Amendment Seeks To Deny Voter Rights

The Idaho legislature will soon be considering HJR 005 which looks pretty tame at first glance, but it is designed to deny citizens the right to approve long term debt at airports and allow airports to go into the real estate speculation and rental business. Here is the GUARDIAN’s take on the bill. The net […]

Update On Desire Named Street Car

The DAILY PAPER has joined the long list of opponents to Team Dave’s “Desire Named Street Car” with a HUGE EDITORIAL in Sunday’s edition. They didn’t go soa as advocating a massive increase in the bus system, but it is clear (to us) the Statesman has come over to the GUARDIAN side. Reporter Cynthia Sewell […]

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 […]

Simplot Threatens To Leave Canyon County

J.R. Simplot Company’s environmental director threatened to “go somewhere else” in testimony before the Idaho Senate last week. The legislature has pretty much decided to allow the DEQ to implement plans for vehicle emission testing in Canyon County as the valley comes closer to “non attainment” of federal regulations…which will potentially affect how the Simplot […]

Politicos Prefer Secrets Over Public Scrutiny

Dan Popkey reports in the DAILY PAPER that Idaho Democratic legislators are taking the lead from their Republican opponents and holding secret caucus meetings for the first time in 9 years. They justify it, saying if the opposition knows what is planned, they could lose their chance to win on important issues. Unfortunately this is […]

TJ Withdraws Support Of Street Car Vote

Basing his judgement on the unsuccessful petition drive efforts of the candidate he defeated in November, City Councilor TJ Thomson has withdrawn his support for a public vote on the funding for a street car in downtown Boise. In a statement to the GUARDIAN, TJ said, “The fact that David Litster was not able to […]

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 […]

Politicos Seek To Mandate FAA Decisions

A story in the DAILY PAPER today by Joe Estrella says the Federal Aviation Administration is scurrying to get ahead of the politicos in their desire to move the local approach radar facility from Boise to Salt Lake City. Idaho and Boise politicians cite “economic and safety concerns” in their opposition to the move. After […]

Dems Offer “Consensus Builder” For Guv

Fifth generation native Idahoan Keith Allred, who spent five years building a nonpartisan citizens group into a force with clout in the Legislature, has abandoned that effort to run for governor as a Democrat. He has the backing of former Gov. Cecil Andrus. GUARDIAN’s Poet Paul sees it thusly: The contest for Guv is picking […]

More On “Desire Named Street Car” (sorry)

EDITOR NOTE–We hate to keep beating this Trolley Horse, but the politicos and press just won’t let it die. Team Dave Just won’t quit Pushing this streetcar bit There is no way they can Cover this crazy plan They’ll just put a LID on it! –Poet Paul Both the DAILY PAPER and the BOISE WEEKLY […]

Regional Jail Could Solve Crowding Woes

Instead of asking Canyon voters to pony up for a new jail, we would suggest that Sheriff Chris Smith follow his own advice and go for a regional jail somewhere near the Ada-Canyon county line. Smith is an advocate of regional jails and wrote an article for the Idaho Sheriff’s Association Magazine on the subject. […]

Government, WAC, Bend Minds With PR Dollars

The use of Public Relations firms to build support for everything from jails to street cars and now football bowl bids is reaching the level of absurdity. Does anyone really believe ADVERTISING and promotion will influence coaches and sports writers to grant BSU a bowl game bid? The most prominent recent PR exercise was the […]

Election Results Send Strong Message

Tuesday’s local election results sent a strong message from voters: NOBODY REALLY CARES! Turnout for Boise was 17% of registered voters–just about what all the experts had predicted. Throughout the Valley incumbents were returned to office and the only close call was the defeat of the Canyon County Jail bond which fell about 8% short […]

Your Vote Counts More Than Ever This Year

With a really small voter turnout predicted this year–no state, federal or mayor race in Boise–your vote counts more than ever. Why? If voter turnout is as low as some predict–in the range of 15% to 20% of eligible voters–and with multiple candidates in some races, a candidate could conceivably win with as few as […]

Poet Paul’s Post

Commenting on the recent city council candidate “forums” and an announcement that Idaho Power is to get stimulus money for a long planned and partially implemented upgrade of meters. We could use a Power Company Smart Meter so we could vote for an intelligent leader It would be so grand to know where candidates stand […]

Home Stretch In Boise Political Campaign

As we enter the final days of the political season for local elections, the GUARDIAN will try to keep moving this post to the top of the list to afford candidates and voters a forum to exchange questions, answers, and opinions. The Sunday DAILY PAPER endorsed TJ Thomson over Dave Litster for the seat being […]

Canyon Prosecutor Says Cop Rally Wrong

Canyon Prosecuting Attorney John Bujak reacted quickly and properly Friday when he learned local on-duty coppers in uniform attended a rally advocating a “yes” vote for a jail bond issue on the November 3 election ballot. Officers and chiefs from Nampa Caldwell, and the Canyon County sheriff appeared for a rally Thursday carrying signs saying […]

Target Audience?

Council-Citizen Meeting Place

The GUARDIAN will use this headline and story as the “meeting place” for ideas and opinions during the Boise City Council race that is currently underway. Whether you are a candidate with an idea or a citizen with an opinion, you can share it here in the comment section. We will try to keep this […]