Boise News

My Own Random Idaho

Boise Stimulus Website, Pres. Obama’s Guy, and the Gas Tax

By Jill Kuraitis, 3-09-09

Boise Stimulus Website Up and Running
The City of Boise today launched a website called “Accountable Boise” which will track and detail federal stimulus money coming to the city and surrounds.

Projects that will get funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be listed and updated regularly. Projects which have applied for stimulus funding are also listed.

As of today, Boise will receive just under $55 million for transportation projects which have been approved by the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) and the Idaho Dept. of Transportation Board of Directors.  Projects must be certified by Governor Otter.

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter has put together a Boise Stimulus Response Team to “ensure all appropriate opportunities within the bill are pursued.”

Democrats Host “the guy who meets with the leader of the free world every morning” at Annual Banquet
President Obama’s deputy chief of staff, Boise High graduate Jim Messina was the keynoter Saturday night at the Democrats’ Frank Church banquet in Boise. Known as “The Fixer” in the White House, Messina told funny and touching stories, including one about inauguration day. “The Bushes literally handed us the keys, and I couldn’t help thinking about how 200 years ago, slaves built the White House, but here was the first African-American president walking in.”

Another was about a meeting the president cut short so he could join his daughters sliding in the snow on cookie sheets.

At a press conference before the event, I asked Messina if the name “No Drama Obama” is truly fitting. He said absolutely.

“It’s in the White House culture. He keeps it in a tempered tone, and if someone gets dramatic he takes them aside to say, ‘we don’t do that.’”

Messina said the days of national Democrats choosing a few races on which to focus are over. “We can’t do that anymore. We have to choose all the states and all the races.”

“It starts with leaders that make it OK to be a Democrat. (Rep. Walt) Minnick can do that. Andrus did it for a long time,” Messina said.

During his speech at the banquet, he said, “The single most important thing you can do for President Obama is to re-elect Congressman Walt Minnick.”

Asked what he had to say specifically to NewWest.Net readers, Messina said that the West will lead the country in alternative energy and help educate the world about how it can be done. “The way we think about energy is transforming, and it’s a huge opportunity for the West.”

Messina with Boise High students.

Boise Legislator Says Gas Taxes Are Unfair to Treasure Valley Citizens
Rep. Phylis King, D-Boise 18, wrote in her weekly newsletter that she strongly opposes parts of the transportation package proposed by Gov. Butch Otter:

I will not vote for an increase of gas tax and registration fees for three reasons:

We are in tough times. Micron has already laid off 2500 employees and may lay off another 2000 by August.  Many of those unemployed individuals live in my district.  This not a good time to raise their taxes.

We are going to get $181 million from the Federal Stimulus which needs to be used in 3 years.  That should keep the Idaho Transportation Department busy for at least a year.  Or to put it another way, will ITD be able to use any of the new money that might be generated from gas and registration fees for projects at the same time as they have the stimulus money?  Let’s wait a year.  Maybe we can come back with a bill for registration fees based on value of the car or the weight of the vehicle.

The biggest reason for me to say “no” is that the Treasure Valley has 42% of the people and about 60% of the wealth (we are the economic engine of this state), but we receive only 25% of the Highway Distribution Money.  That means that when we raise the registration fees and gas tax, we, in the Treasure Valley, are paying for roads and bridges for the rest of the state—which I don’t have a problem with. Yet the single most important concern the Treasure Valley has identified is a need for local option authority for public transit.  We need to start purchasing right-of-way for public transit now.  In 10 years it may be impossible to purchase right-of-way and it certainly will be a lot more expensive.

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