Streetcar PR contract a bad idea.........

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October 09, 2009

Our View: Streetcar PR contract a bad idea, in many ways

OUR VIEW DOWNTOWN BOISE STREETCAR

- Idaho Statesman

OUR VIEW DOWNTOWN BOISE STREETCAR

The Boise City Council almost got it right Tuesday night, by tapping the brakes on a streetcar public relations contract worth up to $90,000.

Too bad the council didn't kill this tin-eared idea outright. Let's hope that day is coming - and soon.

There's so much wrong with this contract that the challenge is figuring out where to begin. But here goes:

® It's a misplaced priority. The bottom line isn't a bad place to start, of course. If city leaders can find money for this costly frill, it's a little bit difficult to take them too seriously when they lament tough times and tight budgets.

City Hall argues that the money doesn't come from taxpayers. But it is still public money, from a city economic development fund bankrolled by Union Pacific Railroad leases. That being the case, we'd rather see it go toward more immediate economic development efforts.

® It's - at best - a questionable use of public dollars. Like it or not, the city has a history of PR outsourcing. Earlier this year, the city shelled out a $120,000 contract to help explain its new trash and recycling program.

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with getting the word out about something like no-sort recycling - although we're skeptical about the city's claim that it, like other public agencies, cannot maintain adequate in-house staff to take on a big outreach job.

Regardless, the streetcar contract is no how-to on recycling. What the city calls "a comprehensive Boise Streetcar Outreach Communication strategy" sounds like advocacy - on a controversial initiative.

The company recommended for the contract, Cronin and Associates, proposes to "educate residents about why the time is right for a downtown streetcar." The group's proposal says "a strong and consistent case" has been made for a streetcar for years. Media coverage, however, has been "neutral to negative," perhaps because of what the group calls a failure to describe the project in "proper context."

The city says this contract is legal. But it certainly doesn't feel appropriate. Given Mayor Dave Bieter's adamant support of the streetcar, it seems like a project with a preconceived conclusion.

® It's apt to backfire. When trying to make a delicate sale, a hard sell isn't the smartest call. This contract has hard sell written all over it.

The streetcar has run into criticism from people who consider the $65 million project an extravagant waste of tax dollars. A publicly funded pitch won't silence the critics; more likely, it will just further inflame the controversy. Not exactly the best way to sway the undecideds.

® This is a political mess. This contract would be a stinker, no matter who got the job. Perhaps that explains why 18 firms requested information about the contract, but only four actually submitted proposals. Yet somehow, a team of four City Hall and Capital City Development Corp. staffers managed to make this situation worse.

They chose Cronin and Associates - a firm headed by state Rep. Brian Cronin, a Boise Democrat who worked on Bieter's successful 2003 mayoral campaign.

City Hall defends the choice; Bieter was not involved in the review, and Cronin's proposal was superior. Cronin also stands by his proposal and downplays his political ties. "I don't know why that necessarily disqualifies me." But most Boiseans aren't going to scrutinize the fine details of a contract proposal. They will see only a job that went to a Bieter backer - which will taint the way they perceive the publicly funded results of this PR effort.

At least the City Council didn't award this contract Tuesday. The council decided to slow down the process. But no amount of slowing down will make all these problems go away. Better to take a miserable idea and put it out of its misery.

"Our View" is the editorial position of the Idaho Statesman. It is an unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman's editorial board. To comment on an editorial or suggest a topic, e-mail editorial@idahostatesman.com.