Who Deserves My Vote for Mayor?

My slant on this race should be fairly obvious to anyone who follows this blog. I have never claimed nor have I attempted to hide my bias against the current incumbents in this race.

However, I have also tried to ask honest questions of both candidates. I don't think that anyone could justifiably accuse me of lobbing watermelons.

Regardless, I think that the city needs a change of leadership. That is why I am going to vote for Dona Stebbins. Is she perfect? No. However, I feel that she is an honest voice that will fight for our city.

In his endorsement of Dona yesterday, Geeguy stated that when it came to economic development, the Mayor was just along for the ride. I disagree. It is true that the successes we have seen in economic development are mainly the result of good work over at the Great Falls Development Authority. However, the mayor is an important piece to this puzzle, and not just as an ambassador.

When a business decides to locate here, they need to know that they will be treated fairly by city officials. After all, it is city employees that provide the permits necessary to build, the city fire department that inspects facilities and it is city police officers that will respond to any potential problems, etc. A positive meeting with a city's mayor goes a long way toward allaying any potential concerns.

I think that Stebbins could provide an articulate and informed voice at such meetings. To be fair, Gray has done a very good job in backing up the Great Falls Development Authority. However, I don't think that his role there is irreplaceable. If anything, Stebbins experience in sales makes her a more attractive choice in this role than Gray.

A few recent comments by Stebbins do give me pause. During the candidates forum, she was asked what could be done to attract more young adults to Great Falls. Her answer ranged all over the place, but basically revolved around the creation of more entertainment venues.

As I posted earlier, I think that this is allowing the tail to wag the dog. It is absolutely incredible when artists like BB King, Yo Yo Ma, and Yitzhak Perlman perform in Great Falls. Entertainment venues do provide a necessary outlet for young people. However, the only thing that will attract young people to Great Falls is a place to work where you can earn a decent salary. Everything else, with the exception of a quality education system, is just gravy.

If our community provides high-paying jobs (and ensures that professionals will be comfortable leaving their children in the hands of our education system) that do not just trade money with other city residents (like medical service jobs), then more people will come to live here. Once they are here, the entertainment venues will follow. In his answer to that question, Gray had the answer right, and Stebbins had it wrong.

However, Gray has also allowed the tail to wag the dog. It was under his leadership that the city built the multi-million dollar white elephant flow rider at Mitchell Pool. We will be paying for this turkey for years (if not decades) to come, and I don't think that any reasonable person has ever suggeted that its operation is expected to break even. My opposition the re-election of our current municipal leadership is based mostly on decisions that allowed white elephants like the flow rider and the skate park to be built. I don't like to be handed an expensive piece of cake after being told that we couldn't afford anything but rice for dinner.

So, you know how I am going to vote in all of the races tomorrow. Whether you agree with me or not, please remember to vote tomorrow. Your vote counts.

A Big Part of the Problem with our City Government

In the past several months, I have spent a great deal of time decrying bad decisions by the mayor and city commission. Many people in town have also been up in arms about alleged conflicts of interest made by certain of the incumbents, and potential conflicts of interest by some of the candidates.

I will not go into those details. However, I think that we are inviting conflicts of interest by expecting our municipal leaders to donate their time. A professional city commission and mayor should be paid for their time. Expecting these leaders to work long hours for our benefit and not pay them just encourages amateur-hour in our city commission.

Cascade County commissioners make $52,000 per year. If anything, that amount is low for the work we expect our municipal leaders to do. However, extending even that amount to each of our commissioners (including the mayor) would go a long ways toward ensuring that our leaders are professional, informed and qualified.

City Council Endorsements

Well, the Tribune did as expected and endorsed the incumbent city commissioners. I think that Beecher, and to a lesser extent, Rosenbaum have done adequate jobs in their terms of office.

However, this is part of a crew that has been responsible for too many bad decisions, such as the Wave Rider, that have cost our town too much money. However, that is not the only reason that I am recommending the election of the two challengers in this race, Burke and Stevens.

Ryan Burke seems to be the only candidate, for commission or mayor, who is focused on the meth and crime problems we are having in Great Falls. He doesn't have any "new" ideas to solve the problems, just time tested (and expensive) answers that have proven to work.

He is suggesting a 25% increase in the staff level for the Great Falls Police Department. I think that this is a great idea. However, I would be much happier if he was proposing ways to pay for it.

Nonetheless, I think that we need the commission to do more to combat the meth problem in this city. Ryan Burke seems to me to be the man for the job, and he has my vote.

I was not expecting to endorse John Stevens. Before the commission candidate forum, I thought his resume looked too light, and that his age would keep him from being an active commissioner.

However, watching him in action changed my opinion. He is easily the most engaging and sharp candidate in the entire race, for commission or mayor. He is focused on economic development and wants to help Great Falls regain the momentum we lost 30 years ago when Anaconda went belly up. He has my vote.

However, if you are concerned about his age, and the (admittedly likely) chance that he would not be able to serve out his full term, I would recommend that you look toward Bill Beecher. Bill has been a fixture in the business community in our town for many years, and he understands that attracting well paying jobs is the only way to bring our town out of our economic doldrums. He did not earn my vote, but he came a very close third.

Neighborhood Council 7 endorsements

I have not had a chance to speak with the candidates. Beyond a Google search of them, all I know about them are the endorsements made by Dona Stebbins on this blog last week.

I will let you do your own Google searches, if you like. There is some pretty interesting (and in some cases, scary) information that has been posted by at least one candidate. Dona's opinion here carries a great deal of weight with me. My opinion here hews pretty close to hers.

Therefore, I recommend the following five people;

• Kim Thiel-Schaaf (i)
• Clary Cory (i)
• Robert Gaskell (i)
• Mike Taylor
• Karie Howell

For specific information about each individual, I recommend both Dona's endorsement and Google.

City Election is Tomorrow

Our municipal election is tomorrow. Municipal elections are the ones that attract the smallest number of voters, but I find elections like these to be the ones that are the most relevant. As I will probably pontificate at much-to-great a length in future posts, I feel that national, and to a smaller extent, State races are just games played by powerbrokers jockeying for position.

City and county issues, however, directy impact the governmental services we use most often. The water I use when I turn on the tap and the sewer I use after I am done using that water is a city resource and responsibilility. The trash that I throw away is taken to a city dump by city employees after I put it in a city receptacle.

When I feel that I am in danger, I call for a city-employed policeman. If there is a fire, I call for a city-employed fireman. A problem on the street, or a loose animal bothering the community? Also jobs for the city.

We should care about these issues, as they directly affect us. That is the main reason that I have spent so much time on this blog in recent months talking about the candidates.

After much consideration, I have also changed my mind on whether or not to endorse candidates from this blog. Originally, I had thought to write about the issues as I saw them, and leave the reader to make their own choice. However, the more I think about it, that viewpoint is a cop-out. After all, by laying out the issues as I seem them, I am in effect making an endorsement, anyway. The choice is still yours to make; I am simply telling you who I will vote for. And besides, its my blog. Nyah! ;-)

So today, I will post my opinion as to who is the best candidates in the various races before lower North and South side Great Falls residents.

Whether you agree with me or not, tomorrow please remember to vote.

Geeguy takes me to task ...

Yesterday, in a post about an unfair and suspiciously timed headline in the Tribune, I asked about the true societal costs of gaming. In response, Geeguy started a discussion about the high taxes already paid by gaming interests. I don't think of myself as an anti-gambling zealot. However, as I posted on his blog, I believe that the true costs of gaming to small businesses and families in our community is higher than the tax revenue we currently receive.

Hopefully, this can turn into a productive and interesting discussion. Go to Geeguy's blog, or this one, and post your thoughts.

An Emphasis on Customer Service at the Montana Department of Revenue

My wife just got back from tax school in Missoula. Real exciting stuff--two days being in a room full of accountants talking about new tax laws. Makes my non-accountant head hurt just thinking about it.

She showed me the current working draft of the Montana tax forms and instructions for 2005. The highlight for me was the forms--what used to be four pages of forms is now 12. The instructions are now 36 pages.

The instruction cover sheet advertises itself as "Now Easier to Use!" because they now have, and I am not making this up, "more space between paragraphs."

Busy Few Days in the Race for Mayor

This morning, our very unbiased paper of record, the Tribune, ran a front-page, above the fold, big wood campaign ad for our mayor, Randy Gray.

The article in question, "Gray says casinos want him out", strongly intimates that Dona Stebbins' is the favored candidate of the casino owners in Great Falls.

To my knowledge, this issue first came out in a comment on David's Greaterfalls blog on October 26. The commenter, Loran Keller, at that time intimated that Stebbins' was in the pocket of the city's gambling interests. Stebbins' response to Keller can be found immediately below Keller's comment.

To be frank, I think that Stebbins has to answer this charge. In particular, I found a few paragraphs of the article troubling:

Stebbins said she does not favor doubling gaming taxes to create treatment programs for problem gamblers, saying people also can be addicted to drinking, smoking and other things. She questioned whether gaming taxes should pay to treat gambling addicts.

"If people have no self-control, is that a problem of the state, or the city?" she asked.

I think that legal businesses have every right to go to market in any way they see fit. I don't think that the city, county or state should take away or water down the value of the liquor licenses that are the most significant assets of most taverns. However, I do not think that gaming interests pay a fair share of the costs that society has to bear as a result of the industry.

The state, city and county have to pay for increased police protection and suffer more unemployment and crime due to the existence of our gaming industry. It is only fair that the tax burden borne by casinos pay for that burden.

However, to get back to the issue at hand, I question the motives of the Tribune here. As I posted above (before the tangent), this issue came out before the mayoral forum on Wednesday. The Tribune hosted that forum, and I am fairly sure that they were aware of the issue. Why wasn't the question asked on Wednesday so that Stebbins could publicly answer the charge?

In fact, during the forum a question was asked of both candidates about how they would react to conflicts of interest that arise during their mayoral tenure. While the question was being asked, I was fairly sure that the Tribune was going to ask about Stebbins' ties, if any, to gaming interests. However, Gray was asked about his land deal for MacKenzie River Pizza's parking lot and Stebbins was asked about her husband's job with the city.

This feels like an eve of the election stunt by the Tribune. While the issue is legitimate, the Tribune's timing seems to be solely aimed at ensuring re-election for their favored candidate.

"Don't ever get in an argument with someone who buys ink by the barrel."

Trash showing up on Left in the West ... But Mike has it Covered

The other day, Matt over at Left in the West posted an entry wondering where the pro-Israel rally's were after the recent remarks by the President of Iran. The comments he received were similar to crap I have read on many ... less than reputable sites.

I am glad to see that Mike, as always, has it covered. Read his very well written and informative post here.

Lots to Post ... and no time

Well, this morning's paper was a bit of a surprise, no? I have some thoughts to post on that, as well as Wednesday's mayoral forum.

Unfortunately, there is not much time available today. If I don't get something posted today, check back over the weekend.

My impression of the Commission Forum

First, David did us all a big favor by live blogging the mayoral forum, and posting his almost verbatim notes here. Geeguy has also posted some very relevant thoughts here. The Tribune wrote about the forum here.

However, this post will not be about the mayoral forum. Don't worry; I will have a post about that forum a bit later. Here, I want to discuss the earlier forum among the commission candidates. After all, the mayor is just another commissioner, with no more power or vote than any other member of the city commission.

Despite not-quite getting over the flu, I attended the forum. While I already knew who had won my vote for the mayoral race, I had not yet made up my mind among the commission candidates. I was very impressed by the two challengers, John Stevens and Ryan Burke. Burke was the only candidate that kept on coming back to common sense answers to the meth problem plaguing North-central Montana.

What is Burke's solution? The radical idea of more cops on the street. Not that he poo-poo's billboards and TV ads; but he understands that patrolling the streets actually works. Burke brought up a fact I did not know; in 1965, the Great Falls Police Department recommended to the City Council that the number of police officers in our town should be about 100. Forty years later, with more intractable problems, and we are not there yet.

The one thing that Burke did not address was how to pay for the almost 25% increase that he is advocating for the police department. Let me make my opinion clear; I would be glad to pay more city taxes if we could use those resources to get a handle on this scourge that is destroying the lives of so many families in Great Falls.

I also was dissapointed by Burke's answer to a question about how to attract more "young people" to Great Falls. Burke talked about concerts and other forms of entertainment. I have a clear opinion about this; concentrating on bringing more forms of entertainment to Great Falls is allowing the tail to wag the dog. The only way to attract more "young people" is to ensure that they have the means to make an honest living. Everything else will follow after we have the jobs to employ more "young people."

I did not expect to be impressed with John Stevens. After all, his resume was a former actor, and the man is only a year short of eighty. Poppycock. He is bright, engaging, funny and honest. He ran circles around his three opponents. He is focused on the main problem that affects Great Falls; we have been stagnating since Anaconda Copper pulled out 35 years ago. I suggest to you that we have not found an ecomonic reason for existing since "The Company" pulled out. New voices and ideas, even if they come from an eighty year old, are exactly what we need.

The two incumbents, Bill Beecher and John Rosenbaum, defended the record of the city government over the past decade. They rightly pointed to the city's new employers and some of the infrastructure that has been replaced. The city has had successes. However, it has also had expensive failures. Much has been made of the $531 thousand lost due to the lack of attendance at the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Event. However, I am more interested in other expensive failures, like the Wave Rider and the money that the city golf courses are siphoning from our treasury.

Beecher and Rosenbaum point to the fact that taxes are not going be raises since we are covering these expenses with city reserves. However, these reserves will have to be rebuilt. The only way to do that is with increased taxes. The fact that we have banked the money does not mean that we don't have to pay for the loss.

Is the Tribune Scaremongering to Increase Readership?

Today's Tribune ran a front page story on the possible dangers of bird flu infecting the waterfowl at Freezout Lake, a popular hunting area (and, by the way, my favorite place for hunting duck and geese). The story, available here, practically scares people away from hunting fowl this year.

I know that bird flu is all over the news, and that it is an extremely legitimate concern. However, with this big front page article, I think that the Tribune is scaremongering.

The fowl that migrate from the flyways in the Bering straits are constantly monitored. NONE of these birds have exhibited symptoms of the bird flu. The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has also announced that it does not foresee a problem with hunting fowl this year. In fact, it appears that a FWP release, entitled "Avian Flu No Cause For Alarm For Waterfowl Hunters" is the source of the Trib's story, which they retitled "State wary of Freezout Lake geese". From that source they wrote this story?

The FWP, and the Tribune did recommend some common sense steps that are a good idea whenever you hunt fowl. These steps are good advice:

• Do not handle dead birds or birds that appear sick
• Wear disposable gloves when dressing game birds and waterfowl
• Don’t eat, drink or smoke while handling game
• Wash hands with soap and water, and clean surfaces that come in contact with game
• Cook game meat thoroughly
• Properly dispose of remains of field-dressed birds

We need to be concerned about bird flu. However, we do not need to needlessly scare ourselves. I will be hunting, at Freezeout, this year. Hope to see you there.

Want to Read LEADERless?

Since last week, many people in Great Falls have been talking about a four page publication that has been appearing in businesses lately called the Great Falls LEADERless.

The name, a play on the old Great Falls weekly the Leader, is an election themed publication castigating hizzoner, Mayor Randy Gray. The Tribune ran a story about the publication, mainly questioning the motives of the author and intimating that the publication ran afoul of election law.

I think that it is worth reading. Agree or not, this is an open society and a citizen should be able to write about issues of public interest. The publication raises some very troubling questions about the ethics and judgement of our municipal leaders, and those questions do deserve to be answered.

So here it is, in a high enough resolution that anyone can read the entire document. You will need a pdf reader to open the publication.

Who is Running for Neighborhood Council 7?

Next Tuesday is municipal election day. The contested races for mayor, and to a lessor extent the city commission, has generated a fair amount of interest in our small city.

However, the lower North and South sides also have contested races for our own Neighborhood Council 7. That council represents the entirety of the lower North and South sides, from the Missouri River to 10th Avenue South.

I would venture to say that most of the people in Great Falls work in our neighborhood, medical and military folks excepted. It is our original townsite, and our economic core.

It also is home to two struggling elementary schools, brownfields, abandoned buildings and the most intractably poor residents of our city.

I am proud to call the lower North side my home. I have a vital interest in the decisions that will be made by Neighborhood Council 7. However, I don't know much about the candidates for the job.

There are eight people running for the eight seats on the council. Three of those eight are incumbent councilors. Here is a list of the candidates;

• Clary Cory, (i)
• Robert E. Gaskell, (i)
• Kimberliegh L. Thiel-Schaaf, (i)
• Karie Howell
• Lionel McKnire
• Joseph Moll
• Mike Taylor
• Paul Andrew Zallek

What do these candidates stand for? How will they work to revitalize our downtown?

Do any of these candidates read this blog (probably not, I often think that I am the only reader)? Do they have anything to add?

Does anyone reading this blog have any comments that they would like to post supporting or opposing any of these candidates?

In the coming days, I hope to speak to all of these candidates and post my thoughts. I can't guarantee that it will happen, but I would like to see more information about these potential councilors.

I would also encourage any lower North and South side residents to read the minutes of the last several council meetings. They are online, here.

Nothing New Under the Sun

I was very interested to hear of a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) publication describing the Executive branch's response to the Mississippi River flood of 1927, exacerbated when the river's levees failed in Arkansas and Mississippi after extreme rainfall. I learned about the report in Secrecy News' recent update here. The report may be downloaded here.

Immediately after the disaster, the President Coolidge bore the brunt of criticism that the federal government was not working fast enough to provide relief. (Sound familiar?)

As a response, President Coolidge empowered then-Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover to act as the director of federal flood response, coordinating action among government agencies, the Red Cross and private organizations. (Also sound familiar?) Members of Congress and many editorials have been asking for a recovery "czar," with powers and responsibilities much like those given to Hoover.

So, how did the government do? Were there any problems? I will let the report summary speak for itself:

This report describes the flood of 1927, and assesses the federal government’s response thereto. In short, the federal response was an executive branch response. President Calvin Coolidge created a quasi-governmental commission that included members of his Cabinet and the American National Red Cross. This commission encouraged the public to donate funds to the relief effort. It also gave Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover near-absolute authority to organize and oversee its response. Hoover used this authority to weave together federal resources, American National Red Cross volunteers, and the private sector to carry out the relief and recovery program.

The concentration of power and the blending of the governmental and private sectors in Hoover’s hands enabled the relief effort to be carried out expeditiously and creatively. President Coolidge’s empowerment of Hoover alone as director of the flood response clarified to federal, state, and local officials and the public who was in charge.

However, this administrative structure was not without costs. There was little direct federal oversight of actual relief provision. So, for example, when local and state relief workers behaved illegally, they were not held accountable. Furthermore, the concentration of power in a single set of hands enabled Secretary Hoover to undertake inadvisable actions with nearly no constraints.

I do not bring up this instance from the past loosely. We are on the verge of appointing a new recovery "czar" to direct the reconstruction efforts from Katrina, Rita and Wilma. I encourage our government to remember both the successes and failures of the past, and structure any new efforts to recreate those successes and avoid those failures. To quote yet another cliché, those that do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.

Tribune City Commission Forum is November 2

The Tribune is hosting a city commission/mayoral forum on Wednesday, November 2 at the City Commission Chambers in the Civic Center.

The four commission candidates will debate at 6:30 p.m. The two mayoral candidates will debate at 7:30 p.m.

This is the first time in recent memory that there are real issues and real races in our municipal government. I encourage any Great Falls resident to attend and decide for yourself who deserves your vote.

Get a Paddlin' -- Masters Swim Meet in Great Falls this Summer

I just heard that there will be a master's swim meet in Great Falls at the Mitchell Pool this summer.

The Mitchell Pool is a 50 meter (yes, kick-your-ass-and-make-your-lungs-cry meter which is almost 10% longer than a yard) pool.

Time to start training.

Southern Alberta Economy should be North-central Montana Model

Today's Tribune ran a series of articles comparing the economy in Chester, MT with that of Taber, Alberta. I think the comparison is a valid exercise, as the ecomomic success story in Southern Alberta should serve as a model for the North-central Montana ecomomy.

My mother is a Canadian, from Calgary. For my entire life, I have regularly traveled to Calgary to visit family. I have always been in awe of the ability of small towns like Taber and Nanton to grow and prosper, as their geography is so similar to Montana's Hi-Line.

More than Taber and Nanton, the city of Lethbridge is a model for Great Falls. This city prospers while we are not. Lethbridge and Great Falls are very similar; twenty years ago we were still the same size and our ecomomies were based on the same things.

Southern Alberta is not based oil, as are ecomomic powerhouses like Calgary and Edmonton. Southern Alberta's success can be attributed entirely to Agriculture and the Ag processing plants that have sprouted up in the surrounding small towns.

Why do Taber, Nanton and Lethbridge prosper while Chester, Havre and Great Falls wither? The Tribune and the Chester activists have put their finger on the exact issue--irrigation districts.

Thirty to forty years ago, the Alberta government invested in its infrastructure to create a series of irrigation districts. The resulting availability of water transformed dryland wheat fields into lush vegetable gardens. Most of the resulting produce is exported out of the province, much out of the country (to the US). The investment by the government of Alberta paid itself off many times over.

It can't remember the last time that I agreed with the Tribune. However, today I do. Modeling ourselves after the successes in Southern Alberta is a goal for which we should all strive.

UPDATE: The two articles from the Trib can be found here and here.

Lewis and Clark Party P&L analysis

To the credit of our city's municipal leaders, a full and final accounting of last June's Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Signature Event (the big party) was released on Friday. That accounting was published in today's Tribune. The first thing I will say is that expenses for this event were not irregular. While they represent more than a half million dollars lost, they do not highlight any graft, greed or corruption. No one got rich over this event.

I was struck by the percentage of income that came from grants, contributions and sponsorships. Of the $1.067 Million of income received, almost $780 Thousand came from this "free" income. Over 75% of total income, that amount paid for about half of the total expenses. We were given half of what we spent.

Unfortunately, we only "earned" $290 Thousand, or less than 20% of total expenses. That $290 Thousand came from about 40,000 visitors. I suggest now that 40,000 visitors should have represented a reasonable success for this event. 40 Thousand people coming through our small, rural community represents a positive achievement that took years of work by many in this community, most particularly by outstanding city employees like Peggy Bourne.

However, this achievement did not represent a success. It represented a half million dollar loss, a debt which we all will have to dig in our pockets to retire. Forty Thousand just did not cut the mustard for an event with a $1.5 Million budget. This begs the question, how many visitors would we have needed to break even?

Well, our "nut", or the amount we had to "earn" was total expenses minus total grants, or $808 thousand in order to break even. With 40 thousand visitors, we achieved only 36% of that amount.

At the rate of income per visitor represented by the information above, our city would have had to attact 111,426 visitors to break even.

The question I ask our city leaders to answer is whether or not they believe that was a reasonable expectation for a rural community like Great Falls.

Many of the variables were known before the event started. The total amount of hotel rooms in the city is a knowable number. June is usually a rainy and chilly month; no one should have been surprised that a coat and umbrella were needed.

This accounting raises serious questions about the scope of the planned event. Our municipal leaders had a fiduciary duty to manage that scope to keep it reasonable. I suggest that the finanical shortfall we experienced shows that such management was nonexistent.

I like and respect our mayor, our city manager, and the members of our city commission. However, they have a duty to be conservative in their estimations. Was a budget that required 112 Thousand tourists to come through Great Falls, MT in our chilliest and rainiest summer month a conservative estimate?

I think not.

---

Income						Percent of total expenses
Grants-Federal			$409,000			25.79%
Grants-State			142,500			8.99%
Grants-Misc			126,875			8.00%
Grants-Contributions			82,584			5.21%
Grants-Sponsorship			16,250			1.02%
Grants ("free income") subtotal												$777,209	49.01%
Admissions			203,443			12.83%
Entry Fees			59,710			3.77%
Other			27,105			1.71%
Earned Income subtotal					$290,258	18.30%
Total Income			$1,067,467			67.32%
Expenses
Marketing			$ 383,870			24.21%
Tribal Events			268,828			16.95%
Arts and Culture			149,206			9.41%
Museums and Tours			145,834			9.20%
Misc Vendors			131,530			8.29%
Community			98,217			6.19%
Academia			84,895			5.35%
Salaries			65,598			4.14%
Location Rental			52,644			3.32%
Bus Rentals			43,158			2.72%
Breaks Monument videos			41,000			2.59%
Amenity			38,788			2.45%
Upper Portage Camp			34,694			2.19%
Float Trips			22,172			1.40%
Ticket Seller Fee			16,691			1.05%
Re-enactments			8,635			0.54%
Total Expenses			$1,585,760			100.00%
Profit (loss)			$(518,293)			-32.68%

Evil Squirrels are Overrunning Great Falls

A couple of articles in the Tribune today caught my attention. The big one, of course, is the P&L for the big Lewis and Clark party, which the city finally released. More on that later, after I have finished munging the data with my spreadsheet.

Another blurb that caught my attention was a city effort to control the feral cat population in Great Falls. There are a lot of cats in Great Falls. However, with my tongue not-firmly in cheek, I would like to suggest that having a small feral predator population is not the worst thing in the world, considering that our city is infested with these bloody squirrels.

OK, I admit it. I am biased here. I live near Gibson Park. These "cute" and "fuzzy" rats with bushy tails have made a mockery of my attempts at growing a vegetable garden this year.

I planted about a dozen tomato plants. They ate all the tomatoes as they began to ripen. I planted squash and pumpkins. Every time those plants bore fruit, Chip and Dale grabbed the morsel, took three or four bites, and dropped it in my lawn.

The things are incorrigible, and not afraid of anything. I have a large dog. The dog is lazy, and couldn't care less. They practically walk over the dogs nose.

I tried plastic owls. As you can see from the picture above, that worked out well. Dale over there is practically perched on the plastic owls head to get at my strawberry pot. I tried plastic snakes in the garden. No such luck.

More cats might be just what this city needs. That is an issue I would like to see the city commission candidates discuss; what are their stances on our squirrel infestation?

OK, enough whimsy (although I really do hate these garden thieves; they are not a native population, and they are generally a nuisance). More on what may be a more weighty issue later. 

Oxtail Stew for Chilly October Evenings

Sorry for the dearth of postings lately; not enough time in the day, and the blogging is the first thing to fall off the list.

Many Montana bloggers have been posting recipies lately. I thought I would give you the fixings for an oxtail stew that turned out nicely last weekend.

As always, I am not providing amounts. You can make four cups, four quarts or four gallons with this recipe. The only thing I can say is to use a sparing amount, adding more as necessary, until it "looks right."

Ingredients

• Oxtail. If you want a lot of stew, use more than one.


• Miripoix, diced. The total weight of these veggies should be roughly equivalent to the weight of the oxtail(s) used.


• AP Flour


• Vegetable Oil


• Garlic, chopped fine.


• Barley


• Beef or Chicken Broth


• Red Wine OR Dark Ale and that morning's leftover coffee.


• Water


• Salt


• Pepper


• Star Anise (whole)


• Bay Leaf


• Curry Powder (preferably Madras)


• Chilpote Pepper

Preparation

Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of oil to the bottom of the pot. Add the oxtail(s) and salt and pepper generously. Render the oxtail(s), bringing out as much fat as possible and browning them on all sides. Remove the oxtails from the pot.

Add a small amount of additional oil and then add flour, wisking vigourously until you have a smooth roux. The roux should cover the bottom of the pan. Wisk until it is the color of creamed coffee.

Add the garlic to the roux. After it releases its aroma, add the miripoix. Let that cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Add the oxtail(s) back to the pot. Add the broth and the wine or beer/coffee mixture and some water. Add the spices and more salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 3 hours. Add barley and simmer for an additional hour.

Serve on top of egg noodles.

Enjoy!

Marzen makes Patently Ridiculous argument on US Aid to Israel

Berg interviewee Marzen, a Palestinian, just argued that the US had given Israel $250 Billion in aid.

Such an argument doesn't hold water. The US gives Israel $2 Billion in aid a year. The US has only been doing so since the Nixon administration. Marzen's math just does not work out.

Berg Interviewee Supports Saddam Hussein

Marzen, a Palestinian interviewee on the Berg in the morning show right now, is arguing that Saddam Hussein was a benelovent dictator. He just argued that Saddam supported pluralism, education and women's rights.

Live-blogging the Wheels of Justice Hate Interview on Berg

I am live blogging the Wheels of Justice hate interview on Berg in the morning. The interview just started. The first speaker is a Palestinian named "Marzen."

He is arguing that CNN is too pro-Israel.

More later.

Berg in the Morning to Interview Anti-Semitic far left group TODAY

Forgive the late post, but I just heard that the Berg in the morning show will be interviewing the Anti-Israel and Anti-Semitic group "Wheels of Justice" today at 9:06 a.m.

The group, which bills itself as an anti-War group, has been touring around Montana for the last week and a half. Participants who have attended their two hour rallys say that they spend 10 minutes discussing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then spend the remainder of their time attacking Israel.

Isral just made a huge (and I believe unjustified) step in its withdrawl from Gaza. The litmus test of a rational speaker would be whether Israel is given credit for such an unprecedented step. These people do not meet that litmus test for rationality. From what I have been told, they have a virulent anti-Israel and anti-Semitic message. One of their group even says that he can't be anti-Semitic, since the Palestinians are also semites.

The group will be interviewed on the berg in the morning show in about 15 minutes. I encourage anyone to call into the show and call these haters out for what they really are.

Montana does not need our own Yom Kippur invasion.

Mazel Tov Beth Aaron!

Congregation Beth Aaron, in Billings, has a new home. Over the past several years, they have been working toward building a new shul in the Western part of Billings. This weekend, the congregation is dedicating their new synagogue.

Mazel Tov!!

Is This Better than Spot Zoning?

While I was walking to work today, I passed by this house, on the intersection of 4th Avenue North and 7th Street, which was recently sold. In front of the house was a big "Apartment for Rent, contact XXXXXX Property Management" sign.

This house created a fair amount of controversy in Great Falls a bit more than a year ago. The former owners of the house had spent a great deal of money refurbishing it into a bed and breakfast, and wanted to sell it. Before they had purchased and refurbished the home, it was broken up into apartments and was an ugly slum. They converted it into a beautiful example of how gracious the lower North side can appear. Refurbishing that property had a positive effect on the much of the lower North side, and neighbors in the area commented on how it improved the area.

They had arranged a deal with a local law firm, which was going to use the house as its office. The sale required neighborhood approval and a "spot" zoning change, since it was not zoned for commercial use.

The neighborhood council, led by Mayoral candidate Dona Stebbins, nixed the idea. At the neighborhood council meeting when the issue was discussed, Stebbins railed against spot zoning as the antithesis of good city planning.

Because the zoning change was turned down, the sale fell through. The house was eventually sold a few months ago.

Now it looks like one of the more graceful residences in the area might again be broken down into apartments. Depending on how that is done, the building may again devolve into what it was.

I would like to know why this outcome is better than allowing the spot zoning change. I like and, quite frankly, support Dona's candidacy. However, I think she has to better explain why we should hold the line against allowing spot zoning changes.

Where Will the New Courthouse by Built?

Today's Tribune announced that a new Federal courthouse will be built in Great Falls.

Where will it be built? I have heard quite a few rumors that it is slated for the land being developed near the fairgrounds on the West bank of the Missouri. If the courthouse is built there, it will gut the downtown development around Central Avenue that our city has been working toward for decades.

Such placement would be a mistake. The courthouse should be built downtown.

If land cannot be found between 2nd Ave South and 2nd Ave N, such a project could be placed on the lower South side near Central Avenue, in this area. Machinery Row has a number of empty buildings and brownfields that could accomodate a courthouse. Building the courthouse there would dovetail with the Central Avenue redevelopment and would help revitalize the lower South side.

'Conscience of the Holocaust' Dies at 96

Simon Wiesenthal passed away in his sleep last night.

Although I believe that the human race would still remember the Holocaust without Mr. Wiesenthal's contributions, I look upon his work as invaluable.

Yasher Koach, Mr. Wiesenthal. May the world never forget.

UPDATE: There is a very poignant editorial in today's Wall Street Journal (subscription required) here, honoring Wiesenthal's memory.

Did you See this?

AP has a story on a speech given a short time ago by the President.

Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government ... To the extent the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility.

What a refreshing sentiment! Personally, I have been waiting for him to say this since this tragedy unfolded. Bravo, Mr. President.

Link

Gov. Wilson Goes Beyond Blame to Provide Workable Solutions

Today's Wall Street Journal features an editorial by former California Governor Pete Wilson (registration required, non-free) that goes beyond finger pointing to provide workable solutions to the long term problems facing New Orleans.

Although it may be cathartic, it is ultimately unhelpful to spend our time pointing fingers. Yes, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was a failure by our government on all levels. For the past fifty years, local, state and federal resources should have been addressing infrastructure shortcomings in New Orleans. In the days preceeding the Hurricane, the mayor, governor and FEMA should have taken the city disaster plan off the shelf and implemented it.

After the Hurricane, the Mayor should have established immediate command and control. The Governor should have activated the National Guard. The President should have been immediately responsive. None of these things happened. We can either point fingers and say nyah-nyah, or we can roll up our shirtsleeves and try to do better next time.

I would rather work for the latter.

Go Vote Today

Municipal Primary Elections are today. For the first time in recent memory, we have a real race with lots of qualified candidates. Also for the first time in recent memory, some of the candidates running would change the way the city does business.

You can't complain unless you register your opinion, so go and

VOTE!!!!

Good News Over at Park and Ponder

The Trib ran a story today about some good news, for a change, over at the Park and Ponder coffeehouse.

As you may recall, the cafe had been vandalized several times over the summer. Well, a number of good people stood up and helped out the Robertson's.

I still say, they are nice people and make very good food.

All this highlights the well-known and underreported fact that Great Falls has a lot of hooliganism during the summer months. I don't want to sound like a curmudgin, but there are too many kids without enough keeping them busy.

There always seems to be an uptick in vandalism in June that goes away in September. The Police should plan for that and increase both their staffing and their patrols for the Summer.

Lewin Update

As I posted here, Great Falls City Commission candidate Stuart Lewin was briefly arrested at the Great Falls Farmer's Market on Saturday. His offense? He asked people to vote for him.

The Trib covered the arrest on the third page of the Montana section yesterday, but did not put the article on their website.

In any case, the Great Falls police are calling the incident a "detention" instead of an arrest. After parading him through the Farmer's Market in handcuffs and making him sit in a squad car parked nearby (the police station is next door, why didn't they take him inside?), they released him.

Now, I agree that the Farmer's Market is not a public event. It is put on by a private entity that leases the space from the city. For that reason, they probably have the right to make their own rules.

However, it is worth noting that the city has a vested interest in maintaining the Market, as it is an economic and PR boost to the town. As such, they do not charge the Market a lease rate that is close to market value; they charge only $300 per year.

Is it a public forum? While the Market is certainly a great forum for potatoes and carrots, I am unsure if it is a public square. What do you think?

Magnolia Mitzvah Project Totals for September 10

The Magnolia Mitzvah Project continues! This weekend, we raised $367.40.

All money was sent to the Union for Reform Judaism Hurricane Katrina Relief Disaster Fund.

Stuart Lewin Arrested

I just heard that Stuart Lewin was arrested a few moments ago at the Farmer's Market. Apparently, he "asked someone to vote for him."

Ridiculous. If the city is taking steps like this, the entire city leadership needs to be run out on a rail.

Thank You Great Falls

Just got back from the "Magnolia Mitzvah Project" fundraiser. We raised

$1,366.50

at the Farmer's Market today. All of the money was sent a few moments ago to the Union for Reform Judaism Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund.

I am overwhelmed the generosity of the people in Great Falls!

I usually don't wear my hat as President of MAJCO (Montana Association of Jewish Communities) in this blog, but consider this a challenge from congregation Aitz Chaim to all of the other Jewish communities in the State; can you raise more?

City Water Park Plans similar to NY Park that Sickened Thousands

A quick break in the NOLA disaster coverage.

As I posted here, the city has big plans for its water recreation facilities. Specifically, they plan to build "splash parks."

The Tribune article talking about the parks noted that

An advantage to splash decks is that they don't require staffing. If the city decided to go with splash decks, another decision is whether to recycle the water or investigate the possibility of reusing it to irrigate the park or run it into the storm drain system.

Link

As far as I can figure, these "splash parks" are very similar to a park in New York that was recently closed due to an infestation of a parasitic waterborne infection called cryptosporidiosis. Thousands were sickened.

The New York Times wrote about the situation here.

And this is what they want to use to replace the Water Tower and JayCee pools?

OK, back to posts on Katrina.

If They Knew What to Expect, why the Lack of Coordination?

Wired news has an interesting report on the efforts taken in past years to prepare for a major hurricane hitting NOLA.

The drills and computer models precisely predicted what would happen. This makes the bungled relief effort all the more inexcusable.

WWL-AM interview with NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin

Yesterday afternoon, WWL-AM radio interviewed NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin. He has a number of damning things to say about the level of assistance that New Orleans has received so far from the federal government.

The entire, uncensored, interview is available here. You will need a bittorrent client to download the mp3 file.

Today, Bush said that the relief effort thus far is "not acceptable." The buck stops at his desk.

Aitz Chaim to Raise Money for Katrina Victims this Weekend

The devastation in the Gulf States continues to overwhelm me. Quite simply, it is time to show that we are a generous people and that you must give as much as you can to help the victims.

In recognition of the disaster, a number of blogs have announced today as "Blog for Relief Day." This blog is one of them.

You can find more information on the Blog for Relief Day here, or a list of charities here. Please help those that are now suffering.

Mike, over at The Last Best Place blog, has compiled a list of Jewish charities here. I am giving my money to the Union for Reform Judaism Disaster Relief Fund. Give to any worthwhile charity. However, be sure to check out the organization before you send money; unscrupulous individuals are taking advantage of the situation to bilk generous individuals.

Also, for those of you in the Great Falls area, individuals from Congregation Aitz Chaim, the Great Falls Hebrew Association, will be selling silk magnolias (the State flower of Louisiana and Mississippi) at the Farmer's Market near the Civic Center on Saturday, September 3. All proceeds will be sent to the URJs Disaster Relief Fund. Look for us next to the nice lady selling tie-dye shirts.

Please note that as this is an event on shabbos, the event is not sponsored by Congregation Aitz Chaim. It is an individual effort by a number of its congregants.

Assessing Blame Right Now is Wrong

Lately, a number of blogs on both sides of the political spectrum have been attempting to score political points over the crisis caused by Hurricane Katrina.

On one side of the aisle, guys like Matt Singer are trying to blame the extent of the damage on Bush. On the other end of the pendulum, people with axes to grind remind us that 9/11 was "worse."

Guys, can we please rescue the survivors not yet evacuated and bury the dead before we start the recriminations? Let's all pull together now; there will be time enough for this crap next week or next month.

Comment Spam is Evil

I am starting to get a lot of comment spam. I am deleting it as soon as I get it, but it is pretty annoying.

To the spammers; your unsolicited commercial comments are not welcome here. Don't make me turn off unmoderated commenting.

NOLA Disaster Requires your Assistance

The images and stories coming out of the disaster that was New Orleans are horrifying. This is not the time for politics or debate. Now is the time to provide help.

Personally, I believe that the city must be moved. It makes no sense to mock nature by living under sea level between two large bodies of water.

Even after the immediate effects of the disaster are tallied, an almost incalcuable human cost will have to be borne to move and rebuild.

As others have noted, there will be significant costs throughout the US, as well. Much of our country's oil comes through the Gulf Coast; that spigot has now been closed. The flooding has almost certainly wiped out much of this season's rice and soybean crop; the cost for those staples will dramatically increase.

There are many worthwhile charities. Give to at least one of them.

UPDATE: FEMA has a list of charities attempting to help on its website.

Thank you Tom Siebel

Methamphetamine abuse is, in my opinion, the biggest problem now confronting Northcentral Montana. Everything else pales before the destruction and ruined lives that this drug is leaving in its wake.

Many of the problems facing our citizens such as poverty, unemployment, incarceration, theft, bankruptcy, etc., can be directly attributed to meth abuse. It is the biggest scourge of our community.

Yesterday, software executive and Montana resident Tom Siebel began a two year media campaign to try and stem the problem.

Todah Robah Mr. Siebel! I deeply hope that this effort will bring some success.

Help Support Park and Ponder

This morning, the Tribune reported on a string of vandalism that has attacked a local cafe, Park and Ponder in Gibson Park. This Spring and Summer have brought much too much of this. Maybe now that school has started, all of this vandalism will stop.

In any case, the Robertson's are very nice people, and do not deserve this kind of tsuris. They run a very nice cafe, and it would be a shanda if these hooligans forced them to close up shop.

So, go and have lunch there today. Buy a coffee there tomorrow. They deserve our support.

Help the Hurricane Victims in the Gulf Coast

Hurricane Katrina created billions of dollars in damage, uprooted hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed tens of thousands of private homes. We do not yet know the cost in injuries and deaths.

Will you consider helping by donating to a disaster relief fund? There are many to choose from. I have attached an email I just received from the Union of Reform Judaism. The URJ has created a fund, and is housing refugees at its campsite in the area.

-----Original Message-----
From: URJ.ORG [mailto:urjurj.org@urj.org]
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 3:16 PM
To:
Subject: Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina's destructive force. While the extent of the damage will not be known for several days, even weeks, it is anticipated that the damage will be substantial, affecting large parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The Union for Reform Judaism has therefore opened its disaster relief fund to aid both our congregations and the general communities affected by the hurricane. You may donate now at http://urj.org/give/

Canadian residents: if you wish to receive a tax receipt, please send your donation directly to the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism at 3845 Bathurst St., Suite 301, Toronto, Ontario M3H 3N2

Using the following guidelines, a task force of lay and professional leaders will help us determine how best to allocate monies raised through the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund:

* The Union will evaluate which organizations are best equipped to provide direct services and make donations to these organizations

* Member congregations that sustain damages that are not covered by insurance may receive funds from the emergency relief fund

Information regarding the hurricane and contribution allocations will be updated on the URJ website www.urj.org/relief as we receive it.

The Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS, is providing food and shelter to those who were forced to evacuate, including members of New Orleans area congregations and the residents and staff of the Louis Davis Developmental Center for Adults with Cognitive Disabilities.

Through our concern and support, may we strengthen those who are in need.

L’shalom,

Robert M. Heller
Chairman of the Board

Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie
President

Baby-faced Neo-Nazi Arrested

Kevin McGuire, the Bozeman based neo-Nazi organizer for the National Alliance hate group, was arrested on Friday for criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

Thanks to Wulfgar! for highlighting the arrest.

Washington Post publishes Story on Lipson

The Washington Post ran a story today on the interloping Las Vegas developer (motto: Don't Drink the Water) who is attempting to trademark the phrase "Last Best Place".

Link

City Commissar Castigates Commission Candidate; Claims Cannot Campaign in Commons

Sorry, sometimes I cannot resist a little alliteration. ;-)

However, I think a serious and disturbing thing happened in our city last month. On July 17, the City held its annual "Riverfest" party. The party was held on public property, along the riverfront.

City Commission Candidate Stuart Lewin thought to use the opportunity of the event to get out the word for his race for the City Commission. Seems like a natural, right? After all, I am no lawyer, but I always learned in civics class that one of the primary purposes of public spaces is to facilitate civic discussion of public affairs.

Well, the city does not exactly agree with that interpretation. The City apparatchik responsible for organizing the event, Ms. Keri Langille, told Lewin that "vendors" had to pay a $75 fee. When Lewin refused to pay this fee and asked what law he was breaking by campaigning in a public park, apparently she yelled at him, lied to him about a conversation she was having at that moment via cell phone with the city attorney, and had two police officers threaten him with imprisonment for disorderly conduct.

Again, I am no lawyer. However, I think that this case goes beyond the pale. While I have no problem with a municipality making reasonable restrictions on speech in advance for the preservation of public safety (prohibiting yelling fire in a crowded theater, for example), I have a big problem with the city making a prohibition like this on the spot. Our right to speak, express ourselves and assemble is an important civil liberty, and should not be unreasonably infringed.

Vendors should pay a fee. That is reasonable. But a guy on a bike handing out flyers?

Disclosure; Stuart is a family friend. We are pretty far apart on our politics, but he is an honest man with integrity. However, I do not intend for this blog to endorse any candidate for any race at any time.

I am coming a bit late to this party, as both the Tribune (here) and GeeGuy (here, here and here) have written about the incident.

Talk about EBS over at the Electric City Blog

Geeguy has been very proactive in his posts about the month-long Lewis and Clark party that ended up costing our community $500 thousand. (Disclaimer; I helped plan one of the events). I am not going to re-post my comments which are in his blog. Read the posts and comments here, here and here.

It is important that we properly account for the money spent on this event/party. It is also important that we take away appropriate lessons on planning, scale and feasibility. However, I think that it is also important that we do not overly punish public officials for taking a calculated risk that could have paid off handsomely to our community.

Fish is Good -- or not

Eat lots of fish like tuna! It contains omega-3 fatty acids, will reduce cholesterol, increase brain activity and make you a better person!

OR

Avoid fish like tuna! It has high concentrations of mercury, will stunt brain activity and kill you.

Which is the truth? Both? Neither? I really have no idea.

Recent stories in media like the Wall Street Journal have talked extensively about this. A story about two weeks ago talked about a kid who ate tuna every day, and was damaged as a result. In addition, there is a commentary in today's Journal talking about this concern as a myth. (registration required).

I really like tuna. I have two small kids, and they also really like tuna. I have no idea what the truth is here. I don't think anybody else knows either.

ARRRGH.

City Water Park Plan All Wet

Well, the vacation from blogging is almost over. While I have been slacking (from posting, at least), the news from Great Falls keeps getting more and more interesting. In the coming days, I will write some “delayed” posts about things that have come up this summer.

The first issue that really got my blood boiling was a front-page article in the Tribune on the city’s swimming facilities. Apparently, the city hired an engineer to take stock of the city’s pools, and suggests $2-3 Million in repairs and upgrades. While some of the recommendations are repairs and may make sense (new gutters and filters, etc.), a number of the ideas seem to be cooked up out of an idea that “You have to entertain the swimmer, rather than just give him a pool of water” (quoted from the prospective contractor).

It is thinking like this that gave our city the multi-million dollar white elephant flow rider. We will be paying the bill for that thing for years, and the only net result has made a Sunday outing to Mitchell Pool less affordable and enjoyable (“But Dad, Why can’t I ride the $9 per day Flow Rider????”)

Included in this grand scheme are some truly bad ideas for “upgrades” to the Marony Natatorium:

Addition of a hot-water spa would run $97,000, and wave-generation equipment would add $112,000. Expanding the building with an atrium and event room would cost another $523,500, Milne said. (from the article)

Excuse me, but why does the Nat need a hot water spa, wave-generation equipment, an atrium or an event room? I swim at the Nat during my lunch hour three times per week (or at least I try to do so). It is usually quite crowded as it is. Why fix what isn’t broken?

I will go on the record and state my opinion—the city should provide holes in the ground with clean water. Efforts should be made to keep those holes in the ground affordable to the most people possible.

Anything fancier than a hole in the ground should be left to private developers. If a business model could be made for a positive cash flowing wave rider, it would be built. If not, it should be left alone.

The Hiatus Continues

Well, this blog is still on hiatus. I expect to be posting again in a few weeks, after this crazy summer begins to slow down.

In the meantime, have you been reading The Electric City Web-log? This blog is spot-on in some of its commentary on the goings on in our city. Many times in the last few weeks, I have been tempted to write a post on the Wave Rider, the Skate Park, management of the Four Season's Arena and the Explore the Big Sky event. However, I have been pleased to find that GeeGuy has got it covered.

Also, I highly recommend Mike's blog, The Last Best Place. Mike has an interesting perspective on agriculture in Western MT, and gives another Jewish perspective to living in the Big Sky State.

Both blogs are very worth reading. Hopefully, I will be back before too long.

Great Falls Municipal Band Concerts Start Tonight!

Blogging has been light lately. Not enough hours in the day, and something has to give. Sorry.

So just a short note to remind any readers in the Electric City that the Wednesday night concerts in the park for this year begin tonight, at 7:30 p.m., at the bandshell in Gibson Park. Keep an eye out for my lovely wife on the clarinet!

A Purple Victory!

Last night, fourteen smart moderate members of the US Senate got into a room and made a courageous decision that is good for both the civility of the Senate and the entire country.

Of course, I am talking about the preservation of extended debate, a.k.a. the filibuster (the elimination of which too many people in the ten-mile square reality free zone that is our nation's capitol are referring to as though it had anything to do with particle physics).

Why is the filibuster important? Why should anyone care?

The filibuster is one of the many devices written into our system of government that protect minority opinion from the winds of the current popular opinion. It is a check and balance that makes the institution of fundamental change a very hard thing to do.

Changing the status quo should be hard. The framers of our government recognized this, and the systems of checks and balances salted throughout our federal system reflect it.

Today I say BRAVO to the seven Republicans and seven Democrats who looked beyond party lines to forge an agreement here. It is just too bad that Montana's Senators were not among those fourteen.

Can Montanans Now Buy On-Line Wine?

This morning, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that struck down laws prohibiting out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to customers (subscription required for link) in New York and Michigan.

Our fair state also has laws prohibiting Montanans from purchasing directly from wine distributors.

This decision looks to be narrowly tailored. If a state allows customers to directly purchase wine from in-state wineries, then that state must not restrict out-of-state wineries from directly shipping to that customer.

Does anyone know if that is the basis of Montana's prohibition? Will we be affected by this ruling?

If so, will we finally be able to get a variety of kosher wine in this state?

Great Falls Parents; Be Careful

A quick note to Great Falls parents; there have been three reports in the last three days of a man trying to pick up and abduct children in our area. More reports on this can be found here and here.

Yesterday, a 12 year old child reported that a man in a station wagon attempted to pick him up on 38th Street. All three reports have been about a man, described as a caucasion between 35 and 40, wearing glasses, acne scars and a scratch or scar down the left side of his face.

The car this man is driving is described as a medium-sized, boxy station wagon, rusty brown with a broken front grill.

The police have asked anyone with information on this situation to call at 771-1180.

OK. East will stay open. What next?

Yesterday's School Board election in Great Falls saw a victory by those seeking a reversal of the School Board decision to close East Middle School. The system works as it is designed, and the majority will rule.

As I have mentioned before, I do not have a dog in this fight. My kids will have to go on a bus no matter which school is closed. Paris is 25 blocks away and East is 45. Doesn't much matter to me which building they will attend. I was, and am, against spending too much time and effort on this decision, as more difficult decisions lie around the corner.

East will stay open. What next? Great Falls schools are still seeing declining enrollment. This year's kindergarten class will be the smallest in 35 years. After investing so much time and effort into this one issue, what will we do to ensure that our remaining schools remain institutions of excellence?

Also, and not inconsequentially, who will be Whittier's principal next year? East's current principal is scheduled to come to Whittier this Fall. If East remains open, will she stay at East? The Whittier students, staff and parents (of which I am one) deserve to know.

Baby-faced Neo-Nazi Gets His Butt Whupped

Today is a solemn day for the Jewish people, Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Memorial Day. Today is a day to reflect on the six million that were murdered by the Nazi regime.

Solemnity is fine and proper, and I do grieve. However, today is also a day for rejoicing. Yesterday, during the balloting in Bozeman, the baby-faced Neo-Nazi (as named by Ed Kemmick) was solidly trounced in his race to win a seat on the School Board there. The voice of hate won only 157 votes, as compared to over 4,000 each by his opponents. For those keeping score, he managed only 3.6% of the total vote.

I salute the people of Bozeman and Gallatin County for striking a note for toleration and reason. I didn't go to MSU, but 'GO BOBCATS!'

Now, a quick word to the 156 people that voted for the baby-faced neo-Nazi. I really don't care what you think or why. Whatever you say or do, I will still be here. Yesterday, the people of Bozeman, Gallatin County and Montana showed that your views and the bile that you spew are not welcome.

Enough with the Politics Already!

OK, it is almost Pesach. I will be posting a Passover recipe before Seder.

In the meantime, here are a few links that I enjoyed:

• The Seda Club
  
• 
  Marvel Super Heroes discover their Judaism
  

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Sorry I didn't get the recipes posted. I owe you recipes for haroset and kneidlach, which I will write ... sometime.

Wulfgar! is doing a great job in his coverage of the Bozeman School Board Race

On May 3, the voters in Bozeman face a clear choice in the race for their Elementary School District.

The Bozeman electorate can vote for two reasonable people who want to make their school board better (Sarah Garcia and Gary Lusin) or vote for a racist neo-nazi who represents a group that wants an education system like the one that "enjoyed an all-too-brief revival earlier this century in National Socialist Germany, before being outlawed by the advocates of permissiveness."

Cheers to Wulfgar! for keeping track of this. Link.

Jan Cahill; Please Explain What Happened in White Pine County, NV in 1995

First and for the record, I don't have a dog in the East v. Paris closure fight. No matter which school is closed, my kids will have to get on a bus and go halfway across town.

That said, I now delve into a subject that I believe needs to be addressed before the Great Falls School Board election on May 3.

One of the candidates, Mr. Jan Cahill, was the Superintendent of Schools for White Pine County, Nevada in the early 1990s. During his tenure, a series of financial improprieties occurred (see the linked minutes of the Nevada State Senate Committee of Governmental Affairs for March 23, 1995 and April 10, 1995). These financial improprieties led to Mr. Cahill's resignation, and the eventual receivership of the White Pine County School District.

In a nutshell, it appears that Mr. Cahill recommended, and the White Pine County voters secured, an $8 Million bond for the construction of two buildings, a new high school and a new middle school. As work progressed, costs for the new high school soared to over $12 Million. By late Spring 1995, the State Legislature had to pass an emergency bill (S-1948, for $2.8 Million) for White Pine County so that they could meet payroll. The legislature also passed at least two bills to audit the finances of the White Pine County School District, and those audits found a shortfall of $3.5 Million.

Allegations also surfaced that Mr. Cahill and the Board of Trustees went to great lengths (closed School Board meetings, misleading statements, etc.) to hide the state of the School District's finances from the public.

Instead of bringing up the subject himself and explaining the situation, at the School Board Candidate debate tonight Mr. Cahill spoke of his leadership in cutting costs at White Pine County.

I don't pretend to know all the details here. Mr. Cahill may have been the one honest man in a tough situation. However, before we give him the power to vote on how our school funds will be used, he needs to explain his involvement in the financial receivership of the White Pine County School District in Nevada in the mid 1990s.

What A System!

Our State legislature meets for ninety-days every two years. During these this time, our elected representatives discuss weighty issues and make informed judgements on how Montana law is to treat these issues.

At least, that is the idea. As in most sessions, this legislature is significantly overhauling our tax code. Has anyone ever noticed that no tax accountants serve in the legislature?

No tax accountant could. To do so would mean giving up their practice, and the majority of their annual income, since the legislative session runs during an accountant's "tax season."

So, none of the people writing our tax law have beyond a passing familiarity with the operation of that law. What a system.

RIP to a very good man

As the entire world now knows, Pope John Paul II has died. Although I have always thought to forego discussion of religion (in a blog ironically called "Treasure State Judaism), please indulge me a moment.

In the decades since Karol Jozef Wojtyla became the pontiff for the Catholic Church, relations between Jews and Catholics have become significantly stronger. This Pope declared that Jews and Catholics were brothers, and that we have a right to live as Jews. Given the history of the Catholic Church, such statements have strong meaning, as they renounce actions by his predecessors that caused misery for generations of my coreligionists.

Today I join my friends and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church, and I mourn the passing of a great man.

Wizardry, Ultima and Oregon Trail ... Oh My!

There were recently some posts on /. for http://www.virtualapple.com/.

On the site, there is an Apple IIe/IIgs emulator, and the binaries for over a thousand old Apple programs. Children of the late 70s, rejoice!

How long will it take you to reach Oregon? How much will you make selling Lemonade? Can you defeat Wizardry?

Enjoy!