boise
Ethics, What’s That?
UPDATED 7/25/05 Boise’s new ethics panel recently told City Treasurer Kent Rock it was OK to ask for money from the banks and brokers he deals with as long as he does it on behalf of a professional group and not the City. Duh! He heads the group BECAUSE he is Boise’s treasurer. At issue […]
Slow Police Response
For those who complain about lack of police response, we know how you feel. A thoughtful reader sent this suggestion more than a week ago and 9 days later still no police response despite a follow up from the GUARDIAN. “How about an article on the Boise city police patrolling the freeways. I-84 looks like […]
Big Jobs Can Mean Big Layoffs
A good number of those 350 folks who took “voluntary severance” packages at Hewlett Packard have applied for unemployment benefits from the state of Idaho, a possible harbinger of things to come. Interesting how eager the political types are to lure companies to Idaho because “it means jobs.” It can also mean big layoffs as […]
Patriotic Arson Kits
Boise Police Chief Mike “Bat” Masterson has joined the ranks of folks who can’t understand the patriotism of burning your neighbor’s house on July 4th with illegal fireworks. We are talking about those fireworks which are legal to sell and own, but illegal to shoot. Idaho law and Boise City law are different and Masterson […]
Faux Fly Fisherman Fans Floaters
When the GUARDIAN stopped by the Boise River pedestrian bridge behind the Albertson Corp. HQ Sunday we noticed a fly fisherman among the float tubes and rafts. What kind of an idiot would stand there flipping flies amongst those hundreds of passing inner tubes? When we noticed our fly fisherman talking to his lumpy vest […]
Idaho Flim Flams Feds For Funds
We have to admit the following is based on a STATESMAN piece by business writer Melissa McGrath and we have to figure she got her facts right. However, the spin of the story and the headline “GRANT WILL HELP EX-HP WORKERS” misses the whole point. The real story is, “IDAHO FLIM FLAMS FEDS FOR FUNDS.” […]
Don’t Mess With Sheriff Gary
Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney has decisively handled a couple of serious incidents recently, demonstrating sound leadership and concern for citizens. First, it was a series of errors and omissions in the jail which apparently made it possible for a dangerous inmate to escape last month. Raney checked out the situation and BAM! He fired […]
Tibbs for Mayor?
The mainstream media got the announcement this week–only 6 weeks after the GUARDIAN reported former Boise cop Jim Tibbs would take aim at Jerome Mapp’s council seat in the November election. If Tibbs unseats the veteran councilor–and he has a good chance–Mayor Dave Bieter could have an incumbent councilor (Tibbs) gunning for his own BIG […]
Potpourri
(For you non-library users that means a stew, mix of flower petals and spices, or a medley) When we have a whole bunch of items we don’t want to elaborate upon, we offer up a potpourri because it sounds cool: –Meridian has joined the suicidal ranks of cities bent on self destruction with a MONEY […]
She Said, They Said
Looks like former Ada Commissioner Sharon Ullman touched some raw nerves when she went after the current county commissioners and their budget in a recent STATESMAN op-ed piece. Her information was mostly correct with a few minor errors and slants–her conclusions are based mostly on raw public budget figures which don’t necessarily explain FACTS or […]
Cops, $$, and Numbers
The mainstream media–using official crime stats–tells us “CRIME DROPS in ADA MORE THAN IN REST OF STATE”. NOT! Same and even more crime than ever before. Just more people to to be victims of crime and a larger inventory of stuff to steal. If you victimize 100 citizens with 10 crimes the crime rate is […]
Depot Remains Mostly Closed to Public
With summer tourists and residents visiting our city daily, the Boise Parks Department policy to exclude visitors from entering the #2 landmark in the city remains in effect–except for 7.5 hours on Mondays, closed holidays! Far from the “Tourist attraction” we all envisioned when the City purchased the Depot with tax dollars and donations, our […]
Power to The People
All the rampant growth being encouraged by local government officials has created a need for more unsightly power lines to provide electricity to new residents. The existing residents don’t like their views of the foothills blocked–apparently they can’t see the ridges being flattened as easily. They protested to the Idaho Power monopoly and the company […]
Ambushed on The Rim
The Depot Bench Neighbors got bushwhacked by the Boise Planning Department Friday when the City canceled a public hearing set for July 13. The MOTHER of ALL GARAGE SALES (MAGS) set for Saturday July 9 was planned to be the opening round in the battle for public support against a proposed apartment/condo complex near the […]
Bench-Depot Take Two
In what may be the “mother of all garage sales” the neighbors along Crescent Rim and the adjoining neighborhood have proclaimed Saturday July 9 as NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE DAY. Neighborhood Preservation Committee Chairman Martha Borchers says the group is banding together for the garage sale project because: “– We all have stuff that needs to […]
We Deserve Better
In what has become classic Boise spin of the local media, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter’s press machine manipulated a new reporter at the STATESMAN into writing an obfuscation of the truth. (For you non-library users that means “clouding”.) While she accurately reported what she was told, the reporter’s story missed the point. She reported that […]
Stop This Insanity Now!
Kuna has run out of sewer capacity, Meridian has run out of classrooms, Eagle Road is a parking lot, Boise needs code enforcement and all these cities battle one another to see who can grow the most and the fastest. Then they all want to get together and pay big bucks to “consultants” who will […]
Library Bond Vote Set
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. […]
Bench-Depot Neighborhood Update
Folks opposed to a major apartment-condo complex near Crescent Rim and Peasley are well organized and adament about their objections. They have organized a Garage Sale set for July 9, a neighborhood rally July 11 and a massive turnout for a city council hearing July 13. The basic concern is the size and density of […]
Screw the Public!
After voters twice denied the Greater Boise Auditorium District bonding authority for a new convention center, the board agreed Friday to take a lesson from Boise City and do an end run around those pesky voters. The deal calls for developer Gary Christensen to pay one dollar to lease valuable public land at 13th and […]
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