State Government
Grumpy Guardian Government Gripes
Its silly season with the legislature in town making us all proud to live in Idaho and see these folks for what they are. Here are some recent gripes: –Senators were spiteful and fool hearted when the voted to change their rules for one day, just to keep former Senator Nicole LeFavour off the floor. […]
Lawmakers Claim Deception On Horse Racing
Amid claims of “duping” among some members, the Idaho Legislature could put slot machine betting on horse races near the finish line. In a story posted by the DAILY PAPER, Rep. Gayle Batt of Wilder told the House State Affairs Committee some members felt duped by advocates of the so-called “video terminals displaying historical horse […]
Bank Claims Canyon Lawmaker Owes $10,000
The Idaho Legislature will be in town shortly with elected representatives deciding how and where to spend all the tax money and other revenue collected by the state. One of those “spenders” will be Brandon Hixon, State Representative for Caldwell’s District 10. Based on public records, Rep. Hixon has an apparent history of stiffing creditors. […]
Snow Park Slides Over To Eagle Island
Ryan Neptune isn’t about to let any snow melt under his skis. He has cut a deal with the Idaho State Parks Eagle Island venue to test his snow terrain idea. Plans for a snow park on land owned by Ada County and leased to the city of Eagle have hit the skids while commishes […]
Horse Race Slots Face Constitutional Challenge
The bid by a group to “preserve the horse racing industry” may be galloping toward a constitutional challenge that is anything but a sure bet. Despite legislation that says otherwise, there is a valid argument over the definition of what constitutes a SLOT MACHINE or CASINO GAMBLING–both specifically prohibited under the Idaho Constitution. Ada County […]
Former Legislator Questions Land Board Action
Former Idaho Representative Bob Forrey has been an ardent opponent of recent Land Board actions regarding cottage leases, trades of state land for commercial property, and the Land Board going into commercial business operations like the storage unit venture in Boise. The following is a guest opinion from him. By BOB FORREY Despite a constitutional […]
Dept. of Lands Business Policy Short Sighted
Three years ago when the GUARDIAN exposed the state ownership of Affordable Storage in Boise, politicos dug in their heels on both sides of the state owning businesses. We pointed out at the time there was a significant loss of local property taxes when commercial property is owned by the tax-exempt state. Since then, the […]
Idaho Land Dept. Under Fire On Land Swap
A a non-profit, voluntary group calling itself The Tax Accountability committee (“TAC”), will hold a press conference Monday morning at the Statehouse to call attention to a land swap they say cost the education endowment fund $1.3 million due to faulty appraisals. According to TAC, the Idaho Department of Lands traded 14 acres of endowment […]
Demo State Senator Opposes Bieter Park Bond
In the midst of questions about whether or not he lives in Idaho Senate District 18, Senator Branden Durst has weighed in on Boise’s proposed bond for parks–AGAINST! Turns out he’s pissed about puppies potentially pooping on private property possessed by people on the perimeter of the park. Durst wrote a comment on the GUARDIAN’s […]
What Happened To Honesty And Common Sense?
Gotta admit it has been difficult to write much in the way of “constructive” criticism lately with all the crooked businessmen and business deals coming to light and politicos trying to match the business folks. We have a plethora (for non-library types that’s a whole bunch) of scams that have come to light and not […]
Boise Wins Political “Hockey Game” 3-2
Boise City’s Team Dave won a “hockey game” at Wednesday’s Ada County Highway District meeting where the issue of embedding hockey puck-like parking sensors in the street was discussed. In the end it was 3-2 in favor of allowing the pucks, but not before ACHD chair Sara Baker got in a few high stick swings […]
Fire Threatens Sawtooth Hatchery
Idaho Fish and Game employees and local firefighters fended off a wildfire in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Monday evening which threatened the F&G salmon hatchery. The fire started Monday afternoon about a mile north of the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery near Stanley. As the fire approached the staff dormitory, hatchery crews and firefighters mobilized to […]
ISP Top Copper Writes First Ticket In 11 Years
A young Owyhee County driver has earned a distinction he would probably rather not own. His 70 mph run through a 35 mph chip seal construction zone, including passing Idaho State Police Col. Ralph Powell, prompted Powell to issue the first citation he has written in 11 years. The ISP boss was on Highway 78 […]
Meridian Rings Bell On North Star Charter
In a fiscally wise move, the Meridian School Board has rung the bell on the North Star charter school in Eagle which is mired in debt and pulled its charter. While the North Star charter school is a “public school,” it is not part of the Meridian District, but in essence “licensed” by Meridian. Meridian […]
Prisons Need To Be Government Operated
The move by the Idaho Board of Corrections to dump the private contractor running part of the prison system is good, but it only goes half way. Idaho Department of Correction won’t be allowed to submit its own bid or take over operations at the prison south of Boise, because Board of Correction Chairwoman Robin […]
Reader: Motorcyclists Should Pay $40, Forget The Ride
GUARDIAN reader Erico49 sent us a self-described rant today after a weekend of hearing Rolling Thunder along Interstate 84. He also sent a copy to the Idaho Transportation Department. “I question whether it’s a good idea to slow down traffic on the Interstate for 50 miles twice in one day with a caravan of motorcycles–regardless […]
M3 To Get A Single Vote (Updating Previous Post)
In an election eve development Monday afternoon, Ada County Clerk Chris Rich as decided to “spoil” all 50 of the ballots sent to M3 headquarters in Arizona. However, M3 has come up with a local “authorized rep” in Ada County who will be allowed to cast a single ballot, bringing the number of voters to […]
Fifty Votes From M3 Development To Be Sealed, Not Counted
Ada County Clerk Chris Rich told the GUARDIAN Monday that 50 ballots from the M3 development owner north of Eagle would not be counted in tomorrow’s bond election after both the Idaho Attorney General and Ada County Prosecutor determined only residents of Idaho and the district could vote. That leaves the fate of $325 million […]
Five Voters Are Key To $781 Million Bond Deal
When a mere five electors cast their ballots in the May 21 election, they will determine one of the biggest financial decisions in Idaho history, totaling $781 MILLION dollars. According to the official ballot language, revenue and general obligation bonds total $325 million and at the estimated interest rate of 7%, homeowners will eventually repay […]
Transit Center Derailed Before First Spade Of Dirt Is Turned
Valley Regional Transit has joined the ranks of Team Dave when it comes to getting the proverbial cart before the horse. VRT is sending out press releases saying the agency is moving forward on a downtown “Multi-Modal Transit Center” and solicits a private partner on the project. All this despite the owner of the land–Idaho […]
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