Tuesday’s Quick Hits

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Today is Flag Day – fly your flag proudly!

Quote for the Day…

When you learn to accept instead of expect, you will have fewer disappointments. -Robert Fisher

In today’s column, I take a quick look at these people/issues:

  • Great Falls Homeless Issue
  • SCOTUS Opinions
  • Fake News
  • The Western Word Poll

GREAT FALLS HOMELESS ISSUE:

Yesterday I wrote about the upcoming city’s planning board/zoning commission meeting regarding the First United Methodist Church’s application for a conditional use permit (CUP) to use the property as an emergency shelter.

I wrote, “I think we all know how this will turn out.”

I guess I was correct.

The Electric is reporting that city “Staff is recommending denial of the CUP request.”

Then the staff gives a wordy bullshit excuse for denial. I imagine the board/commission will agree with their recommendation.

The meeting to decide on this request will be held (Today) Tuesday, June 14, at 3:00 pm in the commission chambers at the civic center. More information about the meeting and how you can give comments can be found HERE.

I provided comments, but if I had learned of the staff recommending denial, I probably would not have wasted my time.

We have the MAGA jerks and a mini-Trump complaining about high prices and inflation, and it appears they won’t acknowledge that there’s an emergency in their own community with the homeless population. The church is trying to help, and the city is trying to stop them.

Great Falls is quickly turning into a place that nobody wants to live or even visit. Great Falls seems to have lost the desire to help people.

Read the report from The Electric HERE.

SCOTUS OPINIONS:

In case you missed it, the U.S. Supreme Court issued several opinions on Monday. More opinions will be released on Wednesday.

According to SCOTUSblog, the court issued opinions in the following cases: Denezpi v. United States, Garland v. Aleman Gonzalez, Johnson v. Arteaga-Martinez, Kemp v. United States, and ZF Automotive US v. Luxshare.

Check out the opinions HERE.

FAKE NEWS:

I have some MAGA friends and family who are dumbasses.

The latest dumbassery is THIS PHOTO that they claim shows a mine for lithium, which is used to make batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles.

The photo is of a gold mine. (Source)

That took me about one minute to debunk it.

I suggest people who post fake shit cancel their Facebook accounts.

THE WESTERN WORD POLL:

This week’s poll question asks, “Should ZooMontana host the Drag Queen Story Hour?” (Background HERE & HERE)

The results will be posted later this week.

## THE END ##

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7 thoughts on “Tuesday’s Quick Hits”

  1. Some thoughts resulting from this imbroglio in GF.

    Is GF so small that it has only one church?
    What would be the outcome if a dozen or so other churches filed CUP requests?
    Might the clerics of other churches find it in their bailiwicks to urge their congregants to make their voices heard on this issue?
    Does this seem like a ‘test of faith’ for professed and practicing Christians in GF?
    I have this little flash of the upright, dogmatic evangelical in the front pew on Sunday, the loudest voice proclaiming his faith, who then goes home and kicks the dog.

    • Fred – There are many churches in Great Falls (probably 75-100) and I think many have programs to help the homeless.
      I would like to see them band together to do more.
      Thanks, JmB

  2. The outcome of that CUP application was a foregone conclusion. The only surprise at all was the ironic inclusion of, “While staff acknowledges that the homeless situation in Great Falls is serious and should be addressed” after this entire affair has exposed that City leaders have no such intent.

    Since the church has already been ignoring some City edicts, this will probably all end with the invisible hand of the City Manager’s office ordering the police to go down there and forcibly kick all those people off the property and clear the camp. Hopefully someone will get video to supply to the Internet.

    • As I re-read the Electric stories on this CUP and now today’s consideration by the zoning advisory board, it strikes me as real unfortunate that “city staff” has managed to maneuver a volunteer citizen advisory board into having to make this difficult decision on the FUMC camp and ultimately City homeless policy in general, apparently to provide cover to those elected City Commission members who ostensibly sit in front of us to take any heat for the direction of city affairs set by the City Manager’s office and city staff. If I was one of those zoning board volunteers, I might be feeling a little used and abused today. But they knew the job was dangerous when they took it.

  3. I don’t know which judge has the case but can’t imagine that they will allow the “shelter” to continue. I’m not heartless. For many years I have concentrated my charitable donations to The Great Falls Rescue Mission. When I lived in NYC & my husband and I sheltered the homeless. Only robbed once. The door man finally got used to buzzing us to let in the lady who lived in the box when it rained hard. Another gentleman stayed for two weeks. We took him to detox. I didn’t continue our shelter after my husband died.

    • Mary – Thanks.
      I would ask for a change of venue if I were the Church lawyers. All the judges probably drive past the church. I think the further away the trial gets from GF the better it will be for the church.
      As for the rescue mission, I find one of their employees appalling so I don’t donate. I do donate $ and food to others and through my church.
      We must do something. It’s going to get worse. No matter what, the city will take a hit on their actions and I hope to help them take a hit for their lack of compassion. Thanks again, JmB

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