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Posts published in “Day: April 14, 2007”

Bieter’s test

April 14, 2007
Jade Riley

Jade Riley

Boise Mayor David Bieter has had a generally blessed run in office so far: No huge blowups or bitterly intractable issues, which is one reason we've figured (and still do) he's in the favored position for re-election this year. Not much at City Hall has tested him hard.

Here's something, though, that might. Jade Riley, one of Bieter's key assistants - not exactly but nearly chief of staff - was charged late Friday night with driving under the influence. Bieter took action promptly, suspending Riley without pay for two weeks. The arresting agency was the Boise City Police; its officers may win some plaudits for not letting one of the mayor's top aides off the hook.

Riley, a former executive director of the state Democrats, has been a key figure in Bieter's office from the start of his mayoralty, a valuable player. What exactly, though, should Bieter do now?

No obvious answers from this quarter; but quite a few people probably will be watching.

No tomatoes for you

April 14, 2007

Have you seen the late-night TV ads promoting indoor tomato growing, so you can have year-round fresh tomatoes? Sounds like not a bad idea, except that you then read about cases like the eager drug-busters of Pullman, and you wonder if it would be worth the effort. [Hat tip: The Slog.]

Pullman is where three college roommates were growing indoor tomatoes - perfectly legal tomatoes - when, the Daily Evergreen reports, "eight to 10 police officers, guns drawn, came into the apartment and served the unsuspecting men a search warrant." On suspicion of growing marijuana, of course; the ensuing search turned up none. Only tomatoes.

The grow light aimed at the tomatoes was apparently the one piece of evidence which led to a search warrant alleging that “a crime has been committed or reasonably appears about to be committed, to-wit: controlled narcotic substances, in particular growing marijuana and burnt marijuana . . .”

What passes for reason these days . . .