Welcome to the end of August! Here are the topics for today’s column: 

• Some Casual Reading
• Cost of Living
• Trump the Tattletale
• Be On the Lookout
• One More Thing

SOME CASUAL READING:

I have not written about Great Falls City Commissioner Rick Tryon for a while, but this past week was too good to pass up. 

Tryon takes some time out of his busy schedule to praise Great Falls City Manager Greg Doyon, writing, “I think Greg Doyon is doing an incredible job as Great Falls City Manager, we’re lucky to have him, and he earns every penny he’s paid.” (Source)

I think Doyon is paid too much. At last count, I think he makes around $216,000 a year. I also think that Doyon has been in Great Falls too long (about 18 years). The city could use new leadership and a fresh perspective. 

Then, Tryon takes his readers to task through a “memo” about taking “a few minutes to learn the important budgetary, jurisdictional, and staffing/elected leadership differences between the City of Great Falls and Cascade County.”

Tryon says, “After reading some recent public comments from the public about county budget issues, I was a little surprised that so many folks have so much to say about things of which they know so little.” (Source)

Maybe the Commissioner will give us a TED Talk next. 

Then Tryon tells his readers (again):

– You can’t call someone a “pedo” or “pedo protector” just because you disagree with their politics or you heard a rumor on the interwebs. Do it once, your comment will be deleted. Do it twice, you’ll be permanently blocked.

– Excessive, gratuitous swearing or sexually explicit content isn’t welcome on this page. (Source)

One thing we know for sure is that Tryon will do whatever he can to protect Donald Trump. That’s working for him now. 

COST OF LIVING:

Just about every Friday I try to post on my social media pages the average gas prices in Montana and the United States. I forgot to post last Friday, but as of Sunday, the average gas price in Montana was $4.38, and nationwide it was $4.07. (Source). 

That is terrible, and Trump is to blame for it. 

Then we have Trump’s tariff war. According to The Budget Lab from Yale University, the estimated household costs due to tariffs total about $1,100 annually under current law. (Source)

Most people cannot afford an extra $1,100 coming out of their budget. 

Please remember the cost of living when you vote in the General Election. We need some serious changes in the leadership of our country. 

TRUMP THE TATTLETALE:

Reuters and other sources reported that President Donald Trump said in a Truth ‌Social post on Sunday that NBC’s Kristen Welker will be reported to the Federal Communications Commission for “rebuke or punishment,” after she noted that the Republican president’s success in endorsing political candidates has been mixed. 

An analysis by The New York Times notes that nearly 40% of Trump’s endorsements were given to candidates running completely uncontested. A significant majority of the remaining endorsements went to heavy favorites or safe, well-resourced incumbents.

In competitive or open-seat races where his endorsement would act as a true test of kingmaking power, his record has seen notable setbacks. For instance, he suffered a 79% success rate in gubernatorial primaries, with high-profile losses in states like Georgia, South Carolina, and Iowa. 

There are many more important things to worry about. Let’s see how he does in November. 

BE ON THE LOOKOUT: 

A total of 40,000 lbs. of Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) beer was stolen from a California distribution center on Aug. 17. The brewing company is offering a reward to help recover the missing beer, which police say is worth approximately $25,000. (Source)

Keep an eye out over the Labor Day holiday! 

ONE MORE THING:

Monday is like that person who showed up uninvited to your party. Like you’ll allow it, but honestly… how rude!  

## HAVE A GREAT WEEK ##