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News release from the Idaho Democratic Party

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Date:

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GOP Leaders Above the Law

Republican leaders have taken another shot at the redistricting process by “firing” two redistricting commissioners who have shown that they were effective and non-partisan. Make no mistake, this is a Republican against Republican fight and a clear example of the unacceptable culture in the GOP-controlled Statehouse. That culture is one of ongoing bullying and arrogance as GOP leaders seek to purge moderate, reasonable lawmakers from their ranks.

Larry Grant, Chairman of the Idaho State Democratic Party said, “This year’s redistricting fight is not between Democrats and Republicans.  It’s a fight with GOP Party bosses on one side and reasonable Republicans on the other. The first redistricting commission stalemated and was unable to draw new legislative and congressional districts for the State because the GOP commissioners were instructed not to agree to anything.”

The Attorney General’s office has... (more)

Statement to City Council January 19 by Mayor Briscoe

“I have made the decision to take action as provided by the City Administrator Employment Agreement to terminate the City Administrator under the provision in Section 3, Paragraph A, which provides for immediate termination and a lump sum severance pay equal to six months base salary. The Agreement further provides that according to this condition, the City Administrator waives her right to bring a claim of any kind fordamages against the City of Sun Valley arising from such a termination. With this action, I will now be able to turn my attention to the management of the City's business with a City Administrator for my administration.”  The City Council, by unanimous vote (4-0) confirmed the action recommended, and directed Mayor Briscoe to take such action as authorized by the employment agreement.

Idaho Democrats believe that we have a shared responsibility to ensure our public officials serve the people of Idaho and work for the common good, not special interests and the well-connected. The people of Idaho expect a level playing field where their lawmakers play by the rules. During the last week we have heard the Idaho Democratic Legislative Caucus pledging to do everything they can to restore public confidence and faith to those in public office. 

For the first time in many years it appears that the GOP might be willing to work towards meaningful ethics reform. Shelley Landry, Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party said, “We’re thrilled that GOP leadership has decided to join our Idaho Democratic legislators and make this a bi-partisan issue.”

 Ms. Landry went on to say, “Simply review the past year’s worth of headlines, there should be nothing divisive about us pointing out the facts.  If the GOP doesn't want to be criticized for unethical behavior, then the GOP should help... (more)

City of Sun Valley Press Release January 16, 2012

The day after a contested court hearing, including motions to stop Plaintiff's harassing discovery requests and sanction Attorney James Donoval, Sharon Hammer voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit against the City of Sun Valley, Councilman Nils Ribi, City Attorney Adam King and Councilman Robert Youngman. Ms. Hammer's two other lawsuits against the City of Sun Valley are still active.

City of Sun Valley officials are glad to see that this unfounded lawsuit has been dismissed. While their counsel, Kirtlan Naylor, communicated all settlement offers by Ms. Hammer to the City, this resolution of a voluntary dismissal by Hammer is the appropriate action.

At no time did the City's insurer, ICRMP, threaten that legal counsel or insurance coverage for the City was in jeopardy, contrary to allegations by Hammer.

Mr. Naylor stated in court at the hearing, held January 11, that the City's investigative report, which has been the subject of much discussion in the news and... (more)

If your thinking about doing business in Camas County - this article is worth reading, but even more factual information is available by opening the links to legal cases filed against Camas County and the Judges final conclusions.

CLICK HERE:http://bit.ly/CamasCountyCorruption

Just thinking about this stuff again turns my stomach and puts me in a toxic mood.

George Martin, Jr.

Tried to make a difference, but lost . . .

[Update: See full agenda below]

Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter announced today that the Blaine County community of Sun Valley will be Idaho's 'Capital for a Day' on Wednesday, December 21st. The event will coincide with the celebration of Sun Valley's 75th anniversary.

Governor Otter brings State government to Idahoans living outside Boise each month by making a different town in Idaho the state's 'Capital for a Day.' The events provide local residents an all-day opportunity to have open discussions about government issues with Governor Otter, members of his Cabinet and other senior State officials.

The open meeting is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sun Valley Inn, Continental Room. Governor Otter will join Mayor Wayne Willich and other local leaders for a lunch at noon at the same location. The public is encouraged to attend the lunch, which will cost $10 per person.

Officials joining Governor Otter and First Lady Lori Otter at Capital for a Day will include Lieutenant Governor Brad Little; Secretary of State... (more)

In a move the city anticipates will provide better service to town residents and improved working conditions for city employees, the City of Bellevue has wrapped up a major move and remodel that has relocated the town’s library and marshall’s office, remodeled city hall and expanded the council chambers. The library opened its door for business in its new space on November 21 but the quiet opening belies the amount of work it took to relocate this community resource, as well as the changes that have taken place at city hall.Nearly a month ago, the library began moving its entire inventory of books, computers and the librarian’s office out of city hall, next door to the building that formerly housed the Bellevue Marshall’s office.  As part of the move, the ground floor space in the city hall the library used to occupy was recently re-modeled, allowing city staff to reconfigure office spaces to complete their work more efficiently. The Bellevue Marshall’s office swapped spaces with the relocated library... (more)

We would like to thank everyone who helped on our initiative campaign, which brought the opportunity to the voters to choose which form of government would best serve Ketchum’s future.  And thank you to the voters, especially those who took the time to study the issue and understand that the Council-Manager Form of Government is simply about professional management and enhancing the ability for elected officials to set policy and plan for the future. 

The Ketchum Committee For Better Government is a broad based group who believe that Ketchum is a gem.  It is our greatest asset and we will continue to participate because we want our community to move forward to a positive and prosperous future.  We hope that our efforts will encourage greater involvement and that our government becomes one that is transparent, and encourages diverse, open discussion in the future.

Thanks again and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

 Ketchum Committee For Better Government

In 2004, Congress passed and President Bush signed a “tax holiday” for America’s largest corporations. The thinking was that if corporations could bring back, or “repatriate” funds they were holding in off-shore accounts, that money could be used to hire new workers.

It didn’t quite work out that way. Turns out, 92 cents of every dollar corporations brought back to the U.S. didn’t go to hiring American workers, but rather ended up in the pockets of CEOs and shareholders through bloated compensation packages, stock buybacks and bigger dividends.

Example: the top five executives at Johnson & Johnson, which laid off 9,900 American workers since their last “holiday,” saw their pay increase by $33 million a year in just three years. For the CEOs, this really was a holiday.

Now guess what? They’re back. Lobbyists for many of the nation’s largest corporations are telling Congress that if they can just have one more tax holiday, one more tax break, they will bring home hundreds of billions of dollars and use the cash to... (more)

Three new city council members were elected with a single vote deciding the third slot. The three with the most votes were Janet Duffy, Amber Avila and Dave Hattula. The $375,000 bond issue to support Fire Department failed to get the necessary 66% with just 58% voting in favor.

Fritz Haemmerle handily won the mayoral race over incumbent Rick Davis with nearly twice as many votes. Voters rejected the ban on plastic bags. In the one city council position vote, Pat Cooley won with 56% of all of the votes. 

The $14 million bond for capital infrastructure needed 66% to pass but received 64% so it failed. In the race for mayor, Sun Valley Council President, Dewayne Briscoe won narrowly over current Sun Valley mayor, Wayne Willich. In council elections, Michelle Griffith won the most votes followed by Franz Suhadolnik. The top two vote getters will sit for four years with existing council members Youngman and Ribi.

A strong turnout in Ketchum. Voters weighed in on whether they wanted to change the form of government. Fourty-three percent voted in favor of change while 57% voted against.

As a result, the city council vote was null and void since the form of government didn't change. Thus, Mayor Randy Hall and council members Larry Helzel, Baird Gourlay, Nina Jonas and Curtis Kemp held their seats.

(Chicago) – The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to City of Sun Valley by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR).  Mayor Wayne Willich and the City Council were instrumental in achieving this prestigious award.  It would not have been possible without their support. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

                An Award of Financial Reporting Achievement has been awarded to the individual(s), department or agency designated by the government as primarily responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR.  This has been presented to:

Sharon Hammer, City Administrator

Michelle Frostenson,... (more)

Sun Valley, Idaho – At their Fall State Central Committee meeting, Democrats voted unanimously to keep their primary open to everyone in order to encourage voter participation 2012 primary election. 

State Chair Larry Grant said, “We didn’t waste any time talking about closing our primary. Not a single person on our State Central Committee was interested in disenfranchising voters.  The Democratic Party welcomes everyone that has been thrown out of the Republican Party by the extremists trying to purify their ranks by closing their primary.”

Other Democratic Party leaders agreed. House Minority Leader John Rusche said, “Our Democratic Legislators represent everyone in their districts, not just the Democrats but Republicans and Independents as well, so our election process should reflect that.” Susan Eastlake, Idaho Democratic Party Treasurer, went on to add, “We have always been the party of inclusivity and openness and I don’t want to see that change now just because the Republicans have closed their... (more)

A GE study of airspace around Sun Valley Airport has identified significant improvements in airport access that could be achieved during periods of inclement weather with the deployment of new, advanced instrument approach procedures. The study found that new procedures, using Required Navigation Performance (RNP) technology, would allow Bombardier Q400 passenger turboprops, like the ones operated by Horizon Air, to operate at Sun Valley on days of low ceiling and visibility that currently force diversions and cancellations.

In addition to lowering decision heights and visibility requirements for commercial carriers, new RNP procedures could also provide benefits to general aviation and business aircraft operators at Sun Valley, depending on aircraft type, crew training and performance capabilities.

Based on study findings, the deployment of new optimized RNP approach paths would allow Q400 Turboprops to land at Sun Valley on days during the year when weather conditions currently prevent them from operating. Unlike... (more)

Dear Friends: If we don't create the community we want, who will?

The City of Ketchum is embarking on a very important project in the upcoming year "Planning Our Common Future" a rewrite of the Ketchum Comprehensive Plan. The comprehensive plan turns community visions and values into a roadmap for its future, complete with an outline for action. Joyce Allgaier, the Ketchum's Planning Manager is managing this project. She wants to confirm and build on the work we did in January, to create a foundation document that will be representative of the visions and aspirations for the people of our community.

To do this we need to keep involved and share our knowledge, experience and passion. The process is beginning with a kick off event* "Planning Our Common Future" this Wednesday, October 26th at River Run Lodge from 6-8 p.m. * An engaging speaker from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Chris Gates ,will host this all-community forum. A past president of the National Civic League, Chris is a thought leader in... (more)

The government may turn to foreigners to shore up the weak housing market.

A bill co-authored by Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) aims to use the appeal of U.S. residence visas to entice foreigners to buy American homes, according to The Wall Street Journal.

If passed, the bill would offer a U.S. residence visa to any foreigner who makes a cash investment of at least $500,000 in U.S. residential real estate.

"This is a way to create more demand without costing the federal government a nickel," Schumer told the WSJ.

Foreign demand for American homes has been growing as prospective American buyers remain skittish. Foreign purchases of U.S. residential real estate rose 24 percent to $82 billion in the year ending in March 2011 compared to the year before, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Both low housing prices and a weak U.S. dollar have made American real estate an enticing bargain for foreign investors, according to a Capital Economics report cited by DSNews.com. For example,... (more)

The Blaine County Hearing Examiner meeting scheduled for tomorrow evening at 6:30 pm has been cancelled. The Variance requested by the owner of 110 Whipsaw Lane is under further review and may be scheduled at a later date. If you have any questions, please call the Land Use Office at 788-5570 between the hours of 8:00 am and 6:00 pm Monday through Thursday.

This is a reprint from the Wall Street Journal Blog August 29, 2011

The Obama administration is giving unemployed homeowners a bit more time to apply for a new $1 billion foreclosure-prevention program, due to a lack of qualified borrowers who have signed up.

Homeowners in 27 states and Puerto Rico now have until Sept. 15 to apply for the new Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program. All borrowers must be approved by Sept. 30, when the government’s authority to make new loans runs out.

The program, created in the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul last year, has struggled to get off the ground.

The administration was delayed in launching the program for several months due to complications in hashing out agreements with state agencies, the nonprofit housing network NeighborWorks America and a financial processing firm that are helping to run the program.

It’s designed to help up to 30,000 unemployed homeowners continue making their mortgage payments. They get zero-interest loans of up to $50,000, which are gradually forgiven... (more)

After the recent spectacle in congress this seems like a good idea.


I have totally cleaned this e-mail from all other names and I'm sending it to you in hopes you will keep it going. This is bipartisan in nature and is going to both Democrats and Republicans. We should all seriously consider helping with the change suggested below. This is something I will fight for and I hope you will too. This is short so please read it all the way through and then forward. You will be glad you did.

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people... (more)

Release Date: August 9, 2011

For immediate release

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June indicates that economic growth so far this year has been considerably slower than the Committee had expected.  Indicators suggest a deterioration in overall labor market conditions in recent months, and the unemployment rate has moved up.  Household spending has flattened out, investment in nonresidential structures is still weak, and the housing sector remains depressed.  However, business investment in equipment and software continues to expand.  Temporary factors, including the damping effect of higher food and energy prices on consumer purchasing power and spending as well as supply chain disruptions associated with the tragic events in Japan, appear to account for only some of the recent weakness in economic activity.  Inflation picked up earlier in the year, mainly reflecting higher prices for some commodities and imported goods, as well as the supply... (more)

On Tuesday August 2, 2011, the Initiative Petition proposing the adoption of a Council-Manager form of government for the City of Ketchum, Idaho, with the requisite number of signatures, was presented to the Ketchum City Clerk for certification of signatures.  Once certified, the question "Shall the City of Ketchum, Idaho adopt the council-manager plan of government as set forth in sections 50-801 through 50-812, Idaho Code?"  will be placed on a November 8, 2011 ballot.

In addition to the proposition to adopt the council-manager plan, an election to choose the five (5) officials to serve in the new form of government shall be held on November 8, 2011.  All five (5) of the current Ketchum elected officials will be required to seek re-election if they wish to continue to serve in public office (should the council-manager plan be adopted).

Although the deadline for the Initiative Petition to be perfected with the required number of certified signatures was not due until August 30, 2011, it was submitted... (more)

WASHINGTON, DC July 5, 2011 — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the June edition of the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard– a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market. The latest housing data offer continued mixed signals as home prices turned slightly upward, though showed continued strain from foreclosures and distressed homes. As more homeowners secure mortgage relief, fewer borrowers entered the foreclosure pipeline in June.

“The housing data in this month’s Scorecard paint a mixed picture of the housing market, despite growing evidence of progress in the broader economy,” said HUD Assistant Secretary Raphael Bostic. “Last month we saw a slight uptick in home prices and a continued decline in mortgage defaults as our foreclosure prevention programs reach more borrowers upstream in the process. But we have much more work to do to reach the many households who still face trouble and to help the market recover.... (more)