Archive for March, 2010
by jhwygirl …in this post, I’d have to head to the first paragraph in this comment – and I’d take it as a cynical assessment of the problem: We can’t afford to jail them all, and the suspended sentences are a joke. And so therein I agree with Carol Missoulapolis. And maybe I’m stretching it, [...]
by jhwygirl Continuing on the fine subject of earmarks and deficit spending and health reform, a simple internet search led me to EarmarkWatch.org, and a summary of Representative Dennis Rehberg’s earmark requests just from FY2008 House and Senate Labor-HHS-Education bills and the 2008 House Defense Bill. How much did our very own drunken sailor/deficit peacock [...]
by jhywgirl Well, this is rich, coming from our very own lone congressional Representative Dennis Rehberg – He’s swearing off earmarks for a year, “in a symbolic stance against federal spending.” Where was he his other 9 years in congress? Dennis, you see, loves to (first) put earmarks in bills, (next) vote against said bills [...]
by Pete Talbot I had to go to that bastion of investigative journalism, Google news, to learn about it. Nothing in our local media — print, radio or TV — and nothing in the statewide press. The rest of the world seemed clued in: the Philippines, China, New Zealand, Kenya, Brazil; even Dallas, the progressive [...]
by JC Frank Rich cast some light into the dark morass of tea bagging and the GOP today in the New York Times article “The Rage Is Not About Health Care”: “If Obama’s first legislative priority had been immigration or financial reform or climate change, we would have seen the same trajectory. The conjunction of [...]
by JC Also overshadowed by all the hoopla over the health reform legislation was the fact that SAFRA, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, was bundled into the Health bill’s reconciliation package. So Congress actually ran a reform package for student aid through Congress with little or no opposition from the GOP. What does [...]
by Pete Talbot What with the health care bill and resulting flak, this story flew under the radar (sorry about the military analogies). Russia and the U.S. will sign an agreement next month reducing their nuclear arsenals by about a third. That still leaves close to 1500 warheads a piece, which is a lot of [...]
by JC This week is seeing an escalation of right-wing craziness egged on by republicans. I don’t hardly need to provide any links, but anyone who was watching the health care bill vote saw republican representatives on the balcony outside the chamber cheering on the tea baggers as they protested outside Congress. The same protestors [...]
by jhwygirl In April, Missoula City Council will take up a proposed city ordinance that will ensure equal protection for everyone regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. See? Is that a big deal? Or maybe the question is Why is this a big deal? This is such a no-brainer for me [...]
by jhwygirl These guys and gals are really digging themselves a hole, aren’t they? Finance reform is a another big important honey-do for Obama…but frankly, it shouldn’t matter who is president and what party you are a member. The need for finance reform should not be lost on anyone. Apparently it is lost on Republicans. [...]
by jhwygirl Ravalli County Health Department is considering postponing the issuance of certain septic permits – in areas of known high groundwater – due to low snowpack, which ranges from 51% to 60%. That number has now slipped to 50% in the Bitterroot (which equals the Lower Clark Fork basin, which is also at 50%.) [...]
by jhwygirl That, from Democratic congressional candidate Tyler Gernant in today’s Helena Independent op-ed section. Dennis Rehberg has been twittering the-sky-is-falling for weeks – no, make that months – now of the impending doom of healthcare. Rehberg’s done nothing to contribute to meaningful discussion on reform – Rehberg has, in fact, been part of the [...]
by Pete Talbot Many comments on the blogs I read say the Democrats are as bad as the Republicans: health care, war, the environment, the economy — Congress and the President have not done the job and there’s no salvaging the system. Sometimes, it’s hard not to agree. There needs to be monumental change, the [...]
by jhwygirl I had the fabulous luck to have the time to head out to the very gracious and welcoming cities of Butte and Anaconda (in that order) for the St. Patty’s Day parades that could not have fallen on a more gorgeous March afternoon. I’d say there was quite a number of people – [...]
by jhwygirl Back in early December, 5 senior water rights holders in 4 different basins filed a complaint to the state over its Administrative Rules regarding exempt wells. The complainants claim that the failure to adequately review the impacts of each water right as it may harm senior water rights holders can not continue – [...]
by jhwygirl A timely post, given that the corporate welfare 15 cent bid (or bids) for the Otter Creek coal tracts were announced late Monday. Below are Attorney General Steve Bullock’s comments at the February hearing where the Land Board (in a 3-2 vote, with Bullock and Superintendent of the Office of Public Instruction Denise [...]
by Pete Talbot This is cool. An email/press release from my Buddhist friend Simone Ellis: the Dalai Lama will be visiting Western Montana. The Garden of 1000 Buddhas in Arlee seems to be the main draw for His Holiness. I don’t have a specific date but a press conference is being held Friday, so I [...]
by jhwygirl 64 legislative filings in one day? That has got to be some sort of record. No word yet on whether we’ve got ourselves a primary race for county commissioner. It does look, though, that Republicans haven’t totally bailed on Missoula. Looks like a number of races now have a Republican challenger. We’ve also [...]
by JC Over at LitW, a comment thread ensued lambasting the Obama administration’s inaccurate prediction of the scale of job loss as an outcome of the stimulus bill. It started off with the usual inane comment from Eric Coobs: “Democrats trying to better the lives of everyday Americans? I don’t think so. ‘Hope and Change’ [...]
by jhwygirl At Tuesday’s congressional candidate forum held by the Missoula County Democrats – Pete did a great write-up on it – Dennis McDonald, Democratic primary candidate for congress rattled off a couple of his endorsements during his introduction, finishing off the list with “and tomorrow I expect to have the AFL-CIO (endorsement)”. I found [...]
by jhwygirl Florida Representative Alan Grayson introduced HR4789 Tuesday. It’s pretty simple. In introducing the bill, he speaks to the very issue we here in Montana face – just like dozens of others: Lack of true competition in the market place. Here in Montana, Blue Cross Blue Shield Montana controls 75% of the market.
by jhwygirl Apparently, spines are evolving out there amongst the Washington creatures we call Democrats. Today I hear that Sen. Harry Reid announced his intent to pass health reform via reconciliation….Durbin is saying that a public option – if it is to occur – is up to the House….and Dodd is saying that he will [...]
By CFS Missoula is having a hard time of it lately and things are not going to be getting much better anytime soon. Macy’s closed this week and several other local downtown businesses are set to shutter their doors. And no, The University will not be able to bailout this community. In fact, The [...]
by Pete Talbot Knowing nothing of Melinda Gopher before the forum, I was impressed by her depth, her knowledge of the issues and, mostly, her passion. When asked why she hadn’t filed yet and why her campaign was, at this point, lower key than the other two candidates’ campaigns, she responded, “I’m building intrigue.” I [...]
by jhwygirl Cities around the U.S. are getting creative in attempts to score one of Google’s test sites for ultrafast broadband service. Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. blogged… Let me stop there. The Mayor of Memphis blogs to his community. It’s a simple wordpress site, just like the this one here. Just want to [...]
by jhwygirl Supermontanareporter John S. Adams is reporting that Rep. Denny Rehberg’s state director Randy Vogel has been cited for alleged numerous big game violations and obstructing a peace officer. If convicted, Vogel could also face up to six months in jail and loss of hunting privileges for 24 months for the three hunting violations. [...]
-
Recent Comments
Duganz on Rape is not “knucklehead… Duganz on Rape is not “knucklehead… Duganz on Rape is not “knucklehead… coppertop on Rape is not “knucklehead… coppertop on Rape is not “knucklehead… Buzz Feedback on Rape is not “knucklehead… lizard19 on Rape is not “knucklehead…
