Here are the topics that caught my attention for today’s column:
- Great Falls Public Library
- GF Public Safety/Infrastructure
- Election Fraud Summit
- Amelia Earhart & Coconut Crabs
GREAT FALLS PUBLIC LIBRARY:
The good guys won!
Voters approved the Great Falls Public Library levy by a little over 600 votes Tuesday night overcoming lies and slanted information from the opponents to secure a victory for Great Falls. (Source) (Source) (Source)
I voted for the library levy.
I did not witness the counting of the votes, but the results were released before midnight which was better than the last election. Although the results were released sooner, I am not sure taking hours to count around 13,000 votes is that good.
GF PUBLIC SAFETY/INFRASTRUCTURE:
Now officials in Great Falls will attempt to pass a public safety levy which if approved would cost the voters much more than the library levy will. According to reporting from The Electric, based on the current taxable value of the City, the property taxes on a home with an assessed market value for tax purposes of $100,000 would increase by $140.06 per year and property taxes on a home with an assessed market value for tax purposes of $200,000 would increase by $280.11 per year.”
The greedy City Commission is also looking at placing a public safety infrastructure bond on the ballot. The Electric reports that the current proposal is a $21,175,000 infrastructure bond, in addition to the mill levy that commissioners already voted to send to the November ballot. Apparently, that request would add an additional $162 in taxes per year on a $100k home.
The city also approved the spending of up to $150,000 in taxpayer money to promote these tax increases. I think this is probably illegal and I hope someone takes the city to court over it.
The bottom line for me on these “public safety levy” and “public safety infrastructure” requests is a big “HELL NO.”
It’s not our fault that the city manager and department heads can’t run the city properly. It’s not our fault that the city commission is made up of “Yes” people. I urge you to vote “NO” on the public safety requests that will be on the ballot in November. The people who are running for mayor and commissioner should also state if they support these levies and if they supported the library levy.
ELECTION FRAUD SUMMIT:
I happened to catch the story in the Daily Montanan titled, “Plenty of conspiracies, but few facts at large election fraud summit in Ravalli County.”
The amazing thing from the story is the “summit” which was held at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds, had more than 250 seats filled and standing room in the back of the event space.
I think the MAGA nutcases are spreading. They are like the walking dead.
Check out the story HERE and shake your head in disbelief like I did that so many people could be so gullible.
AMELIA EARHART & COCONUT CRABS:
I’ve followed the Amelia Earhart story over the years. It’s pretty fascinating. Now there is a new plot twist!
During an attempt at becoming the first woman to complete a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937 in a Purdue-funded Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. The two were last seen in Lae, New Guinea, on July 2, 1937. (Source)
Now there are reports that Earhart had been aiming to land her plane on the island of Howland, she may have decided to put down her plane on the island of Nikumaroro which was then known as Gardner. A National Geographic-funded expedition suggests that the aviator may have ended up as a castaway on the island and a victim to the thousands of coconut crabs that call the island home.
I spent a few years on the beautiful island of Guam during my time in the military, so I have some knowledge of coconut crabs. During the night when I was pulling security for the planes at Andersen AFB, Guam if it was quiet you could hear the coconut crabs clicking on the tarmac as they made their way across the airport. It was a little scary the first time you heard it. The coconut crabs are tough and mean. Some were pretty good-sized.
I sure hope that poor Amelia and her navigator did not fall victim to the coconut crabs.
The National Geographic story is for premium subscribers only, but HERE is another version I found.
The Western Word 
This election-denying crowd in Montana is – well – scary! They won every election in our county, yet want to claim it was corrupted! I was invited to the meeting they held in Great Falls, and I almost wish I had attended, but I got enough of a flavor to know their “science” is hardly credible. It will be interesting to what whether and how they challenge the library levy vote. My guess is that they will focus on the language in the ballot vs. the authorizing ordinance.
If I am reading that proposed tax hit chart at The Electric correctly, it’s the combined hit (previous operational levy + new $22/mo infrastructure levy) that would add up to the added $162+ annually on the $100k assessed home. Or $324 on a $200k.
There was a lot of complaining on that Nextdoor about $40 on $200k for the library. What on earth will we see about an ask that’s eight times as much? (Prediction: Very little. The Nextdoor library hate was never really about the money.)
One other item of note from the Electric story: Commissioner McKenney apparently was not happy with a new state law that requires levy measures to warn people that a “yes” vote might make rents go up. Commissioner McKenney must believe landlords are philanthropists who do not pass along their tax increases to the renters. To his credit commissioner Tryon commented in favor of the renter warning, saying people had a right to know. So good for him.
Interesting semi-related story for the commissioners to consider from 2022:
“In a 2020 study, researchers at the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that ‘a $100 increase in median rent was associated with a 9% increase in the estimated homelessness rate.’”
https://givingcompass.org/partners/homelessness/what-rising-rents-and-inflation-mean-for-homelessness
As long as we’re talking increases that the powers that be want to pile on us, seems we’re also looking at a very fat residential electricity increase from Northwestern that will add 28% per month to the average consumer bill, if our Republican PSC commissioners approve it. Never ends.
Thanks for the clarification on how much the taxes will be. I’ll check it out.
-JmB
Sorry, I stated wrong: Additional $22/YR for the infrastructure levy.