2017 Archives

The Russian “Hacking” Narrative Destroyed In Just 12 Tweets

ECB Staff on January 4, 2017

H/T to Twitchy, for compiling Iowahawk’s complete and total takedown of the Democrats’ and the mainstream media’s myth that the Russians “hacked” the 2016 Presidential Election.

It took him just 12 tweets:

1/ John Podesta, like 100% of everyone who has ever had a email account, received a password phishing email. He fell for it.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) December 30, 2016

3/ whatever the case, the password purloiners downloaded his emails, which eventually got into the hands of Wikileaks, who made them public.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) December 30, 2016

5/ At the time of their release (Oct) they were hardly covered by any media, and largely dismissed as a big fat nothingburger.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) December 30, 2016

7/ Fast forward to December. The October nothingburger has now magically transformed into "vote hacking" and "election hacking."

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) December 30, 2016

9/ This is not Alex Jones or angry conspiracy kook Facebook uncles, it's the NYTs, the WaPo, our beloved State Radio.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) December 30, 2016

11/ none of this is a defense of Trump, or his garbage kleptocrat pal Putin. It's an indictment of our garbage narrative-driven media.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) December 30, 2016

12/ it shouldn't have to take a drunk internet nobody to point any of this out, but hey, here we are.
<end thread>

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) December 30, 2016

Brilliant!

Montana Projects to Lose Revenue — Democrats’ Answer? More Government!

ECB Staff on January 1, 2017

As the 2017 legislature session kicks off tomorrow in Helena, the prospect of declining revenue and a leaner budget looms over everything.

From the Helena IR:

After leaving a $300 million rainy day fund at the end of the 2015 Legislature, the state was looking at a roughly $225 million hole if it didn’t make adjustments. The $4.7 billion budget proposed by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock was drafted to deal with declining oil, gas and coal revenues as well as slowed growth in income and property tax collections. It contains $110 million in spending cuts and $123 million in new taxes.

‘Priority one, two and three this session, unfortunately, is the budget,’ Speaker of the House Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson, said Friday. ‘In order to get necessary government funded and fund just existing programs we’re going to have to be looking in the couch cushions pretty hard for loose change this session.’

Nevertheless, Montana Democrats, in typical big-government fashion, remain hellbent on increasing spending.

Compromise?

Query: if revenues are down, what is the more measured legislative response: to heed the advice of Speaker Knudsen, and look for common-sense belt-tightening, or to raise taxes and grow government largesse? Moreover, with respect to Rep. Miller’s nearly two-year old tweet, should Democrats entertain a compromise with the majority party, or would it be better public policy to hector an overwhelming spate of popularly elected Republicans for the sake of “the kids?”

And, We’re Off!

ECB Staff on January 1, 2017

Several Great Falls and Montana residents have decided this is a perfect time to compliment existing print and TV news, with an online news blog to explore various issues and their effects on Great Falls and Montana residents.

Our idea stems from the Great Gregg Smith, who hung up his spurs after a successful run with Electric City Weblog, en route to a first-ballot Hall of Fame blogging career. We miss ECW!

Our Editor and Publisher Kelly Parks, entrepreneur, believes that like her grandfather’s numerous newspapers in the early 1900’s, the public has a right to know all sides of a story.

Our vision is to explore and add depth and discussion to newsworthy matters that many of our readers have requested.

It took a bit of time and some serious discussion, but alas here we are.