Taxes
Bikeboy Says Two Wheeler Plan Off Balance
Our long time two wheeler expert, Steve Hulme (aka Bikeboy) offers up his views on a new government spending spree for Boise bikes. By Steve Hulme The CCDC, in cahoots with the Central District Health Dept., are hoping to start upa bike-sharing program in Boise. On the surface, it sounds laudable… 140 bikes at 10-15 […]
U.S. Corp. Taxes High, But Few Actually Pay
Senior Sen Mike Crapo put out a PRESS RELEASE today claiming the USA Corporate tax rate is the highest on earth and called the U.S. Government “antagonistic” toward job creators. Crapo claims there is also growing evidence that high taxes stifle business growth and employee wages. We see it a little differently. The following come […]
When Lawyers Disagree Citizens Pay
The efforts of the GUARDIAN to pay for a 99 year lease on behalf of the North Ada County Fire and Rescue district were rejected by the Ada Commishes. Last month we presented a $99 check to Chairman Rick Yzaguirre on behalf of NACFAR for a lease from Ada County for the land under station […]
GUARDIAN Leases Fire Station For 99 Years
After learning it will cost an estimated $1,000 to put a $99 lease question before North Ada County Fire District patrons in May, the GUARDIAN presented Ada County Commission Chairman Rick Yzaguirre with the full amount of the lease Friday. At issue is a lease agreement between NACFAR and Ada County for lease of #16 […]
Update On School Levy Elections
We have received several comments from readers regarding the Tuesday School Elections. First are allegations that Boise’s ballot language disguises the fact they are seeking $70,000,000 which is broken down into $14,000,000 every year for 5 years. One reader claims the Meridian ballot is much clearer, adding the Boise cost pegged at a mere $7 […]
School Levy Election Tuesday–Be Sure To VOTE!
A bunch of school levy elections set for Tuesday because the Idaho Legislature has shifted much of the cost of education to property owners while proclaiming legislators have “held the line” on tax hikes. They may have held the line, but only with a massive shift. To learn where to vote following the statewide redistricting […]
Boise School Levy, YES or NO?
After a coin flip at the GUARDIAN world headquarters, the YES folks won top billing for this story, but the GUARDIAN will stick with long standing policy and not endorse issues or candidates. We provide the forum to further public discussion of important issues. The election is March 13. (We really did flip for top […]
House Panel Votes To Keep State Out Of Commercial Ventures
On a 15-1 vote The House Resources and Conservation Committee approved a measure Wednesday to prevent the state endowment fund from purchasing and running businesses. This is a practice the GUARDIAN revealed in 2010 when the Dept. of Lands went into the private storage business with the purchase of Affordable Storage in Boise. With an […]
Ball Park Bad Idea, Bieter Still Pitches It
Team Dave’s captain, Mayor Dave Bieter used the City Club of Boise Thursday as a forum to pitch a new public baseball park for private gain. We see it as another swing and a miss. At the same event, Bieter recruited the audience to seek petitions asking for a referendum to allow the city authority […]
Urban Renewal Put To Death In CA
Here’s a LA Times article on the California Legislatures move to shut down all 400 of the “redevelopment agencies” (Urban Renewal in Idaho) as of February 1, 2012. The legislation was upheld by a 6-1 vote in the California Supreme Court. A caretaker will be appointed to pay off all remaining debt of each agency and […]
Local Option Tax Hike Bill Likely In Legislature
A bill to bump up the sales tax by 1%–with voter approval–will probably surface in the coming legislative session. Ironic that local politicos and Chambers of Commerce favor allowing voters to approve a sales tax hike when last year they almost uniformly opposed allowing citizens to vote on long term public debt at airports and […]
Eastern Idaho Energy Dreams Slowly Crumbling
Eastern Idaho’s grandiose efforts to attract business with “incentives” taken out of the pockets of taxpayers are slowly crumbling despite feeble attempts at life support. First it was the Hoku solar panel plant in Pocatello falling on hard times with plummeting stock prices and Idaho Power ready to pull the plug on its electricity. Now […]
Burning Issues And Libraries Maxed Out
Our GUARDIAN staff tax expert has alerted us to possible funding issues in 2012 for some fire districts and libraries. These taxing districts are limited in their legal ability to levy taxes and as property values declined, they have almost uniformly “gone to the max.” City and county governments can raise budgets up to 3% […]
“Buying” New Business Not Worth The Price
We’ve all heard of the husband who purchased a new boat the couple couldn’t afford so the wife gets even by remodeling the kitchen and installing new carpet they also couldn’t afford. That same silly fiscal policy is being advocated by government and editorial writers from Idaho Falls to Boise–if a business isn’t financially sound […]
Idaho Power May Pull Plug To Hoku Plant
The Hoku solar panel plant struggling to get itself up and running in Pocatello can’t even pay its agreed upon electric bill to Idaho Power, it was revealed in a filing before the Idaho Public Utilities Commission Thursday. The Chinese backed company has been the beneficiary of all kinds of public largess including local urban […]
More Details On Kuna Mayor-City Squabble
Based on a story in today’s DAILY PAPER by Cynthia Sewell, it looks like a pattern of cover up and ineptitude on the part of many of the players in the small Ada County town. Former and Newly elected Mayor Greg Nelson owns a couple of restaurants the city planning department says have failed to […]
Now EVERYONE Wants To Sue Nampa
Yet another lawsuit has been filed against the City of Nampa over the stormwater “fee” levied against property owners. If class action is granted, Nampa could have every property owner in the city seeking refunds for a sewer fee that many claim is an illegal tax. A class-action complaint filed Wednesday seeks to have Nampa’s […]
Nampa Stormwater “Fee” Could Go Down The Drain
A tax by any other name is still a tax according to the Idaho Supreme Court, but Nampa officials are holding tough on their position a new storm drain tax revenue scheme is just a “fee.” The Supremes ruled on a Lewiston case last month. The GUARDIAN first broke the Nampa story back in April […]
Secret City Land Deals Explained On Map
The GUARDIAN has acquired numerous documents with regard to the land swaps involving the armory on Reserve Street and assorted Boise City-owned properties in the area of Eisenman Road and I-84. Based on the information provided by Boise City, coupled with their refusal to communicate with the GUARDIAN except as required by law, we offer […]
Statesman Report Explains Secret Land Deal
After Boise officials refused to return calls or refused to discuss details of a secret land deal, the GUARDIAN has to offer a tip of the hat to the STATESMAN’S CYNTHIA SEWELL. The GUARDIAN broke the story last week about a complex land swap, but it was the DAILY PAPER that was able to put […]
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