Boise Defers To Developer Wishes Yet Again

The politicos at Boise City Hall are at it again, placing their loyalties with the developer community rather than the taxpayer-citizens. They have given the California developer, Local Construct, an extra four years to complete a deal they have so far failed to live up to. After an illegal attempt in 2003 to build a […]

Boise To Accept Library Written Comment

Folks who feel they are being steam rolled into building a “Taj Mahal” library and moving the Literary Cabin tell us there is one final shot at being heard by the City Mothers and Fathers. Written e-mail comments are being accepted at [email protected] until November 27. Feel free to comment on the GUARDIAN, but be […]

ACHD Ponders Bridge To Nowhere

A citizens group known as ACHD COMMUNITY WATCHDOGS has a Facebook page full of items relating to the Ada County Highway District. A recent entry questioned a bridge over the Ridenbaugh Canal on the south side of Franklin Road at the dead end of Thomas Dr. The bridge issue is on the Wednesday agenda and […]

Boise Voters Split North-South On Many Issues

Like the American Civil War, Boise seems to exhibit a North-South split on most issues. We noticed the Dem-Repub split not only on the race for Governor, but also on propositions, ACHD vehicle fee hike, and other county-wide races. The “north end” influence is nothing new, but to see such a distinct split north of […]

A FRIENDLY REMINDER

ACHD: “We Can’t Tell You, Call The Advocates”

A disturbing breach of protocol at ACHD has been brought to the GUARDIAN’s attention in which government paid public relations staff referred a TV reporter to the spokesman for a private political action group funded by local developers. A GUARDIAN reader took exception to a KIVI-6 reporter’s story featuring only the information offered by the […]

Trash Talking Boise Scooters

Long-time reader Steve “Bikeboy” Hulme is a full-time bicycle commuter and obviously not a fan of motorized scooters or bikes, even with electric motors. He has shared his thoughts with the GUARDIAN. He opens with a memo from the Downtown Business Association. Hello! Boise will soon join a growing number of cities offering E-bikes and […]

Secret Deal Prompts Call For Probe

Three activist groups opposed to a mountain bike park in the Military Reserve are represented by Boise attorney Bruce Bistline who delivered a letter to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office calling for a probe into both the process Boise City Council used to approve the project and an alleged open meetings law violation. It all […]

New ACHD HQ Building In The Works

GUEST OPINION BY By Marisa Keith The highly publicized Ada County Highway District vehicle fee increase on the November ballot suggests that the agency needs more revenue to maintain and construct the county road system. However, there are other plans in the works at the agency that seem to suggest that the bank account may […]

Boise Preys On Auditorium Cash Reserves

The Greater Boise Auditorium District (GBAD) is awash in cash from the local hotel room tax and Boise City’s Team Dave is trying to get their hands on it. The City Council will discuss a scheme at Tuesday’s meeting that would allow them to sell the Grove Plaza and fountain for $8 to 10 million […]

“Rock Star” Contract Costly To Boise Taxpayers

Great research and reporting by Don Day at BOISEDEV on the Rock Star contract Boise citizens have to pay the proposed library architect for upscale travel. Following up on the GUARDIAN story about Boise Mayor Dave Bieter’s “Team Dave” agreeing to make first class payments for architect Moshe Safdie to travel and stay in Boise, […]

ACHD Commish Seeks Cash For His Attorney

Just when it seemed to be finished, the dust up over Ada County Highway District Commish Jim Hansen’s transgression over an open meeting violation has popped up again. Now he is seeking charity. Hansen, an attorney, hired a lawyer for some reason–even though the Attorney General declined to prosecute him for sending e-mails to fellow […]

Free GUARDIAN Election Guidance

We have tried hard over the years to offer information while not endorsing candidates. We will stand by that policy, but several ballot measures need to to be addressed. PROP 1 knows as the “instant (or historical) racing vote is nothing more than an attempt to garner public approval of slot machines. Slots are outlawed […]

ACHD Commish Meeting Turns Ugly

Today’s noon meeting of the Ada County Highway District became somewhat raucous after Commishes Kent Goldthorpe and Jim Hansen were recused since they were principals in an open meeting law dispute stemming from e-mails authored by Hansen a month ago. No public testimony was allowed, but citizens shouted out during the discussion about sending a […]

ACHD Commish Tossed Under The Bus

The Ada County Highway District commission may not be in the transit business, but the commission chairman at least had no problem tossing a member under the bus. In a Monday letter signed by ACHD Commission president Sara Baker to the Chief Criminal lawyer at the Idaho Attorney General’s office, the commission appears to have […]

Library Hidden Costs Leave Bad Taste

We have had several readers contact the GUARDIAN expressing concern about the library proposal. Chief concern is the funding plan which is as “loosey-goosey” as the the fire department bond which was approved by voters, but failed to live up to its promise. Here is an excerpt from the preliminary contract with the “world class […]

Bikers Jockey For Current Span Near Les Bois

By Steve “Bikeboy” Hulme GUEST OPINION (plea) If you lived in the area during the winter of 2016/17, you will surely recall the unusually “snowmageddon,” and the ensuing flooding. The torrents of water forced authorities to remove a bridge behind Les Bois Park when it was in danger of collapsing, due to erosion of the […]

Treat The Cause, Not The Disease

We note Mike Wetherell’s Statesman OPINION regarding planning for mass transit failed to get to the core cause of our “transportation woes”–GROWTH. Rather than create more cancer treatments and simply concede “cancer will always be around,” let’s eliminate some of the causes. Wetherell’s admonitions to clear freeway medians and expand rights-of-way along State Street sound […]

Posted Press Releases Portray “Different Story”

In June the GUARDIAN posted a rant about GOVERNMENT being the local media these days. Today’s “official versions” of local events really need to be compared to ALL the facts. Here is a sample of Tuesday’s events. First off we got a PRESS RELEASE from the Community Planning Association (COMPASS) declaring the multi-county board of […]

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 […]