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

• Great Falls Municipal Election
• Best & Worst States for Teachers
• Trump & Smart People
• One More Thing

GREAT FALLS MUNICIPAL ELECTION:

If you are a voter in Great Falls, then you should check out an article from the Montana Free Press (MTFP) titled, “Incumbent mayor talks priorities in election interview.”

The MTFP does an in-depth interview with Great Falls Mayor Cory Reeves, who is running for reelection this November. His opponent is Jasmine Taylor. The MTFP will publish its interview with Taylor next week. 

As I have written before, I can’t vote for Reeves as almost every time he gavels in the city commission, he raises taxes, fees, or rates. 

Make sure you have a full coffee cup, as the article is lengthy, but worth the read. Click HERE to read it. 

BEST & WORST STATES FOR TEACHERS:

From my friends at WalletHub: 

With World Teachers’ Day around the corner, but teachers making an average of $3,728 less per year than they did 16 years ago when adjusted for inflation, the personal-finance company WalletHub released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst States for Teachers, as well as expert commentary.

In order to help educators find the best opportunities and teaching environments in the U.S., WalletHub analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 24 key metrics, ranging from teachers’ income growth potential to the pupil-teacher ratio to public-school spending per student.

The best states for teachers in 2025 are Virginia, Utah, Washington, New York, and Illinois.

The worst states for teachers in 2025 are South Dakota, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana, and Hawaii. (Emphasis mine)

With the leadership in Montana’s Office of Public Instruction (OPI) lacking, it is no wonder Montana is ranked 50/51. 

The former OPI Superintendent, Elsie Arntzen,  seemed to be more interested in kitty litter in schools (source) or running through school bus stop signs (source), or running for another office (source). 

The current OPI Superintendent, Susie Hedalen, has started her tenure with a driving under the influence (DUI) charge in Belgrade (source). I called for her, as I have for any elected official who is caught driving drunk, to resign. 

Both Arntzen and Hedalin are Republicans, and we all know how Republicans feel about teachers and public schools. 

Read the complete report from WalletHub HERE. 

TRUMP & SMART PEOPLE:

The Daily Beast and several other sources are reporting that President Donald Trump took a swipe at his critics but seemingly revealed his thoughts on his supporters in the process. “Smart people don’t like me, you know? And they don’t like what we talk about,” Trump told attendees of a gala at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club on Saturday.

I remember when Trump said, “I love the poorly educated” after winning a primary contest (source). 

I suppose I will take Trump’s “smart people” remark as a compliment. I don’t care for him, and I have never voted for him. 

ONE MORE THING:

According to my car stereo volume, I was in a completely different mood the last time I drove. 

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