We made it! Happy first day of spring! I heard spring begins in Montana at 3:01 a.m. today (Thursday 3/20). 

Here are the topics for today’s common sense commentary:

• GF City Manager Pay Increase
• MT Legislators Pay Raise
• Daines in China
• One More Thing

GREAT FALLS CITY MANAGER PAY INCREASE:

The Electric is reporting that Great Falls City Manager Greg Doyen will now make $207,756.88 per year after the city commissioners approved performance and cost of living increases. 

One of the more comical parts of the report is where The Electric reported on comments from City Commissioner Rick Tryon:

Once the motion was made, Commissioner Rick Tryon said, “Greg is doing a great job and has been for at least as long as I’ve been on the commission.”

He said that he hears people say the city manager makes too much money for a city this size, or in general, and that “usually comes from folks who have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.”

I am one of the people who thinks the City Manager makes too much money.

According to the commission, they need more funding for public safety, but they went ahead and approved a $10,000 yearly increase for the City Manager. 

Interesting. 

It was also reported in the article that in February Mayor Reeves wanted to look at adjusting the pay for commissioners, which he said had been the same since 1988. 

If the city is hurting so much for funding, pay increases for commissioners should not be on the agenda.  

MT LEGISLATORS PAY RAISE:

The Montana State Legislature is just about to vote themselves a hefty pay raise. So much for the legislators serving as a sense of duty – they want to be paid handsomely for their time in Helena. 

According to the Montana Free Press (MTFP):

The lawmaker pay portion of the bill would increase pay for state representatives and senators, currently $10.33 an hour when the Legislature is in session, by tying it to Montana’s average wage, which is currently $27.90 an hour. The bill would boost lawmaker pay to 80% of the average wage in 2027 and to 100% of the average from 2029 on.

They do not deserve a pay raise. They should ask the voters to approve any increases to their salaries.  

I do believe the regular (non-elected) state workers deserve pay raises. 

The bill being considered is HB 13. 

DAINES IN CHINA:

U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) is heading to China this week instead of meeting with constituents in Montana. 

Since Daines is up for reelection, he will be appearing more and more on cable news. He appeared on Fox News this week and afterward sent a press release. Daines said in his press release that he previewed his upcoming trip to China, where he’ll address the deadly flow of fentanyl into the U.S. and market access for Montana producers.

Daines also took time out of talking about China to blame former President Joe Biden for a few things while on Fox News. It’s the MAGA talking point. 

Daines says he worked in China in the 90s. I think he would make a great U.S. Ambassador to China. Montana would get rid of him and we could elect someone better as our U.S. Senator. How about it, President Trump? 

ONE MORE THING:

I hate when cashiers feel the need to check if my money is real. If I could counterfeit money I wouldn’t be at Dollar Tree, Karen.

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