New
How Things Happen, Part II
Earlier we took a look at one of Cynthia Schultz’s allegations against an Airport Authority Board member and showed how, on further analysis, there was simply no ‘there’ there. Let’s take a look at another one to see how it stacks up. Full Text
BREAKING: Southern, City lose public-records lawsuit
Breaking news out of Lewistown, where an MEIC lawsuit against Southern Montana Electric & the City was heard. All but five documents from the so-called “black box” are ordered released to the public, following Southern’s failure to conduct a legitimate review of whether documents marked “secret” were in fact privileged. From Judge Phillips’ order (pdf): The Court Full Text
Watermelons
Geoffrey Dickens: HDNet’s Dan Rather stepped on one mine after another in the racial minefield that exists when talking about the nation’s first black President as the former CBS anchor, on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show over the weekend, uttered the following take on the President’s ability to get health care passed and Full Text
Lost Generation
The Snow Geese are Here
The annual “goose rush” is on, and thousands of snow geese have alighted at Freezeout Lake, where the species can be seen throughout this month. It is definitely a worthwhile trip, as the site literally teems with tens of thousands of geese at any given day in March. Full Text
Health care costs: government financing the big culprit; malpractice premiums much less so
Today’s Missoulian printed an article by two Heritage Foundation scholars that contains two useful points those of us concerned about “Obamacare” need to consider. ( I couldn’t find the Missoulian verson online yet, so here’s another, and more complete, version from the Salt Lake Tribune.) The first point is the overwhelming role of the “third party Full Text
UPDATED-City Commission Video
I have tried and tried to get the City Commission video ripped from the DVD and into a form I can upload. I just have not had much luck with it. Fortunately, someone prepared the following capsule. It was done from memory, though, so it may not be entirely accurate: Full Text
Interior Has Its Cake and Eats It Too
Sage-grouse news from Friday — when, naturally, the Department of Interior issues all its mealy-mouthed responses to federal court orders. According to the New York Times (funny that it should be the first to report it), the “conservative democrat” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar solomonically declared that the grouse “was facing extinction but would not be designated Full Text
Local & State Government
How Things Happen, Part II
Earlier we took a look at one of Cynthia Schultz’s allegations against an Airport Authority Board member and showed how, on further analysis, there was simply no ‘there’ there. Let’s take a look at another one to see how it stacks up. Full Article
BREAKING: Southern, City lose public-records lawsuit
Breaking news out of Lewistown, where an MEIC lawsuit against Southern Montana Electric & the City was heard. All but five documents from the so-called “black box” are ordered released to the public, following Southern’s failure to conduct a legitimate review of whether documents marked “secret” were in fact privileged. From Judge Phillips’ order (pdf): The Court Full Article
UPDATED-City Commission Video
I have tried and tried to get the City Commission video ripped from the DVD and into a form I can upload. I just have not had much luck with it. Fortunately, someone prepared the following capsule. It was done from memory, though, so it may not be entirely accurate: Full Article
How Things Happen
The dispute at the Airport Authority harms our community’s image. Ms. Schultz has alleged that volunteer Airport Authority members are unethical and using their positions to achieve their own personal ends unrelated to the mission of the Airport. These allegations get out into the public domain where they are soon bandied about by Schultz’s supporters Full Article
“Zoned Out”
My article on Great Falls’ approach to medical marijuana is out in the new edition of National Review–sadly, the piece is in the print magazine and is not available for free online. A little taste: Jason Christ, owner of the Montana Caregivers Network, stood in the hotel lobby, shod in Birkenstocks. More than anyone, he is the Full Article
Mr Gregori, Open This Meeting
Even its advocates should concede that Southern Montana Electric is not exactly a trendsetter in trust. The shuttling back and forth of business matters between the Southern and the shell corporation SME boards. The reams of documents inside the “secret box” the City keeps. The ever-moving targets. The omission of basically any useful information in Full Article
Deserves a Post
This comment on the Airport situation deserves its own post: Greg, thank you for posting the Airport Authority Board’s letter to the City and the City’s letter to the Neighborhood Council. Thank you to the City of Great Falls and the Airport Authority Board for patiently, civilly, and matter of factly standing their ground and not Full Article
It’s Really Not that Complicated
If Airport Director, Cynthia Schultz, truly believes that members of the Airport Authority Board have violated Title 2, MCA, the law does not provide for public grandstanding to the City Commissioners, or seeking help from those she believes might be political allies. Instead, the law is quite clear. She should bring those complaints to the County Full Article
Airport Authority Response to Cynthia Schultz Allegations
The Airport Authority’s response to the Schultz allegations is available here. The City Commission’s response to Neighborhood Council 1 is available here. Full Article
More Airport-UPDATED
I have obtained a copy of the video from Tuesday’s City Commission meeting. First, I have to apologize to readers, and to Ms. Schultz, in that I was a little bit hyperbolic in my earlier commentary. I don’t think it’s fair to say that she “virtually screamed” at the Commission, although she did raise her Full Article
Economy
Health care costs: government financing the big culprit; malpractice premiums much less so
Today’s Missoulian printed an article by two Heritage Foundation scholars that contains two useful points those of us concerned about “Obamacare” need to consider. ( I couldn’t find the Missoulian verson online yet, so here’s another, and more complete, version from the Salt Lake Tribune.) The first point is the overwhelming role of the “third party [Read More]
Law
A word for lawyers, would-be lawyers and potential clients about the Chicago gun case
Most commentators are assuming the Supreme Court will decide McDonald v. Chicago by applying the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms to the states. The traditional way for the Court to do that would be to say that the “right to keep and bear” is a “fundamental right” under the Due Process Clause [Read More]
Culture
Kosher Wine Tasting and Exquisite Cuisine In Bozeman
Walter Greenspan emailed this: Join us for an evening of fine wine and elegant cuisine with Dr. Mick Lifson. Sunday, March 7, 2010 6:00 PM at The Shul of Bozeman First Course Smoked Salmon & Capers Baron Herzog Californian Brut Champagne in Caramelized Flutes with Raspberries and Chamborg. Second Course Spring Salad Greens with Mandarin Oranges, Crisp Green Apple Slices and Walnuts. Goose [Read More]