Is there a good ol’ boy network controlling Idaho Falls?

I think there is more than one good old boy’s network. The networks may be known by different names; however, in different professions they exist.

Think of what you or your relatives do at work. Is everything on the level there, or is there favortism and rewards that just don’t make sense based on work effort?

I’m glad Chiasm mentioned Frank. There have been different people over the years who have been in the position of power. He is the latest.

The questions I pose are these: Is there a good old girls network? If so, how does is work? Is it the same or different than the good old boys? Or, are women working to create this network, but haven’t accomplished much yet?

8B - one example: A much bigger paycheck. Ba-zing!

ehhhh, anonymity is not a sign of shame. I have several reasons I’ve kept my anonymity, ranging from my personal privacy to my corporate employer not wanting to be identified with anything crazy I might say.

Others have said they have been hounded in their personal lives or denied jobs or business opportunities after they publicly spoke out against the status quo.

Why ’suspect’ his identity? Why not answer his legitimate question? I don’t know that Frank’s bigger paycheck is a result of a good ol’ boy’s network, he seems to have smartly run a legitimate, international business for a number of years without legal problems.

I’m dissappointed to see your comment ‘I’m more than one of us … suspecting of your identity’ Why? Who cares?

Too much weight in this town is thrown behind who a person is rather than the content of what they have to say.

That’s part of why IdahoFallz.com was created, to give everyone an equal voice in our affairs, and not discount good ideas just because of who suggests them.

Your attitude reflects a widespread criticism of the Post Register, that they don’t have the guts to foster real communication and dialogue because they answer to the good ol’ boy network too. So they hide behind their policy of requiring phone numbers and addresses for people who write a simle letter to the editor to voice their two cent opinion.

Eck, that was really disappointing to read that.

It’s a fair question, Jeremy, the one about my identity. There are some on the IFz who know my identity. You may very well be one of them. I’ve slipped a couple of times and revealed my identity in the chat box, so if you caught either of those, then you caught me.

Anyway, I want to remain as anonymous as possible so that my words will not be tainted by my reputation and/or my (such as it is) public persona.

I want my words and ideas judged on their own merit. If you know who I am and you like me, you might be inclined to cut me some slack when I write something stupid. Or, if you know who I am and you don’t like me, you are likely to discount what I write even though it may be the most brilliant idea you ever read.

Joe - It’s a matter of what you might call “owning one’s comments”. The anonymity of the net allows people to sometimes get engrossed in a world where they can just throw ideas and words out into hyperspace and they disappear, because they no longer have an owner past an IP address. Breaking down that faceless boundry would be a good step toward creating a flow of thoughts and ideas that would greatly benefit this site. Otherwise, what’s the point? We’re all just numbers and letters. That’s one of the reasons I made my screen name nearly my entire name … I have no pretenses about who I am or my family relations, so if what I say is influenced by those factors, that’s reality! We deal with it.

8B - No, just the opposite. You asked, “Is there something Franks’s getting that others aren’t” and I answered “A bigger paycheck”. It was a joke, as noted by the proceeding “Bazing”.

Jeremy, I respect your opinions, and I agree and disagree with varying things you say.

I see words and ideas being thrown out here and sticking rather than disappearing, and if IP address tracking is good enough to enforce RIAA lawsuits, it should suffice to keep our visitors from thinking they are completely anonymous.

I admire your choice to use your real name, if not just that itself but also for the other reason. But you have to admit, the reasons stated for going anonymous here can be valid.

I may be wrong, but my concept in designing this locally-focused site was to steer away from who someone is and towards the content and quality of what they have to say. It’s different and not done locally, so we’ll see if it’s popular or works. It may turn out to not work, but that’s a force at play here, so I would just like to see discussion on issues rather than why someone remains anonymous.

I didn’t see you were joking, my bad.

I don’t want to make it seem like I’m one of the PR haters, I enjoy most of it and will always subscribe (I think people who get upset and stop reading it are hurting themselves more than the PR).

However, as Amanda at the famous Rocketboom podcast just discovered 49% is not a secure power position. Whoever holds 51% still has the power, and whoever they answer to holds the influence.

I agree with you they do publish a lot of letters that are critical of the PR itself, and that is admirable and honest. Unfortunately, I read too many letters simply attacking other people for their ideas: Julie Larsen attacks Betty Benthin for her opinions in today’s paper, rather than debating the issues Betty may have brought up. Dolores Casella is a frequent fighter with several people, Tom Walsh and Henry Mortenson are other frequent fighters.

I think those letters divide our community and harm it more than help further discussion and understanding.

Of course there is a good ol’ Boy network in I.F. city government and employees. I have observed it and been party to it for over 20 years. I have been both one of the good ol’ boys and complained about others being the good ol’ boys. I think it is no different that what happens in any large company or any other place of employement. It is nice when you are part of the current power group and frustrating when you are an outsider, but I see it more to do with getting things done the way you think is best and feeling that your ideas find an ear. I will say that in my experience whether I am in the good ol’ boys club or currently on the outside as I find my self now, all parties have the citizens of Idaho Falls best interests at heart. I have not seen the group in power use that power to illegally or unethically personally profit. It has always been more about which way things get done and maybe who gets their preferred position. With the exception of the Mason thing, which was a total suprise and disappointment, I believe that the citizens of Idaho Falls generally, can have confidence in its leaders and employees

Ok Ok — just one more…. then I gotta get back to work. I have a Good Ol Boy Story to tell… I will try to be brief. One nite — as a young patrolman in Idaho Falls I had the pleasure of meeting a very High Priced Lawyer from Boise. He was driving a rental car — in town on business — defending someone on a DUI charge — which is what this particular Lawyer specialized in — He was also good at defending people who were charged with DUI (that was a joke ) I saw all the signs — weaving — over the center line etc. etc. I pulled him over. I smelled the alcohol (alcoholic beverage for all you attorneys out there) and his behavior when I approached him let me immediately know that this guy was an attorney. I won’t go into details on what he did or said — but suffice it to say that he did not overly cooperate — and made it clear to me that he was a lawyer — a BIG lawyer — and knew a lot of people in our town. I hooked him up just as if he were an auto mechanic — INEL worker — business owner or pipe mover — it didn’t mean sh#@ to me. My thoughts were that he could kill an innocent person just as easy as the next guy. Now, I was very good at what I did. I arrested a LOT of DUI’s. I knew how to put a case together so it couldn’t be beaten in court. I crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s and booked my new friend into the Bonneville County Jail after he blew on the breath testing machine (intoxilizer 5000 just in case any of you care) nearlly TWICE the legal limit. Never heard another word until a few months later when a local Magistrate Judge who is no longer in the area — but she had the prettiest dark red hair — called me up to her office one day. She explained to me how this attorney was able to arrange a special — “private arraignment” the following morning — very early before the Court House had opened up. It was Judge “White” that heard that case I think — or something like that — his name was a color anyway. He was personal friends with the Attorney/DUI Suspect. The Judge with the pretty red hair was called in early to act as a witness. According to the witness judge — the attorney/DUI suspect plead guilty to the DUI charge. The presiding judge then said “what are you doing? Why pleed guilty?” The DUI suspect then apparently said “he’s got me — I was all over the road and I blew on the machine!” Judge White — or whatever his name was said “well — ok — and set up a date for sentancing. Now — months later — this witness Judge — the one with the pretty red hair called me in to tell me that the case had disappeared. It was GONE! No record. Anywhere. She couldn’t find it. I looked and I couldn’t find it. Now I arrested lots of car mechanics, INEL workers and pipe movers — but thats the only time I ever lost a case. Litterally — LOST it. I guess it got misplaced. True story….

Those bots you mention in this atrticle have money and are, on the surface, powerful. But the real good ‘ol boys are a more elusive bunch. There are indeed hallowed halls where - and I feel this is a major definition of the good ‘ol boys - business is done outside of a business context. A shootin’ the sh–, making decisions paradigm that eclipses the new monies and property ownership.

There is also a more benign bunch of good ol’ boys bunch that are just a bunch of networked guys hanging out at x local coffee shop. You know, the Hazzard county types for lack of a better term. They have been here a long time and all know each other well.

Then there is a more “religiously based” (guess one here) collective who make no mistake cross into the fuzzy grey between church and state to drive the agendas of this city.

To whomever asked no there is not such thing as a good ol’ gal’s here. No sexism from me, just a fact. Or a cover up. But there are some powerful formal oraganizations you might look out for.

It is hardly necessary (or possible?) to expose or stop the really good, truly old boys. It would be akin to disemboweling this fair city, starving her of perhaps her last defences.

Guest’s story above reminded me of a couple of more recent stories from the local police and possible good old boy crap. Let me be clear, the rank and file officers were completely in the right and showed integrity in both cases. It was higher ups where you found the good old boy network in action.

First let me remind you of a well publicized incident five years or so ago where an IFPD officer, Mike Medema, was involved in a wreck off duty and had been drinking. Another officer who was a passenger was also fired. As a vicarious watcher from the semi inside at the time one thing was crystal clear - Medema would not have been fired if not for the press coverage. He would have been suspended for a hell of a long time but not fired. But then it hit the PR and he got fired. Medema was working for weeks after the incident pending an investigation but the day the story hit the paper he was suddenly put on administrative leave. Livsey was heard telling people - I’m going to have to fire a couple good officers because of the Post Register. Whether Medema should have been fired is a seperate issue - my only point is that its clear they had no intention of firing him until it got press coverage.

Now contrast that to an incident that did not make the press from about two years ago. A civilian volunteer of the IFPD was picked up for DUI about two years ago. He was given no special breaks by the patrol officer who arrested him and he was treated the same as anyone else who was DUI. But mysteriously the next day the records division lost some of the paperwork related to the adminstrative license suspensions that come along with a failure / refusal of a breath test. Could it have something to do with the fact that this civilian volunteer had an office in the records division and worked with them day in day out? And not long after that this guy was hired as a full time civilian employee of the IFPD and now runs the citizen volunteer program as a full time paid employee. I honestly don’t know how the case was resolved in court but I’d be shocked if he was found guilty of DUI - perhaps I’ll look it up Monday and update - I’ve always meant to but usually forget. I’d imagine it was dismissed or plead to inattentive driving.

I think its clear that in both cases the good old boy network would have protected both officers. But when the press reported on the first, the good old boy network abandoned Medema. I’m sure they would have done the same to Dave as well had the media known.

I think that any case persued or procecuted by Kimbal Mason should be retried or looked at close. even the ones her had dropped. there are people in his circle or good boy network that are also involved in his crimes it goes real high up the ladder. I would really love to see it all come crashing down.

You have to be kidding?
Do any of you really believe that there is NOT a good ol’ boy network?
I’ve written about this in other posts. There are names behind the names who the average citizen has never heard of, but don’t forget for a minute that they wield an incredible amount of power.
When Dane Watkins applied for county prosecutor, he was one of three finalists, all deputy prosecutors. The other two had more experience in their little fingers than Dane will ever have, but he was appointed. When the names of the three finalists were released to the press, it was like three days before the final decision was made. Not nearly enough time for the public to voice any input.
His inexperience cost the county nearly $100,000 over a rookie mistake during his first (I think) felony trial. Not a word in the press, which is monitored by another good ol’ boy.
In exchange for leaving quietly over the unbelievable decision, Kelly Mallard was given the newly created public defender overflow contract (sound like what happened when Kimball lost the county prosecutor election?) that, incidentally was not posted, and not so coincidentally, he did not have low bid on. Of course, he lost it after it was discovered in the AG’s investigation that he had one of the guns and had witnessed KM taking bribes. Amazing how fast his cronies abandoned his ship. Before that, he felt there was just more work than he could do, even though he had a signed contract, so the county offered another attorney a lucrative contract, which did not get posted, and did not go out for bid, to ….

Are you ready?

John Stosich

He had the decency to resign.

That’s three appointments. How are we doing so far?
Livesey was appointed by Milam.
That’s four appointments.
Jim Archibald was appointed to the bench in Bingham County. If I remember correctly, he had to resign in shame in around six months and now he’s representing our dear friend, Kimball Mason.
That’s five appointments.
Are we feeling confident yet in the decision-making power of our elected officials?
Let’s see. There’s Brad Eldredge. He was appointed by Mayor Milam and was soundly trounced in the last election for blatantly advocating spending more money on a city swimming pool than the national debt.
The biggest problem isn’t in the decision making itself. It’s in the back-room, closed door, secret society, black ops, secret handshake decision. They don’t want our opinions or our input because no, they are not going to appoint the best person for the job, they’re going to appoint the guy they think will do what they want him to.
This is not just a local problem by the way. We see it everywhere.

Question — has there been any news coverage or comments made here on the little hiring/firing fiasco out at the City Dog Pound? That one is interesting — and a pretty good example of the Good Ol Boy network — alive and well. I understood that a civil law suit was brewing over that one — but have not heard much about it. Anyone?

For anyone
Is the director of municipal services a member of the good ole boys and how much did he know and for how long was he aware of Kimball Mason supplimenting his income???