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Library Bond Vote Set
June 29, 2005 
The Boise City Council has wisely scheduled a bond election next February 7 asking voters permission to spend $30 million for branch libraries. The GUARDIAN supports libraries in concept and practice. If the City wants the measure to pass, they need to play fair and honest with voters–something that has been lacking in the past. […]
Debate Topics For Boise Races
While the current topics for conversation and debate in the Boise mayor and council races are focused on housing, homelessness, and the alphabet soup of sexual preferences, the GUARDIAN has come out of retirement with some important topics. FEES IN LIEU OF TAXES are needed to offset the subsidy Boise taxpayers make toward state government. […]
Parks Restriction Garners Signature Quota
A petition drive aimed at restricting Boise politicos from selling park and open space real estate without citizen approval has obtained enough signatures to make the 2023 November ballot. A group calling itself the “Boise Parks Association” ran the effort. Here is what they say in-part in a press release: On December 30, 2022, the […]
Boise Top Copper Loses Badge
By DAVID R. FRAZIER, editor Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee was relieved of his duties Friday by Mayor Lauren McLean amid unrest from the police union, investigative news reports from several legacy media agencies, a potential lawsuit from an injured officer, which included a criminal investigation into his personal actions. According to reports, Lee will […]
Promoting Growth While Lamenting Lack Of Housing
Open letter to Airport Director Rebecca Hupp from David Klinger On an otherwise quiet Wednesday evening in September 2019, I returned from a trip to Warsaw, Poland, to the Boise Airport. I was one of only a handful of returning passengers at the baggage claim carousel around 6 p.m. that evening. Yet sparse airport attendance […]
Dirty Tricks On Clean Water
In a classic “fox guarding the hen house” move, Boise city councilors favoring a sewer bond to accommodate development and increased population have approved a ballot proposal with no input from the public or folks who may be opposed to increasing public debt. Labeling the proposed sewer funding hike totaling $810 MILLION as “water renewal,” […]
SW Boise: “We Get No Respect”
GUEST OPINION By Rachael Grotsky, Chief Administrative Officer of Friends of Murgoitio Park, and David King, President Recent news articles have injudiciously placed the problem of annexation squarely on the shoulders of county-dwellers, claiming that the City of Boise has repeatedly shelved the annexation process because residents fought it so hard. The issue is more […]
North Enders Split On Election
The following is a guest opinion. The GUARDIAN will offer equal space to opposing views. By KATIE FITE North End Resident An angry North End faction, bent on seizing control of the Neighborhood Association, has resorted to hiring a PR firm with a record of high fees and involvement in failed projects like the $100 million […]
Bieter’s Lack Of Understanding Should Serve As Signal To New Crop Of Boise Politicos
We have read two post election interviews with Boise Mayor Dave Bieter and it is obvious to the GUARDIAN that he lost the race because he lost touch with his constituents. In a STATESMAN piece based on a letter to a supporter, Bieter was quoted complaining that it was terrible to allow “a small minority” […]
McLean Wins By near SUPER MAJORITY
POLITICAL COMMENTARY By DAVID R. FRAZIER, editor Boise City Council President Lauren McLean is now “Mayor-elect” after trouncing incumbent Mayor Dave Bieter in the Tuesday special runoff election. The win was a foregone conclusion for most savvy observers, fueled by a deep seated “Bieter fatigue” among the electorate. Bieter was able to garner only 30% […]
Government Sponsored Growth Fans Tax Hikes
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Ada County’s property tax notices have come out. Any way you care to spin it, growthophobes who have lived here for any length of time are funding the growth to benefit the mortgage lenders, developers, contractors, planners, consultants, etc. Growth is costly and does NOT pay for itself. There are […]
Nearly 70% Vote Against Bieter
Tuesday’s local election results had incumbent Boise Mayor Dave Bieter failing to garner even one-third of the votes as city council president Lauren McLean came in with more than 45% of the votes cast among the seven candidates. According to city ordinance, a run off election will be held December 3, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving […]
Local Media (Un)Covers City Election
Local media is full of stories today (Wednesday) about the local election. And folks, it ain’t a pretty picture. BSU RADIO has a story of a fund raising member of Team Dave mixing city work with campaign work. Hayley Harding at the STATESMAN details some of the big spenders in the mayor and council elections–few […]
Municipal Election Reference List
There has been some pretty extensive reporting by the local media on the Boise election process. The BOISE WORKING TOGETHER group offers up results of their candidate survey at the linked site. IDAHO STATESMAN has been running candidate profiles on the top four candidates for mayor. Click within the site for each candidate. Tune in […]
Reader Comments On Bieter Statements
EDITOR NOTE–The GUARDIAN has a policy of not endorsing any candidates. We will gladly post comments from both sides of issues as well as candidates. We require real identity, not screen names. By STEVE HULME With the city election less than a month away, it seems likely that Career Politician Dave Bieter will maintain the […]
City Election: Many Candidates, Few Issues
We haven’t seen much in the way of controversy in the upcoming city election. There have been plenty of calls for CHANGE, LISTENING, BE KIND, LESS ARROGANCE, RESPONSIBLE SPENDING, but little in specific allegations or cures. Here are some issues we would like to see addressed: –Increase impact fees to slow the growth and make […]
Voter Guide Is Deceptive
The folks who gathered signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot tell us the VOTER GUIDE Voters’ pamphlet produced by Boise City and advocates of the library project contains false statements. Here is their message on the subject. In an effort to keep you updated on the citizens initiatives that appear on the […]
Like Phoenix From The Ashes, Brent Coles Arises
Boise’s Nov. 5 mayoral election took on a new candidate Friday who may have injected some interest among voters. After nearly 16 years on the sidelines and some jail time, Brent Coles is seeking his old job as mayor and offered apologies all around for his past actions. Coles has recently made public appearances at […]
Beware Of “Misspeak” From Team Dave
Margaret Carmel at the IDAHO PRESS didn’t pull any punches when she revealed that Boise Mayor Dave Bieter actively opposed citizens who successfully circulated an initiative petition to force a vote on high cost libraries and sports stadiums. Carmel revealed that Bieter formed a political action committee to oppose the initiative, even funding the PAC […]
Boise’s Devious Dirty Deed
No doubt about it. Boise politicos view the citizens as an adversary group when it comes to the library issue. Last night the council passed a “special question” ordinance which is nothing more than an opinion poll to be placed on the November ballot regarding the proposed library and sports stadiums. The law has no […]
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