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Social Engineering Or Prudent Planning?
June 8, 2014 
The DAILY PAPER had a good story by reporter Sven Berg Sunday detailing plans by Boise officials to offer “developer welfare” for downtown apartments catering to young professionals. We see it as social engineering. Efforts to increase population density — not to mention traffic and urban crowding — have not been particularly successful due to […]
Boise City Governance Based On Power Plays
There are many factors at play with regard to the debate over the bike lane experiment which goes beyond a simple “car vs bike” issue. We support the “wait and see” attitude of the ACHD. The agency which maintains and manages 2,100 miles of streets in Ada County has not ruled against accommodating bikes in […]
Apply Emergency Brakes To Train Obsession
It used to be amusing to poke fun at Team Dave’s latest gimmick for a train, trolley, street car, etc. Now its time to derail this fantasy once and for all. The current topic is yet another round of consulting, planning, etc. for what amounts to a “cargo transit center.” The idea is to create […]
Is Boise Losing “Small Town” Flavor?
With all the pressure Boise’s Team Dave is putting on the Ada County Highway District, Urban Renewal, Autitorium District, and Valley Transit, we growthophobes have to conclude their efforts are aimed at justifying a TROLLEY through urban growth. While they try to make a case for trains, trolley, street car or circulator there seems to […]
City Seeking Staffer For Team Dave
If you are one who, “Develops, implements, and facilitates project teams to meet organizational goals” you could earn up to $95,000 working for BOISE CITY as a Strategic Initiatives Manager. God only knows how we have done without one–or if there was a previous SIM. No doubt future strategic initiatives could include trolleys, bond elections, […]
Transit Center Heads Underground
If Valley Regional Transit and Capital City Development Corp. (CCDC) get their way, Boise’s highest and lowest structures will be at the same downtown intersection of 8th and Main. That is the latest planned location for a “multi model transportation center,” but this time they are looking at hiding the bus station underground diagonally across […]
“Three Musketeers” Of City Council Run As Team
Three incumbents on the Boise City Council are triple teaming challengers and sending out a single joint flyer to voters, encouraging them to vote early. “Keep Boise moving forward” is the motto Ben Quintana, T.J. Thomson and Maryanne Jordan have adopted in their effort to hold off a total of five challengers–all political unknowns for […]
Boise Continues “Cart-Before the Horse” Management
Boise has been creating urban sprawl for years, annexing hundreds of acres into the city–often despite protests by residents–and then bening forced to provide services. Fire stations have been built out of the annual budget and park land purchased with no money left to maintain or “green up” the space. Now, they are claiming the […]
Tradition Of Apathy In Boise Council Races
Boise’s City Council election is barely two months away and to our knowledge no one has announced a challenge to the incumbents and anyone shy of Cecil Andrus would have a difficult time mounting a credible challenge at this late hour. Councilors TJ Thomson, Ben Quintana and Maryanne Jordan are all facing reelection–and presumably they […]
Team Dave In Near Total Control Of Local Government
Regardless of your politics, you have to hand it to Boise Mayor Dave Bieter when it comes to political acumen. John Brunelle, who serves as Mayor David Bieter’s assistant for economic development, has been offered the position of executive director of the Capital City Development Corp., the agency announced Wednesday…recently Bieter appointed himself as a […]
Visit To Downtown Boise Can Have Hidden Costs
The GUARDIAN would never put forth a conspiracy theory about charging for on street parking to garner support for a trolley or to force motorists to use parking garages, especially when the parking people at City Hall say the intent is to merely create “turnover” between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Its all part of […]
Transit Center Derailed Before First Spade Of Dirt Is Turned
Valley Regional Transit has joined the ranks of Team Dave when it comes to getting the proverbial cart before the horse. VRT is sending out press releases saying the agency is moving forward on a downtown “Multi-Modal Transit Center” and solicits a private partner on the project. All this despite the owner of the land–Idaho […]
Pedal Project Poses Payment Problems
By STEVE “BIKEBOY” HULME A year or so ago, Mayor Bieter, an eternal proponent of alternative transportation whether it be a trolley, or valley-wide rail service, or bicycles, proposed a bike-sharing program, just like in the Big City. Unlike the ill-fated “yellow bike” experiment of a few years ago, where volunteers made some donated bikes […]
Boise Attempts “Valentine Day Massacre” On ACHD, Shoots Mayor, Council In Foot
A bungled attempt by Boise City to ambush the Ada County Highway District’s relationship with the Idaho Legislature on February 14 has ignited a unified firestorm of disgust and outrage from the mayors of Meridian, Kuna, Star and Eagle, the Ada County Commishes, and the ACHD board. The sleazy attempt by those in the office […]
Boise’s Team Dave To Ignore Will Of People With Yet Another Transit Survey
Despite repeated attempts at shaping public opinion through surveys, informational events, and “$24,500” expenditures for consultants, Boise officials refuse to take “NO” for an answer when it comes to Mayor Dave Bieter’s desire named street car. Citizens overwhelmingly opposed every plan he has brought forth. The Idaho Statesman commissioned an independent survey which also came […]
GUARDIAN New Year Resolutions
The GUARDIAN will mark the ripe old age of 8 in May of this year. We want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and pass along some “New Year Resolutions.” You can add your own or open a new discussion thread. –Legislature will not debate any stupid issues. –Legislature will agree to adopt West […]
Wanna Give Your Dog A Goose? Try Ann Morrison Park
After years of trying everything from shaking and oiling eggs in goose nests to “goose herding” border collies, Boise Parks Dept. this week has designated the eastern two-thirds of Ann Morrison Park as “off leash” areas for dogs. Like many issues in local government, this one has gone to the dogs–and it may work. The […]
Bieter Ignores Public, Seeks More Tax Money From Feds For Pet Train
Ignoring at least two public opinion SURVEYS funded by the city and one conducted by the Idaho Statesman, Team Dave has continued its short sighted quest engineer expensive trains in the Treasure Valley. Mayor Dave Bieter gave away an autographed Kristin Armstrong bike helmet to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and got a promise of […]
A New Month Brings Hope For Future
This morning we awakened to all sorts of good news. First it was Team Dave announcing they have abandoned plans for not only a downtown baseball park, but they also promised to not use any public money to further the desire named Streetcar (also known as the Trolley Folly). Next thing we heard was the […]
Cyclops Closes The Good Eye
Cyclops was a simple man Who was not city hall’s biggest fan He exposed sneaky schemes By Mayor Dave’s teams Rest In Peace Jim Monihan –Poet Paul “Cyclops,” one of the most frequent commenters and loyal readers of the GUARDIAN closed his good eye Sunday for the last time, a victim of cancer. For those […]
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