Taxes
Sweet Offer From G-BAD Boys
The Center on the Grove, operated by the Greater Boise Auditorium District (G-BAD) sent a bunch of decorated cakes to newsrooms throughout the Valley today in an effort to garner good news reports about the convention center’s 20th anniversary. At least they haven’t claimed their so-called birthday party is a “public out reach” or an […]
Politicos Prefer Secrets Over Public Scrutiny
Dan Popkey reports in the DAILY PAPER that Idaho Democratic legislators are taking the lead from their Republican opponents and holding secret caucus meetings for the first time in 9 years. They justify it, saying if the opposition knows what is planned, they could lose their chance to win on important issues. Unfortunately this is […]
TJ Withdraws Support Of Street Car Vote
Basing his judgement on the unsuccessful petition drive efforts of the candidate he defeated in November, City Councilor TJ Thomson has withdrawn his support for a public vote on the funding for a street car in downtown Boise. In a statement to the GUARDIAN, TJ said, “The fact that David Litster was not able to […]
“Non-Partisan” Think Tank Issues Pork Report
An outfit called the Idaho Freedom Foundation is gaining traction billing itself as a “think tank” and offering the public a variety of “reports” and op-ed pieces. While they call themselves non-partisan, it is fair to say there probably aren’t too many liberal Democrats within the ranks. Wayne Hoffman, an able journalist and former press […]
GUARDIAN Top 2009 Stories By Month
As the legacy media does its annual TOP TEN stories to fill space between the holidays, the GUARDIAN has done the same thing based on what we have posted in the past year. In rereading some of the posts and comments, it appears we have an inordinate number of comments on police and fire stories. […]
GUARDIAN Christmas Wish List
For those who believe in Santa Clause, we have a Christmas wish list which has plenty of room for additional items. A toy train for Dave Bieter so he will stop trying to force a trolley and AMTRAK upon the kind, decent inhabitants of the City of Trees. A toy ambulance for the Boise FD […]
Ada County Property Tax Update
Monday, December 21 is the deadline for paying first installment of property taxes and Ada County Treasurer Cecil Ingram tells the GUARDIAN collections are “just about the same as last year to date,” despite an ailing economy. Of course, many tax bills are part of mortgage payments and the bankers wait until the last possible […]
City Allows “Other Side” Into Open House
Early visitors to the City’s street car open house had a chance to get information from at least one opponent of the proposed $60 million project. Jim Monihan, known to GUARDIAN readers as “Cyclops,” had made repreated requests of Team Dave’s press agent, Adam Park, to have space at the Street Car Open House being […]
TJ Favors Vote Of People On Trolley
Boise City Councilor-elect TJ Thomson told the GUARDIAN Monday he favors a vote of the citizens on Team Dave’s proposal to spend $60,000,000 on a downtown street car. When asked if he favored a vote, Thomson flat out said, “Yes, I support a public vote on the Street Car.” With regard to the petition drive […]
More On “Desire Named Street Car” (sorry)
EDITOR NOTE–We hate to keep beating this Trolley Horse, but the politicos and press just won’t let it die. Team Dave Just won’t quit Pushing this streetcar bit There is no way they can Cover this crazy plan They’ll just put a LID on it! –Poet Paul Both the DAILY PAPER and the BOISE WEEKLY […]
Legislator Wants Tax On Tax
A state rep from Moscow is floating a 5% “surcharge on Idaho taxes” to keep certain state services afloat. You can post here as we know they read the GUARDIAN at the state level too. For starters, we explained to a staffer a couple weeks ago that those of us who are making 50% less […]
STATESMAN Readers Bash Bieter Trolley
Mayor Dave Bieter continued his pitch for a trolley in the narrow streets of Downtown Boise with an op-ed piece in the Daily Paper Wednesday. Out of 10 comments posted so far, there was one flat out supporter, one “sorta for it” and eight who flat out were against it. Count the GUARDIAN in the […]
AMBUS Every Minute For Cost Of AMTRAK
For the cost of a daily AMTRAK train or two, the GUARDIAN can provide bus service that would run a bus EVERY MINUTE 24/7. That’s right. We got out the ol’ electronic calculator and punched in the numbers for the cost of the GUARDIAN’s fantasy AMBUS plan versus the cost of AMTRAK. Here’s how it […]
Study Shows Boise Amtrak Not In Financial Best Interest Of USA
After spending at least $374,000,000 to get the tracks and people up to speed, Amtrak would have to charge passengers an average of $353 for each ticket–IF they could get 102,000 riders–just to break even on the cheapest option for trail service to Boise, according to figures released in an Amtrak report. Politicos with overly […]
Commish Baker Proposes ACHD Budget Cuts
Ada County Highway Department Commish Sara baker has proposed some across the board budget cuts in HER BLOG. She may qualify as a “rebel with a cause” by seeking $1,000,000 in savings. While the local street budget for the county is not the hot button issue of ambulance service, there are many similarities in the […]
“No Fact” Train Rally Held At Depot
Two politicos and a chamberman staged a train buff rally at the Boise Depot Monday before a small crowd of enthusiasts and city employees who applauded the arrival of a locomotive and the announcement it was made in Boise. Senior Sen. Mike Crapo, Mayor Dave Bieter and Chamber of Commerce Pres. Bill Connors urged the […]
Can AMTRAK Pay the Freight?
When it comes public rides, it is hard to find anyone opposed to “PASSENGER TRAINS IN IDAHO.” The politicos know this well, so they have asked AMTRAK to conduct some studies about returning train service to Idaho. Senior Sen. Crapo and Mayor Bieter of Team Dave will hold a public hearing at the Boise Depot […]
Luna Seeks To Reduce Taxpayer Protection
Those sneaky politicos are at it again! Idaho Superintendent of Education Tom Luna is packaging an attempt to dilute the power of the people as a boon to education. His proposal would create additional taxes on businesses that don’t have a vote and it would open the door to easier passage of ALL long term […]
Toll Are Answer To Costly Highways
The GUARDIAN is currently driving around France for the day job and spending more Euros than we like on tolls, but it is obviously the only fair way to finance highways. The surfaces are flawless and drivers are courteous and competent–despite what you may hear about speed and disregard for safety in Europe. The exception […]
Simplot Dream Project Has Potential
We’ve seen it all before–the Daily Paper features a huge color architect rendering on the front page with a gushing story about extravagant plans. The plans seldom work out because the hype is just the first phase of what is really a financing scheme. Things like a convention center, hotel, high rise tower, Tamarack, “European” […]
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