Whoever posted the article titled Illinois Politics in Idaho Falls needs to check their facts before publishing “information”. 
First, My wife does not work with anyone facing tax deed; Bonneville County seldom tax deeds property. The last time properties were deeded was in 2007. Details regarding their disposition can be obtained in the County Commissioners Office. There were two.
However, she does work with people facing foreclosure. She purchases the house from the owner, and a licensed realtor negotiates the sales price with the bank that holds the homeowner’s loan. This practice has been reviewed by the Idaho Attorney General’s office and by the Idaho Dept. of Finance’s Consumer Protection Department. The Idaho Real Estate commission has also reviewed the process and has no problem with it. The request for these reviews was initiated by her company. Anyone questioning her business practices is welcome to call the Dept. of Finance.
Second, neither I, nor anyone related to me purchased the two tax deed properties deeded in 2007. I NEVER bid on county property, for the very reason it appears as a conflict of interest. Although not mentioned in the article, I offer that as a “public” official, I don’t have any privileged information to pass on to my wife or anyone else. By law, our records are “public” by nature.
Third, The “rumored” report of forty-two properties purchased last year is exaggerated.
Fourth, my chief deputy was originally hired to fill a part-time position, which at the time, I anticipated would be long-term. When the position of chief deputy became unexpectedly vacant, I advanced her to fill the spot due to her ten years of managerial experience in banking, I felt that she was more than qualified.
Finally, I do my best to see that nothing in my practices, public or private, resembles impropriety. I invite anyone with any questions or concerns to contact me, or the County Commissioners.
Mark R. Hansen
Bonneville County Treasurer
Popularity: 2%
Related posts:
Let's have a new poll, alright, Joe?
:@:)
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, bravo for responding! I’d say tru49er has a little explaining to do….. or perhaps, since this sounds entirely personal on their part, perhaps she/he should initiate phone contact with Mr. Hansen and leave the rest of us out of this episode of “General Hospital”.
One thing is for sure, when you work a government job, especially an elected one, you do not ever ever ever hire a relative or a friend. You can spin the rationale however you want and it still looks bad. At the very least Mr Hansen should have recused himself from the hiring process and allowed the county commissioners to make the decision. The only time, and I mean the ONLY time, its okay to hire a friend / relative for any job is if its your own private business.
I agree. Especially such a high paying position.
Bad choice mr treasurer.
People hire good qualified candidates for employment that they know all the time. If there are 20 applicants for a job who are all EQUALLY qualified, I would chose the one that I knew from their track record. That’s why we all network to meet people, develop friendships and business relationships. When we get into a position and need good people to fill a job opening, we have a pool of people to draw from. Don’t tell me that everybody from City Council to the President of the United States don’t know of a position coming open and suggest a qualified person to fill it. Look to the friends the President has hired (appointed) and tell me it’s not true.
There is a difference between hiring someone you know and hiring your wife’s best friend. If its your own business then more power to you but when your on the government dime in an elected position then its no longer okay.
What’s the dif? Because your wife’s best friend is the most qualified person you know for a specific position why should she NOT be considered.
If you had a best friend who’s husband got elected to an office and he needed someone to fill a position that you were VERY qualified for AND paid well, you’re saying that you would not only not apply, but you wouldn’t even consider working there because you knew the officials wife well?
Wierd….
Is Anonymous also TRU49ER and jealous of a position they wanted?????
Things that make you go HMMMMMMM?
Not saying it’s true, just wondering.
Nope, not the same. Anyone with mod powers can do a simple IP check to verify that.
Is Jerry also Mark Hansen and using a sock puppet account to defend himself?
Things that make you go HMMMMMM?
Not saying its true, just wondering.
See how that goes when you make assumptions without any evidence?
I’m merely talking common sense 101 on nepotism and your being super defensive about it. Perhaps instead of being Mark your the best friend’s husband or maybe your the best friend posing as a guy to throw off the scent? If I was TRU49ER I’d be talking about much more than nepotism. As is the rest the issues are he said / she said and I don’t know enough about real estate laws to even begin to form a credible opinion especially when there is no reason to believe either TRU49ER or Mark Hansen on the issue. But nepotism is easy to spot and its easy to see when its occurred except to those who have a personal stake in it or are friends with those involved.
Oh and one other thing.
Here is how Mark Hansen should have handled the situation. Put the job out to applications to everyone. Then if the wife’s best friend applies he recuses himself from the hiring process due to the conflict of interest. Allow the county commissioners to hire the most qualified person. That is how nepotism issues can easily be avoided. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear that Hansen did it this way. The wife’s friend may well be qualified for the job but that doesn’t remove the potential cloud of nepotism that hangs over her.
i dunno what mod powers are or how to do IP checks, but apparently you do. So you know my name (which has been posted this whole time unlike All others), you can look up my address and stop by to see if I’m for real. I’m tired of being part of a silent majority afraid to speak my mind. I don’t know if my thinking is right or wrong and as you can see my other posts, I can take criticism and will change if I feel it’s the right thing to do.
In my opinion, once the President doesn’t directly hire friends, then we hold all other public officials to the same standard. I also know the Hansen’s personally and know that the hire in question is far from the “best friend” of Dani. She is a person she knew at a professional level from her bank. So the entire indictment is false from the word go! Again, if you’re going to charge someone with an accusation, base it in fact.
Well maybe I can clear up this discussion. You are talking about me, his wife and my “best friend”. The Chief Deputy was the Branch manager at US Bank, and I bank there. If I needed a cashiers check she got to sign it. We eventually made a light business friendship. The only contact we had was when I was in the bank. One day I went in and she was gone. I asked where she went. “She has a 2 year old and decided to stay home with him” was the answer I got. Some many months later Mark came home and told me she had applied for a partime job. He asked if I remembered her. I said I did. He asked how she was at the bank, and I told him she was always pleasant with me. He hired her, and now BOOM!!! Because someone wants to sling some mud, we are “new best friends”. Whoever made the accusation, obviously DOES NOT know me nor DO THEY KNOW THE Chief Deputy. Good grief!! Oh one more thing, you got me, one evening about 9 months or a year ago, we went to dinner at the Sandpiper with the Chief Deputy and her husband to get better acquainted. We haven’t seen them socially since. Yep I guess if that qualifies as “best friends” I’m guilty.
If you want to investigate my “tax deeded” properties, I will refer you to Michelle the Broker at United Realty and Mountain West Title. Ask for Lenore. They have all of the information on every property I have worked with. I know, investigating isn’t as much fun as spewing venom. As Mark said I have never bought a tax deeded property, and wouldn’t for the very reasons outlined. I have however called THE OFFICE upon occassion to ask what the current taxes are on a given property. I often get Mark if he is available. If their willingness to give me a quote, like the “Best Friends” thing, qualifies as “confidential information” then I’m busted. That’s all there is baby, there ain’t no more.
Interesting thread…especially as a pro-active defence on Mark’s part. Definitely good politics. A couple of thoughts…
He said the amount of properties noted were “exagerated”, but not by how much. Pardon my inherent skepticism, but when a company owned by the wife of a person in his position (who will easily have equal if not aforehand access to certain information) purchases a goo number of forclosed properties in a relative short period of time, regardless of how up[front and above board it may seem, the appearance of impropriety is inevitible.
Similarly with the “known associate’ of his wife’s who took what in present day politico-terms is akin to a no-bid contract, that to has the scent of not being above board.
I know zero knowledge on the specifics of this case, but due to what we we subject to during the past 8 years in D.C., Mr. hansen should be neither surprised nor offended when a member of the public call to the carpet the possibitily of abuse of power and position in ANY form of government.
I applaud him for his political intuition of jumping out ahead of the game and for what information he did offer. I would however, suggest he provide a little more detail and a tad less indignation and put ALL questions behind to rest.
Our tax man is Layne Van Ordan in Blackfoot. We will instruct him to disclose any information you people would like to have. Again I say that’s all baby there is baby, there ain’t no more.
Oh, one more thing, Mark doesn’t have any access to any “priviledged” information on foreclosure properties you don’t have. His only advantage is that he can walk across the hall to get filings on “defaults”, and you have to pick up the phone and call, or get in your car and drive down to get it. Frankly, I don’t have much to do with the courthouse. I have no need. We primarily work off of Realtor referrals. Now I’m done, it is time to call it a day. Hope you all have a good night.
The original article does not contend that Mark’s wife obtains properties that are “facing tax deed” as mark states in his response. It states that they contact owners in danger of going into default. As stated by swifty, who is trying to defend Mark, “ A house does not go into default until they are 3 years delinquent”. This is when it becomes public record. The point is that Mark is aware before it becomes public record and this is when the privileged information can be, wrongly used by his wife to co hearse the homeowner.
Mark also states in his response “the rumored, report of forty-two properties purchased last year is exaggerated”. This is an interesting response, considering there is no denial, only that the number is exaggerated. HMMMMMM, I wonder what the number is.
The Idaho Attorney Generals office, Idaho Dept. of Finance and Idaho Real Estate Commission, have reviewed the process. I think maybe they should review it again.
Talk about political talk, he also addresses his chief deputy appointment but completely ignores the main point that she is his wife’s best friend.
I definitely do not know all the facts in this situation but, it sure sounds worth finding out more.
These same rumours have been going around for years and none of them have ever been found to be true. Obviously a few sour pusses have been gossiping again, and found a way to get a couple others drawn into their web of deception. Still, it’s an entertaining review of erroneous history.
You go, old broads.
Truth Hurts…read mahansen post 12. that will answer your questions. then read swifty below. maybe you just read the article itself and didn’t read the poststhat followed, but if you do it will squash all of your doubts.
Truth hurts, you are what is known as Dumb and Dumber. You got to be a Democrat. Everything you covered in your note has been well covered in their explanations?!? I think you are trying to make a pile of manure out of nothing. All that ends up stinking is you. You guys must be Democrats that are trying to set up the upcoming election. You know your in trouble Because your Great black Hope has turned into the Joke of the century. You know you haven’t got a chance to get anyone elected, so your trying to dig up stuff. Nothing wrong with looking under rocks, but I think they have covered all the questions. They gave you all the resourses you need to check them out! So Dummy Do it! They don’t need to tell you how many/call their accountant. I respect they have given you all their personal information. that is really impressive. How many of you birds would do that?? Slinging political mud has never worked, and never will work. I don’t know these people, but they have my vote, I’m impressed with their willingness to step forward. Go Hansens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s interesting how fast this blog site, and the topic written by tru49er, reached Mr. Hansen’s computer. I wonder if someone from here forwarded it to him so quickly? Perhaps he was always an observer of ifz, who knows. Never seen an article responded to so quickly. Also, why hasn’t tru49er responded once to Mr. Hansen’s rebuttal? That alone is suspect to me as a neutral party.
Being here almost 3 years, it’s also great to see SO many new user names coming up. Although I do suspect a little sock puppeting is going on…. One thing, welcome all but please pick a user name. We have so many “anonymous” and “guest” users it starts to get confusing when other users go back and try to reference what one anonymous guest wrote versus another. Maybe tag on a few letters or numbers if you don’t want to choose a name? Much obliged.
P.S. Did you all, IFT Admin know that your clock is still an hour off? Yes, it is and has been since even before the most recent time change.
I only bring this up because if Abraham Lincoln had properly watched time he’d of known not to be out that late at the Ford’s Theatre. Normally he wasn’t up that late but was home, in bed where he should have been.
Only because he was out that late, and because his 1865 night out was well announced in advance did he experience, well, let’s just say the man could have better kept his appointments.
For goodness sakes! Let’s pull our pants up, tuck in our shirts and keep track of reality and time!
That might qualify as a dummy spit, I’m not sure.