We packed a picnic and headed for Lucky Peak. No surprise when we hit traffic with cars parked along both sides of Highway 21 at Discovery Park. Folks ignored the barricades to walk their dogs, sun bathe, and picnic.

The road across the dam and the boat ramps were also closed. More parked cars. The dirt roads near Hilltop were blocked. More parked cars. The entrance to the Idaho Fish and Game wildlife management area was closed. More parked cars.

We crossed the high bridge at Mores Creek and stopped at Spring Shores. Gates open and boat ramps busy. More parked vehicles–BIG pickups with boat trailers.

Onward toward Arrowrock Dam at a wide spot opposite a trailhead more parked cars. At Jack’s Creek campground, barricades and more parked cars. We did an end run of a barricade and ate lunch under a new covered picnic table.

Last week we noticed Idaho Power has closed access to the Snake River at Swan Falls and all the other campgrounds and boat ramps including C.J. Strike.

On Broadway near Federal Way a lighted Idaho Transportation Dept. reader sign admonishes us to “STAY IN.”

This got us to thinking. Why are people protesting in front of Little’s office about the closure. It means nothing. If you want to go fishing, it can be done. Hiking and birdwatching, no problem. People appeared to keep their “social distances” and maintained their sanity.

In summary, it looks like Gov. Little’s transportation folks are out of step with the Spring Shores Park Dept. folks. Idaho Power is doing nothing more than punishing fishermen, and the conservatives are flapping their right wings at a problem they could just as easily ignore.

Wash your hands, don’t cough on people, keep your distance. Selling gas for $1.69 a gallon and telling folks not to drive is liking putting marshmallows in front of a six-year-old and telling them they can’t eat any.

Great time spent with 14-year-old grandson and a chance to learn the addictive qualities of those “smart” phones. Amazing how fast and readily available information can be obtained. Sad to see how much of the info is dispersed.

Grandson Bryce at Mesa Falls

–When you have lived ONLY in metro Hillsborough County, Florida where the population is the same as the entire state of Idaho it is understandable how awkward it is to pee in the aspen grove along Highway 20.

–The significance of Arco being the first town in the world to have nuclear power is lost after 65 years.

–The gigantic trout at Big Spring near Island Park are gone! Don’t know if the nearby massive construction projects have had any impact, but the world famous fishery has attracted a lot of people and money to Fremont County.

–Yellowstone is overrun with Asian tourists. At one hotel breakfast buffet we observed a shoving match when an Asian guest hijacked an entire tray of scrambled eggs for his table. Those not in tour groups and renting autos were obvious due to their lack of driving skills.

–Questions as simple as, “what do you want to study in school,” were answered after consulting the Smart Phone for salary surveys. (neurologists earn $600,000 a year and electrical engineering profs bring in $90,000).

–Freeway drivers are totally out of control, mean, aggressive, and a danger to everyone. We were just ahead of fatality crashes on both I-15 and I-84. At the time we commented that death was inevitable with such behavior.

–Idaho is still a vast “Gem” with scenic vistas and good people. Upper Mesa Falls on Henrys Fork of the Snake is spectacular, Craters of the Moon is unique, but barren. The Swan Falls Canyon (Birds of Prey) is an under appreciated Ada County natural attraction

Bryce at Golden Spike Monument.

ATK Rockets

Now after we have suffered the disastrous Table Rock fire in 2016, there is a bill before the legislature to ban fireworks. It was always with a wink and a nod that folks would purchase aerial rockets of all sorts and sign a waiver at the point of purchase promising to not use them in Idaho.

Here is what Boise Fire Chief Dennis Doan is pushing at the current session of the Idaho Legislature.

BOISE FIRE DEPT NEWS RELEASE
Following the 2,500-acre Table Rock fire last June which was caused by illegal fireworks and cost taxpayers $341,000, Fire Chief Dennis Doan announced his plan to urge legislators to make it unlawful to purchase or possess illegal fireworks. Rep. Erpelding is sponsoring measures to draft a bill making illegal fireworks truly illegal.

“I am excited to support Rep. Erpelding (D) in his legislative efforts during the current legislative session to amend the statute to fix the loophole language. We were extremely fortunate no lives were lost in the Table Rock fire, and as wildfire season is quickly approaching, we believe it’s time to better protect Idaho citizens, their property, and our firefighters who risk their lives battling fires caused by illegal fireworks. It is not our intent to outlaw “safe and sane” fireworks, only aerial fireworks,” stated Chief Doan.

Fires caused by fireworks July 4 and July 5 increased from seven in 2015 to 17 in 2016, which included two homes lost.

Some notable endorsements for tighter fireworks laws include: Idaho Fire Chiefs Association, Ada County Sheriff Bartlett, Boise Police Chief Bill Bones, Lewiston Fire Chief Myklebust, Pocatello Fire Chief Gates, Coeur d’Alene Fire Chief Gabriel, Idaho Falls Fire Chief Hanneman, Meridian Police Chief Lavey, Meridian Fire Chief Niemeyer and Caldwell Fire Chief Wendelsdorf.

We endorse Doan and Rep. Erpelding for their efforts.

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the unusual winter storms we have had this winter in Ada County. What has been in short supply are facts. So below are facts regarding the storm, the response and the cooperation.

We have had 35.5 inches of snow this winter – so far. Usually, it comes then melts then comes again. This year it came and stayed. And more came and stayed. And more came and stayed again. There have not been conditions like this since records were kept from 1892 much less 1985-86 that we keep hearing from the media.
ACHD employees charged with plowing, sanding, de-icing and reducing flooding have been working 12 hour shifts, one group on – one group off, around the clock since December 10, 2016 through January 25, 2017. That means that these people were working on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day and every weekend for 46 days straight with only 2 days off.

ACHD has 58 pieces of equipment, including 37 plows, 7 graders/loaders, and various de-icing units which spread mag Chloride and sand.

We have supplemented ACHD equipment with a ready reserve of seven private contractors that we put into place two years ago for just this situation. Together they bring 23 additional plowing units to the table.

ACHD was able to use the National Guard to help with snow plowing during their training week. While normally ACHD maintains the State Highways in Garden City and Boise (Chinden, Glenwood, Broadway, the Connector) during this long snowy month and a half, ITD helped maintain those roadways. ACHD also waived fees for HOA’s to contract with landscape companies to expedite their participation.

In the spirit of cooperation and mutual aid, we had great help from the cities throughout the county. Mayor Joe Stear of Kuna and Mayor Stan Ridgeway of Eagle ran skidsters to help clear local roads and sidewalks. Meridian activated school kids and Boy Scout Troops to clear sidewalks and drains. Every city’s police and fire departments helped with clearing storm drains and helped notify ACHD of critical areas. Garden City pitched in with front end loaders to help clear side streets. Boise used contractors to help clear downtown parking spaces.

We received three emergency calls from emergency service providers of which all three were met quickly, including plowing a Boise City Fire Station’s driveway.

Ada County has 4783 lane miles, 7965 discrete residential roads, 2915 cul-de-sacs and almost 25,000 storm drains. All of these received the same 35.5 inches of snow.

ACHD has had to close Warm Springs Ave to traffic near the Mesa, because rocks and boulders are shedding from the unstable hillside.

Finally, be thankful we are not Weiser in Washington County. They are in a real State of Emergency declared by the Governor. And in the spirit of cooperation and mutual aid, ACHD has sent a piece of heavy equipment to Weiser to help them through this trying time.
Those are the facts.

The announcement, featured in the STATESMAN is just another in a long line of moves which have never included direct citizen input to the Air Force, Dept. of Defense, or the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the F-35. Boise’s airport flew banners “supporting the F-35” in the terminal and the City Council has gone on record supporting basing the noisy fighter in the most densely populated area between Salt Lake City and Seattle–Boise.

The GUARDIAN offers a challenge to the Idaho Air Guard and the U.S. Air Force: before you do any more projections, surveys, studies, open houses, community meetings, or public hearings: LET US HEAR THE DAMNED AIRPLANE!

We are sick and tired of having the Secretary of the Air Force sneak into town and refuse to meet with citizens (or the media), the city council endorsing the F-35, assorted sound surveys based on computer models, and projections.

When the airport director held an open house Nov. 16, the room was overcapacity at 150 citizens who didn’t want to hear her sales pitch. They wanted the F-35 or F-15 to be based at Mountain Home AFB.

The F-35 program is so wrapped in politics, those of us who pay the bills will be forced to listen to the “found of freedom” make our homes uninhabitable. The GUARDIAN has attended several meetings of nearby residents and local government officials. Each time the locals claim they have no influence over the United States Department of Defense.

When citizens complained they are barred from serving on various airport committees the answer was, those positions are for “technical experts,” who understand aviation, construction, etc. We got the same line from an Air Guard spokesman–verbatim.

The easy answer to this issue is to give the citizens of the area equal time and access as the politicos meeting with the Air Force Brass. There are plenty of aircraft in the inventory including cargo aircraft like the C-130 or C-17 that are not as noisy as the fighters. Even the refueling KC-135 and KC-10 are similar to their commercial airliner relatives when it comes to noise.

Our early New Year’s resolution is to have a pair of F-35 fighters come into Boise and demonstrate their standard take-off and landing procedures, including afterburner operation, “fighter approaches” with the tight flyby and return to the runway. The event should be publicized and decibel meters should record the noise levels. It’s not rocket science!

Read previous F-35 STORIES.

In case you have doubts regarding the politicos ignoring the pleas of the homeowners and other citizens who feel the F-35 belongs at Mountain Home, here is what the congressional delegation has to say in a joint press release:

GOWEN FIELD IN BOISE AMONG FIVE FINALISTS FOR F-35 MISSION, IDAHO DELEGATION WELCOMES NEWS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Idaho congressional delegation welcomed the news that Gowen Field in Boise is among five candidates to become the home to a new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter squadron. The decision by Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James was announced Wednesday.

Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, said: “I’m thrilled that Gowen Field was selected as a finalist. I’m pleased that Secretary James recognized that our Air Guard Station is one of our military’s greatest assets. I look forward to working with the delegation as well as the Idaho National Guard to ensure that Gowen Field is given full and fair consideration in the final basing decision.”

In recent history the Idaho Transportation Department learned the gravity/water/soil lesson on Horseshoe Bend Hill, forcing the relocation of Hwy 55 to its present location.

Same issue caused massive rockslides and road closures below Warm Springs Mesa near the golf course as saturated earth caused rockslides on Warm Springs Ave. when it was also Hwy 21. GROWTHOPHOBES will tell you foot hills development is a slippery slope at best.

Old Hwy 55 after years of washouts and landslides.

For perspective, think of the foot hills as a giant sponge and all the roads and rooftops as strips of plastic wrap. The sealed parts of the sponge repel the water, but soon there is more water than the sponge can absorb and it either pools or runs off like a flash flood.

It may be nice to look down on your neighbors, but those big roofs, paved driveways and roads all tend to concentrate water and saturate the subsoils. The local precip is about 13 inches annually, but all those green lawns and trees at luxury homes need much more water to survive. We know instances of hillside irrigation flooding downhill neighbor’s basements. The laws of gravity are enforced by Mother Nature.

New home construction in Boise, Idaho.

“Every Foothills development also requires a grading plan, the extent of which depends on the results of the surveys. The same step is required for each lot.”

A home previously worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and a roadway are now unusable, “baffling the experts.” Could it be the geologists have rocks in their heads and the hydrologists have water on the brain?

The GUARDIAN made the obligatory image and shared binoculars and telescope views with folks along one of the Federal Way turnouts. The atmosphere was most neighborly and the youngsters will no doubt remember it forever. There were also people who were “moonstruck” atop parking structures, at the Depot, and Table Rock.

If only we could get the same enthusiasm for people to turnout for the city election!

A lunar eclipse can occur only at full moon. A total lunar eclipse can happen only when the sun, Earth and moon are perfectly lined up — anything less than perfection creates a partial lunar eclipse or no eclipse at all.

The financing for construction will require approval of two-thirds of voters, but given the success of the school we see it as a good bet to pass. The secret will be a straight forward proposal asking permission to sell bonds.

Here is the release from College of Western Idaho:

Today, College of Western Idaho (CWI) Board of Trustees approved entering into an agreement to purchase approximately 10 acres of land at 3150 W. Main St. which is located at the intersection of Main and Whitewater Park Blvd. adjacent to the Boise River. The site which was previously the home of the Bob Rice Ford car dealership is planned for future development of programs to support the educational needs of the surrounding communities.

“We are pleased to know that the land which was home to our family’s business for so many years, will now provide a legacy dedicated to the educational success of people in our community,” said Fred Rice, son of Bob Rice.

Visitors to Table Rock take in a sunset overlooking Boise and Treasure Valley.

The Rotary Club of East Boise has “adopted” the icon of Boise as a clean up project beginning with an anti-grafitti effort on the huge concrete bench which provides spectacular views over Boise clear into Oregon.

GUARDIAN editor Dave Frazier has sought to showcase the most spectacular viewpoint in all of Treasure Valley. He spoke to the Rotary East club Tuesday, offering insight and some advice on what is needed.

Here are some of the needs he highlighted:

–Pave an asphalt strip 10 foot wide from the parking lot to the viewpoint for walking.
–Address the issue of trash collection. A few garbage cans would cut down on litter.
–Toilet facilities. Composting, pit privy, or porta potty for starters. After hiking up the trail from the old pen, nature often calls.
–A railing or rock wall around the rim for safety.
–Video monitoring for security.
–Directional signs guiding visitors to the area.
–Interpretive signs on the site identifying landmarks, both manmade and natural such as the airport, capitol, Bogus Basin, peaks in Oregon and the Owyhee Mountains, etc.

Our past efforts have indicated there is interest from many groups to donate both time and money to the project.

The site is owned by the Idaho Historical Society as part of the Old Pen Museum. They rent space for radio and telephone transmitters and maintain the parking lot which is open during daylight hours.

The cross is on a tiny speck of ground owned by the Jaycees. That deal came about when the Idaho Land Board made a low profile deal to thwart the Christian vs anti-Christian issue. If memory serves, the purchase price was $1.

Our hope is the community will simply leave the religious issue alone. The cross has been there for many, many years and no group has been harmed by its presence. It has now become a historical artifact for better or worse.

The real goal should be to develop a day-use park where visitors and residents alike can look down on the city and up at nature in a single glimpse. For more information and to donate, see KICKSTARTER.

Here’s a FACEBOOK link to the Rotary Club.

BOISE COUNCIL CANDIDATES:

Seat 2: Ben Quintana (incumbent), Tyler Smith
Seat 4: T.J. Thomson (incumbent), Jill G. Humble, Bill Jarocki
Seat 6: Maryanne Jordan (incumbent), Paul Edmond Fortin, R. Bryce Petersen

TYLER SMITH 11/2/13
I am running against incumbent Quintana for Seat 2, and encourage everyone in Boise to get out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5. I have grown to know and like Jill Humble, Bill Jarocki, and Paul Fortin throughout this campaign, and I hope to have also left a good impression on them.
I stand for real, progressive change, strong environmental policy, equality for ALL (read: homeless) residents, and to make a stand against money in politics.
It’s time for new blood, and all 4 of us running against the incumbents are smart, passionate, and educated.
Get out and vote, encourage your friends to vote, and vote for new ideas!
Tyler Smith, candidate for Boise City Council Seat 2

PAUL FORTIN 10/22/13
“At last night’s forum Mr. Thompson and Mr Quintana didn’t start their opening statements with “Under Ms Jordan’s Leadership yada yada yada Boise City wasn’t destroyed from everything imaginable as at the Forum of the league of women on Oct 9th. Mr Quintana only said it once but TJ repeated on almost every questioned he answered.

Ms Jordan went back to her same old California background of tax and spend as much as you can squeeze from the taxpayer and then go for that last cent still hiding in the taxpayers coin purse.  

When I tried to talk to Ms Jordan about the waste in fire spending, she told me your problem is with the Whitney fire Commisioners for spending a $100,000 a year for Fire Chief Renn Ross, the ex Boise Fire Chief who eliminated that position in 2000.

At the request of Whitney Commisioners he promoted 2 then a 3rd captain to Battalion Chief which costs Boise taxpayers approx $550-600,000 a yr in today’s dollars. The 9 square miles of what’s left of Whitney fire District is almost all subdivisions.

What Ms Jordan doesn’t get is if revenue received doesn’t match expenditures for any part of government then that department is in deficit spending.”

BILL JAROCKI 10/21/13
Remember, You Get the Government You Vote For: Part 2

Tonight was public forum number 2 for the Boise City Council axis of incumbency and three brave challengers. What I’ve heard them say twice (in unison, in lockstep) is that the “most livable” city in America can only remain so if you elect them AND elect to tax yourself and your neighbors. I think I’ve heard this before. If something gets repeated enough, everybody believes it.
Tonight one of the incumbents also said if the bonds pass, they think they can build another branch library from the resources in the current budget.

Like they are doing you a favor?
The fact is that the so-called “hold the line budget” called for a property tax increase even before you decide on November 5th to tax yourself even more.
KEEP BOISE MOVING FORWARD is the slogan of the incumbents. And it will keep moving forward as long as you pay more taxes. So they seem to say.
And another thing — my incumbent opponent says that the city’s private trash pickup contractor returned $150,000 by switching to natural gas vehicles. Of course YOU don’t get a rebate on your trash bill (the bill you already paid). Instead the council (ever mindful of your wishes)decides how the “savings” will be spent. Well, that will run the parks and recreation department for a couple of days. Big deal.

Dear Incumbents:
Hold your horses. Listen to us. “NO” to the bonds, and no to more taxes. What is the next best idea for meeting OUR priorities? Can we get a better government for less of our money? Would you even try to be efficient? Can’t you please do better than this?
Sincerely, Bill Jarocki for City Council Seat #4

TJ THOMSON
TJ Thomson – Boise City Council Seat #4
I am running for re-election because I want to continue making a positive difference in Boise and keep us moving forward — to build the strongest, most livable city possible for future generations to enjoy. Over the last four years, we have had tremendous success in strengthening our local economy during a difficult recession. Unemployment rates are going down while property values are on the rise. The Boise market is dramatically stronger — outpacing the national housing recovery. Commercial and residential permitting is up and positive economic development is moving forward. We have protected thousands of acres of open space in our foothills; added multiple parks and recreational opportunities; increased sidewalks and bike lanes; improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists; added bus routes; and strengthened public safety (crime rates are at historic lows). I will continue moving Boise forward, while also presenting new ideas for strengthening our livability and local economy.

I provide extensive detail about my platform and the issues we face as a community at the following links:
TJ’s Campaign Website: www.TJ4Boise.com
TJ’s Idaho Statesman Questionnaire: www.idahostatesman.com/2013/10/06/2802266/boise-city-council-seat-4-tj-thomson.html

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions,
TJ Thomson

Boise City Council Seat #4
BILL JAROCKI

Age: 59
Occupation: (position and company) President, Voltaic Solutions, LLC
Education: Northwestern University, BA; Indiana University, School of Public and Environmental Affairs; Boise State University, MPA

Prior political experience: I have assisted and served with local, state and federal officials throughout my career. This is my first run for public office.

Civic involvement: (past and present – please include years) My public service career has been an example of civic involvement. My civic involvement has been directly related to helping those whose serve the public. Beginning in the late 1970s helping small cities and counties in the Midwest to invest public funds wisely, streamlining state government agencies in Indiana as a legislative performance auditor, and later serving county governments with the Association of Indiana Counties. I came to Idaho in 1983 to work with city officials at the Association of Idaho Cities, then running the DEQ’s Bureau of Research and Analysis (1992-96) to implement better ways to work with communities and to really measure environmental performance, and then running BSU’s Environmental Finance Center (1996-2010) to bring innovation and common sense to environmental protection in the United States and internationally. Always with this public purpose in mind: delivering sustainable services at the least cost. I continue to do this as President of Voltaic Solutions.

Years living in your city: Thirty years in December.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/myvotematters

Social media accounts: (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) @voltaicjarocki, facebook.com/myvotematters

1. What makes you a better choice for voters than your opponent(s)?

As a fiscal conservative I’m driven by the idea that local government is obligated to provide services that make sense and are efficiently funded. I offer the citizens a chance to vote for the candidate who not only wants to limit taxes and fees, but has real government experience in Idaho, both at the local and state levels. My experience at the national and international levels has also allowed me the opportunity to better understand the complexities of intergovernmental policy as it relates to local government. This is necessary here in the Capitol, as Boise’s city government is part of a larger system of governance that includes neighboring communities, county, state and the federal government. Because I have worked at all three levels for over 30 years, I can hit the ground running on day one to rebuild important relationships with intergovernmental partners that have been breached during my opponents’ term.

2. If elected, what are your top three priorities? How will you accomplish them? Please provide specifics.

As the common sense candidate, my top priorities are: creating living-wage jobs, promoting participatory budgeting, and promoting maximum use of vacant commercial property. I would accomplish each goal by nurturing the professional and intergovernmental relationships that are necessary in order to create business friendly policies for both large and medium sized companies that will offer meaningful living wages to their employees. As a matter of public policy, I will work with our public and private education institutes to assist with public participation forums, bringing effective and engaged public participation in local tax issues and policy decisions. Finally, I am concerned about commercial property development that is occurring in neighboring communities as commercial property remains vacant in Boise for long periods of time. We need incentives for business development. And we need to develop trust with the leaders of the Idaho Legislature to get the tools for greater economic opportunities.

3. What is the one thing your city should start doing to encourage economic development and create jobs?

In many respects the one thing we should do is to recognize that the most recent, sustained, and successful period of economic development we have experienced in the City of Boise occurred when we united in purpose supporting private sector expansion. To unite in purpose today we need to recognize that our city government needs to be a catalyst for economic development by using its policy making authority to create opportunities for business development and economic diversification and growth. Where the city’s authority is lacking, Boise needs to work with legislative leaders to get the permission to create tools that the city can use to incentivize development. We need to tell our story better. That is; the State of Idaho prospers as Boise prospers and State leaders need to be persuaded that economic prosperity in Boise is not a zero sum game for other communities.

4. How do you envision your city 10 to 20 years from now? How should it change?

In 10 years I envision Boise as a place where businesses can start up and grow, creating a broader economy and a marketplace for locally developed technologies, products, and services.

In 20 years I envision Boise as THE place to call home. A place that our grown kids can call home – not because they visit us here, but because they live here. Today Boise has a wonderful reputation as a place to raise a family. But, what happens to your family when the kids grow up, go to college here or out of state, and your kids move to Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, or San Francisco to get that good paying job that matches their career interests. In 20 years I want you to live in a place where it is not a luxury or plain luck that you’re surrounded by your kids and grandkids in what is in many respects the best City in the United States.

5. Are you concerned about public apathy and involvement in civic matters? How would you get more people involved?

I will create a public forum that encourages open and honest public participation. I stand by my previous statements on this subject, that I endorse completely the idea that citizens have the right and the obligation to make their opinions and their recommendations known to their elected officials in matters concerning their households, neighborhoods, and their community as a whole. I will explain, push, and promote a process for citizen input into budgeting decisions. The Council is ultimately responsible for budgeting and investing dollars that achieve community priorities set forth by mandates and by the public. And the Council I will serve on will not be complacent. Instead we will examine the purpose of program activities and eliminate or defund activities that do not meet our community priorities for the future. When citizens realize their voices could be heard on priorities and spending decisions, they will want to be involved.

6. Do you support either or both bonds for open space, public safety and parks? Why?

No. I am not in favor of the citizens taking on more debt anytime soon. From my vantage point, our community is barely emerging from the great recession and we all have a responsibility for nearly $17 trillion in federal government debt. And the axis of incumbency wants us to take on more debt? It isn’t that I’m not a proponent of parks – I enjoy the greenbelt nearly every day – and I want a well-trained fire department, but let’s take a closer look at the current budgets first.

This morning the Idaho Statesman opined that “Bonds are the most pragmatic way forward.” This is not true. Vote “No” on the proposed bond issue.

In the 2014 budget, general fund revenues from property tax were projected at $118.5M. The debt payments will be about $2.6M in new property taxes per year for the next 20 years. There are other ways to fund these improvements. A reduction of just a little over 2% elsewhere in the general fund budget does the trick. It is time that the community had a chance to participate in real priority setting. Is there some other low priority activity that could be eliminated to fund new parks and fire training facilities? Probably. It’s the taxpayers’ money and we need to work smarter to deliver the best government at the least cost. The Statesman recently reported that the city has 8 public information officers! C’mon already, we need to be smarter with the taxpayer dollars.

Funny how the “way forward” copies the theme of the three councilmembers who have now formed their axis of incumbency. Makes you wonder doesn’t it? It’s time to oppose incumbents and to elect a councilman that will challenge the status quo.

8. Should the city upgrade its shooting range, leave it as is or do something else entirely? Why?

As long as it is operated safely and the activity there is not a threat to the shooters or the general public, then leave it as is. If the status quo is acceptable, then, the City Council should concentrate on business and economic development policy and policy implementation.

9. Should Boise raise Downtown metered parking rates? How much? Why?

No. And I am not in favor of having any system that resets the parking meter to zero minutes when a user exits the parking space. As a long-time Boise resident I know there is more metered parking in the downtown area than ever before. If the idea is to raise parking rates to support more ticket writers, then as a matter of policy I would ask the current administration to make do with current revenues or remove meters.

10. If elected, what would you do to change the public transportation system in Boise?

I am not in favor of any changes to our public transportation system at this time. While it is tempting to copy what other big cities do, it is important to recognize that the culture of the community supports conservative, incremental change. For several years I was a faithful rider of the Boise Urban Stages, the forerunner to the current Valley Ride system. Public transportation has steadily improved over the past 30 years and continues to be a viable and convenient alternative for many citizens. I believe that market demand for public transportation will increase as the price of fuel increases, and I support a business-like approach to public transportation as it responds to consumer demand in the marketplace.
TYLER SMITH 10/4/13
My name is Tyler Smith. I am interested in serving the people of Boise and bringing new ideas to our local politics. I have been a political activist since my teens, starting the Boise chapter of Anti-Racist Action in 1996. I am a member of the ACLU, Move To Amend, and the Ironworkers International Union.

I believe that money is incredibly corrosive to our democracy, and my focus is on passing an ordinance that states “Money is not speech, corporations are not people”. I will not accept ANY campaign contributions from ANY business, and I am not doing any formal fundraising.

I am also very dedicated to the environment. In addition to other good policies, I want our city to practice sustainable economics, green building, expanded recycling and renewable energy.
Additionally, I embrace equality for all. Whether it is equal pay for women, the right to marry for the LGBT community, or the rights of the homeless, I will fight for equality for each one of us. I will fight to overturn the recent anti-panhandling ordinance that was passed by the current city council. I believe that it is a violation of our First Amendment right to free speech, and it unfairly targets those in our society that are in need.

I am running for city council because I am extremely passionate about people and our planet. I bring youth and integrity to the table. If elected, I encourage the citizens of Boise to contact me and voice your opinion. I will listen to you.

Thank you.
Tyler smith
tylersmithoil710@gmail.com
facebook.com/tylersmith4citycouncil

9/22/13
PAUL FORTIN
When Boise is not taking proper care of our city’s present parks, dog parks ect buying more land for parks should come from present tax receipts. More parks means more people to maintain them so is Boise planing on hiring more personnel or use the over burdened workers we have now. More people means more yearly costs.

9/13/13
PAUL FORTIN STATEMENT
Boise could actually follow what they preach that Boise is a great place to live by doing the following. Take existing dog parks and bring them up to a standard where they have some amenities, covered tables with benches where neighborhood groups could sit and make new friends, add some water fountains.

Fort Boise dog park is a good place to start, use the first two dyke areas to hold water from cottonwood creek. The 3rd which is the dog park could have some grassy areas using the stored water to irrigate until the water runs out, then use sprinklers. Fencing the area so dogs would not go into street traffic on reserve would allow people to have a loop to walk their dogs and talk with friends. This would not cost that much and money from dog licensing would help fund these parks.

There is no reason Boise can’t have at least 5 off leash dog parks using parts of present park system to fence in areas. Boise City has hired what is being called the dog nazis to try and catch by any means, hiding, using binoculars to give tickets. $81, first time, then double and triple. Is this making Boise a great place to live, I don’t think it is.