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Bench Residents Ignored By Bike Plan
December 27, 2013 
Boise City and Valley Transit plan to spend at least $650,000 in equipment and “stations” to start a 140 bike share program which ignores the vast majority of the city and its citizens. But hey, when you are talking $4,642 per bike you can’t trust them to those lower income Bench Dwellers. We need a […]
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 […]
Boise Taxpayers Pay Bill For Eagle Bus
In a move that defies logic, Boise taxpayers are spending at the rate of $1,000 a year per round trip passenger that Eagle City officials have refused to pay. It all started when Valley Transit–the regional bus outfit–said they would discontinue the “Highway 44 Express” which ran twice daily out State Street to Eaqgle, Star, […]
Items Of Little Interest, But Important To Pols
Here is a list of current news topics with a typically cynical GUARDIAN SLANT. –The Park Center Bridge that Harris Ranch Developers stuck taxpayers to build so they would benefit is about to open with great fanfare from Ada County Highway District. –Micron is still slurping at the public trough. This time they got $5 […]
Mayor Hotline July 18 to 24
NO! TO EXCESSIVE FORCE, YES TO FIRING, PARKING, WEEDS, DOGS, NO! TO TROLLEY Anonymous Excessive Force: I would leave my name and I would leave my phone number, but I fear retribution from our Police Department. You know what, I’m an older woman and I think Masterson answers to the Mayor and the incidences of […]
A Street Car Named Dumbo (White Elephant)
GUEST POST BY TIM RHODES Boise Mayor Dave Bieter’s plan to have streetcars rolling in Downtown Boise by summer 2012 may be receiving some help from Sen. Mike Crapo to push it to the next level if Congress springs for the pork. Team Dave’s plan is to have the first phase of a downtown streetcar […]
Time To Stop The Trolley Folly
Too much tax money has been spent doing surveys, plans, and proposals for a local transit system. Those who administer COMPASS, CCDC, and Valley Transit have demonstrated remarkable ineptness in providing any workable system. Those elected officials who sit on the various committees and boards have demonstrated a remarkable lack of leadership and concern for […]
Where Have All The Busses Gone?
The tipster called the GUARDIAN asking slyly, “do you know about the bus Valley Transit gave away to the mechanic?” That prompted a series of phone calls that got more incredible as the day wore on. A Valley Regional Transit spokesman confirmed that a maintenance manager and a deputy director of the government funded organization […]
Mayor Hotline November 1 to 7
PRETTY MUCH AN ANIMAL WORLD REPORT THIS WEEK, CATS, DOGS, WHALES, POLITICAL SIGNS 11/4/08 Anonymous TV Drop Off Site: I would like to remain anonymous. I just call Allied Trash management and asked where I could donate my television that is going to be obsolete here shortly in February. I hate to throw it in […]
Mayor Hotline October 18 to 24
BAD HOMELESS, GOOD ALBERTSON, BAD BUS, BAD GOLF COURSE, GOOD CHURCH, ROUGH PARK, CALIFORNIA WACKO NOTED AND IGNORED 10/20/08 Michele Homeless: I don’t really need a call-back or anything; I just wanted to leave a message for the Mayor and tell him that it’s not fair that he’s giving all this money to the homeless […]
Growth Triumphs Over Good
“The mayor told me that if you don’t grow you die. I got to thinking the faster you grow the sooner you die.” –Pete Seeger on Democracy Now! Ada County’s local governments (Boise, Garden City, Star, Kuna, Meridian, Eagle, ACHD, and Ada County) have been working on a dream plan called “Blueprint For Good Growth” […]
Clegg Offers Buses For Homeless
APRIL FOOL FOR GUARDIAN Claiming she still had a desire to help with City Council problems, former councilor Elaine Clegg has come up with a novel solution to help solve the problems of the “unhoused community.” Clegg is the recently appointed director of the Valley Regional Transit bus system. She noticed upon taking the job […]
One Third Of Boise Council May Be Hand Picked
With the surprise announcement that Boise City Councilor Lisa Sanchez has moved out of her district and failed to attend Tuesday’s meeting, the composition of that governing body potentially could be one-third appointees of Mayor Lauren McLean. Here’s how it could go. Sanchez was elected to serve a temporary district in Boise’s North End. She […]
More Than Money Needed For Buses
By Jimmy D. Bus Guardian Transportation Correspondent On Tuesday night the Boise City Council heard testimony from citizens about the crappy Valley wide bus system as the Council considers adding even more funds to the ever declining system. Crappy. That adjective was used at a recent Valley Regional Transit (VRT) Board meeting by none other […]
Treat The Cause, Not The Disease
We note Mike Wetherell’s Statesman OPINION regarding planning for mass transit failed to get to the core cause of our “transportation woes”–GROWTH. Rather than create more cancer treatments and simply concede “cancer will always be around,” let’s eliminate some of the causes. Wetherell’s admonitions to clear freeway medians and expand rights-of-way along State Street sound […]
“Murphy Benches” At Main Street Bus Station
The pugnacious Mike Murphy who sent us the CLASSIC VIDEO last March recorded at the new underground Main Street Station bus terminal has informed us his efforts paid off. It took a year, but there are now benches inside for passengers to sit upon as they await their bus. They don’t fold out of the […]
Nampa Cuts “Empty Bus Subsidy”
Looks like Valley Regional Transit (Valley Ride bus) is taking a financial hit from the City of Nampa based on recent council action. Nampa City Council, on a motion by Councilor Bruce Skaug, voted to reduce the public transit dues to Valley Ride. Last year, the City of Nampa subsidized Valley Ride with two checks. […]
Boise Election Campaign Repository
We will move this post up periodically and post new information from candidates as they send it our way. Either a message to CONTACT, a comment on a post, or to [email protected] will get candidate info to us. Judy Peavey-Derr The GUARDIAN has received several communications about a Boise day care rating system based upon […]
Leap Before You Look, Cart Before Horse…
Don Day points out on Twitter the irony of Boise officials offering a prize to youngsters under 12 for their creative ideas of what to do with City Hall Plaza. The prize for the winning idea is a free pass to Roaring Springs Water Park… in MERIDIAN! This type of logic is infectious with Boise […]
Gardner Courts BSU For Tax-Exempt Space
UPDATE 6/19/14 STATE BOARD OKed THE DEAL OUTLINED BELOW. Meeting in Idaho Falls, members of the State Board of Education approved the proposal. Looks like the Gardner Company has found a pot of gold in the form of government funding for downtown Boise projects. Latest move to get public funding for a pair of proposed […]
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