. DEATH TOLL American service members killed in Afghanistan through April: 2,448. U.S. contractors: 3,846. Do the mercenaries get V.A. benefits and PTSD payments?

–Is the police oversight system viable in Boise with video being withheld on critical incidents and officers under investigation put back on the road before being cleared?

–Will local government budgets be game changers this year?

–COVID is running rampant and many are fighting mask and immunization.

The GUARDIAN received several calls from readers commenting on the excess noise from the fighters, so we called the Idaho Air National Guard command post to see if they could provide any info.

The duty sergeant told us, “I am in the basement with no windows. I can certainly hear them, but they are not using our facilities and I don’t know who they are.”

GUARDIAN reader Katie Fite got a reply from Lt Col Chris Borders, the ANG spokesman and he told her this:

“The sounds you’re hearing are the result of 10 USMC F-18 Hornets from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. They are not here to train with the IDANG, nor are they utilizing any of our facilities, ramps or services.

They are staying on the BOI (airport) side, receiving services from a commercial facility (Jackson Aviation) there. From what I can tell, they plan to be here through October 30th.

I don’t believe they are here for a “named” exercise (as in a major regional or larger exercise). They are utilizing/training in the Mountain Home Range Complex.”

NOTE 10/24: TRAGEDY FRIDAY

President Donald Trump’s advocacy for the drug Chloroquine brought back memories from 52 years ago for Frazier who was prescribed the “malaria pill” following his Vietnam service in the Army.

In July of 1968 while working at the Ypsilanti Press, I got a call from Art Chernicki, the UPI photo chief for Michigan. The White House had just announced President Lyndon Johnson was making a surprise visit to the American Legion Convention in Detroit. Could I cover his airport arrival?

Detroit Metro Airport was midway between Ypsilanti and Detroit, so the drive didn’t take more than half an hour. The field was divided in half with the civilian terminal on one side and the
Air National Guard hangars on the other side much like Gowen Field in Boise.

Frazier and Gen. William Westmoreland have intimate conversation in 1968 at Detroit.

Soon I noticed a slender old guy wearing a white dinner jacket festooned with medals standing off to one side by himself. He looked like either a Navy captain or a chauffeur. Then it hit me. It was General William Westmoreland, my former top commander in Vietnam and now chief of staff of the U.S. Army.

It was a hot Michigan July day with huge thunder clouds billowing up in the distance. We were all killing time awaiting the arrival of Air Force One.

“Those clouds look almost like a monsoon don’t they,” I
remarked to the general for openers.

“Were you over there son?”
“Yessir. I got back a month before you did. I work for a local
paper and UPI now.”

About then the broadcast media boys recognized Westy and stuck microphones in his face.

“Gentlemen! Would you excuse us. This young man and I are talking,” he admonished. They backed off and we continued our idle chitchat. No doubt he was using me as an excuse to not talk to the media or take the spotlight off his boss, President Johnson. An unknown photographer made an extremely respectful and kind gesture when he silently walked up behind me and removed one of my cameras from my neck. He made several shots, including one (above) which made the rounds of the wire services
captioned, “Two Veterans discuss the war.” Little did they know the real conversation.

We talked a bit more about returning home, my old unit in Saigon, etc.

At that point he asked, “How long did it take you to get
regular?”

“I wasn’t regular sir. I got drafted so I was U.S.” I explained referring to my service number prefix.

“No no. I mean REGULAR. I have had the trots ever since I got back and I can’t get regular,” he confided.

Responding way outside my pay grade, I advised the chief of staff of the Army to stop taking the malaria pills–CHLOROQUINE– we were all instructed to take every Monday for several months after returning from Vietnam.

“You think that will work?”

“Worked for me,” I said with a smile.
About then there was a stirring among those standing around the black presidential limousine as Air Force One taxied off the runway.

“Well, I have to greet the president. Nice chatting with you,” said the general as he strode away to stand at the foot of the portable stairs and offer a salute to the commander in chief.

To members of the Idaho National Guard it can be two weeks in the desert south of Boise driving tanks and playing soldier with a rifle. Even the military calls it “war games.”

To a group of about 200 inmates at the Idaho Correctional Institution testing positive for COVID-19, it will mean staying in the National Guard barracks at Orchard, but no rides in the tanks or playing with rifles.

A number of low security-risk inmates have tested positive with the COVID virus, but are asymptomatic. Officials at the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) working to isolate infected inmates decided to “send them to summer camp” at the Idaho National Guard facility.

The “Orchard Training Range” is a modern military base south of Boise (south of the Boise Stage Stop) with tank maintenance facilities and barracks capacity for around 880 part time soldiers. No word regarding whether the barracks have “rooms” or “cells.” With the COVID outbreak, the military facility has been on reduced duty status, so they have plenty of spare bunks.

The GUARDIAN would like to know how long the IDOC “deployment” will last, assuming the inmates will need at least 14 days of quarantine before “demobilizing.”

Repeated attempts to seek comment from both the Idaho National Guard and the Department of Corrections were unsuccessful Monday .

Lauren McLean, the newly elected mayor, has openly opposed the idea of siting F-35 fighters at Boise’s Gowen Field.

Tuesday, the day after Veteran’s Day, a team from the Boise VA as well past long-term employees, quietly gathered at the federal courthouse to hear the sentencing of Szilvia Rideg.

Rideg, the former executive director of the VA charity Idaho Veteran’s Research and Education Foundation (IVREF), plead guilty last year to Federal felony theft of $44,000 during her time at the foundation.

Ms. Rideg managed to make full restitution the morning of her sentencing, which came as a surprise to those in the courtroom. She was sentenced to five years probation, fined $5,000 along with twelve months of house arrest with possible electronic monitoring. Oddly, she continues to work as a grant administrator in another state but is now forbidden to handle funds, open lines of credit or handle cash. She must also take a personal finance class.

IVREF is a medical research charity that furthers the cause of veteran’s healthcare by studying, researching and hopefully curing diseases that veteran’s may suffer from either through the course of their service or later in life. IVREF was recently awarded a $10 million grant by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Rideg was the administrator of this grant.

Besides the economic impacts of her crime, her deceit also took a toll on the researchers employed at the VA as she attempted to cover her tracks by lies, allegations and blame directed towards her co-workers. For several decades researchers have left the facility and the Boise VA has come under scrutiny by the National Institute of Health as they have watched this unfold from afar.

Rideg attempted an apology during her sentencing, however, she spoke so softly that her words were lost in the courtroom and mostly unheard by the audience.

The court noted that Rideg, who came to the US seeking protection from a communist regime, stole from the very people, veterans, who fought for the freedoms and protections she now enjoys.

Here are some topics for discussion and we freely admit they are not all new.

–Boise officials and the USAF staged a demonstration of their close air support (CAS) urban warfare training over our fair city at the end of August, but we don’t recall seeing any press releases before or after. Seems odd the flyboys suck up to the mayor, but every time someone complains about military air traffic, they get a letter from Team Dave saying, “we have no control over the military.”

–Lots of talk about that armored ambulance costing $300K. We shared that with some out-of-town paramedics who replied with, “Wow. I hope we get one too.” Logically it is like the MRAP truck from the military…do they need one in Pocatello and Cascade as well? Same is true for those “mobile command” buses. We think it has a lot to do with how much citizen cash is available. Think fire truck. Those are needed EVERYWHERE.

–Bus system still sucks.

–Why not put up freeway ramps during the Cloverdale overpass rebuild?

–Are the greenbikes dead with the advent of the scooters? Are the scooters working out?

–Should citizens get a VOTE on the library funding rather than manipulated “input” meetings?

–ACHD sure ate it when they told us “the citizens want the vehicle fee hike.” When it came to the ballot box it was another story. Legislature will likely allow ACHD to tax the heavy trucks as well as the small cars under 8,000 lbs.