Not lean times for everyone

It's good to see someone is making it through this recession in Boise without having to trim the fat. I snagged a photo of this fat squirrel in my "backyard" this morning. He was as fat and sassy as any investor with Bain Capital after a buyout. Always a joy to see wildlife thriving through the winter.

Bringing Loud Fighters to Boise?

So just saw the national guard out at Gowen might be getting some super loud planes or something. Apparently this will lower the property values of those out in Columbia Village. The major opponents say they don't want these thunderous jets to disturb the peace of our city. Others say these planes will bring more money and jobs to the valley.

Not gonna lie I'm not convinced either way yet. If the planes are truly as loud as they are but the economic impact really is that great, seems to me the most logical choice is to have them stationed a half hour away in Mountain home.

Till more info on these planes come my way, enjoy your peace and quiet.

Boss Denney

Well I called up ol' Lawrence's office this afternoon after work to let him know how I felt about him trying to bully and bluster his way to save his own rear from redistricting. Here's my major issue with his outlandish and frankly, illegal behavior.

ONE: As speaker of the house this guy is supposed to represent the entire state, not just his district. By being chosen by his fellow legislators to a position of leadership he needs to worry less about a commission that is supposed to be independent of the legislature and worry more about leading the house this very important session.

TWO: This longtime politician (over 16 years in office non-consecutively) cries foul when Idaho Democrats call him and his colleagues out for their misdeeds, and then turns around days later and continues acting out this culture of corruption. And this guy claims that he's not as bad as we think he is.

I can only hope one thing when Speaker Denney gets my voicemail.
Wah wah wah my feelings are hurt, runs home to Midvale.

Redistricting Lulz

Reading just now about the frustration some of my least favorite GOP leaders are going through has brought a big smile to my face.

Norm Semanko (GOP State Chairman) and Lawrence Denney (Speaker of the House) are both pissed at their two appointees to the redistricting commission. Seems these two fools thought they were appointing people they thought would be real stonewallers like Lou Espisito (former commissioner). Instead they say they want to "fire" their appointees for "not representing their interests" and "giving into Democrats".

Why is this so funny? Because party bosses are upset the democratic process is working and that REAL Idahoans are being represented by talented and reasonable Republicans and Democrats for a change.

Funny side note Republican Rep. Vito Barberri thinks those two groups are the same... and evil.

War on Poverty

Riding the bus on my way home from work today I saw a cop give a ticket to a man panhandling on 13th and Myrtle, right at the end of the connector. The bus filled with grumblings about the cop being an asshole just trying to meet ticket quotas. However whether or not BPD has some kind of quota system didn't bother me, what did is the way here in Boise, and the state of Idaho our leaders and those in power are waging a war on poverty.

Now this isn't your parents or grand parents war on poverty (you know the idealistic one from President LBJ). This is a much colder, hegemonic one, whose goal isn't to end poverty, but to keep people in their place.

 While often times panhandlers are assumed to be people trying to make and easy buck, this man being ticketed was clearly homeless. Before the bus pulled away from the stop light the bus watched as the officer began waving his arms and yelling at the man who sat solemnly  with his head in his hands, and his bike at his feet beside his cardboard sign. The officer could be heard yelling over the sound of traffic and the closed bus doors.

What does this man represent? To me he is all of us who live on less than we deserve, those who are in between jobs, those with health conditions, who got the short end of the stick out of life. This man is like the occupy encampment on the state house lawn; a symbol of what most people try to forget when they go home to a big house, with a big car, a big boat, and a big paycheck. A symbol that our leaders in the state house don't want to deal with anymore, so just like that cop they tell them to move along. They scream and yell and wave their arms because they have the law and the power on their side and Goddammit if they are going to be reminded of how many people don't have it as good as they do everytime they look out their office window.

This man is like your neighbor who lost their home or were evicted from their rental because they couldn't afford to hold on anymore. A symbol of all those struggling in this recession to make it even when most people just drive on by with out event thinking, while the authority figure at the bank tells you to get out or the landlord who bangs on the door to throw you out.

Why do those in power have power? Is it because they can cement themselves in place with their laws? YOU"RE DAMN RIGHT IT IS!

Why do those with out it continue to be left behind? It's because those above them don't have to care, there is no immediate repercussion from ignoring them.

 How do we change this? LOL IDK... we'll all have to figure that out as a society.

As for that homelessman, he's more than a symbol. He's a living breathing human beign.  I don't know what happened to him, I have no idea how he'll pay that ticket off either. All I know is the bus pulled away from the stop light, and that he's not the only one in Boise out in the rain tonight.

Spark to ignite the powder keg?

The past few months I have been obsessed with Idaho's redistricting process. I've drawn my own legislative districts for the state based on the testimony I watched first hand and online, as well as from my years gallivanting across this state. I've played with the possibility of what if Idaho was to get another US Representative. I've also seen the terrible maps proposed by the Republican half of the first Redistricting Commission, listened to George Moses drone about keeping counties whole, and looked over other amateurs’ maps. I've also read Grant Loebs argument that by splitting counties, the people of that county suddenly lose their voice in the legislature.

The problem with this logic of course being the assumption that all residents of a county share similar values and needs. You don't have to look hard at all to realize the flaws in that line of thought. Coeur d'Alene is not the same as Post Falls, and has even less in common with Rathdrum or Hayden Lake. The similarities between the needs between those in rural areas and urban or suburban communities are greatly different. As a result they should be represented by legislators who can represent their communities, rather than struggling to represent rival groups. Loebs' argument that "counties are forever" also doesn't hold water. County lines can be changed at any time by the legislature. And legislatures do not affect county laws or development, they affect the entire state.

When the Idaho Supreme Court found 4-1 in favor of Loebs the other day I was a little surprised. While keeping counties whole is a part of the Idaho Constitution, another part states that the Redistricting Commission CAN split counties when it is justifiable and agreed upon by at least five of the six commissioners. The plan the commission adopted was created unanimously. It was also the best map any officials had put forth.

Unfortunately the justices of the court felt that particular portion of the constitution (written to allow leniency for commissioners to create districts that truly allow for representative government) was not as important as keeping imaginary county "communities" together. Justice Jim Jones did however write a 14 page dissent to the majority of the court that I found to be exactly the way redistricting should be.

After all this hoopla over drawing legislative districts it's become clear to me that the Idaho Constitution as it pertains to redistricting needs a severe reworking. The idea is solid, a bi-partisan citizen commission that requires a simple majority. However this obsession amongst politicians and others over keeping as many counties whole as possible is the wrong direction to take. Until equal priority is given to keeping communities of interest whole while splitting the fewest number of counties possible, our state will not have legislators who represent likeminded districts, but rather districts with numerous factions vying for control of their representatives’ ear.