Sep192024

“Republicans for Tester” Group Brimming with Fake Republicans

Montana-Statewide • Politics

Last month, Senator Jon Tester’s campaign launched the group “Republicans for Tester”. On September 1, Tester’s campaign put out an advertisement featuring their Republican supporters. However, many of the featured “Republicans” have solely supported Democrats and their policies, while openly criticizing Republicans.

In the ad, Justin Schaaf and his wife Kayleigh claim to be “lifelong Republicans” who plan on voting for Jon Tester. According to an analysis of FEC data, Schaaf has only ever donated to Democrats. In 2019 and 2020, he donated $42.50 to Steve Bullock. Steve Bullock, a Democrat and former governor, ran for president in that cycle before dropping out to try unseating Sen. Steve Daines, but was defeated by Daines by a margin of 10 points. Schaaf has voiced support for read more

Sep182024

Tester Cast Tiebreaking Vote for Debt Relief Program that Excluded White Farmers

Montana-Statewide • Politics

In a recent advertisement from the Senate Leadership Fund, Senator Jon Tester was called out for supporting a farmer relief program that excluded white farmers and ranchers.

In the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, a measure was added to provide debt relief for farmers and ranchers up to 120% of their outstanding loans to alleviate the financial burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this program excluded white farmers and ranchers, reserving the loan forgiveness solely for the “socially disadvantaged”. Senator Tester was not just the tiebreaking vote in passing the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, but also the tiebreaking vote in striking down an amendment in the Senate to read more

Sep182024

Hundreds of MT Miners Laid Off, Sen. Daines Proposes Legislation in Response

Montana-Statewide • Politics

Last week, Sibanye-Stillwater announced to their employees that they would have to layoff around 700 employees starting on November 12. The mine, which produces palladium and platinum, cited a massive drop in the trading price of palladium, as two years ago it was traded at $2,305 per ounce, and through the first half of this year traded at just $977. They also believe that Russian dumping is a cause of this price drop, as Russia produces over 40% of palladium, and the U.S. has continually increased its imports. As the sale price of palladium fell, production costs did not follow suit, as high inflation and regulation kept costs up. The mine has lost $352 million since read more

Sep172024

MT Healthcare Professionals Call Out Tester for Healthcare Lies

Montana-Statewide • Politics

Over the last month, Senator Tester’s campaign has placed full page ads in several local newspapers accusing Tim Sheehy of planning to close 49 hospitals in Montana. The ad then lists 49 medical centers, including Billings Clinic Broadwater and Beartooth Billings Clinic. However, the ad has been disavowed by a group of 37 healthcare professionals, as well as by the Central Montana Medical Center.

In a post on Facebook on Wednesday, September 11, the Central Montana Medical Center, whose name was featured in the ad, stated “CMMC is NOT closing & did not run or endorse the ad campaign being run currently in our local paper.” They state that the ads were “not coordinated with nor endorsed by the hospitals named in the ad.”

In a letter penned by 37 Montana healthcare workers, Tester is called out for read more

Sep162024

Worden/Ballantine Water and Sewer Votes to Move Forward with Raising Base Rates

Yellowstone County • Huntley Project

Due to increased operating costs and the unexpected cost of repairs due to “flushable wipes,” the Worden/Ballantine Water and Sewer District voted to move forward with a base rate increase at their monthly meeting on Monday, September 9. The rate increase would bring the base rate for water up to $52.00/month from the previous $49.43/month and the base rate for sewer services would increase to $15.39/month from the previous $13.17/month. Additionally, curb stop repair fees would increase to $5 and the district would also be doing away with the policy of providing customers their first 2000 gallons of water for free. These rate increases still require read more

Sep152024

This year, vote Republican.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

The Democrats have selected their party’s presidential candidate for November 2024, Kamala Harris. Senior members of the Democratic party – Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, and others – convinced President Biden he didn’t have the mental acuity to earn the support of the nation and would lose to Trump.   This would mean the Democrats possibly losing not only the presidency, but the Senate and the House as well. This would cost the Democrats their current tenuous strength in the administration of our country. So Biden dropped out and endorsed his Vice President, Kamala, to go for the presidency.

We Deplorables, long ago, recognized that read more

Sep142024

Obituary: Naomi Boley

Obituaries

Naomi Boley

On September 2, 2024, our beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great-grandmother winged her way to Heaven.

She was born on November 13, 1927, to William H. and Ethelyn May Ellis in Verona, PA.  In 1929, when she was 18 months old, she lost her mother to cancer, and was raised by  one of her Aunt’s, Lena White, aka “Auntie”. In 1945, she graduated from Barnesboro High School, Barnesboro, PA.

On February 16, 1946, she was united in marriage to James R. Crouse. They were married for 29 years before read more

Sep142024

Support the Crow Revenue Act and Bull Mtns Act

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Support the Crow Revenue Act and Bull Mtns Act

I am writing in support of federal legislation introduced to ensure the continued operation of the Bull Mountains Underground Mine.

Governor Gianforte and the State of Montana have done all they can to keep Montana’s mines operational; withstanding the failures of the federal judiciary and bureaucracy. However, the checkerboard mineral ownership necessitates that Congress get involved and pass one of the bills Senator Daines has introduced. These bills include S.4431 (reauthorizing the federal mining that was approved nearly a decade ago) and S.4444 (Crow Revenue Act, providing critical revenues for Crow Tribal Members in light of the Absaloka Mine closure).

Signal Peak Energy, operator of the Bull Mountains Mine, paid approximately $96 million to state and local government in 2023 with over $34 million going directly to Montana K-12 education. The Mine employs nearly 300 workers and contractors with high paying jobs. These mining families live in read more

Sep142024

Truly an insult to my limited lack of intelligence

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

This letter is for the “Honorable”, incumbent, senior senator from the great state of Montana.

  1. “I will not play politics with our freedom.” Really?
  2. “I am Jon Tester, and I paid for this advertisement.” Really?
  3. “I’m a life-long Republican,” Male and female, “Yet, (or but) I’m voting for Jon Tester (Not Donald Trump).” Really?

Why? Because of reproductive rights? Or border issues? How about international (Global) economic topics? Sorry, Kamala & Joe, I was going too fast. I forgot to mention our own read more

Sep142024

Break Free from Controlling Influence of Political Parties

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Break Free from Controlling Influence of Political Parties

“Ye Party Zealots, thus it fares with you,

When Party Rage too warmly you pursue;

Both Sides club Nonsense and impetuous Pride,

And Folly joins whom Sentiments divide.”

     ~ Benjamin Franklin

The danger of powerful political parties was also echoed by our greatest founder George Washington when in his farewell address he cautioned that “In contemplating the causes which may disturb our union,” he particularly identified the “spirit of party,” which he warned would ultimately read more

Sep142024

I will be voting for Judge Wilson for Supreme Court Justice

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

It is a common refrain that voters know little to nothing about judicial candidates. It is for this reason that I am sharing my experiences with Judge Dan Wilson, candidate for the Montana Supreme Court. As someone who has previously appeared as an attorney before Judge Wilson, served as a substitute Justice of the Peace in his court (prior to him being elected as District Court Judge), served with him in Rotary, and now works with him as a District Court Judge in the Eleventh Judicial District, I feel uniquely qualified to offer my endorsement.

First, I can speak to Judge Wilson’s legal acumen. When I practiced as a civil defense litigator, I did not always win in front of Judge Wilson. I did, however, always receive an intelligent, legally supported, and well-reasoned legal decision from him. Judge Wilson presided over a jury trial of mine read more

Sep132024

Engineers, Consolidation, Policies Top Heights Water District Agenda

Yellowstone County

The Board for the County Water District in the Heights dealt with numerous issues dealing with policies and operations at a business work session on September 4.

The water district needs a plan to deal with the district- wide maintenance of the system, which means having a schedule to replace aging pipeline and other equipment. They hope to engage ECHOLOGICS technology to evaluate the status of the system, but ECHOLOGICS needs data to do so. That data will come from a GIS (Geographic Information System) study, from which to develop maps and locations, etc.

The district has a GIS study which is almost complete, but they need to have it completed. GIS data includes such information as the kind of pipe, installation date, material, diameter, status, spacing, historical failure, date abandoned, etc.

The Board discussed moving forward to complete the read more

Sep132024

Obituary: Kay Joanne Odegaard

Obituaries

Kay Joanne Odegaard

Kay Joanne Odegaard, 85, of Billings, died on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Tender Nest Assisted Living, surrounded by family.

Kay was born on Nov. 12, 1938, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the daughter of Melvin and Gertrude (McGrath) Anderson. She grew up in Emerado, North Dakota, and graduated from Emerado High School. Upon graduating, she started her nursing education. Soon after, she met Paul Odegaard and they married on July 19, 1957, in Grand Forks. They celebrated 67 years together. They traveled to many places for Paul’s work before settling in Billings. Together, they raised four children: Paula, Shayne, Troy and Shelley.

Kay completed her nursing degree in 1978 and was an read more

Sep132024

Laurel Rod and Gun Club Opens New Range And Receives Grant for Range Expansion

Local • Yellowstone County

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has granted the Laurel Rod and Gun Club (Club) a $90,000 grant for the construction of a new shooting range in Laurel. According to Club President Irv Wilke most of the range has been built already, but the Club still has plans for expanding the range. With ranges in Laurel and Silesia, the Laurel Rod and Gun Club, founded in 1923, has been a longstanding organization in the Laurel community that has provided a place for members and students to practice and learn about firearms and firearm safety.  One group, Laurel Shooting Education program, has used the Club’s ranges for teaching and practice for quite some time, even sending read more

Sep132024

Let’s Call it for What it is, Straight-Up Propaganda and Fake News

Politics • Meanderings

Jonathan McNiven

Folks I want to address a supposed “newspaper” and self-described news media entity called the Montana Independent. This “newspaper” is being sent to more than 150,000 Montanans from an out-of-state organization called the American Independent that has ties to a Democrat aligned Super Pac that is focusing on high-profile elections in battleground states, including Montana this year. Most notably, it appears to focus primarily on the US Senator Jon Tester’s re-election race in Montana as that race is possibly the most consequential race in the country. This “newspaper” entity called Montana Independent was launched about six months ago and started circulating in the state through the mail in newspaper format.

A story entitled, “Progressive dark money launches Montana media outlet ahead of election” was published in the Montana Free Press online on April 16, 2024.

I reached out to our Executive Director of the Montana Newspaper Association to confirm if this read more

Sep132024

This Just In: Voting Is A Right, Not A Privilege

Montana-Statewide • Politics

Politics is one of those topics that one shouldn’t bring up in polite conversation. People have differing views on political parties, policies, candidates, and how things are being handled here and abroad. I do remember a time when you could debate the subject with people and go on about your lives without ending a friendship. Have we all just gone insane that we can’t see anything beyond our own view, and cut off everyone who doesn’t agree with us? I don’t have to agree or understand your point of view, but I can still respect your opinion. So, forgive me as I venture down this road of topics one should not bring up this week. Who you vote for isn’t anyone’s business except your own. We’re all adults; only adults can vote for who they want to represent them locally and as our President. So why, as adults, are people seemingly going off the rails? It is okay to have opinions that are different.

         In the last ten years the division between the parties has driven us to the point of near extinction as a country. We are literally tearing our own country apart pushing ever closer to another civil war, and our leaders are only adding fuel to that fire. Politics has always had a darker side with ads aimed at the pro and cons of each candidate. Commercial after commercial plays on the radio, television, and even streaming networks now telling of the woes of voting for this one or that one. National campaigns all the way down to the small community political figures are pulling each other apart to showcase what? Who’s the meanest, or who can dig up enough dirt on the other? Is that the person I want representing me anywhere? No, I would like the person who has a good head on their shoulders, someone who will fight for what is right, and someone who can do it with some class and dignity. In the past I have picked the candidate that I feels best aligns with me at that moment in time. I have voted both Democrat and Republican over the years. I don’t think that one has to vote strictly read more

Sep132024

Please vote NO on these three bad constitutional initiatives

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

While voters remain distracted by this year’s contentious Presidential Election, three bad ballot initiatives have tip-toed their way onto the Montana ballot thanks to our Supreme Court allowing signatures of “inactive voters” to count on petitions.

Initiatives, CI-126 and CI-127 would result in the largest cities in Montana controlling who gets elected due to their larger populations. For reasons unknown, urban populations often lean left, note Bozeman and Missoula. This will likely disenfranchise voters in small towns, particularly in eastern Montana.

Voters will be less informed as primary elections will allow candidates to read more

Sep132024

Between the Lines: Maybe he should try going back to that last job.

Politics

David Crisp

You need a manager to run your new McDonald’s restaurant. You hear about a guy who’s interested in the job. He’s old, but some people think he did pretty well at the last place he managed.

So, you have a trusted aide check him out. How was his business record? Well, businesses he managed went bankrupt six times, and at least seven side ventures he launched failed in a year or two.

Worse, he claims that he used bankruptcy as a business strategy that lost the money of bankers and investors, but allowed him to walk away with a nice profit. His employees who bought shares in his company claim they lost $2 million.

One restaurant he managed was shut down in 2012 because of 51 read more