I’m looking forward to going to the Missoula or Montana Democrats meeting tonight at 7 PM in the Missoula City Council Chambers.
Until then, I’m just sitting here, doing some work for people, making the occasional comment on social media, watching my son as he stays home, and doing a lot of thinking.
I’m also doing a bit of cleaning…of my folders, to be specific.
Yep, sometime you’ve got to clean the pipes, and for computers and your sanity, this means organizing your folders.
I’ve written about that before, so I won’t bore you by talking about productivity and how you can get it, but I will foist upon you some old, half-started blog posts.
Some of these were started as rambling comments on the Missoulian, others were just half-starts based on news. Many were bad ideas, some just wastes of time.
Really, I should just put them out to pasture (or as I like to call it, the “Old” folder) but instead I’ll give them to you. Enjoy!
Until then, I’m just sitting here, doing some work for people, making the occasional comment on social media, watching my son as he stays home, and doing a lot of thinking.
I’m also doing a bit of cleaning…of my folders, to be specific.
Yep, sometime you’ve got to clean the pipes, and for computers and your sanity, this means organizing your folders.
I’ve written about that before, so I won’t bore you by talking about productivity and how you can get it, but I will foist upon you some old, half-started blog posts.
Some of these were started as rambling comments on the Missoulian, others were just half-starts based on news. Many were bad ideas, some just wastes of time.
Really, I should just put them out to pasture (or as I like to call it, the “Old” folder) but instead I’ll give them to you. Enjoy!
Missoula – A Town for the Rich
Random Missoula photo If you’re a rich fat cat that doesn’t mind propping up government with tax dollars, then Missoula, Montana, is the best damn place you can come.
Here we’ll raise your taxes each year, and we won’t even bother trying to come up with sensible reasons for it – who has time for that?
And if you’re poor and uneducated and have no skills? Well then get yourself one of our “full-time” jobs. Oh, we don’t give 40 hours, more like 27…that way we don’t have to pay benefits or do any of that healthcare shit.
Don’t like it? Well, why not go to the university? Oh, you already have some useless skills. Well, gosh, go to the vo-tech. And let us help you get some student loans to help pay for that. Already have some? Great, you know how to use a shovel already!
You've got 41.1% of Missoulians having a college degree, compared to the national average of 28.5%. What does that get us?
Now you tell me, how much affordable housing will be built within those city limits? I'm guessing around 17% and probably a whole lot less.
So if you’re rich and educated and want a sizable class of semi-servants (let’s not use indentured servant – it’s a little too passé), then come to Missoula! Because remember, those bastards are a long way from here.
Note: Numbers from Missoula 2014-15 Relocation Guide
Here we’ll raise your taxes each year, and we won’t even bother trying to come up with sensible reasons for it – who has time for that?
And if you’re poor and uneducated and have no skills? Well then get yourself one of our “full-time” jobs. Oh, we don’t give 40 hours, more like 27…that way we don’t have to pay benefits or do any of that healthcare shit.
Don’t like it? Well, why not go to the university? Oh, you already have some useless skills. Well, gosh, go to the vo-tech. And let us help you get some student loans to help pay for that. Already have some? Great, you know how to use a shovel already!
You've got 41.1% of Missoulians having a college degree, compared to the national average of 28.5%. What does that get us?
- 17.6% of the population making under $25,000 a year
- 27.2% making $25,000 to $50,000 a year
- 31.2% making $50,000 to $100,000 a year
- and a whopping 24% of households in Missoula making more than $100,000 a year.
Now you tell me, how much affordable housing will be built within those city limits? I'm guessing around 17% and probably a whole lot less.
So if you’re rich and educated and want a sizable class of semi-servants (let’s not use indentured servant – it’s a little too passé), then come to Missoula! Because remember, those bastards are a long way from here.
Note: Numbers from Missoula 2014-15 Relocation Guide
Quotes from Machiavelli
Niccolo Machiavelli Niccolo Machiavelli lived from 1469 to 1527 in Italy. Here’s some of what he said:
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/niccolo_machiavelli_2.html#pD1DKk25ps3wlviu.99
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/niccolo_machiavelli_2.html#pD1DKk25ps3wlviu.99
Missoula’s Old Mill Site – A Huge City Debacle
Trying to figure out what to do It's unfortunate so many fools in city government think this is good enough, it's clearly not. (Reference to stalled building from Missoulian article of September 14, 2014).
$12 million for some better sidewalks and for some bulldozers to tool around in there 6 years ago? What the hell are we doing, people?
Here's the plan:
Don't wait for private developers. Instead of wasting money on lawsuits against a water company, new parks that benefit the wealthy and in no way pay for themselves, and tax and spend policies that shrink our tax base instead of growing it, build housing. $12 million should get some apartments on that site so you have income coming in from it.
Eventually sell those apartments off to responsible folks that don’t want to gouge the hell out of renters. Of course that’ll be easy when we stop taxing people to death and allow businesspeople to have money to start businesses.
Apartments could have been built six months after that site was cleared and you would have made a lot of money. But instead we’d rather leave that empty, probably because it makes more money for someone in Spokane or Santa Barbara that way.
Let's say you've got 26 units at $500 a month for 6 years - the income you lost. That's $936,000 right there in rental income.
I know for officials wasting millions each week that might not sound like a lot, but perhaps that's why so many people hate you and your senseless policies.
$12 million for sidewalks? All I can do is shake my head and hope I’m not sick on my shoes.
$12 million for some better sidewalks and for some bulldozers to tool around in there 6 years ago? What the hell are we doing, people?
Here's the plan:
Don't wait for private developers. Instead of wasting money on lawsuits against a water company, new parks that benefit the wealthy and in no way pay for themselves, and tax and spend policies that shrink our tax base instead of growing it, build housing. $12 million should get some apartments on that site so you have income coming in from it.
Eventually sell those apartments off to responsible folks that don’t want to gouge the hell out of renters. Of course that’ll be easy when we stop taxing people to death and allow businesspeople to have money to start businesses.
Apartments could have been built six months after that site was cleared and you would have made a lot of money. But instead we’d rather leave that empty, probably because it makes more money for someone in Spokane or Santa Barbara that way.
Let's say you've got 26 units at $500 a month for 6 years - the income you lost. That's $936,000 right there in rental income.
I know for officials wasting millions each week that might not sound like a lot, but perhaps that's why so many people hate you and your senseless policies.
$12 million for sidewalks? All I can do is shake my head and hope I’m not sick on my shoes.
Quotes from Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan Marshall McLuhan lived from 1911 to 1980 in Canada. Here’s some of what he said.
Politics will eventually be replaced by imagery. The politician will be only too happy to abdicate in favor of his image, because the image will be much more powerful than he could ever be.
As technology advances, it reverses the characteristics of every situation again and again. The age of automation is going to be the age of 'do it yourself.'
Advertising is an environmental striptease for a world of abundance.
Today the tyrant rules not by club or fist, but disguised as a market researcher, he shepherds his flocks in the ways of utility and comfort.
When producers want to know what the public wants, they graph it as curves. When they want to tell the public what to get, they say it in curves.
Mass transportation is doomed to failure in North America because a person's car is the only place where he can be alone and think.
I don't necessarily agree with everything I say.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/marshall_mcluhan.html#1koRiOJIpJMIQXQQ.99
Politics will eventually be replaced by imagery. The politician will be only too happy to abdicate in favor of his image, because the image will be much more powerful than he could ever be.
As technology advances, it reverses the characteristics of every situation again and again. The age of automation is going to be the age of 'do it yourself.'
Advertising is an environmental striptease for a world of abundance.
Today the tyrant rules not by club or fist, but disguised as a market researcher, he shepherds his flocks in the ways of utility and comfort.
When producers want to know what the public wants, they graph it as curves. When they want to tell the public what to get, they say it in curves.
Mass transportation is doomed to failure in North America because a person's car is the only place where he can be alone and think.
I don't necessarily agree with everything I say.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/marshall_mcluhan.html#1koRiOJIpJMIQXQQ.99
Reaffirming the Message
I’ve said it many, many times on this site – I don’t work for anyone and no one pays me. That’s why you get the stories you do, and the ‘reporting’ you read. I’m not sure you’re reading it anywhere else, but if you are, I’d love to see it.
Because…
And that’s why you might not agree with everything I say. Thanks for reading anyways.
Because…
- I write about issues involving the big guy screwing the little guy, the rich taking advantage of the poor, and hypocrisy and social injustice.
- I write about the death of the American Dream and how no matter how hard you work today, you just can’t get ahead.
- I write about the massive problems foisted upon my generation by the Baby Boomers and I write about the bleak outlook that’s now plaguing the land, something that’s not been seen since the Dust Bowl days.
And that’s why you might not agree with everything I say. Thanks for reading anyways.
