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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

007: Today Is Big Day for GARVEE Bond Fiasco

Friday is the big day on GARVEE. What will the Legislature do? Clearly, there is a LOT of buyer's remorse on this thing, as I have long predicted. At best, the Legislature was given negligently rosy figures and projections when Dirk Kempthorne and the GARVEE benefactors (Washington Group, CSHQA, and Tamarack Resort) pushed it through 2 years ago. At worst, the Legislature was intentially deceived. Now, they are in a position where early promises cannot be kept. Even what little projects are left will REQUIRE tax increases in the future. The Idaho Transporation Department has been gutted. Idaho's entire transportation system has been uprooted and set back years because of this disaster known as GARVEE. What the Legislature should do tomorrow is tell Idaho they made a mistake 2 years ago that has cost too much. They need to gut it completely and ask Governor Otter and ITD to spend the next few months getting things back on track, making transporation the issue of 2008. Meanwhile, the "consultants" who were the beneficiaries of these so-called GARVEE bonds (the people got nothing--NOTHING--from this deal, even though millions have been spent!) can go back to the drawing table. Shame on the Legislature 2 years ago for letting this thing happen when they were put into a corner by our then governor at the last minute, without sufficient information! It was such a scam! Shame on them.

James Bond



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.