Taxes
Ada Commishes Send Boise “Past Due” Message
Looks like the GUARDIAN isn’t the only one with whom Boise officials can’t get along. The STATESMAN ran an enlightening piece Saturday by reporter Cynthia Sewell about the ongoing rift between Boise City and Ada County over the issue of who pays to provide magistrate court facilities. Ada Commishes are backing out of various financial […]
Bench Taxpayers Fund Boise’s Valley Projects
When the proposed 30th Street Urban Renewal District came up at the Boise City Council meeting last week (a vote to create the district was postponed) it was noted by some that a total of nearly two square miles of Boise would be “off the tax rolls.” Hint: 640 acres to a square mile and […]
Desire Named Street Car Still Alive
Apparently disregarding overwhelming public sentiment, Boise’s Team Dave continues to dump public funds into plans for a trolley. This time its another, guess what?– “study.” And like all the other studies it just happens to condone what the politicos want. For a mere $63,543 in taxpayer money the City got a consultant to say tracks […]
Only “Small People” Suffer At Idaho Tax Agency
Seems someone in Idaho State government has a new concept when it comes to “exemptions.” This memo was circulated at the Idaho Tax commission explaining why the tax commishes don’t share the furlough pain with the rest of the staff: Good afternoon everyone. This is a difficult and important message from us to all of […]
Bieter Seeks To Abolish Citizen’s Right To Vote
Using an appearance before the Chamber of Commerce as a “bully pulpit,” Boise Mayor Dave Bieter urged citizens to approve a proposed constitutional amendment that would serve only to abolish rights citizens currently enjoy to approve bonds to pay for airport facilities. We find it ironic the good Mayor seeks to abolish the right of […]
Secret Deal Puts Hammer Flat In Limbo, Public Access To Truth Denied
Sneaking around citizens has once again caused an otherwise good project to get a bad rap in Boise. The proposed Cliffs subdivision (known as Hammer Flat) on the plateau above Lucky Peak Dam has long been a winter home to deer antelope and elk. Wildlife groups fought the developer at public hearings and the development […]
Nailing Team Dave On Hammer Flats Purchase
Our guest post is written by a guy who describes himself as Lifetime Boise Resident and Spokesperson for the Idaho Hang Gliding Association By JOHN KANGAS Back in 2001 Boise voters passed a $10 million dollar open space serial levy to do five specific things. By statute, serial levies must do that which they say […]
BSU Finance and Land Use Planning 101
This post was originally sent to the GUARDIAN as a comment from a reader. We felt it worthy of a full blown post. By DEAN GUNDERSON BSU has held an A1 Bond rating by Moody’s for its last few issuances. This puts it on a relative investment risk on par with the countries of South […]
Agency Leery of BSU Private Building Scheme
As financial shenanigans on the part of public agencies have come to light on projects ranging from university housing to urban renewal projects, it becomes increasingly clear they depend on “flying under the radar” of public scrutiny. A report in the Saturday Daily Paper quotes BSU Prez Bob Kustra saying, Moody Investor Services, “Came along […]
Crapo Seeks Law To Increase Local Debt Load, Tax Burden
Idaho Senior Senator Mike Crapo is pushing to make it easier for Idaho’s local governments to get deeper in debt by making cash available to banks, but he fails to mention Idaho cities have to ask permission of voters BEFORE going to the banks. Those loans from local banks have to be repaid through higher […]
Caldwell To Buy Furniture For Oregon School
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, the Caldwell Urban Renewal folks came up with a plan to bail out Oregon’s Treasure Valley Community College with money to furnish a Caldwell rental property. CALDWELL GUARDIAN Paul Alldredge chased this one down in what has become a long line of spending that raises red […]
Hammer Flats Sugar Daddy In Bushes?
If the info we got from a usually reliable source is correct, the Foothills money glass may not be empty after all. In fact it may be 41% full very soon. Old Crow told the GUARDIAN of a conversation with a fellow flying friend: I am a supporter of the Foothills Levy and would support […]
BOI Airport Admits Parking Not Needed
Nice little Q&A by Tim Woodward in the DAILY PAPER Sunday. Seems the Boise Airport didn’t really need the $29 million five story parking garage stopped by the GUARDIAN editor five years ago. In fact, there isn’t even demand for a surface lot that cost just $2 million or so to build. With interest the […]
School For Pregnant Teens Cheaper Than Welfare?
We’re going to take a big step and post the following information which comes from Andy Hedden-Nicely, a one time Democrat politico for the U.S. senate, and one time founder of the Boise WEEKLY. As with any one-sided post from outside the GUARDIAN fold, we will gladly accept opposing views of approximately the same length. […]
Bruneau Dunes Could Be Abuzz with ATVs
During the Vietnam War an Army officer explained a village had to be burned “in order to save it.” Idaho Parks Director Nancy Merrill finds herself in that same situation today as she considers allowing dune buggies to chew up the tallest free standing sand dune on the continent to possibly make a few bucks […]
Attorney General Asked To Investigate Caldwell Urban Renewal
Canyon County Prosecutor John Bujak announced Today he will petition the office of Idaho Attorney General to investigate information revealed yesterday by the Boise and Caldwell GUARDIAN news blogs. “Based on the information presented and the check register of the agency, the case certainly merits further investigation,” said Bujak. He explained the case will start […]
Audit Of Caldwell Urban Renewal Imperative
Caldwell GUARDIAN editor Paul Alldredge has been working tirelessly to shed light on the excesses and deceptive activities of urban renewal agencies in Canyon County. In his latest effort he obtained the check register of the Caldwell Urban Renewal Agency which reveals a pattern of abuse and deception. This report will draw attention of law […]
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 […]
City Has Poor Record On Land Speculation
The Daily Paper ran a lengthy story Saturday detailing plans by Team Dave to sell a bunch of “surplus property” to finance other projects intended to stimulate the economy through GROWTH. The City can’t be trusted to follow through. Since the inception of the GUARDIAN we have watched the city buy land with grandiose plans […]
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 […]
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