Mclean-Masterson race probably had two winners. Mclean benefitted from incumbency and handily ensconced herself as a political power in Idaho. Masterson went through the motions, but his heart wasn’t really in the race. After a lifetime in public service, he had his eye on retirement and family time. Two winners. Jail bond missed by only a few votes. We advise sheriff and county officials to renew efforts to force the state of Idaho to take the daily 100 inmates that belong in the prison, but the state refuses to pick them up. The issue is NOT the super majority, it is the people of Ada County ..read more

We saw the local legacy media publish (broadcast) a story from Team McLean claiming Boise’s airport and Lander Street sewer plant would be using solar energy provided by Idaho Power. That simply is not true. While Idaho Power has solar facilities on the grid, they also have other sources on the same system. The good mayor could also claim the city is powered by water from C. J. Strike Dam. The claim of powering the airport and sewer plant with solar is like saying the water we get from the Boise River is “spring water.” Sure, there are springs that contribute to the river flow, but the water ..read more

MORE APARTMENTS for Crescent Rim residents to view in the Lusk area. Photo Essay by DAVID R. FRAZIER, editor We took a little tour of our downtown area recently and sadly realized it is nearly impossible to see the foothills or much of any horizon thanks to the big city apartments and other structures. The state capitol used to be the centerpiece of the Boise skyline, but it is pretty much obscured today unless you happen to be in the middle of Capital Blvd looking north. Our city fathers and mothers have carried on a love affair with developers to the point Front Street is a deep canyon wit ..read more

The Guardian has been a long time proponent of allowing citizens to vote on issues as profound as the proposed up zone. City officials seem to be taking a lesson from the Idaho Legislature when it comes allowing citizen votes. Guest Opinion by KATIE FITE Why I will urge the Planning and Zoning Commission to Reject the Upzone: Tyranny. It’s top-down tyranny for Boise leaders to impose a Code re-write cutting the public’s voice out of development decisions that will profoundly alter our Boise neighborhoods. Transparency will be lost. Developers will push projects on city staff with no public hea ..read more

The following guest opinion is authored by a retired member of the Idaho Bar who practiced law for several decades in Boise. Guest Opinion by RANDALL FRANCH, Esq. The Legislature passed into law one bill to criminalize gender-affirming medical care and another to criminalize any person involved in interstate travel of girls for abortion. Gov. Brad Little signed those bills, although he did veto a bill criminalizing librarians for not engaging in certain book-banning. Only one member of the Boise School District Board of Trustees, Shiva Rajbhandari, expressed his frustration with the Governor’s ..read more

The Washington D.C. legal group hired by Boise City has not come up with any information for public consideration according to a current post on BOISE DEV. The BOISE DEV piece is worth a look as it goes into detail about the matter. The GUARDIAN confirmed the law firm burned through $500,000 in taxpayer funds investigating the potential possibility of racial issues after a retired captain was noted to be posting racially based messages on social media. The outside investigation is on hold at present and further funding will likely be discussed in May by the City Council. To our knowledge, the ..read more

The following guest opinion was submitted to Boise officials as testimony regarding the proposed zoning ordinance change. Guess Opinion by KEN PIDJEON Boise currently allows between 15 to 45 dwelling units per acre, sometimes more, and under the proposed Zoning Code those numbers remain but, in some cases, unlimited density is allowed. Contrast Boise with all five boroughs that comprise New York City – the most densely populated city in the nation. According to the 2020 Census, New York City, overall, has approximately 19 dwelling units per acre. Boise’s currently allowed maximum density and p ..read more

Guest Opinion by HENRI WIEBE As citizens, we must speak out against the proposed city lead zone code rewrite, which seems to be based on a premise as ridiculous as the plot of the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Just like the three convicts in the film, we have been duped into believing that increased development density will magically bring affordable housing to our city. But let’s face it, folks, we’re not living in a fairy tale. Increased density only leads to increased traffic, noise, and overcrowding. And as for affordable housing, well, we’re still waiting for that treasure to be fou ..read more

Former Boise top copper Mike Masterson has filed the appropriate campaign notice with the Secretary of State to become a candidate for mayor. He will challenge Lauren McLean in the November election. Here is his statement: Statement from Mike Masterson March 20, 2023 “I recently took the first step to run to be the next Mayor of Boise by filing a Declaration of Candidacy with the Secretary of State’s Office. In the coming weeks, I will be talking to as many Boiseans, organizations and businesses as possible to determine what my campaign would look like if I chose to move further with my candid ..read more

The GUARDIAN finds it very interesting that 50 Boise residents are seeking to fill to vacancies on the City Council through appointments, rather than an election. Councilor Elaine Clegg is headed off to a high paying job as director of the Valley Transit bus system and Lisa Sanchez lost her seat when she moved out of her representative district. It is unheard of to have 50 candidates running in an election, but when there is only a single voter in the “primary” (Mayor Lauren McLean) and four votes in the final “general” (the remaining seated city councilors) it is a no risk attempt at public o ..read more