“These times are so uncertain, There’s a yearning undefined…people filled with rage. We all need a little tenderness.”
-Lyrics from “The Heart of the Matter” (Don Henley)
Seven and half hours. The cable news stations were humming. (more…)
Health Care Summit
Independent? Follow-up
On February 15, 2010, I commented about trying to run as an independent candidate here in Montana. I wrote:
There are just too many hoops to jump through for a genuine “independent” candidate to run for office here in Montana, but don’t count on it changing in the near future.
Seems that the ACLU of Montana agrees that it is too difficult. According to a story by the Associated Press:
The civil liberties group describes Montana’s ballot access laws as among the most stringent in the nation. Independent candidates are required to file early, pay a steep filing fee and submit thousands of signatures to qualify to run for statewide office.
The ACLU has appealed a Federal Court ruling that upheld Montana’s rules for independent candidates.
Good for the ACLU. It needs to be easier in Montana and across the nation to run for office. The two major parties currently running the show have not done such a great job.
The Circus is Getting Noticed
It was great that KRTV has taken notice of the circus going on at the Great Falls International Airport, with the ringleaders of this circus being the Great Falls International Airport Authority Board.
KRTV Reporter Alex Grubb did a fine job in detailing the great work that Airport Director Cynthia Schultz has done for the airport, not to mention for Great Falls, Cascade County, and Montana.
In the story, KRTV reports that the Airport Board wants to get rid of the person who is responsible for increasing the assets of the airport “from $18.5 million to $113 million.” The “hangar occupancy jumped from 28% to 100%.” Discretionary grants have increased from $235,000 to $49 million. Yes, $49 million.
That’s someone I would want to keep around. (more…)
Observations from the week 02/20/10
With Congress on recess it’s always a good week to see what out elected officials are doing and saying. Some might say that if the current political climate continues, and if our incumbent senators and representatives were animals, they would most definitely be placed on the Endangered Species List.
Recess is when they are supposed to come back to their home state and “reconnect” with their constituents, or take a junket somewhere to do some “research.” (more…)
Concerns? There Should Be.
A few days ago I happened to watch the local news and caught this story about one of the Neighborhood Councils in Great Falls having concerns about situation with Great Falls Airport Director Cynthia Schultz.
To refresh my readers’ memory, the Great Falls International Airport Authority Board decided to seek applications for a new airport director, when the current director’s contract expires (although some board members say Schultz has done a good job, but many members of the community say she has done an outstanding job).
I think Schultz has done an outstanding job. (more…)
Independent?
Let’s see – you are thinking about running for office, but you really can’t decide if your views are more in line with the Democrats or Republicans, or you can’t really side with the Libertarian philosophy and the Constitution party’s views are just not your cup of tea.
Those are your four choices in the Montana – if you want to be labeled with a political tag when you run for elective office.
To say the least, it is tough for “outsiders” here in Montana to run for political office. By using the word “outsider’ I mean someone who is not affiliated with any of the four major political parties: Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or Constitution.
I think that is just the way they like it – at least the big two (Democrats and Republicans) do.
Before you prepare your announcement speech, you might want to read on… (more…)
$642 Million
I’ve written a few posts about the weak drunk driving laws in Montana. If you are going to get caught driving drunk, Montana seems to be the place to be, and that is sad.
So, congratulations to Billings, Montana! According to a story on KFBB-TV in Great Falls:
The March issue of Men’s Health Magazine has named Billings as the 3rd drunkest city in the United States. And new research shows it is not just Billings that has a drinking problem, it is the entire state.
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign…
You really don’t have to drive too far in Montana to see a sign that tells us “Project Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”
I think they are a little silly. We actually paid for the work done on the roads, sidewalks, etc., with our tax dollars – so maybe if they really needed to put up a sign, the sign should read, “Paid for by Your Taxes. Thank You!”
Congressman Denny Rehberg does not like the signs, either.
They constructed some new sidewalks in my neighborhood. The placed signs along the streets to tell us how the new sidewalks came to be. (more…)
