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Guest Opinion

Like the many Idahoans who own and operate businesses, I have spent my entire adult life paying my bills, looking for ways to reduce costs and meeting a payroll. I never expected the taxpayers to bail me out when I made bad decisions, nor did I expect to keep my job if those decisions had led to the failure of my company.

Those values led me to promise during my campaign that I would demand fiscal responsibility from our nation's leadership. That's why I opposed the federal government's bailout earlier this year of Wall Street fat cats. And that's why I now oppose the President's plan to give $15 billion of taxpayers' money to the Big Three automakers, who - best case - will limp along for another month or two. [more]

Guest Opinion by Keith Roark, Idaho Democrats Chair

Idaho Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko’s comments about the 2008 Idaho general election appeared recently in this space. Mr. Semanko took pains to assure everyone that his party is alive and well. The nation is bogged down in two costly wars, our economy is in the worst shape since the Great Depression and our standing with other nations reached its lowest point during the Bush years. But here in Idaho, Mr. Semanko tells us, the GOP - the party that got us where we are today - is alive and well. That’s not necessarily good news, Norm, but the future is not as dismal as your words suggest.

Democrats are still in the minority in Idaho, but the demographic trends are very much in our favor. For a sign of things to come, look no further than Caldwell High School. Not only did Barack Obama win the mock election there by more than a two-to-one margin; down ballot Democrats Walt Minnick, Larry LaRocco and state legislative candidate Mike Warwick won, too. Idaho’s young people are looking to Democrats to address the issues of the future and turning away from the shrill and negative views of an increasingly extremist Republican Party. [more]

Convention Coverage

From the Idaho Democratic Party blog, with permission.

Thursday morning, the chief of Senator Barack Obama's staff, Jim Messina, gave the Idaho delegation insights on the candidate and the big night ahead.

You heard it here first: twenty generals will line up for Obama tonight in a show of support for bringing the troops home and shoring up the army.

"Barack writes his speeches himself. This one's had 4,000 drafts and he was toiling on it last night.”

It's no accident Obama was in Billings when Michelle spoke Monday. "He's been there six times and we've got a good chance in Montana," he said. "Barack told us from the first we were going to compete in every state. We believe we've got 168 safe electoral votes and 32 leaning our way-Oregon, Washington, Minnesota and New Hampshire. It's a lot harder for John McCain to make the numbers work. If we win Colorado, it gets very hard for him."

A graduate of Boise High School, Messina has been running campaigns or congressional staffs since graduating from the University of Montana. He's on leave as chief of staff for Montana Senator Max Baucus.

"I got a call from Barack asking if he could talk to me. We talked; he offered me the job if I would do two things. First, be completely loyal. No leaks. Second, treat staff like family. If I kicked anyone around I'd have Barack to deal with. "Around the campaign we have this saying ‘No drama in Obama.' We have no time for intrigue. [more]

Philosophy for the cowboy golfer

When the rooster doesn't croak at dawn, we wake up to the sound of cars and busy people. The dog barks, a nail squeaks and thump, construction two houses away. This is the myth of the West, and my tendency is to personify everything, give it a name and dream it. Glorified and egoistic, the state becomes human, lights a BIC, and smokes a camel. *blowing smoke*

Rivers watch with tiny eyes, helping spawning-trout run through mighty-tight stretches like blood—veins around arteries, swirling through prairies, valleys, aborted by a beaver and confluence with the big. The hills have peaks, with trees to mountains and snow in June. Two bald eagles enjoying three white fish. *munch-munch and a crack*

Horses have lifestyles, like drunken wild men. [more]

Can Bozeman manage a park that is not a soccer field?

Bozeman’s largest wetland is the center of controversy as developers want to drain and develop and locals want to see it preserved and transformed into a park.

The key location of this wetland, right off of Main Street, is a cause for concern. “It can be built on, if it is not a wetland,” said Chris Nixon, President of The Northeast Neighborhood Association (NENA), who gathered on Tuesday, June 24th to vote on what to what to do with the 23.7-acre wetland that is situated in their section of Bozeman.

Delaney & Company, the current owner of the wetland and largest developer in the city, has interest in keeping it a wetland. “They’re willing to look at a lot of options,” said Nixon, who also said that “A wetland preservation group has worked with Delaney & Company.” Nixon argued that to try to market and sell properties on swampland is not the best publicity for Delaney & Company.

But in the wake of lack of city involvement, Delaney & Company hired a professional wildlife service to come in and remove several beavers and beaver dams from his wetland property. [more]

Sense of Place

My husband and I looked at each other in bewilderment. What have we done? We thought we were putting in a windbreak. We planted three rows just like the extension booklet said – lilacs and caraganas, hybrid poplars, and blue spruce. In subsequent plantings, we filled in with Siberian crabapples and Nanking cherries After 20 years, we claim our windbreak is a success, but for whom?

Unintentionally, we created new wildlife habitat. Provide cover with access to food and the critters move right in.

Our windbreak is now a wildlife super highway and an apartment complex for birds. Have we made it easy for them to plunder our garden and fruit trees and murder our chickens? [more]

Wheeler Center Conference

In Montana, agriculture is a 1.6 billion dollar business, comprising 64% of the state’s land area. Climate change is expected to have significant impacts on water supplies and the productive capacity of agricultural lands.

Speakers at the Wheeler Center Conference on “Climate Change in Montana: Impacts and Opportunities for Agriculture and Energy” at MSU in early May discussed the demands for water, food, and fuel on agricultural landscapes. [more]

Sense of Place

Gardeners in the Intermountain West face two challenges: Short growing seasons and microclimates — even at the garden plot level.

Awareness of these factors allows gardeners to adapt their seed choices and garden layout to mitigate the affects.

Some vegetable plants grow best in cool, damp conditions – peas, lettuce, celery, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, onions, carrots, beets, and turnips. Some vegetable plants like heat – corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and squash. Therefore it is important to know the hot and cool parts of a garden plot or design a garden layout that modifies temperatures.
[more]

Re-defining Urban and Rural

Kids getting dirty hands in the rural ways of life is important to the Gallatin Valley.

Therefore, the Gallatin Valley Agriculture Committee created the Farm Fair, held May 7-8, 2008, involved an amazing 643 fourth graders over two days.

Duane Burkenpas, the coordinator of the Farm Fair since its inception in 2005, said the goal is “ to provide a rural ranch atmosphere where students and teachers have the opportunity to see and touch where our basic food supply originates, how it is prepared for processing for human consumption, and to demonstrate agriculture’s commitment to protecting the natural resources on which it depends.”

Here’s how kids rate their Farm Fair experience: “Farm Fair is the best day I’ve had at school!” and “It’s the best field trip I’ve ever had!” What makes it so great? Come along and see... [more]

Guest review: Idaho Green Expo

With the Saturday Market and the First Annual Green Expo all being held on Saturday May 17, it was hard to find a parking spot downtown, let alone maneuver through the crowds. The warm and sunny weather beckoned Boiseans to come out and play, and they did – by the thousands.

Boise is beginning to look like a real Metropolis, with people from all over the world at the Expo and many languages being spoken.

Despite the heat, the crowds and the general commotion, people were happy. The atmosphere was festive and chatty, all with one shared interest to learn more about choosing a more environmentally responsible way to live. [more]

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