Taxes
Nampa Homeowners Face $48 Flat Tax Hike
Question: When is a tax not a tax? Answer: When it comes in the form of a mandatory “fee” from Nampa City Hall. Mayor Tom Dale has sent a letter to property owners inviting them to attend an April 27 meeting at the Nampa Civic Center to discus a plan to curtail the continued pollution […]
Idaho Cities Battle For Convention Dollars
GROWTHOPHOBE (growth o phobe)–”One who opposes growth just for the sake of growth. Usually refers to municipalities and governments seeking to increase population and attract businesses merely for the sake of growing without due regard to long term affect on citizens and taxpayers.” The opposite of GROWTHOPHOBE is GROWTHOPHILE and that special breed seems prolific […]
Idaho Offers Businesses A Welfare Home
While Idaho legislators are looking for money in all the wrong places, the text from a Dept. of Commerce brochure is quite revealing. In short, the state and local governments are in an economic civil war with their neighbors in a battle predicated upon seeing who can give away the most. Businesses decide where to […]
Politicos Cater To Special Interests
It’s enough to turn your stomach listening to the politicos at all levels crying about the lack of revenue for education, police, medicaid, on one hand while their other hand is quietly catering to special interests. Senior Crapo complains almost daily about Obama fiscal policies, yet he seeks to redefine “small brewers” and cut taxes […]
Urban Renewal Remains Without Oversight
Despite the efforts of urban renewal reform proponents, non-government agencies funded by tax dollars remain without oversight, thanks to a legislature apparently averse to allowing citizens a voice in their government. At least 10 bills were considered during the session–most aimed at allowing citizens some sort of vote to either create UR districts, approve debt, […]
BoDo Developer “Passionate” About Niagara Falls
We got a tip about Boise developer Mark Rivers’ attempt to hustle some bucks out of the city of Niagara Falls, New York–not unlike the parking garage deal he got from Boise’s CCDC for the Hampton Inn. When we looked at the details of the deal and the way the mayor dishes out studies and […]
Urban Renewal Bills Moving Along
In a comprehensive look at current legislation, Idaho Statesman reporter Cynthia Sewell explains the issues surrounding urban renewal in Idaho. Check out her piece, it is worth the read on an important issue for any who cherish the right to vote and shape their surroundings.
Boise Officials Avoid Public Scrutiny
Boise officials have continued a legacy of backroom deals and deceptive behavior on a foothills convservation project that probably is a worthwhile endeavor. The Hammer Flat land acquisition was done in secret using $4 million in Boise tax funds with the explanation the deal had to be secret to keep the price low–action permitted by […]
Boise County Bankruptcy Is Historic
While Boise County is set to file for bankruptcy in federal court, there probably won’t be any auctions for snowplows and road graders in the near future. Since the developers who won the $4 million judgement against the county are themselves delinquent in paying their property taxes to the tune of $368,182, we expect a […]
Different DIFFERENT Slants On Urban Renewal
At least four bills aimed at getting more citizen approval for debt, election of commissioners or creation of Urban Renewal Districts are headed for the floor of the Idaho House. Politicos bent on keeping the public from having any authority over their tax spending as mandated by the Idaho Constitution are rallying to oppose the […]
Cities Seek More Authority Without Oversight
While at least 7 bills are pending in the Idaho Legislature aimed at limiting Urban Renewal by allowing citizens to vote on board members and creation of districts, Idaho”s cities are pushing for a law allowing “Intermodal Commerce Authorities” with no voter control. SB 1060 passed the Senate Friday and is headed for the House. […]
Paramedic Trade Worthy Of Major League Baseball
In a four-way trade between Ada County, The Western Idaho Fair (Expo Idaho), North Ada County Fire & Rescue, and the Ada County Emergency Medical Services, the Chinden Blvd. fire station will reopen… sort of… sometimes. In October the fire station was closed when NACFR ran out of money due to lower assessed property values. […]
Cheatgrass And Growth Are Hot Topic
Range managers and scientists from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management are meeting in Boise this week to figure out a way to reduce the invasive cheatgrass species found throughout the southwest Idaho desert, according to a DAILY PAPER report. If they find a solution it could save Ada taxpayers some money. Last summer in […]
How To Buy Friends And Influence People
It just never stops!! We are working the Day Job on a summer shoot in Argentina and depend upon our great readers for tips. This came in today showing Boise’s plan to spend taxpayer dollars for some sort of influence peddling scheme with CCDC. A legal notice published in the Daily Paper: LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE […]
Some Grist For The Coffee Shop Mill
We offer a round up today of some topics of conversation, bearing in mind the legislative crazy season will soon be upon us. That means the legacy media will do their “one stop shopping” at the Statehouse instead of Bronco Stadium. –The G-BAD boys will get a report from a consultant on Monday saying it’s […]
Avimor Parent Could Leave Arizona Buyers On The Hook
One of our GUARDIAN admirers in Arizona sent this news story regarding a planned community in that state developed by the same outfit that built the Avimor development off Highway 55 north of Eagle. The story points out the potential nightmare Idaho buyers could face if infrastructure is financed using a law that SunCor/Avimor lobbied […]
Cities Ask Ada To Drop Courtroom Lawsuit
The mayors of Boise, Meridian, and Garden City issued a media release Monday asking Ada County to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the cities last month. Link to LAWSUIT POST. The cities claim the lawsuit, filed by the Ada County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 21, 2010, seeks to tax residents of the three cities […]
Greed and Politicos Diddle Retirement System
A reader sent us a link to a WALL STREET JOURNAL story about ailing public retirement plans. Idaho’s PERSI (Public Employee Retirement System) covers city county and state workers so each city doesn’t have its own burden, but we still need reform. PERSI is full of flaws that cost taxpayers millions and is in danager […]
Paramedic School Hit By CWI Competition
Editor note: Despite the GUARDIAN name, there is no connection between the blog and the school in Meridian. As the economic woes continue in Idaho and the USA, we thought this piece was worthy of a post here. It demonstrates the difficulty of the private sector in direct competition with the government–CWI in this case– […]
More Illegal Spending At YMCA by Caldwell
The Idaho Constitution and its pesky Article VIII, Sec. 3 has once again caused trouble for the City of Caldwell and its legal staff. The constitution bans obligations, liabilities and debts beyond a single year’s revenues without a vote of citizens. The reason for the law is to prevent a city council from obligating the […]
Recent Comments