Liberal Unfriendly Place: Boise

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In the race to bash Boise, the person above forgot to mention that Idaho is #1 in welfare reform. Our welfare rolls have decreased by a phenomenal 70%, an unheard-of quote elsewhere in the nation. That would be great if we helped provide for those who have been kicked off welfare due to stringent welfare reform mandates. For instance, Idaho's new welfare laws limits the monthly cash income to $276 regardless of family size; it has a two year LIFETIME limit on welfare "assistance"; it also has mandatory work requirements (which dictate a submittal of up to 3 job applications a day until the recipient receives a job which works her/him NO LESS THAN 20 hours per week). Idaho's governor, Phil Batt, just allowed the death of a bill which would have temporarily exempted battered women from welfare's mandatory work requirements. The list of Idaho's War on the Poor goes on and on.

In addition, and perhaps more amusingly, Boise Mayor Brent Coles recently (on April 1, 1998, although rest assured, this was no April Fool's joke!) recently asked the Lord Jesus Christ to come into the great city of Boise and cleanse our wicked streets from corruption and sin. This was in a public decree (the ACLU jumped all over him).

Frustrating? Hell yeah. But discouraging? Never. Keep in mind -- rigidity breeds strong resistance. The feminists, socialists, civil rights workers, and other fighters for social justice are powerful and tireless here in Boise, Idaho. We have to be!

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Just a short comment about the above critique, particularly involving the question of Brent Coles. So what if he made his comment during a public decree? Doesn't he, also, have a right to frrely express himself as he wishes? That's the problem with too many liberals today, including those in the ACLU, is that they are very strong about defending the rights of liberals to express themselves, but they turn right around and harass and attack those they disagree with whenever those people make public acknowledgements of religious faith, etc. The First Amendment protects the rights of ALL people, not just those on the Left.... Last I heard, expression of religious belief and using such in a speech, even by a government official, was still protected by the First Amendment, as it should be.

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Boise is not so much conservative as it is merely dominated by business interests. The reason Republicans dominate here is that play catch-and-fetch so skillfully with the business moguls who dominate. (Our town headquarters Boise Cascade, Albertsons Stores, M-K, Micron and so forth). Our top-heavy contingent of business executives insist on managing everything, including the political culture. Thus Senator Kempthorne is merely getting a "re-assignment" by the moguls from the U.S. Senate (where they last placed him) to Governor of Idaho. The moguls feel he is needed there with the departure of Phil Batt who will be retiring very to Arizona.

So, how can this be, you ask. How can these people win elected office when there are so many ordinary, poor people in Idaho. When Governor Alexander lost his first race for that office, he said that he would run again, and this time appeal to the simple minded. He did, and won. It's all history. They been doing the same ever since. Superficial appeals to God and patriotism succeed for the Republicans, however distastful they are to the candidates business sponsors. The savvy business leaders understand that it's necessary, however.

Well, that's the state of it, as far as I can see.

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Boise is not liberal unfriendly. It is liberal. Here on the right (east) side of the state, we make a joke about the "state of Ada". Ada County and Boise are one and the same. Our perception is that there is only thing in Boise, liberals. As for hate groups, they are a minority which we wish we didn't have and with which we don't agree. There are four geographical areas in Idaho, east which is conservative, west which is liberal, north which has a minority of hate groups, and central which is owned by the government. I may grant you that central Idaho is most liberal of all, since it is controlled by the liberals, but close second is Boise.

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A lifetime (over 30 years!) resident of the Boise area and social activist for many, I am astonished over these comments. Come now -

"...particularly involving the question of Brent Coles. So what if he made his comment during a public decree? Doesn't he, also, have a right to frrely [sic] express himself as he wishes? That's the problem with too many liberals today ..."

Yeah, whatever. This certainly characterizes the Boisean mainstream, I'll give you that. The fact remains that only in places like Boise can citizens remain entirely ignorant of their rights, including those requiring the separation of church and state. (In response to Mr. Conservative: I'm convinced that if the mayor had espoused a religious belief differing from your own, say, Hindi or Moslem or Buddhism or Wiccan, and asked that someone ELSE -- besides Jesus -- come "help" cleanse the "wicked streets" -- perhaps the one on which YOU live -- of "sin," you'd be singing a different tune: Imperialism looks ever-so-slightly diametric when you're on the receiving end. (2) I understand that it's much easier to stereotype and pigeon-hole group-members than to actually have to invest the time necessary to think for yourself -- someone else has obviously done that for you! --, but tossing liberals into one intellectual heap doesn't tend to yield a plethora of valid conclusions.)

And to this:

"Boise is not so much conservative as it is merely dominated by business interests. The reason Republicans dominate here is that [they] play catch-and-fetch so skillfully with the business moguls who dominate. (Our town headquarters Boise Cascade, Albertsons Stores, M-K, Micron and so forth)."

Uh, -- duh! But you've missed the point, sir, by attributing correlation to cause. "Dominated by business interests" = conservative; conservative MEANS the maintenance of the status quo. And the REASON Boise is the headquarters for so many businesses is precisely because ONLY in places like this one can employers pay workers so little and provide ZERO benefits with absolutely no redress for and BY those impoverished workers. Propaganda in motion.

In fact, according to a Jan., 1999 study conducted by Washington University, 75% [!!] of Idaho's jobs pay LESS THAN $14.00 per hour. That's about what it takes a single parent with two children to keep her family AT the poverty line. And about half of THOSE jobs pay $9.00/hour OR LESS. That is about what it takes to keep one [read: O-N-E] person AT the poverty line. Is that the "trickle down" effect?

In short, prospective Boisean, please carefully consider your choice to move to our illustrious community. We certainly NEED more shouting liberal/radical/feminist voices, but don't let anyone tell you that it isn't an uphill battle all the way: Low pay; conservative, religious environment with all the trimmings; zero strong labor unions; aforementioned rates of child/spousal physical & sexual abuse (we share the #1 spot with Utah); toughest Welfare Reform in the nation [read: "War against the Poor" with all their ready-made, zealously swallowed propaganda]; in the top 5 ranking of suicide rates [#3]; consistently republican-held government; et cetera, ad nauseum.

So come if you want -- we'd love to have you -- but come prepared. :)