Thursday Numbers

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Quote for today…

I had a happy childhood. My dad used to put me in tires and roll me down hills. Those were Goodyears. – Unknown

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you are a first-time visitor, this is the weekly column where I look at the numbers in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary sometimes sprinkled with sarcasm and humor.

This week’s topics include the Texas border wall, deaths from coronavirus, wrongfully convicted, fully immunized Montanans, unemployment claims, Gianforte’s donation, Rosendale’s votes, moral values in the U.S, TWW poll results, plus much more!

250,000,000

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday formally announced that Texas will build its own border wall, as he accused the Biden administration of abandoning its responsibility to protect the southern U.S. border. Abbott also announced a $250 million down payment to begin the project, allowing the state to hire a project manager and get the task underway. He said that it would be built on a combination of state land and donations of private land and be partly funded by donations. (Fox News)

I thought Mexico was going to pay for the wall.

600,656

That is how many people have died in the United States from coronavirus, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. There have been 33,499,190 cases across the country so far. The first death in the USA was reported on February 29, 2020. (Johns Hopkins)

Last week the death total was 598,776. The death toll hit 600,000 on Tuesday.

600,000

Richard Burkhart, wrongfully convicted of a 2001 murder in Great Falls, has settled his lawsuit against the city, Cascade County, and state for $600,000, his attorney told MTN News Monday. (MTN News)

He was released from prison in 2018. I don’t know how long he served from 2001-2018, but if it were me the $600,000 would not be close to what the government would owe me for screwing up my life.

415,586

That is how many Montanans have been fully immunized for COVID-19. That is 45% of the eligible population. (Source)

Last week the number of fully immunized Montanans was 405,648.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Montana’s estimated population in July 2019 was 1,068,778.

Find COVID-19 Vaccines Near You by clicking HERE.

412,000

In the week ending June 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 412,000, an increase of 37,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised down by 1,000 from 376,000 to 375,000. The 4-week moving average was 395,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week’s revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since March 14, 2020 when it was 225,500. The previous week’s average was revised up by500 from 402,500 to 403,000. (DOL)

*Note: On Thursdays, this column is published right after 6:30 a.m. (Montana time), so I can post the latest unemployment numbers.

18,732

Governor Greg Gianforte (R-MT) donated his first-quarter salary Wednesday to aid a substance abuse program in Hardin. The governor made the $18,732 donation during a tour of One Health Bighorn, a health center offering substance abuse disorder treatment in southeast Montana. (Lee Newspapers)

People may remember that Gianforte spent millions of his own money to win the governor’s seat. Gianforte’s donation reminds me of Donald Trump donating his salary. It’s just a gimmick to get attention.

415-14

The House passed legislation Wednesday that would establish June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a US federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, sending the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature. The bill passed the House 415-14 after the Senate unanimously passed the legislation Tuesday. (CNN)

Representative Matt Rosendale (R-MT/AL) was one of the 14 who voted against the legislation, proving, once again, that he is out of touch.

406-21

Representative Matt Rosendale (R-MT/AL) was one of 21 Republicans to vote “Nay” on H.R. 3325. The bill would award four congressional gold medals to the United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. (Source)

Shame on Rosendale.

84

Continuing a long-term trend, Americans are discouraged about the state of moral values in the U.S., with 84% calling them “only fair” or “poor” and two-thirds believing they are getting worse rather than better. These negative evaluations differ little from what Gallup has found each year since it began measuring perceptions of the nation’s values in 2002 as part of its Values and Beliefs survey, conducted annually. (Gallup)

70

This week’s poll question asked, “Do you believe Critical Race Theory (CRT) should be taught in public schools?”

Here are the results:

  • YES: 70%
  • NO: 18%
  • UNDECIDED: 12%

Thanks to all those who participated!

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10 thoughts on “Thursday Numbers”

    • Thanks, Larry – Matt is in a deep hole. It seems it’s getting worse each hour. -JmB

  2. I think Rosendale may be competing for “Dumbest Rep in Congress.” Gotta give him credit for trying ……..look at the competition he faces with the likes of Louie Gohmert, Paul Gosar, Marj Greene, Lauren Boebert, and on and on.

      • Gosar’s brothers said this about him. “On behalf of the actual sane members of our family, which is everyone but Paul, we apologize,” they said on CNN, to D.C. Officer Michael Fanone for their brother’s “despicable comments and disgraceful conduct through this whole incident.”

        I feel the need to apologize to the rest of the country on behalf of us sane Montanans for accidentally electing the most idiotic, despicable dude in Congress, Rosendale. We will try harder next time!

        I can’t help but wonder how he became rich. He really does seem stupid. He’s nothing but repetitious talking points. I haven’t heard an original thought from him yet.

  3. How does this work? An Ass who is an Ass calls an Ace an Ace. I think we have a translation problem. I get it. The Ace is an Ass and the ASS is an Ace. That Matt is a crafty devil 🙂

  4. Gianforte’s donation of his salary was a generous act no matter his personal wealth. But announcing it and making a big deal out of it is what turned it into what you termed a publicity gimmick, tarnishing that act of generosity. No Montanan I know runs around announcing their donations to the food bank or Salvation Army or whatever.

    • Compare the list of reps who voted against honoring the capitol police who protected them from insurrectionists with the list of reps who voted against honoring the end of slavery in America. It’s a surpriingly small intersection. But Matt’s name is on both lists. He’s branding himself as “the most extreme” of the extreme radical right.

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