Thursday Thoughts

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Happy Montana Day/406 Day (4-06)!

Here are today’s topics:

  • City Commission & Garbage
  • Major League Baseball
  • One More Thing

CITY COMMISSION & GARBAGE:

In case you missed the Great Falls city commission meeting Tuesday night, the commissioners stuck it to the residents of Great Falls, once again.

The commissioners voted unanimously to raise the rates for residential and commercial sanitation service collection.

If I were a commissioner, I would have voted “NO” on the resolution.

According to a report from The Electric, the city was proposing to raise the rate by 10%. It was also reported that the last trash pickup increase was in May 2022. (Source)

It is also being reported that city staff is proposing a 10 percent increase for water, sewer, and storm drain bills for residential customers. (Source)

Maybe it’s just me, but with Cascade County and Great Falls increasing fees and taxes, I’m just about taxed and rate increased out.

Not one of the commissioners nor the mayor spoke against the increase, but Commissioners Rick Tryon and Joe McKenney gave what I call lame reasons as to why they were supporting the increase. The public hearing starts at about the 37-minute mark of the video. (Source)

Here are the members of the Great Falls City Commission who voted to raise the residential and commercial sanitation service collection rates:

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

These people fail to realize that the residents of Great Falls are not made of money. They will continue to stick it to us until we vote them out of office.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:

The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the average Major League Baseball salary was up 11.1% to a record $4.9 million to start this season, the largest jump for the sport since 2001, according to a study by The Associated Press. They also reported that of 943 players in the major leagues on opening day, 546 had salaries of $1 million or more, 58%, and up from 514 last year. (Source)

As soon as I am done with this column, I am looking for my baseball mitt and bat…

ONE MORE THING:

Dear Conservative Americans:

Have you considered the very real possibility that God is intervening…

He’s just not on your side? (Source)

## END ##

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14 thoughts on “Thursday Thoughts”

  1. Close to ten years ago the City had a plan to send a 16 ton garbage truck over 6000 miles to Kyrgyzstan as a gift since they made us a gift of a yurt. The value of the truck was estimated to be around a thousand dollars. I think the logistics of hauling the big ole truck those thousands of miles made them change their plans. They managed to get over 18 grand for the truck once valued at 1000 dollars and just mailed Kyrgyzstan the money. These are the people that set your garbage fees.

  2. I am feeling physically ill over the highjinks of the GOP in Tennessee. Will MT be next?

    • What happened in Tennessee today,will soon be coming to any and all Republican controlled states. They are turning what happened January 6 on it’s head. Claiming anyone that disagrees with them will be branded
      Insurrectionist and new rules and actions by the GOP will eliminate anyone they don’t like to stay in power. It may be to late to happen this Montana legislative session but you can bet your last dollar will happen next session if the GOP still has a super majority.

  3. Fees for water & sewer etc.
    The city runs these operations as Enterprise Funds.
    Fees support the services and if they don’t-must be raised.
    Many years past they were not raised because the fees covered the expenses.
    Can’t say I ever remember them going down.

    • The feeling I get is if they don’t raise the fees, they think it’s a cut. There has to be areas that can be cut or delayed in purchasing. The commissioners seem to take what the staff says as completely true and rubber stamp it. Just because the five commissioners vote for it does not make it correct.
      I am very disappointed in these five commissioners.
      Thanks, JmB

  4. I don’t think Tax-and-Spend Tryon has voted against any fee or tax increase the entire 3.5 years he has been in office. Seems to always votes yes … and always following some long-winded “reluctant” rationalization apparently for the ears of his local conservative community. Might as well save us all the hot air and quietly vote yes every time for bigger government like the other commissioners. We all know he is going to.

    But we can all sleep better knowing he’s all over things that really matter, like drag queen story hours.

    • The part from Tryon saying he’s just like us and he uses city sanitation was golden. -JmB

  5. I’m with you on taxes. Last year on some bare land I own in the county, taxes went up three hundred dollars. On bare land! And I just received my estimated tax evaluation for this year on my 1978 mobile home. It went from $167 last year to $338 this year! Last year valued at twelve thousand dollars, this year at thirty-four thousand dollars! I’ll soon be living in a Maytag box, but the commissioners will probably tax the hell outta that too! And screw the so called safety levy. I’ll soon have nothing left to steal. “Freedom’s just another word for nuthin’ left to lose”, Kris Kristofferson.

  6. I was wondering whether you had any reaction to the speech made by the losing candidate in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race? In my opinion, the GOP has really lost all sense of grace.

    • I saw some of Dan Kelly’s remarks after losing. The part about her not being a worthy opponent was low. He is sore loser big time.
      Thanks, JmB

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