I’m back! Here are the topics for today’s independent commentary:

• Election Chaos
• Montana Legislature
• A 4-Year Cruise

ELECTION CHAOS:

I have written many times about my concerns for the Cascade County Elections office. It appears my concerns are warranted. 

The “What the Funk” blog has a post called “Election Chaos In Cascade County” and it is very disturbing. They have statements from two observers who were there all day and into the night. 

There was a lot of confusion from the election judges, lines were long, and people were standing in line for seven hours. The Elections Office did not have the Expo Park staffed properly. When the polls closed at 8:00 p.m., there were over 500 people waiting in line. 

An observer stated:

• One voter came in wearing a Make America Great Again hat. He was approached by Elections staff and was asked to remove it. The Voter took the hat off and put it on his child. I notified the Elections staff about this and he informed me that the child is unable to vote so it doesn’t matter.

• I informed the Elections staff of an individual wearing a “Pray to end abortion” pin. While I was informing the worker, a Cascade County Attorney was standing nearby. She informed me that it would be hard to say if that is electioneering and that they will not tell her to remove it.

Those people should have been escorted out. 

Check out the full blog post by clicking HERE. 

MONTANA LEGISLATURE:

There’s been some chatter on social media about the Montana Democrats picking up some seats for the upcoming Montana Legislature, with the Republicans saying the only reason they gained seats is because of gerrymandering.  

Then the Republicans complain about the process of redrawing the legislative maps. There’s a lot of whining going on from the majority party. 

The next session starts on January 6, 2025. A Montana legislative session is 90 days long and it reminds me of a three-ring circus with many clowns running around blowing horns. 

In the last session (2023), the state House had 68 Republicans and 32 Democrats, and the state Senate had 34 Republicans and 16 Democrats.  

In 2025, it appears there will be 41 Democrats in the House and 18 Democrats in the Senate. (Source)

The bottom line is the numbers. The Democrats gained a few seats and they have enough members that the Republicans no longer have a supermajority. 

Now they all need to get to work and lower my property taxes.

A 4-YEAR CRUISE:

We all hear about people saying they will leave the country if this candidate wins or that candidate wins. I’ve also heard people say they were leaving social media. 

Have no fear, faithful readers. I am not leaving the country and I will still be here to give you my deepest thoughts about the Trump shitshow. 

One cruise company has come up with an idea:

Just days after Donald Trump emerged victorious in the 2024 elections, a cruise line company is offering a four-year package for customers to “Skip Forward” to avoid his presidency.

“Residents have the flexibility to join their customized journey at any port during the continuous global adventure for up to 4 years,” said the company, Villa Vie Residences. 

It costs around $40,000 per year. One can also purchase the entire four-year package at once, priced at either $159,999 per head for a room for two or $255,999 for a single-occupancy cabin, according to the article. 

Check out the full article HERE.

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