Wow, lots to discuss today!
Let’s get started.
Let’s get started.
Hunting for Gianforte
One interesting story is how Martin Kidston embarrassed himself with his ‘investigative journalism’ this week.
Perhaps you saw it on Missoula Current.
Kidston – former reporter for the Missoulian and former Communications Director for the Montana Democratic Party – thought it’d be fun to hound Gianforte’s staffers.
You see, he heard Gianforte was in Missoula…but gosh darn, wouldn’t you know it – no one contacted Martin!
What the hell were they thinking?!?
He is a blogger, after all.
Oh…that’s right – 'here’s a Democrat that has nothing good to say about us, has never had anything good to say about us, so really…fuck him!'
I think the problem is that Martin is used to having Tester call him up and say, “Yep, I’ll be in town. Do another one of those good write-ups that talks-up my accomplishments, eh?”
And Martin falls right in line, doing what the Dem brass wants.
Remember, Martin is a real reporter.
You know this because he removed the ability to comment on his site, and he’s also ensured that certain people (namely me) can’t comment on his site’s Facebook posts, either.
Why is that?
Simple – I threaten him.
What I say threatens him.
Oh, he can say that he just disagrees with it, or that I’m a troll, or that he just doesn’t want comments on his site.
Again, the base reason for all those reasons is because he’s threatened.
What I say bothers him, and sometimes he thinks I’m even out to get him…when I just view what I’m doing as a useful service to the community.
Martin, now you know how Gianforte feels about you.
I’ve got a little message for both Martin and Gianforte, and perhaps even Gianforte’s staff:
Who gives a fuck?
Wind and piss – two things that have never been in short supply in the Treasure State.
Perhaps you saw it on Missoula Current.
Kidston – former reporter for the Missoulian and former Communications Director for the Montana Democratic Party – thought it’d be fun to hound Gianforte’s staffers.
You see, he heard Gianforte was in Missoula…but gosh darn, wouldn’t you know it – no one contacted Martin!
What the hell were they thinking?!?
He is a blogger, after all.
Oh…that’s right – 'here’s a Democrat that has nothing good to say about us, has never had anything good to say about us, so really…fuck him!'
I think the problem is that Martin is used to having Tester call him up and say, “Yep, I’ll be in town. Do another one of those good write-ups that talks-up my accomplishments, eh?”
And Martin falls right in line, doing what the Dem brass wants.
Remember, Martin is a real reporter.
You know this because he removed the ability to comment on his site, and he’s also ensured that certain people (namely me) can’t comment on his site’s Facebook posts, either.
Why is that?
Simple – I threaten him.
What I say threatens him.
Oh, he can say that he just disagrees with it, or that I’m a troll, or that he just doesn’t want comments on his site.
Again, the base reason for all those reasons is because he’s threatened.
What I say bothers him, and sometimes he thinks I’m even out to get him…when I just view what I’m doing as a useful service to the community.
Martin, now you know how Gianforte feels about you.
I’ve got a little message for both Martin and Gianforte, and perhaps even Gianforte’s staff:
Who gives a fuck?
- For Gianforte…Martin and others like him continuously attack you, but they can’t win elections. You can. None of their attacks stick, none of their talking points matter, and none of their get-out-the-vote efforts amount to anything. This angers and frustrates them, and causes their attacks to increase. They win even less as a result.
- For Martin – Gianforte and others like him view you as flies on their arm: nuisances to be brushed off and quickly forgotten. You ad hominem attacks and schoolboy antics – far from helping your cause – actually do more to hurt it. But maybe that would only be true if anyone actually read what you wrote. Sure, 100-200 Facebook likes is pretty impressive…but that doesn’t mean people read what you wrote, visited your site, or voted for the person that you wanted. ‘Pissing in the wind’ is a phrase that comes to mind.
Wind and piss – two things that have never been in short supply in the Treasure State.
The Hill Crusade
I see that Missoula legislator, Ellie Boldman-Hill, has filed a campaign finance complaint against Missoula mayoral candidate, Lisa Triepke.
The reason?
Triepke failed to mention what exactly the $11,000 she paid Spiker Communications for “advertising” is really for.
I mean…how many yard signs does that get you?
That seems to be the big contention – the number and size and cost of the yard signs was not listed.
This is a really big problem in your life, ain’t it?
Oh, don’t be surprised – that’s what Democrats focus on…’problems’ that have nothing to do with you, but everything to do with their particular worldview.
In this case, Hill supports Mayor John Engen and doesn’t want to see him lose.
In fact, I think she’s scared he will lose.
I mean…why else file an election complaint? If the Engen team felt they had the cat in the bag on this one, then hell, they wouldn’t feel worried.
But they are worried.
And I don’t blame ‘em.
Taxes up 95% since Engen took office, city debt at a $250 million level, and young people forced to leave town because there are no good jobs here.
Hill has a good job – a taxpayer-funded job with benefits and another job as a $100-$300/hour lawyer.
Engen has a good job – he’s seen to that by boosting his own pay from the $60,000-level to the $100,000-level (plus he gets benefits and free car to drive around in…which he’s admitted to driving around drunk in).
Hill’s worried that if Triepke is elected, she won’t have a sugar daddy around to give her a cushy city job/appointment.
Remember, Hill’s time in the legislature is done. A clone-copy of her will serve in 2019, however, as Missoula’s City Councilor, Marilyn Marler, has been chosen to fill her seat in the 2018 election.
Trust me – Marler will take that seat easily.
And that’s a big reason I’m thankful the GOP controls the Montana Legislature – people like Marler won’t be able to get their way.
It’ll be interesting to see where this election complaint goes, if anywhere.
The Indy has another look at it today, as well as a look at Hill’s Facebook tirade after a pro-Triepke letter was published in the Missoulian late last week.
In fact, I encourage you to read many of Hill’s posts – you’ll realize how normal you are compared to Missoula Democrats.
Yes, they really are scared.
They’re scared they won’t be able to bilk common citizens anymore to prop up their extravagant lifestyles. They’re scared they’ll have to go out and actually get – God forbid! – a real job.
I don’t feel that the majority of Missoulians actually care about this issue that Hill brings up (again, a couple hundred likes on Facebook from people that already agree with you isn't a majority...it's a bubble). What they do care about is the money in their pocket, and how much the city is taking from them.
Hill feels that her small minorities will carry her and her chosen one through. She’s so blind to reality that she doesn’t see the pent-up frustration of the silent majority.
She doesn’t want to.
I’m looking forward to voting here in a couple weeks, and you know it won’t be for Engen or his cabal.
Hill’s complaint is another example of the Democratic Machine in action here in Missoula. God it makes me sick.
The reason?
Triepke failed to mention what exactly the $11,000 she paid Spiker Communications for “advertising” is really for.
I mean…how many yard signs does that get you?
That seems to be the big contention – the number and size and cost of the yard signs was not listed.
This is a really big problem in your life, ain’t it?
Oh, don’t be surprised – that’s what Democrats focus on…’problems’ that have nothing to do with you, but everything to do with their particular worldview.
In this case, Hill supports Mayor John Engen and doesn’t want to see him lose.
In fact, I think she’s scared he will lose.
I mean…why else file an election complaint? If the Engen team felt they had the cat in the bag on this one, then hell, they wouldn’t feel worried.
But they are worried.
And I don’t blame ‘em.
Taxes up 95% since Engen took office, city debt at a $250 million level, and young people forced to leave town because there are no good jobs here.
Hill has a good job – a taxpayer-funded job with benefits and another job as a $100-$300/hour lawyer.
Engen has a good job – he’s seen to that by boosting his own pay from the $60,000-level to the $100,000-level (plus he gets benefits and free car to drive around in…which he’s admitted to driving around drunk in).
Hill’s worried that if Triepke is elected, she won’t have a sugar daddy around to give her a cushy city job/appointment.
Remember, Hill’s time in the legislature is done. A clone-copy of her will serve in 2019, however, as Missoula’s City Councilor, Marilyn Marler, has been chosen to fill her seat in the 2018 election.
Trust me – Marler will take that seat easily.
And that’s a big reason I’m thankful the GOP controls the Montana Legislature – people like Marler won’t be able to get their way.
It’ll be interesting to see where this election complaint goes, if anywhere.
The Indy has another look at it today, as well as a look at Hill’s Facebook tirade after a pro-Triepke letter was published in the Missoulian late last week.
In fact, I encourage you to read many of Hill’s posts – you’ll realize how normal you are compared to Missoula Democrats.
Yes, they really are scared.
They’re scared they won’t be able to bilk common citizens anymore to prop up their extravagant lifestyles. They’re scared they’ll have to go out and actually get – God forbid! – a real job.
I don’t feel that the majority of Missoulians actually care about this issue that Hill brings up (again, a couple hundred likes on Facebook from people that already agree with you isn't a majority...it's a bubble). What they do care about is the money in their pocket, and how much the city is taking from them.
Hill feels that her small minorities will carry her and her chosen one through. She’s so blind to reality that she doesn’t see the pent-up frustration of the silent majority.
She doesn’t want to.
I’m looking forward to voting here in a couple weeks, and you know it won’t be for Engen or his cabal.
Hill’s complaint is another example of the Democratic Machine in action here in Missoula. God it makes me sick.
These Guys Can’t Win
Please, please God…let some viable candidates come forward to run against Gianforte.
Grant Kier is not a viable candidate.
John Heenan is not a viable candidate.
These are run-of-the-mill candidates that’ll continue the 20-year losing streak by getting about 38% to 42% of the vote.
There is nothing inspiring about these two men…or anyone else that might have expressed interest in this race.
Hell, Kier made over $92,000 as director of a 'nonprofit' in 2015. He doesn't know what the everyday realities and problems are for regular people. He's upper-class.
Oh, and by the way – money does not make someone interesting. You can have $10 million in your campaign war chest, but why should I care?
If the only reason I should care about voting for them is because they have a ‘D’ behind their name and they didn’t assault a reporter, then good luck with that.
Gianforte will skate into his second-term, and he’ll have another two years to coddle fundraisers and PACs to get his third.
Wake up, Democrats.
No one cares about you or your message or the boring people you throw out at us.
Lawyers and land trust execs?
Give me break.
I fully expect the Dems will totter along with one of these fools carrying their banner next year. And my God will they lose because of it.
Grant Kier is not a viable candidate.
John Heenan is not a viable candidate.
These are run-of-the-mill candidates that’ll continue the 20-year losing streak by getting about 38% to 42% of the vote.
There is nothing inspiring about these two men…or anyone else that might have expressed interest in this race.
Hell, Kier made over $92,000 as director of a 'nonprofit' in 2015. He doesn't know what the everyday realities and problems are for regular people. He's upper-class.
Oh, and by the way – money does not make someone interesting. You can have $10 million in your campaign war chest, but why should I care?
- Why should young people care about voting for these two men?
- Why should Independents or swing voters care about voting for these two men?
- Why should seniors on fixed incomes with no cost of living increase care about voting for these two men?
If the only reason I should care about voting for them is because they have a ‘D’ behind their name and they didn’t assault a reporter, then good luck with that.
Gianforte will skate into his second-term, and he’ll have another two years to coddle fundraisers and PACs to get his third.
Wake up, Democrats.
No one cares about you or your message or the boring people you throw out at us.
Lawyers and land trust execs?
Give me break.
I fully expect the Dems will totter along with one of these fools carrying their banner next year. And my God will they lose because of it.
What’s the Cause of the Problem
Finally…I would have liked to dig into Tim Fox’s 87-page report on substance abuse, but I can’t.
He put the report up this week to much fanfare in the media. Then he took the report down, to less fanfare.
That’s what ‘404’ errors mean – that page no longer exists.
Tim Fox…gosh darn, what's up?!?
And that would have been the end of it except that Eric Sell, Tim Fox’s Communication’s Director, is very fast on Twitter.
He gave me the new link to that report (the old link was in the Flathead Beacon story about the report).
Right on the first page of the report, Fox tells us that there’s been a:
We’re also told that heroin use in Montana had gone up by 1,557% from 2010-2015.
Wow!
For that last one, we know the real problem – drug companies pushing legal opium onto the masses, and when those prescriptions dry up, it’s time to open the veins to heroin.
And how about all that time and money wasted on pot when a few hundred miles to the west or south of us it's legal and they've filled their budgetary holes with the tax revenues it's created?
In Montana, you just can't fix stupid, and the DOJ is pretty damn stupid (Governor's Office and the Legislature are right up there with 'em, however).
You know this.
I lamented back in February, and I lamented on the Flathead Beacon article about this report:
Fox is good at identifying symptoms of the problem, but he can’t identify the problem.
Maybe it’s just his justice-viewpoint. But to me…why are people using drugs?
Why are people taking meth and heroin?
Those are hard drugs. Even with pot and alcohol, though…is it more than just trying to relax after a hard day?
Do we need these drugs every day, all day, just to cope?
And if so…why?
What is the larger reason that people are seeking out drugs?
Fox does not get into that in his 87-page report, and that’s why I know Montana will only see its drug problem increase.
It’s because the problems that are forcing people to turn to drugs keep increasing.
What are those problems?
I think they’re money- and job-related, myself. People don’t have hope. No matter how hard they work, they can’t get ahead. They’re always afraid of getting hurt or sick. There is no retirement for them. The future is bleak, and the now is even bleaker.
No, I don’t think this report addresses the base problems at all, just the symptoms of those problems, which is drug use.
We’ll always be chasing our tail. It’s very sad.
Good luck, Tim Fox…you’re gonna need it.
He put the report up this week to much fanfare in the media. Then he took the report down, to less fanfare.
That’s what ‘404’ errors mean – that page no longer exists.
Tim Fox…gosh darn, what's up?!?
And that would have been the end of it except that Eric Sell, Tim Fox’s Communication’s Director, is very fast on Twitter.
He gave me the new link to that report (the old link was in the Flathead Beacon story about the report).
Right on the first page of the report, Fox tells us that there’s been a:
- 559% increase in drug offenses since 1980
- 57% of all 2015 drug offenses were due to marijuana
- 31% of all 2015 drug offenses were due to meth
- 7% of all 2015 drug offenses were due to “other narcotics”
- 40% of all adult felony convictions are for drugs or DUIs
We’re also told that heroin use in Montana had gone up by 1,557% from 2010-2015.
Wow!
For that last one, we know the real problem – drug companies pushing legal opium onto the masses, and when those prescriptions dry up, it’s time to open the veins to heroin.
And how about all that time and money wasted on pot when a few hundred miles to the west or south of us it's legal and they've filled their budgetary holes with the tax revenues it's created?
In Montana, you just can't fix stupid, and the DOJ is pretty damn stupid (Governor's Office and the Legislature are right up there with 'em, however).
You know this.
I lamented back in February, and I lamented on the Flathead Beacon article about this report:
Fox is good at identifying symptoms of the problem, but he can’t identify the problem.
Maybe it’s just his justice-viewpoint. But to me…why are people using drugs?
Why are people taking meth and heroin?
Those are hard drugs. Even with pot and alcohol, though…is it more than just trying to relax after a hard day?
Do we need these drugs every day, all day, just to cope?
And if so…why?
What is the larger reason that people are seeking out drugs?
Fox does not get into that in his 87-page report, and that’s why I know Montana will only see its drug problem increase.
It’s because the problems that are forcing people to turn to drugs keep increasing.
What are those problems?
I think they’re money- and job-related, myself. People don’t have hope. No matter how hard they work, they can’t get ahead. They’re always afraid of getting hurt or sick. There is no retirement for them. The future is bleak, and the now is even bleaker.
No, I don’t think this report addresses the base problems at all, just the symptoms of those problems, which is drug use.
We’ll always be chasing our tail. It’s very sad.
Good luck, Tim Fox…you’re gonna need it.
