Taxes
Corporate Welfare Costly To Idahoans
Corporate monsters gobbling up local businesses like the Pac Man monsters was easy to understand when the K-Mart, Wal Mart, and Home Depots ran the neighborhood hardware and local clothing stores out of business. When the cities and states created “economic development” departments and urban renewal agencies the equation became cloudier, but no less devastating. […]
BSU Takes a Walk on Boise Stadium Deal
Boise State University President Bob Kustra on Thursday declared the school a free agent in the Downtown Stadium Saga with a surprise announcement the school will not participate in the subsidized real estate development plan put forth by Boise City officials, opting instead on creating its own ball park. The announcement from BSU said, “In […]
GBAD To Hear First Comments On Stadium
While Boise Mayor Dave Bieter has been promoting his pet downtown stadium project to any group that will listen, he has factored in a $5 million payment from the Greater Boise Auditorium District, but the District has never discussed it or been presented a formal proposal. Concerned Boise Taxpayers, the group organized to oppose the […]
Developers Pay Top $ For Council Seats
With $1,000 payments from Barber Valley Development, Brighton Corp., Conger Development, Hawkins Companies and Republic Services, incumbent Boise Councilor TJ Thomson is the top money maker to date in the Nov. 7 city council race with $25,666. Holli Woodings was in second place in the money game with $18,187. She also accepted $1,000 payments from […]
CANDIDATE FORUM–Paul Fortin Weighs in
THE FOLLOWING IS COUNCIL CANDIDATE FROM PAUL FORTIN: Good Day My Fellow Citizens Of Boise. Two of the main issues the people of Boise are asked for support are the down town sports arena and the F 35 versus the A 10. As I wrote before after a meeting at the Boise Public Library on […]
CANDIDATE FORUM ACCESS
NOTE: The GUARDIAN offers space to all candidates for Boise City Council to share their views with citizens and readers. Press release from Logan Kimball: KIMBALL ADVOCATES INCOME TAX ON DEVELOPER SUBSIDIES Responding to an item published in a WASHINGTON POST op-ed piece Wednesday about stadium funding schemes, Boise Council Candidate Logan Kimball noted, “The […]
Field Of Dreams Or Financial Nightmare?
UPDATE: A reader sent us a link 10/11/17 to a great website called FIELD OF SCHEMES which includes a Washington POST op-ed story published October 11, 2017. The easily applied metaphor of “Field of Dreams” for Mayor Dave Bieter’s publicly funded sales pitch for a downtown stadium is all too true. Like many of Team […]
Massive Anti Ball Park Reaction At Open House
We visited the Convention Center Thursday where Boise promoters of a baseball park-Sports Stadium had set up their sales pitch in the lobby. Without question, the reaction of those who attended was overwhelmingly opposed to the idea. City Council Candidate Logan Kimball crashed the party, handing out flyers detailing reasons to oppose the stadium. This […]
Meridian Gives Public Money To Developer
Growthophobes often ask, “why is there such rapid and massive growth in Meridian?” The answer: the city uses citizen money to pay developers to locate there. When an out of state entrepreneur came to town with plans to make money off a for-profit osteopathic med school, the city mothers and fathers at Meridian fell all […]
P.U.C. Should Hang Up On Landline Subsidy
With the dwindling number of people using traditional “landline” telephones, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission has doubled a nearly 30 year old surcharge on phone lines to subsidize the Idaho Universal Service Fund (IUSF). The fund was created in 1988 to tax what used to be “The Phone Company.” Back in the day, the company […]
Boise Council Qualifier 101
The November city election will see some changes in the council regardless of who wins. At the risk of feeding the conspiracy theorists, it appears only one of the three seats will be up for grabs. August 28 is first day to declare candidacy. September 8 is final day to file. To date, the following […]
Transit Riders Decline With Gas Price Dip
There’s good news and bad news on the commuter and bus business. The good news is the price of gas is down, so motorists are not spending so much to commute. The bad news is the price of gas is down, so motorists are not spending so much to commute. No matter how you cut […]
Ball Park May Face Extra Innings
It looks like Boise’s downtown “field of dreams” ball park proposal could go into extra innings if the home team calling itself CONCERNED BOISE TAXPAYERS is able to keep the developer and local agencies from getting to first base. The group boasts Gary Michael, former Albertson CEO, as the lead off pitcher with a bullpen […]
F-35 Meeting Draws Over 200
With more than 200 residents attending a Tuesday meeting, it’s fair to say opposition to the F-35 being based at Gowen Field is growing. Citizens packed the public meeting room at the Main Library to hear speakers discuss the ramifications of basing the F-35 at Gowen Field. Although invited by the sponsoring, “Citizens For A […]
Legal Bills Continue To Mount For Ada Taxpayers
A 4th District Court Judge has issued a scathing order chastising Ada Commishes Jim Tibbs and Dave Case for their part in firing Rich Wright, former administrator for the county. A jury unanimously awarded Wright $1.6 million for his claims plus the attorney fees bring the total to be paid by the citizens to $2.46 […]
War Of Words Over F-35 Revealed In Documents
GUARDIAN ANALYSIS By DAVID R. FRAZIER, editor Using money donated by concerned citizens, the GUARDIAN paid to obtain three months worth of public documents from the City of Boise regarding the F-35 which paint a vivid picture of a single-minded battle plan with little regard for “collateral damage” to the home-owning citizens of the Boise […]
Boise City Salaries Very Healthy
For the wealthy, it is “no big deal,” for the masses who either benefit or fall victim to the decisions of Boise’s mayor and council it is another example of the cost of living beyond their control. Sven Berg posted a revealing piece at the STATESMAN today detailing proposed pay hikes working their way through […]
Council Defers $100K For F-35 PR Deal
Boise’s City Council deferred action on funding a PR campaign toy get the F-35 fighter jet based in Boise. Prior to the 6 p.m. Tuesday meeting the GUARDIAN learned the proposed resolution to spend up to $100,000 with a Washington, D.C. firm to attract the F-35 fighter to Boise had been put off until April […]
Boise City Ignores Citizens, Seeks $100,000 For F-35 Media Campaign
Ignoring the purchasing rules, Boise’s Team Dave has proposed an immediate approval of a $100,000 expenditure for a Washington, D.C. Public Relations firm to manipulate public sentiment in favor of the F-35 being based in Boise. The resolution, to be voted upon at Tuesday’s council meeting, says in part: “Section 2. That the Purchasing Regulations […]
Ada Taxpayers Could Take Hit In HP Deal
While it makes sense to consolidate State of Idaho offices in a single campus, Ada and Boise taxpayers will take a hit of at least $1.5 million per year in lost tax revenue currently paid by Hewlett Packard. HP built the 92-acre HP campus at 11311 W. Chinden Boulevard beginning in 1980. Current state code […]
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