Caught My Eye…

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Quote for the Day…

My favorite childhood memory is having energy. – Unknown

Caught My Eye (CME) is the once-a-week column that is posted every Friday morning. This is when I look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week.

Here are some of the things that “Caught My Eye” this week:

  • Raising Taxes
  • Great Falls Homeless Issue
  • Drag Story Hour
  • Flight Over The Falls 2022

RAISING TAXES:

The Electric reported this week that the Great Falls City Commissioners voted unanimously during their July 19 meeting to adopt the budget and their intent to raise property taxes.

I think it’s appropriate at this time to name the commissioners who voted to raise taxes on the hardworking folks in Great Falls:

  • Mayor Bob Kelly
  • Commissioner Eric Hinebauch
  • Commissioner Joe McKenney
  • Commissioner Rick Tryon
  • Commissioner Susan Wolff

As an FYI – Kelly, Hinebauch, and Tryon’s terms end December 31, 2023. They are next up for reelection if they decide to run again.

One of the commissioners said things like “their hands are tied” and “We honestly have no choice” in trying to justify the increase.

That may sound good to the uneducated followers, but it’s not the truth.

The fiscal conservatives on the commission failed us.

The Mayor said there should have been more public participation in the process. It seemed to me that no matter what amount of participation, the commission was bound and determined to raise our taxes.

The Electric reported that the total impact to a property owner with a residential home with a taxable value of $100,000 would be $11.59 for the year. That might not sound like much, but many homes have a taxable value a lot higher than $100k.

With the way the economy is these days, the commission should have waited for better days to stick it to us. Shame on them.

Read the complete report from The Electric HERE.

GREAT FALLS HOMELESS ISSUE:

Apparently, the First United Methodist Church will prohibit tents and camping on their downtown property effective Aug. 1. That is according to several reports, including this one from The Electric.

On social media, the homeless haters loved the news. The new thing for the haters to say to those who care about the homeless is to ask them to let them camp on your property or to ask, “What have you done to help the homeless.”

The homeless haters in Great Falls, which includes some elected officials, have shown very little compassion or leadership.

The truth is that the homeless issue is not going away in Great Falls. Although they cannot camp on church property, they will find other places to stay.

Now is the time to address the homeless issue instead of just hoping that they will be out of sight and out of mind.

Thanks to the First United Methodist Church for trying to help the homeless.

DRAG STORY HOUR:

The Montana Free Press (MTFP) is reporting that an annual Drag Story Hour event for children is scheduled to take place as planned in Helena this weekend during one of Montana’s LGBTQ Pride celebrations, even as law enforcement organizations track threats against the event posted online by a self-proclaimed member of the Oath Keepers, a national anti-government militia group.

There have been death threats:

MTFP also reported that Montana Pride President Kev Hamm described much of the online critique as coming from “childish bigots,” but said his organization is taking the threats seriously. Hamm said he and other Montana Pride organizers have received more death threats in the lead-up to this week’s festivities than in years past. He said Pride events and celebrations of the LGBTQ community aren’t deterred.

We sure have a lot of people in Montana who are bigots. That hurts our state. We need to be better.

Read the complete story from MTFP HERE.

FLIGHT OVER THE FALLS 2022:

Just a reminder that the USAF Thunderbirds will be performing in Great Falls, Montana, this weekend, July 23-24. The event will be held at Great Falls International Airport. It’s free!

For more information, click HERE.

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11 thoughts on “Caught My Eye…”

  1. good blog. Many good comments. I am curious why drag queens want to read stories to children. You are a man that dresses flamboyantly like a woman, and has a desire to read stories to children.

  3. In the Electric tax story Commissioner Tryon sounds just like a tax-and-spend liberal. “Oh heavens no, we can’t cut anything! What on earth would we cut? Every bit is essential. You tell me!” It’s just a teensy weensy little tax increase. You can hardly even call it a tax increase. It’s not going hurt you that much. In fact it will be good for you.

    Whatever happened to card-carrying conservatives who tell us constantly there’s plenty of waste and fraud and unnecessary bloat to cut out of every public budget in the USA, so they’re not going to raise taxes on the voters?

    Tax-and-spend Rick sure seems a different guy from the Rick who used to rail about things like “Cadillac city health insurance” back when he was merely an ambitious talking-point spewing far-right wannabe without any real responsibilities. Can’t wait for his apologia and rationalization when they spring the public safety levy on us. We can call that “Tryon’s Tax” in honor of him setting the ball rolling.

    • Terry – great points. I think the fiscal conservatives have left the building! I can’t see me voting for any public safety levy. Thanks, JmB

      • That levy should be unnecessary. Now that the homeless encampment is being dispersed, crime in Great Falls will plummet to zero.

    • While we’re at it, maybe someone could ask Rosendale why he voted against allowing Americans access to birth control. Birth control ferrchrissakes! It’s what the christofascists on the Supreme “cult” Court want to outlaw next. People better wake up. It already happening here in Montana. There are pharmacies that won’t sell birth control pills or condoms. Maybe Pope Rosendale could tell us why.

      http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/joan-mccarter/102491/here-s-a-wake-up-call-for-the-country-195-house-republicans-want-to-end-right-to-birth-control

      • Moscow Matt also joined the far right laughingstocks of the Republican House in voting against the admittance of Finland and Sweden to NATO. Matt obviously does not care about freedom and democracy and would simply abandon more peoples of Europe to Putin’s thuggery.

        He also has kept his name on the Republican-proposed bill that would gut Federal funding for wildlife conservation by ending a small manufacturer excise tax on guns and ammo that’s been in place since the 1930’s, despite pleas from numerous Montana outdoors and wildlife organizations. Matt has made it abundantly clear that he does not represent Montanans in the least but is entirely in the pocket of extremist out-of-state NRA donors.

        It used to be one could say something like “Matt Rosendale: Too extreme for Montana!” and that might actually mean something, but based on the unwavering support he enjoys from the Repub base (and the recent Repub platform) it seems very little is too extreme for Montana anymore.

        https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2022/jul/22/outdoors-groups-call-rosendale-remove-his-name-ret/

  4. Great Falls isn’t the only town increasing taxes. Livingston residents will have major tax increases. Housing is very unaffordable in Livingston and the residents are still recovering from the Yellowstone River flood last month. Only the rich can afford to live here.

    • Bob – sorry to hear that. This is a bad time to raise taxes.
      Maybe the legislature will use some surplus to help offset the increases. I have my doubts!
      Thanks, JmB

      • Come now – it should be understood by all that any surplus (achieved, of course, by cutting a social program or two) must be directed to the benefit of corporate donors and wealthy campaign contributors.

        It’s one of those odd quirks of fiscal reality that “waste and fraud and bloat” only occur in social programs – never in giveaways to those donors and contributors.

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