It’s Friday! Here are the topics that caught my eye this week:
- Sheehys Are Generous
- Losing the Supermajority
- Healthcare
- Sports, Sports, Sports
- One More Thing
SHEEHYS ARE GENEROUS:
Tim and Carmen Sheehy are generous. I know this because Tim Sheehy says so in a new campaign ad.
I happened to catch a new campaign ad from Tim Sheehy, who is running for U.S. Senate in Montana. Sheehy introduces the viewers to his wife, Carmen, saying in his post on X:
Lucky to have Carmen as my best friend and soulmate.
She’s got the highest level of integrity and truest moral compass, and she makes me a better person.
We both lived a lifetime of service and will always put the betterment of our country and our community ahead of ourselves.
Maybe Carmen can tell us about the gunshot wound?
Sheehy talks about building a business, which is great. He also talks about his wealth and how “generous” he and Carmen are. He talks about giving $4 million to Bozeman Health, adding, “We gave the largest gift in the history of Bozeman Health” he says matter-of-factly.
It’s great that he is generous and donates some of his wealth to the less fortunate, but that’s not something I would encourage a candidate to talk about – let a friendly reporter tell the story or have a friendly third-party group tell the story.
Why? Because I think Montana has too many millionaires holding elective office – and Sheehy would be another one elected. People like Sheehy, Daines, and Gianforte don’t understand the struggles the lower and middle classes have.
LOSING THE SUPERMAJORITY:
Lee Newspapers reported this week that following the primary elections earlier this month, a picture of what the Montana Legislature will look like is coming into focus and it looks like the Republican Party will lose its supermajority, according to multiple Republican and Democratic politicos. That will shape how key issues like health care and property taxes are legislated.
I think at least two or three seats in the Great Falls area may flip to Democrats. That would be a heck of an accomplishment.
In the article, some “experts” predict that the Republicans will lose 2-3 seats in the Senate and 8-10 in the House.
Is the MAGA love affair wearing off? If Trump loses, the MAGA brand will most likely go down the toilet – where it belongs.
HEALTHCARE:
Since I turned the magic number 65, I have been looking into things that I can do to help me live longer and become a burden on my children and wife.
I scheduled an appointment at a local pharmacy this week to get three shots that are recommended for older folks. I have Medicare, a Medicare supplement, plus drug coverage.
The average cost of the three vaccinations was about $315. My co-pay was $0.00.
I ask you, once again, faithful readers, “Is this a great country or what?”
The money I saved will buy lots of wine…
SPORTS, SPORTS, SPORTS:
Congratulations to the Boston Celtics for winning their 18th NBA Title this week. I’ve been a fan of the Celtics since the days of Dave Cowan and Jo Jo White.
In the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers went up 3-0 on the Edmonton Oilers, but the Oilers have fought back and now the Panthers lead 3-2. Game six is Friday (today) in Edmonton and televised on ABC.
For the track and field fans, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials start Friday (Today) at Hayward Field in Eugene Oregon. This should be fun to watch. NBC will televise the event.
ONE MORE THING:
I dream of a world where the truth is what shapes people’s politics, rather than politics shaping what people think is true. — Neil deGrasse Tyson
The Western Word 
Local thought leader and Republican legislator Steve Fitzpatrick weighed in with his special insight regarding the possible loss of the supermajority. Yes it is possible the Dems may pick up some seats, said Steve, but it will be only because of changes in district boundaries, not because of the Dems’ policies.
Now think about that for just a minute. If Party D is going to pick up seats solely because of changes in district boundaries and not its policies, while Party R loses seats solely because of changes in district boundaries while presumably adhering to its same wonderful policies, what would be a real good guess as to the sole reason Party R held that seat in the first place?
https://dailymontanan.com/2024/06/05/how-montanas-primary-results-could-shape-the-2025-legislature/
Picked up my new 90 day prescription yesterday. I asked what would I be paying if I didn’t have a Cigna Drug plan. $376 she said. I paid six. I asked because my drug plan cost greatly increased. Medicare, Supplemental & drug plan, I pay about $460 a month. Nothing is free.
Sheehy is not going to win.
Thanks. There has to be a better way for our country to provide healthcare – Especially for seniors.
I agree about Sheehy – he is tainted.
Thanks, JmB
oh, I wasn’t complaining. Just glad I can afford the premiums. And who are the projected “loser” Republicans. Pay wall.
The article does not give names. It does say the toss-up senate seats are in Billings and Whitefish. -JmB
Yes but, the Republican fraud plan of Medicaire Advantage is not the way. Americans really need to understand that the government is not always looking out for their best interests. Allowing the insurance industry to rip them off is not the way. I’ve had probably over a million dollars in medical bills over the last six years, and Medicare and my supplement have covered them all except for the deductibles. It’s truly incredible how things can go south after age 65. And I have been an athlete my whole life. Thank God for Medicare. It’s definitely worth fighting for as the moronic MAGAs plan to attack it. Lose that and social security and we’ve lost it all! It’s back to the feudal system overnight.
https://prospect.org/health/medicare-advantage-is-a-massive-scam/
Remember, Tim Sheehy HAS a better idea for healthcare. It is no government programs at all, and everyone just pays out of their pocket.
I bet if we loaned them a few of our MAGAs we could screw up that rating in no time! I can think of three off hand that would do the job. ‘Sides, how can you efficiently run a city without whiners whining for more money all the time? What they need is a good safety budget!
https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/government-politics/billings-ranked-16th-best-run-city-in-us/article_53e637ce-2dc4-11ef-ac53-3b31cb4356b4.html?utm_source=billingsgazette.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter-templates%2Fdaily-headlines&utm_medium=cio&lctg=b8f307039bd801ac9707&tn_email_eh1=5cdf4a440b67787871038dda28fbc56a64140cf1440e6ea847cbda3a8a4c5f27
I was going to write about this, but I found out the WalletHub study looked at “148 of the largest U.S. cities.” That excluded places like Great Falls and Helena. -JmB
I just found the article interesting. It should be noted that there is one glaring difference between our two cities. Billings has a real mayor with real education and experience. We have a what? An ex cop who admires his constitutionalist former boss! Until we start electing folks who are smart enough to not be MAGAs, we willing continue to be Floundering Falls!
https://www.billingsmt.gov/directory.aspx?EID=386
Both MAGA and WOKE (the words and the concepts related to those words) can go down the drain as far as I’m concerned – Those two words are the modern equivalent of “nails on the chalkboard”
Healthcare?
Probably one of the best things I did for my family was to retire — Health Insurance in this country is a total tragedy … one of the biggest money grabs I’ve ever seen. The deductibles (even the lowest ones) alone are enough to keep anyone from ever visiting their doctor.
My Medicare premium (including co-pays) is just a drop in the bucket compared to what I was having to pay before. I’m much better able now to foot the bill on our 17 year old sons insurance.