So if this site has suffered for the past few weeks, it’s because we were trying to get our head around the rhythms at the Weekly and how things work in City Hall, the County Courthouse and the soon-to-be-grittier streets of Capital City. Sorry for the virtual lapse. We fully intend to keep Paleo going strong, as a complement to the ratcheted-up coverage every week in the Boise Weekly.

So stay tuned, stay in touch and tell you friends to check us out. Thanks!

We stole the idea from Rough and Tumble and Slate’s Today’s Papers. So that’s cool.

And David Parker has some fine links this morning including an interview with Dirk and, well, that’s the most interesting one.

So we’re taking the day off. PaleoMedia 2.0 coming next week.

Drew Allen of Drew’s Nugget of the Month and Peppershock Media has the audio from the Boise Young Professionals For the Love of Politics.

It’s a few weeks old… but worth a listen.

On March 7, Speaker of the House Lawerence Denny sent a letter to Betsy Russell, capable leader of the Capitol Press Corps. The letter stated that several members of the Idaho House of Representatives had noted that members of the press did not “verbally participate” in the Pledge.

Denney wrote:

Please inform members of the press that if they choose not to participate in the Pledge they have ample time following the Pledge and before the 11th order to join us on the Floor.

There has been no official response from the Capitol Press Corps. PaleoMedia rarely goes on the floor of either the House or Senate, but will continue to say the Pledge any way we damn well please.

Click to read the letter

Otter wrote in a signing letter to Speaker of the House Lawerence Denney:

Let me make this entirely clear: This law must not be used as a hammer by local government to merely close down these facilities and turn a blind eye to the important role that transitional housing plays in our system.

The Legislature passed this bill by wide margins in face of complaints that too many transitional homes for inmates and recovering addicts were popping up in residential areas. These homes have used a federal definition of disability that includes recovering addicts to set up shop under local residential land uses. The bill provides cities and counties an exemption to deny housing to anyone that could pose a threat.

Otter said there is a need for transitional housing throughout the state:

Frankly, I was amazed that so little was said during the public and legislative debate on the need for state and local governments to jointly develop better solutions. The focus instead was on what should be prohibited, rather than on what we can accomplish by working together.

Make no mistake: Transitional homes do a vital job in the rehabilitation of offenders. There is no doubt that the homes help reduce recidivism and provide an irreplaceable gateway for a community’s own residents to return to productive and contributing citizenship. Indeed, the state’s inmate population is made up in large measure of individuals from cities and counties throughout Idaho who, after paying their debt to society, want to return home to familiar and potentially nurturing surroundings.

The governor has picked up the pace in signing bills including several that PaleoMedia has been watching: HB 366, which makes it tougher for immigrants to obtain drivers licenses and HB 445 to exempt the Capitol construction project from the Idaho First labor law.

Any other bills in that list stand out to readers?

In response to the bill, Sen. Diane Bilyeu, a Pocatello Democrat, is working on proposal that would write into the Constitution a required 2/3 Legislative vote to approve any future tax exemptions. This bill has not been drafted and Senate Democrats, who discussed the idea in a public caucus session Thursday, do not expect it to go far this session.

We wrote about the Boise Cricket Club a few months back in the Boise Weekly. The team expects to break ground soon on their new pitch in Ann Morrison Park.

Mathrubhumi, one of the oldest Indian nationalist papers ran a story about Cherussery and cricket in Boise. Also interviewed was Greg Moran, who was in Chennai to attend his teammate’s wedding ceremony.

The article is in Malayalam, and Cherussery is working on a translation for the team. If anyone knows the language feel free to leave comments below on what the article actually says.

Clipping from Mathrubhumi featuring BCC members Girish and Greg.

Boise cricket is really coming up in the world. They even have some YouTube bandwidth:

The bill comes a day after Micron announced vague future plans to locate a new fabrication plant in Boise. The Idaho Statesman reminded readers this morning that in 2005 Micron made a similar announcement and received a major break on property taxes from the Legislature.

PaleoMedia.org received a copy of a “Dear Friends” email circulated last week by Micron’s government affairs office, a million dollar plus operation, that is asserting the company’s continued positive relations with Idaho government figures. The email is a response to an Idaho Statesman business blog entry from Ken Dey:

“I also find it interesting that the sudden support of this company shows how much Micron appears to have lost its luster with the Legislature.

No one in the Legislature from the Governor on down is giving any indication that they want to help Micron through its recent troubles. I’ve actually heard that Micron has asked for help, but legislators have balked.”

Of course, the state sets it’s budget with an eye to Micron’s success or failure and Micron insiders are well-represented within the Governor’s office and at the Statehouse. And as the email below indicates, Micron still gets plenty of attention from the state — weekly check-ins, in fact.

That’s the set-up for the debate on eliminating the personal business property tax that is coming down the line… the email below offers some insights into Idaho’s largest employer’s chances…

From: Mike [sic]
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 11:49 PM
Subject: Idaho State Government and Micron

Friends,

I am dropping you this note today to correct some misinformation showing up in “blogs” and “opinion pages” of reporters who follow Idaho’s public policy process. Unfortunately, if you don’t stamp out a rumor right away, it tends to grow.

In the wake of some of the economic stimulus proposals being discussed at the Capitol Annex, there have been claims that Micron is being ignored or snubbed by the Governor and State Legislature. There have also been claims that somehow the Legislature and Governor have balked when Micron has asked for help.

For the record there is no truth in these claims.

To expand on this, during the last year, the Governor has personally met – on multiple occasions – with Micron’s leadership. As we have discussed the current economics of our industry, his first reaction has always been, “How can Idaho help?”.

I should also clarify that these meetings have occurred due to the Governor reaching out to Micron. He has worked hard to develop an understanding of Micron’s business and our volatile industry. He has learned about our manufacturing processes, our investment decisions, our research and development efforts, our strategic partnerships with other companies, our employee programs — you name it, he has asked the questions.

In addition, the Idaho Department of Commerce, the Idaho Department of Labor and multiple members of the Governor’s staff contact me on a weekly basis to get an update on our business and offer any assistance that we may need.

And the buck doesn’t stop at the executive branch. The members of the Idaho State Legislature read the same newspapers and Internet reports that you do. They are fully aware that the semiconductor industry is in a downturn and that Micron has taken necessary steps to cope with these difficult times and remain competitive.

Like the Governor, the overwhelming response from the Legislature is, “How can Idaho help?”
It isn’t just one or two Boise-area legislators·. This support has come from legislators throughout the state. They offer encouragement and optimism. They seem to feel a pride of ownership with respect to Micron as so many are aware of our humble beginnings as a small Idaho business.

Personally, I applaud the efforts of the state to provide economic stimulus to employers. They are aware that other states and countries are aggressively trying to lure current and future employers away from Idaho. Instead of giving up, our state government continues to make jobs and a strong economy a priority as they develop public policy.

I started out writing a brief note to dispel a rumor and let a few of my friends know that Micron and Idaho’s government officials continue to have a strong partnership. I have probably exceeded the “brief” part, but I hope the message comes through.
Thanks.

Mike

Mike Reynoldson
Idaho Government Affairs Manager
Micron Technology, Inc.

Nice old Cubano car

The senators openly call U.S. policy toward Cuba one of isolation and estrangement. They bemoan the lack of opportunities for business, travel and democracy building in Cuba under U.S. policy. Still, Bush says he will not meet with Raul Castro.

Read it for yourself and feel free to leave comments below.

As you are probably aware last Wednesday the Sudan Divestment Bill was killed in the Senate State Affairs Committee. It was an extremely sad day for Idaho, and for the Idaho Legislature. Despite the undisputed fact that PERSI’s investments in Chinese and other foreign companies contribute in bankrolling the genocidal regime of Sudan, despite PERSI’s protracted and obstinate refusal to divest from those companies, and despite the legislative call from President Bush and a unanimous Congress for all states to join the worldwide divestment movement, the Committee, ostensibly, felt it too risky to entrust the Idaho legislature to exercise prudent discretion over future, hypothetical bills (a daily discretionary responsibility), and voted against a sunsetting amendment to PERSI’s enabling legislation.

With Chairman Curt McKenzie (who was an original co-sponsor of the legislation) casting the deciding vote against the bill, Senate Bill # 1367 failed (5-4). However, what also failed last Wednesday morning was Idaho’s democratic process-an institutional process founded upon the trust of the people in their legislators to cast votes based on their conscience and legislative merits, not the crude posturing of vexed and obstinate political boss men protecting their turf. Perhaps the hearing was business as usual during the session, but to private citizens observing the unfolding of events, as myself and most of the supporters are, what was most remarkable was Republican Chairman and PERSI Board Member, Kirk Sullivan, who provided no testimony, but merely sat in the front row of the Hearing Room, staring at his party colleagues, ensuring they voted against the bill. Thankfully not all Committee members were intimidated, but enough were, to ensure that the full Idaho Senate could not cast their individual votes to support the President and the Congress, and join half the country, which has already adopted divestment (with the other half now taking it up), in the effort to save lives in Darfur.

While the Idaho Task Force for Divestment is extremely grateful to each of you for your co-sponsorship of this legislation, we call upon you to examine the history of this legislation and to consider the undermining effect of the brazen intrusion into a respected process that relies upon the trust and confidence of individual private citizens in their elected representatives to vote without any perceived or apparent undue influence. Again, thank you.

John Sullivan, coordinator