With our Broncos knocking at the door of a BCS Bowl berth we bristle at the chuckles about blue turf from our Big Ten relatives in the Midwest. We even started buying into the BSU hype of being an “urban university beyond the blue.”

Then along comes one of those radio interviews with the players and Kyle Wilson is asked, “What brought you out here all the way from New Jersey?”

It wasn’t the blue, it wasn’t a chance to get a good education in the field of computer science, electrical engineering or even business. It wasn’t the nice people in Boise, the nearby mountains, the great conservative nature of politics.

His response: “I sent them a tape and we did the deal.”

At least the dude is honest. Go Broncos!

–The frenzy to go after potential tuition dollars from junior college (community college) students continues with three colleges offering up plans for Southwest Idaho. We repeat our earlier lament: “Sad that established institutions see these students as sources of revenue rather than young minds to educate. In the case of Boise State, didn’t that used to be Boise JUNIOR COLLEGE? Sounds like BSU’s Dr. Bob wants to go back to the future. Bottom line is the bottom line once again. Politics and PR will win this fight.

–Out of town expert favors “eminent domain” to take away private land for public purposes as part of social engineering in downtown Boise. Seems the new downtown residential developments are either for the rich or the poor, leaving out the middle class.

That is because of laws that give developers financial advantages in the form of tax credits if they designate a certain number of units as “affordable housing.” Boise is talking about requiring developers to offer a certain number of units to specific income levels. Next thing will be car dealers being required to offer Kia, Toyota, and BMW.

–Tamarack Resort at Cascade continues to take public land in its quest to privatize the west side of the lake. This time the government has closed Poison Creek Campground. Next big one will be converting 18 square miles of Forest Service Land to State of Idaho so the resort will reap even more benefits which could include long term leases with cabin sites. Congressional delegation and state land board are all conspiring on the deal. They claim schools will benefit, but the real winner will be the foreign owners of the resort.

–Statesman editors are either growing cajones (for you non library types–bulls have them, but cows don’t) on news coverage or they are looking for unemployment checks. Saturday page one had Micron being sued over price fixing, Skier Speedy Peterson in a street brawl ejected from Italy. Sunday editorial took the county commishes and Boise councilors to the woodshed for tossing sand in each other’s faces over the detox fiasco. Nice departure from cheerleading “Boise is in the national”sportlight stories.

If our legislature has any backbone at all they will reject all new tax breaks during the upcoming session–including this scheme. The reward for investing is sharing the profits. If it isn’t a good investment, don ‘t make the citizens share the risk unless we also share the profits!

Kustra is among a group described by the Idaho Statesman as the state’s “most influential business executives and university leaders” who are on one of those task forces Gov. Dirk likes to promote. These guys are looking for even more tax breaks for big business than they already have.

They come from companies like Qwest, Micron, INL (used to be AEC, INEL, INEEL) as well as BSU, U of I, and ISU. Their scam is to get tax incentives to the tune of 30% tax credit over three years for people who “invest in start up companies.” If we understand the tax law, that means for every $1 million invested they want $300,000 off the bottom line of their tax bill.

Guess who invests in small start up companies? People with MONEY! They can afford to pay taxes just like the rest of us working stiffs. Guess who owns the most shares of these companies? People with MONEY. These “start ups” could easily be the big firms looking for tax breaks by spinning off “start ups.” Duh!

The GUARDIAN has a solution.

Give these companies the tax breaks in direct proportion to the funds expended for higher education. If a company gets a $75,000 tax break, just scratch one professor from the staff at a university. After all these new companies will hire workers who will pay taxes which will (probably, maybe, possibly, sort of) make up for the money lost ot the general fund through the tax breaks. They can hire the prof back later or give him a job working the 12 hour shift at the new start up and pay him with stock options.

There is another solution that combines socialism and capitalism. Think of the tax incentives as “shares.” Set an initial stock offering price and give the “people of Idaho” the shares based on the amount of tax incentives offered. That way there is a true incentive to make the new ventures succeed. Otherwise we might as well give tax breaks for gambling trips to Jackpot, Nevada.

In Boise they have to build new schools when there are too many students and they have to build new schools when they don’t have enough students.

We have a school bond election coming soon which is part of a plan to combine, close, and improve some school buildings. Bonds cover only “books and facilities”, not operating expenses like salaries.

A portion of the operating expenses comes from the state of Idaho based on the number of students enrolled. The formula is complex and most of those who pay or spend the funds don’t understand it. The rate varies depending on many factors–Boise gets less than most districts per student.

The GUARDIAN thinks young minds need to be educated–not viewed as “revenue sources” in a mindless numbers game that depends on increasing population, more houses, cars, school buses, sewers, cops…you get the picture!

The Boise school population declined by 465 students this year, based in part on a “shifting demographic.” That means more old people without kids. Seems to us that would be a good sign–people paying taxes, but not using the system.

At first blush the GUARDIAN is opposed to some of the “marketing strategies” being discussed by the Boise School Board which include encouraging huge subdivisions with “student-producing populations” (breeding humans).

While Boise City officials are hell bent on creating upscale apartments and condos in the downtown core–catering to young singles and retirees, the school district on the other hand is eager to attract breeding age adults to single family dwellings. These policies don’t appear to be compatible–at least they are not mutually beneficial.

The other plan is to look at a creating school based on the performing arts to attract students.

This approach sounds like a cruise ship ad, “Thrill to the sounds of young musicians, chuckle at comedic actors, enjoy massed voices singing your favorite tunes. Reasons to move YOUR kids to the Boise School District!”

MORE and BIGGER is not the answer to this problem, but we have to admit we don’t have an answer either at this point. We do know that “enticing” students or businesses to our fair city is NOT the answer.

Despite an attempt by a taxpayers group to undermine voter confidence with a brochure listing all salaries of teachers and administrators–by name– about 72% of the voters said YES to a new school bond.

The GUARDIAN figured–wrongly as it turns out–the voters might take a “time out” as a protest aimed at slowing the rapid growth in the district. The administration campaigned on a platform of “growth will pay” for the bond.

The anti forces mail campaign was ignored by the mainstream media, but now the election is over, you might hear mention of their tactics. The sad part of the attack on teacher’s salaries was the bond pays for BUILDINGS, REPAIRS, and BOOKS–not salaries.

The refreshing signal to officialdom was that while voters hold the purse strings, they are willing to loosen their hold when the right cause comes along.

Both sides sent mailings to school patrons–a fancy word for taxpayers–and both had reasons to vote their way. The GUARDIAN predicts the vote will actually become a referendum AGAINST growth rather than any judgement for or against teachers, administration, or taxpayers.

Pro forces caged the funding as “no tax RATE increase,” while downplaying the huge increase in VALUES which lead to increased tax bills any way you cut it.

Anti forces cobbled together a flyer making it look like the teachers were overpaid by about 30%, claiming they work 9 months and if figured on an ANNUAL BASIS that amounts to a lot more cash. They also included some names and salaries which will look high to anyone making less and low to those making more.

Both sides were less than forthright in their presentations and we figure voters will probably say, “wait a while on this one.”

It takes 66 and 2/3 per cent to pass, so that means 34% against can kill the bond.

The first skirmish had kids used as innocent couriers for a pro bond post card that crowds the line of propriety with a message that “Growth will pay for this school bond.” A GUARDIAN reader claims there is no identification as to who wrote or funded the postcard…we hear it is sort of from a parents group.

Opponents say using the kids is cheating. When asked if the opponents could send THEIR message home with kids, the Meridian School spokesman said only the card was funded by private supporters and cards should have been mailed, not sent with kids. The message endorses a policy of encouraging growth to fund schools that are needed as a result of the growth–it is a never ending cycle built only on GROWTH. The boom will someday turn to bust.

The Meridian Schools spokesman stands by the message–he wrote it. He contends accurately–but with only half the truth– that tax LEVY RATES will not increase. For the vast majority of Meridian residents, the increase in property values fueled by growth will result in HIGHER taxes. Sneaky way of (not) saying your tax bill will increase by the same percentage your property VALUE increases.

No doubt about the crowding in some Meridian schools. The bond will only pay for the new buildings. All of the annual teacher and staff salaries–by far the biggest expense–will have to come out of operating budgets.
It is a conundrum resulting from a pro-growth City Council and not the making of the school district administration. (For non-library types: “conundrum” is not a dirty word, it means a confusing or difficult problem.)

The anti bond snipers got a list of the taxpayers in the District from the Administration and has sent a mailing with reasons to vote against the indebtedness. Look for the usual “well balanced” opinion pieces in the Statesman and on TV with a leaning toward the bond approval in a Statesman editorial with a cautionary note that something needs to be done in the future to curb the problem.

The migrant worker TV newsies will get manipulated by the school folks with stories of classes being held in closets, busing babies to far away areas, leaky roofs, and other ills which could be solved by a simple “yes” vote on the bond.

The answer is IMPACT FEES in the form of a 5% sales tax on new home construction.

The silliness reached its peak when Timberline High was proudly proclaimed to rank #1,000 on a NEWSWEEK Magazine list. Boise High was apparently 605 levels higher than Timberline at #395. What does this mean? Nothing at all.

The school story surveyed 27,468 schools. That means 13,733 were “above average” and 2,746 were in the top 10%. Imagine how many front pages are filled today with this made up story throughout the country.

We love our city, kids, schools and little puppies, but let’s get real! The same edition of the STATESMAN (idahostatesman.com) that featured the NEWSWEEK school rankings on the front page had cries from readers on the editorial page to boycott the same magazine for irresponsible and inaccurate reporting about incidents connected with prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Is it a great publication only when it says nice things about Boise?

Local media is lazy in its reporting and relies on front page stories about what ANOTHER publication has reported–usually merely a survey or list. Made up magazine lists are aimed at getting readers and publicity. Boise is so enamored with rankings, the City’s official web site promotes magazines with favorable rankings of our town.

Let’s hope we don’t see or hear another story soon about “Top”: business city, retirement city, small college, kayak river, hospital, festival for bus riders, end of road top 10, or ski hills.

The City of Eagle was “selected” as one of the “Best Managed Small Towns in America” but the honor lost some of its honor when it was revealed the city actually paid for the award.

In mid-May 2005 A national organization called CFED (Corporation for Enterprise Development) cfed.org conducted a national survey aimed at warming the hearts of Idaho Economic Development folks. The group gave Idaho an “A” for the state’s business development!

Then those “uncaring, uninformed, biased, eastern establishment liberals” had the guts to give us an “F” in health care. While that wound was open they rubbed plenty of salt in it by ranking Idaho as 51st in health care. Worse than even the District of Columbia in our care of citizens! Dead last! See if we ever again buy anything from CFED or read their drivel.

Our last elected Boise mayor was President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and now the city doesn’t even belong to the group. Interesting how things change with… PERSPECTIVE!

The GUARDIAN ran across the teachers and students along the Owyhee River in Eastern Oregon where they were having pretty fair luck convincing brown trout that feathers and deer hair would be good to eat.

Erickson says the kids get a taste of the great outdoors and escape some of the stresses of city life. We suspect the teachers are actually trying to create future flyfisherpersons who will contribute to the outdoor economy. The fishing classes are non-credit.

With all due respect to the English teachers, “It don’t get no better than that.”