idaho
Give Me More, Give Me Bigger!!
Like the odor from the sugar factory and feedlots, we have become inured (for you non-library types that’s “accustomed to something unpleasant”) to the effects of growth in Idaho. Easy to sound like an old fart that wants to return to the “good old days” on this issue, but folks we are assaulted daily with […]
Infill Out…Sort Of
Southeast neighbors led by Fred Fritchman took a 2×4 to the Boise City Council mule Friday and apparently “got their attention.” Once they got whacked between the eyes with complaints of three duplex homes sneaked into a tiny space in the middle of the night on Hale St., they called an emergency council meeting and […]
Boise: “No Thanks to Historic Funds”
Despite repeated attempts by the Idaho Historic Preservation Office to give Boise some cash, the Boise mayor’s office passed up the chance for $5,000. Mayor Bieter also has left a seat on the city Historic Preservation Commission empty for more than a year. In response to a query from a GUARDIAN reader last June, we […]
State and County Need to Talk
Looks like the Ada County Commishes and Sheriff along with the Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare have been training with the Bush administration and Katrina States when it comes to coordinating detox services. Sheriff Gary Raney and Commish Chair Rick Yzaguirre narrowly averted a public meeting at a private club just over a week […]
Boise City 101
With the September 30 filing deadline only four days away, Boise’s November 8 City Council election is the subject of intense disinterest by potential candidates. So far only Jim Tibbs has announced a run against an incumbent. He is challenging Councilor Jerome Mapp. No one else has stepped forward to run against either Vern Bisterfeldt […]
Bond Passes, GUARDIAN Wrong
The savvy Meridian school administration pulled off another victory at the polls Tuesday when voters authorized a $140 million bond for new schools. 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 […]
Council Race Off to Slow Start
With the City Council election less than six weeks off, the city is awash with intense disinterest in the people we allow to decide how more than $150,000,000 is spent each year. The only non-incumbent to register as a candidate is former acting police chief Jim Tibbs. He has been attending city council and neighborhood […]
Tell It To The Judge
Ada County Commissioners have been the subject of an Attorney General’s investigation of a June 15 closed meeting with Boise City Councilor Vern Bisterfeldt. The issue is whether or not the meeting should have been closed. One of the prime witnesses is Bisterfeldt, who made an attempt to talk nice with the county on behalf […]
Train Idea Off Track
What is it about trains and Boise mayors? Brent Coles flitted around the globe riding the rails and came home with the famed “REGGIO SPRINTER” which was doomed even before the city spent $250,000 on a sales pitch. Now Dave Bieter wants to sell locomotives for local trainmaker MotivePower. He appeared in a video wearing […]
AG Rains on Tax Petition
The Idaho attorney general has issued an opinion that a taxpayer sponsored petition to limit property taxes is unconstitutional. Larry Wasden is absolutely right. Our state constitution mandates equality in tax rates. There are also plenty of exemptions as well, but the petition–all 100 pages–called for different rates for different property. No can do. Folks […]
Pandering To Business
Like the “unknown Democrat” who responds to the President’s Saturday radio address, the GUARDIAN is compelled to put Mayor Dave Bieter’s “state of the city” speech in perspective. You have to realize this cheerleading session is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the mayor raises a gross sum of about $30,000 so businesses can […]
Common Sense 11, Emotion 410
The GUARDIAN endorses common sense and logic rather than political dogma and emotions. Congressman Butch Otter deserves a pat on his tight jeans for voting “no” on the hurricane relief bill. He was among only 11 lawmakers who stood up for not tossing away more money into an emotional quagmire. Everyone in the USA wants […]
Surprise! Micron Expands in Singapore
Those IDAHO tax breaks granted to Micron have really paid off–the company was able to pump $250 million into expansion of a 265,000 square foot production facility in SINGAPORE. The Idaho Statesman barely noted the irony with a business story shorter than this blog entry. The good news is we won’t have to feed, house, […]
Seriously Silly Stinky
Ustick Road has the potential of being a skunk with more stripes than a zebra–but it will still stink, thanks to a “compromise” between the Boise City Council and the Ada County Highway District. Regarding road improvements Boise thinks , “If you don’t build it they won’t come,”. ACHD wants to build their standard 5 […]
Disaster Rumor Mill
The GUARDIAN got three calls Wednesday regarding a “huge influx” of disaster refugees coming to Idaho. The most common figure was 5,000. One source was a BSU staffer who was informed at a faculty meeting to expect new students on Monday. Another source was the Boise schools where teachers were cautioning students to be tolerant […]
Meridian School Bond Battle
The taxpayer snipers have their sights trained on the upcoming Meridian School Bond battle and early indications show the District’s volunteer army may not be as experienced as their tax foe adversaries. The first skirmish had kids used as innocent couriers for a pro bond post card that crowds the line of propriety with a […]
Disaster Good, Bad, Ugly
We were gratified to see better organization and use of resources as the brain trust expanded in the hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Some needy Southern old timers are getting assistance at facilities in Nampa, thanks to transport aboard Idaho Air Guard c-130 planes and GUARDIAN readers are responding with thoughts and offers. Wanna guess who […]
Disaster Want and Waste
Try as we might to be positive about Idaho efforts to offer assistance to disaster victims in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the use of a gas guzzling Idaho Air Guard C-130 to haul water across the USA is the epitome of government waste. This relief effort is devoid of common sense and leadership. The […]
Heart Attack on Live TV
Cable TV channel 11 put some real drama in the Wednesday night special City Council meeting when a member of the audience suffered an apparent heart attack on camera. It happened shortly after midnight after about 50 people from the Depot Bench neighborhood had offered testimony against the proposed four story apartment condo project. At […]
Appearances Take Two
The Boise City Council now explains the rush to get their own raises approved was nothing nefarious (for you non-library types that’s wicked or sneaky). It was just a scheduling error. They euphemistically explained to the Idaho Statesman that it was just a “scheduling error” that forced them to waive the required three readings of […]
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