Welcome to Friday, friends! Here are the topics that caught my eye for this column:
- Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
- Montana Opinions Survey
- In Defense Of…
- Title 42 Has Ended
- One More Thing
STAMP OUT HUNGER FOOD DRIVE:
Tomorrow (Saturday, May 13) is the annual “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive” by the National Association of Letter Carriers.
I have a bag full of non-perishable food ready to be put out by my mailbox by 8:00 a.m. I hope you help those in need by doing the same. Thank you!
More information can be found HERE.
MONTANA OPINIONS SURVEY:
I participate in several polls each month and yesterday Montana Opinions Survey sent me a text message asking me to “complete this quick poll regarding local issues in Montana.”
So, I did.
It was mostly a pretty normal poll asking about the legislature and other issues. They asked my opinion (Fav-Unfav) of several elected officials. The final question was not about elected officials, but the poll asked my opinion (Fav-Unfav) of Montana Talks radio host Aaron Flint.
It made me wonder if Aaron is getting ready to run for elective office.
IN DEFENSE OF…
Over at the E-City Beat blog, Philip Faccenda comes to the rescue of embattled Cascade County Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant saying:
There has been a near frantic effort in Great Falls by a small group of locals to not only delegitimatize the upcoming Great Falls Public Library mil levy election but to smear the duly elected Cascade County Elections administrator, Sandra Merchant.
He goes on to write, “There are a few facts which some local media outlets don’t seem to be interested in reporting but which are important and relevant to the issue in question.”
He then talks about family ties and political party affiliations of some of the people concerned about how Merchant is running the office.
The funny thing about the column is the “few facts” that “some local media outlets don’t seem to be interested in reporting” must have been reported somewhere because I already knew about them. I’m sure others did, too.
I was happy to see Faccenda place his name on the column.
He closes the defense of Merchant with this:
It looks like the Election Protection Committee isn’t really interested in seeing successfully run elections – they seem more interested in spreading discord, mistrust, and havoc.
And that’s unfortunate.
What I think is “unfortunate” is that an unqualified person is running the elections in Cascade County, and it took her over 25 hours to post the results of a simple school board election. Merchant’s actions leading up to and during the election sowed “mistrust” and “havoc” in the process, not a watchdog group.
I can only imagine what will happen in the November 2024 presidential election. I hope she resigns before then.
Relatives involved in politics are nothing new in this town. I remember a few years ago when a candidate for city commission lost a close race and cried foul as did his relatives and political party friends. They relentlessly attacked the winner. They were very sore losers.
Personally, I’m glad we have people watching the election process in this county. I don’t care if they are Democrats, Republicans, or vegetarians. I am also glad to see which side Faccenda is taking.
TITLE 42 HAS ENDED:
I was watching cable news channels this morning and the main subject was the southern border and Title 42 ending at midnight last night.
I believe immigration and border security is not just a Republican or just a Democrat problem – neither party while in charge has done much to help with immigration. They sure like to use it as a campaign issue, though.
The Associated Press is reporting that the U.S. is putting new restrictions into place at its southern border to try to stop migrants from crossing illegally and encourage them instead to apply for asylum online through a new process. The changes come with the end of coronavirus restrictions on asylum that have allowed the U.S. to quickly turn back migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border for the past three years. Those restrictions are known as Title 42, because the authority comes from Title 42 of a 1944 public health law allowing curbs on migration in the name of protecting public health.
The AP has a great article that explains Title 42 and what happens next. After reading it, you will impress your friends with your knowledge about immigration. Check it out HERE.
ONE MORE THING:
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. – Desmond Tutu
The Western Word 
James should know. He has the creds.
https://dailymontanan.com/2023/05/14/the-fascist-playbook-comes-to-montana/
I read this & everything he describes except for LGBT is what Republicans accuse the democrats of doing.
Yes but, using both siderism as a debating technique is kind of like saying I know you are but what am I? Works well in fifth grade, but most folks have matured beyond that point to employ critical thinking skills gained from education and experience. I don’t see many Democrats in our legislature claiming to know know more than the medical doctors and professionals testifying in Helena.
But I do see MAGAs who reject science, ban books, insert medieval religious extremism and hate into bills, act as if they were certified gynecologists, psychologists, and medical doctors whose lack of education and credentials holds the same weight as the true professionals. Opinion is a poor replacement for actual knowledge, especially when opinion does indeed cause scientifically verifiable harm. Blood on their hands is more than an extremely accurate metaphor. It’s as close to literal truth as a met an get.
I’m not debating.
Excellent article. Pretty much nails our current batch of so called “conservative Christians “.
https://dailymontanan.com/2023/05/13/white-christian-nationalism-and-the-2023-montana-legislature/
I don’t seem to recall the ECity Bleat publishing any editorials condemning when Sandra and her MAGA fellow running dog election deniers were “spreading discord, mistrust, and havoc” about local elections last year. How very odd.
Good point! Thanks, JmB
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3432297210433258&set=a.1944768209186173&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVOzpNcq-pOSCLt4a0JyCPzq1EUqH6GjjKe2LkPTZ2x25oCy0ol5Uy0679azdX0vDlVxM2wbSAv51ekiUkzQLQIUHip0VIxUvsCKFF_yPZDecpr5rLo0QFISj-0vhlYUpLs1vdxZR-L3c9UjI8OHoqnIMR-bO7GzvBpPiXx47hgyzb4cn7JZK9Htelf2EXEDH0&__tn__=EH-y-R
I wouldn’t let the opinions of a couple of folks thats’ business is located on a super fund site contaminated with lead and arsenic cause concern. I think reading ECB should provide the proof locating the children’s museum there would be a horrible mistake. There is some obvious brain injury evident.