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Eye On Boise archive for Jan. 1, 2006

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2006

Oil and gas in Idaho?

Idaho made $290,426 last month, just from oil and gas companies bidding for the right to lease state land for oil and gas exploration. Several bidders snapped up exploration rights on 87 parcels of state land in four southern Idaho counties – even though no…

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TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2006

Candidates doing their homework

At today’s state Land Board meeting, the Democratic and Republican candidates for state controller were both there – right in the front row, each holding a stack of documents and following along closely. They also happened, by luck, to be sitting right next to each…

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MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2006

Mass. guv rakes in money from – Utah?

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the featured speaker at this week’s Idaho Republican Party convention in Idaho Falls, has been raising lots of money for his leadership political action committees as he prepares for a possible run for president. According to Sunday editions of the Deseret…

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THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2006

A long history to look at

Asked today at the Boise City Club if their two tribes get along, officials of the Coeur d’Alene and Nez Perce Indian tribes said yes. The two North Idaho tribes have much in common, they said, including new, young leadership. Coeur d’Alene Tribal Chairman Chief…

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2006

Kempthorne tabs Bogert for Interior post

After only 10 months as the northwest regional administrator for the EPA, Michael Bogert is stepping down to take a job as counselor to new Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne – his former boss when Kempthorne was governor of Idaho and Bogert was the…

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MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2006

FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2006

‘A lot easier than property tax relief’

Legislators who attended new Gov. Jim Risch’s inaugural ceremony today were buzzing afterward about Risch’s property tax relief talk, and the possibility of a special session this summer on the topic. House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, a rancher from Burley, noted that he’s been castrating calves…

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THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2006

Budget analyst moves up

Cathy Holland-Smith, a numbers whiz and a respected member of the non-partisan legislative budget staff, has been named the new head of the legislative budget office. Jeff Youtz, the longtime budget director, is moving up to become the new director of legislative services, overseeing budget…

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TUESDAY, MAY 30, 2006

FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2006

Risch says he's 'humbled'

New Gov. Jim Risch had this to say in a statement: “The Secretary of State received Governor Kempthorne’s resignation letter by fax at 12:57 p.m. Friday and in accordance with the Constitution and statutes I became the governor. I am truly humbled by this opportunity.…

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Idaho senators praise new Secretary

Here’s U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo’s comment on this morning’s Senate confirmation of Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne as Secretary of the Interior:“Today’s confirmation of Dirk Kempthorne marks the beginning of a great tenure at the Interior Department. While there has been some partisanship regarding his confirmation,…

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THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2006

Idaho employers cutting back on benefits

A new survey from the state Department of Commerce and Labor shows Idaho employers sharply cut back on offering basic fringe benefits like medical coverage and paid vacation to their full-time employees from 2002 to 2005.The new 2005 Idaho Fringe Benefits Survey found that three-quarters…

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2006

Making hay while the sun shines

It’s a beautiful, sunny spring day in Boise, and with no Republican event scheduled to celebrate last night’s election results, the other parties are busy making hay of them. Idaho Democrats gathered on the Statehouse steps to celebrate their primary election results, and Democratic nominee…

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Final 1st CD results

Canyon County Commissioner Robert Vasquez pulled into second place in the final results for the 1st Congressional District GOP primary race, but state Rep. Bill Sali is still the winner, according to the Secretary of State’s office’s final unofficial results. Here are the numbers: Bill…

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Comments from the candidates

Here’s what some of the unsuccessful candidates for the 1st District congressional seat had to say last night as the results came in:Robert Vasquez, Canyon County commissioner: “Certainly regardless of the numbers, I was able to get my message out.” Residents of the 1st District,…

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TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2006

Election night crowds excited despite low turnout

Things were upbeat at the Idaho Democratic Party’s gathering in downtown Boise tonight, where a casually dressed crowd was glorying in strong primary wins by standard-bearers Jerry Brady for governor and Larry Grant for Congress. “We’re going to have a very vigorous, strong, issue-specific and…

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MONDAY, MAY 22, 2006

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2006

Apparently it's in the eye of the beholder

In last night’s 1st District congressional debate, the GOP candidates variously referred to each others’ campaign claims about themselves and about their opponents as false, misleading, “masquerading” (Sali on Vasquez) and a “flat-out lie” (Vasquez on Sali). So, isn’t it illegal somehow for candidates to…

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THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2006

Tonight's the big debate

Tonight at 7 p.m., the six candidates vying for the GOP nomination for Idaho’s open 1st District congressional seat will face off in a 90-minute debate to be broadcast statewide on Idaho Public Television. The match-up is the final installment of the primary election “Idaho…

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TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2006

Movin' on up

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has amassed an array of awards, plaques, and mementos over the years that long has been on display in the ornate governor’s office, where he’s presided over Idaho state government for nearly eight years. Now, with a final vote nearing in the…

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MONDAY, MAY 15, 2006

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