Great Falls Population Falls

Rick Tryon on November 25, 2019

     

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In a November 24, 2019 piece by Andy Kiersz in Business Insider, Great Falls is listed right in the middle of the pack of the 20 Western state towns that folks are “leaving in droves”.

From the article:

“Using data from the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates program, we found the metropolitan areas located in the Western states with the most negative net migration between 2010 and 2018, adjusted by the size of the 2010 metro area population.

Net migration measures the number of people who moved into the metro area from some other part of the US or another country, minus the number of people who left the metro area over that period. That means the cities on our list saw many more people move out since 2010 than move in.”

And specifically concerning the Great Falls metro area:

“10. Great Falls, Montana, had a net population loss from migration of 2,252 between 2010 and 2018 — 2.8% of the metro’s 2010 population of 81,327.”

This is consistent with the data as well as the anecdotal evidence we’ve been seeing and experiencing here in Great Falls for a number of years now.

This should be another wake-up call for all of us.

We Great Fallsians live in an awesome and amazing place and it should be unacceptable to all of us that we have the reputation for being ‘Ghetto Falls’, ‘G Funk’ or the poverty capital of Montana.

The exodus from our city, of mostly younger folks I suspect, is made all the more troubling by the fact that all of the other major towns/cities in Montana are enjoying some measure of growth and development. People are moving to Helena, Bozeman, Missoula, Kalispell, Billings, and even Butte at the same time they’re leaving Great Falls.

We’re not going to reverse this disturbing trend by closing our eyes, covering our ears and singing “lala lala, I can’t hear you”. Continued denial will only make things worse.

We’re going to have to come together, form a common vision, and agree to work together to CHANGE the status quo. Doing the same things we’ve been doing for the past 30 years is no longer an option.

We need new ideas and innovations and a commitment to making Great Falls the most business friendly, jobs friendly, family friendly community in Montana. We can do it. We have to do it.

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Thanksmasoween Or Hallowthanksmas?

Rick Tryon on November 13, 2019

     

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There’s an idea floating around about the possibility of combining holidays or making one universal holiday.

The latter has something to do with the notion that it’s unfair that Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ but not Buddha, Mohammed, Mother Gaia, the Universe, the Great Spirit, Satan, some goats, rocks and trees, tacos, or the 100,000 other ‘deities’ worshiped at one time or another by one group or another.

But if this time of year became just one universal holiday to include all of the above, the atheists and secular humanists would feel left out because it would still look like a ‘religious’ holiday. And what would we call it? Coincidencemas, Bigbangtide, or Indifferent-meaningless-empty-vacuummas? I don’t think it would work. What would the greeting cards say?

So, the better idea would be to combine the already-existing seasonal holidays into one, just get ’em all out of the way in one swell foop. We could call it either Thanksmasoween or Hallowthanksmas.

The celebration for Hallowthanksmas (the name I prefer) would consist of kids dressed up like turkeys or Pilgrims loudly singing “Silent Night” while going house to house with their parents begging neighbors and strangers alike for mash potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie.

To top off the evening the whole family would gather around a beautiful skeleton with a star on stop, drink some apple cider in reindeer shaped mugs, then decorate the skeleton with bright orange garland and pieces of grandma’s fruitcake.

Then everyone would watch 12 straight hours of football before snuggling into bed, anxiously waiting for the Great Pumpkin to come down the chimney with presents for all. Does that sound fun or what? Plus, it saves time and reduces holiday stress!

Now we need to work on ideas for combining New Years, Valentines Day and the Fourth of July into one stress-reducing holiday. I don’t know…maybe start a traditional celebration of drinking too much and throwing firecrackers at your sweetheart?

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Rick Tryon – Post-Election Thoughts

Rick Tryon on November 8, 2019

First of all, I want to extend a big “Thanks” to each and every local voter who trusted me to represent our grassroots movement for change for a greater Great Falls. We did it.

I didn’t have my own agenda during the campaign, I don’t have one now, and I won’t carry one in with me when I’m sworn in after the first of the year. I’m not going to represent any special interest group or organization, I don’t have any pet projects, and I’m not going to focus on one “special” part of town or neighborhood.

My priorities are your priorities. And you made it clear during the campaign and at the ballot box that your concerns are the following:

  • Better jobs and more opportunities for ALL of our citizens.
  • Safe kids and neighborhoods.
  • An honest, transparent city government that’s responsive to The People.

You, the citizens of Great Falls, are the boss. Period.

I’m happy we won but I’m not celebrating right now. We’ll get around to that once we see significant results for Great Falls and a reason for ALL of us to celebrate the change YOU asked for.

That change is not going to happen because of me, it’s only going to happen because we’re ALL in it together.

It has been suggested that I “tone it down”. Nope, not going to happen. Why should we mute our voices and sacrifice the chance to start living up to our potential in Great Falls?

I will work together with anyone for the common good of our wonderful community, but there are a couple of stipulations:

First, I’m not going to “work together” with anyone to maintain the status quo or keep things just the way they are for a privileged few. We need to change directions and try some different approaches here in Great Falls.

Second, working together has to be based on the standard of absolute honesty. If our public officials are lying to the public or engaging in unethical behavior here or if they think that self-serving conflicts of interest should be overlooked, not only will I not “work together” with them but I will blow the alarm so loud and clear that folks will think the rapture is about to happen.

It has also been mentioned that I should distance myself from this blog because it is too “controversial”. That’s not going to happen either.

I don’t agree with everything on E-City Beat, but I am not going to squander an opportunity for two-way communication with ANY segment of our population on a platform just because there may be controversy or uncomfortable truths contained therein.

Bottom line – there’s a time to sing “Kumbaya” and a time to sing “We Will Rock You”. Judging by this election and the voices of the citizens, I think Great Falls is wanting some Queen.

Stay tuned, everyone. Be ready to rally, show up, speak up, and stand up.

Many thanks to E-City Beat for allowing me this opportunity to share some thoughts.

Great Falls, Great Teachers, A Great Challenge

Rick Tryon on August 27, 2019

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A piece in E-City Beat last week got me thinking about our local teachers. Most of our Great Falls teachers are really good, honest, hard-working folks who just want to make a difference in the lives of kids and our community.

Unfortunately sometimes our teachers don’t get enough thanks for what they do for kids, some of which have irresponsible parents who regard school as free daycare or worse – teachers as surrogate parents.

So with school starting this week, let me take this opportunity to say ‘THANK YOU!’ to all of the awesome teachers in our public and private school systems here.

I was raised in Great Falls, raised my own two daughters here, started helping to raise my grand-kids here and will happily credit the Great Falls public school system and our awesome teachers for the job they do in helping to educate our children. Both of my daughters’ success in life is in large part due to the quality public education they received here.

The E-City Beat piece from last week mentioned that teachers and District employees, especially the Administration on the hill, need to do a better job at public relations if they want to pass local school levies, and I agree.

But the far more troubling issue facing public schools funding in Great Falls is illustrated in the following data contained in a US Census Bureau interim report released in February of this year. In an 8-year span between 2010 and 2018:

  • Gallatin County (Bozeman/Belgrade) population increased 22,363 = 25% growth.
  • Flathead County (Kalispell) population increased 11,179 = 12.3% growth.
  • Missoula County population increased 9495 = 8.7% growth.
  • Lewis & Clark County (Helena) population increased 5305 = 8.4% growth.
  • Yellowstone County (Billings) population increased 12,155 = 8.2% growth.
  • Silver Bow County (Butte) population increased 784 = 2.3% growth.
  • Cascade County (Great Falls) population increased 320 = 0.4% growth.

If we don’t turn this around then all the positive PR in the world won’t make a difference because we won’t have the tax base to continue our local legacy of quality public education.

Like it or not, ready or not, we are competing with other state and regional cities for resources, taxpayers, and the kind of growth necessary to prosper and fund things like public education in the 21st-century.

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2nd Amendment Support Strong In Great Falls

Rick Tryon on August 19, 2019

Thursday morning, August 15th was when I first learned about a gun control rally scheduled for Saturday, August 17th in Great Falls at the band shell in Gibson Park, starting at 3:00 PM. The rally was sponsored by ‘Moms Demand Action’ and was in conjunction with other rallies nationwide.

The first thing that concerned me about this event was the way it was being spun as a ‘gun safety’ rally, as if firearm safety was the mission of ‘Moms Demand Action’. It isn’t. MDA is a political organization that advocates and lobbies for much stricter gun control legislation, including a ban on many semi-automatic firearms.

No one is fooled any longer when groups like MDA try to hide their real agenda by using the now transparent tactic of saying “no one’s trying to take your guns away, we’re just trying to promote gun safety”. If that were the case they would be supporting the longest standing gun safety organization in America, the NRA.

The other thing that caught my attention about their rally was that Great Falls city commissioner Bill Bronson would be the main speaker. And of course there were other local politicians there supporting gun control.

By Thursday evening I had decided to organize a pro-2nd Amendment rally. Within less than 48 hours we had a sizable group of folks gathered on Saturday afternoon, exercising our 1st Amendment rights of free speech and to peaceably assemble in order to express our unapologetic, unequivocal support of our 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

We started at 2:30 PM on the steps of the Civic Center and walked down to Gibson Park with signs to show our solidarity and support of our constitutional rights. All of this in spite of the rumor being spread by some that our rally had been cancelled due to lack of interest. As the turnout proved, nothing was further from the truth.

We proved that pro-Second Amendment folks aren’t a bunch of “crazed gun nuts”.

We don’t hate anyone. We didn’t threaten anyone. We didn’t confront anyone with rude behavior. We didn’t come bristling with big scary guns.

We were civil, organized (on very short notice), peaceful and respectful. That’s because we are not “the other” – we are your friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family members.

We love our community, our children, and our great country.

That is why we will never compromise or equivocate in our unapologetic support for our constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms, which SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED, regardless of the whims of politicians or the current direction the winds of public opinion are blowing.

We did what we came to do and finished our rally in the park at at about 3:20 PM in order to allow the MDA sponsored gun control event to proceed with their main program unimpeded.

I didn’t organize our rally to gain media attention, or to be a ‘big 2nd Amendment hero’ as one of the gun control advocates put it. And I certainly didn’t expect fair local media coverage.

I organized the rally so that those of us who cherish our constitutional rights had an opportunity to stand together in celebration of those rights.

(Editor’s note: thanks to Lynne Pitts, Pittstop Photography, and Jonah Shirley for photos.)

Great Falls Code Of Ethics – Relevant?

Rick Tryon on August 13, 2019

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Have you ever read ‘Chapter 21 – CODE OF ETHICS’ in the City of Great Falls municipal code? If not, maybe it’s time to take a look at it.

Here are a few examples of what you’ll find there:

2.21.020 – Findings.

The City Commission of the City of Great Falls finds and declares that:

A. Public office and employment are a public trust;

B. The vitality and stability of representative democracy depends upon the public’s confidence in the integrity of its elected and appointed representatives; and

C. Governments have the duty both to provide their citizens with standards by which they may determine whether public duties are being faithfully performed, and to apprise their officers and employees of the behavior which is expected of them while conducting such duties.

2.21.030 – Purpose and authority.

It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a method of assuring that standards of ethical conduct for officers and employees of the City of Great Falls shall be clear, consistent, uniform in their application, enforceable, and to provide those officers or employees with advice and information concerning possible conflicts of interest which might arise in the conduct of their public duties. Such ethical standards shall inspire and stimulate each officer and employee to:…

C. Be dedicated to the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships so that each public servant may merit the respect and confidence of elected officials, of other officials and employees, and of the public; and

D. Recognize that the chief function of local government at all times is to serve the best interests of all of the people.

So, do you think that all of our city commissioners have been “…dedicated to the highest ideals of honor and integrity…”?

How about “local government at all times serving the best interests of all of the people“?

2.21.050 – Ethical standards.

In addition to complying with the provisions of Mont. Code Ann. Title 2, Chapter 2, officers and employees of the City of Great Falls shall comply with the following provisions:

A. No officer or employee of the City of Great Falls shall have an interest in a business organization or engage in any business, transaction, or professional activity which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his or her governmental duties;

B. No officer or employee shall use, or attempt to use, his or her official position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages for himself, herself or others;

C. No officer or employee shall act in his or her official capacity in any matter where he or she, a member of his or her immediate family, or any business organization in which he or she has an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to:

         1. impair his or her objectivity or independence or judgment, or

         2. substantially conflict with the proper discharge of officer or employee’s     governmental duties;

Have we seen any recent violations of these clear-cut standards from current and past city commissioners?

You know, the stuff about “immediate family or any business organizations in which he or she has an interest”. Here are a few handy links to help answer that question:

https://ecitybeat1.wpengine.com/3661-2/

https://ecitybeat1.wpengine.com/cronyism-great-falls-no-growth-policy/

https://ecitybeat1.wpengine.com/5040-2/

Do you think Chapter 21 in our municipal code matters, or is it just a bunch words that can be blithely ignored by our “public servants”.

Here’s a novel idea – maybe we should all read Chapter 21 (click here to do so) and demand that our “leadership” adhere to it. Which means they would have to read and understand it first.

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Are We Sure There’s No Danger For The Great Falls Public?

Rick Tryon on August 1, 2019

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I found it interesting that the day after I wrote a piece about transients camping out at our Great Falls Public Library and in our public parks I noticed this piece in the Billings Gazette:

“Billings police investigating downtown stabbing at library”

From the article:

“Billings Public Library Director Gavin Woltjer said he isn’t aware of any other stabbings at the library in the almost three years he has been in charge of the public facility. 

Woltjer said he had been told that the individuals involved were transients. He noted that the stabbing took place outside of library business hours and said that during all hours of operation there are security personnel at the library. Security patrols also take place on the grounds once the library is closed, Woltjer said. 

Woltjer credited library security for helping increase response time to the stabbing. 

“We do our part to ensure a safe and welcoming environment,” he said.”

Some of those commenting on the piece I wrote Tuesday and on my Facebook page assured me that there’s nothing to worry about here and that transients camping out in public places is “no big deal”.

Well, that kind of thinking is unwise in my opinion, especially if we want want our public areas to be safe, welcoming places for the citizens who pay for them.

Don’t we want our children to enjoy the wonders of our library and parks without having to worry about witnessing a stabbing, or worse?

An old saying come to mind: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

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We Can Be Compassionate Without Being Naive

Rick Tryon on July 30, 2019

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Within the past 10 days in Great Falls:

  • The Cascade County Sheriffs Department busted a human trafficking/prostitution operation here.
  • A Great Falls woman was arrested for selling meth and heroin on multiple occasions to undercover cops.
  • I went to the Great Falls Public Library on a Friday afternoon and encountered several people camped out on the lawn next to the fountain. Two of them were literally ‘camped out’, asleep in sleeping bags in the middle of the afternoon.
  • A friend of mine who lives downtown recounted to me how he is approached while coming out of his apartment by ‘street folks’ either panhandling or offering to sell him drugs on a regular basis.
  • A young local woman told me yesterday that she no longer feels safe jogging in Gibson Park at any time of the day because of the indigents living there. She also related that she could smell human feces in one area of our public park.
  • A totally naked man is photographed wandering around in front of the Civic Center and downtown in the middle of the day. The pictures have been widely shared on public social media sites.

I’m aware that these kinds of things happen ‘everywhere’. But I don’t live ‘everywhere’, I live in Great Falls, Montana and I’m becoming increasingly concerned about what’s happening in our hometown, as are many others.

Great Falls seems to be experiencing all of the added social problems associated with a city that’s growing and developing but with none of the benefits – like an expanding tax base and higher wages etc. Here are the U.S. Census Bureau numbers released in February of this year.

I’ve talked to many folks who will no longer allow their children to go to the park or the library because they are afraid of whats going on in the bushes, in the public restrooms, and quite frankly, right out in the open.

Because I object to some of our Great Falls public areas being used as campgrounds for the homeless doesn’t mean that I don’t have compassion for those with mental health and addiction problems. It simply means that our public library and public parks should not become unsafe, unwelcoming places for the public.

There are other solutions to addiction, homelessness and mental health we should be exploring, including perhaps providing a single, public space for homeless folks who are willing to seek help for addiction and mental health problems from the many available resources here and, for those who are physically able, to find work.

But let’s not kid ourselves – not all of the homeless and less fortunate we see on our streets have mental health or addiction issues. Some of them are just lazy, irresponsible bums who are perfectly capable of working, like the rest of us have to, but who simply don’t want to follow the rules of society, like the rest of us have to.

Those are the ones that hide behind those who have actual mental health and addiction problems.

Those are the ones who do far more damage to the cause of helping the less fortunate than those of us who bust our butts working to help pay taxes for public assistance and who insist on clean, safe streets and public areas, especially for our children.

Am I concerned about the less fortunate in Great Falls? Certainly. I’m just as  compassionate as those who try so hard at times to establish their moral superiority by saying I’m not, and I have a decades long record and history of volunteering and giving to help the less fortunate here in Great Falls. But I’m more concerned about the hardworking, taxpaying citizens who are trying to live and raise their kids in a safe, clean community.

Let’s all be compassionate, but let’s none of us be naïve.

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Is The Great Falls City Commission Irrelevant?

Rick Tryon on July 16, 2019

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I have heard several statements from folks recently such as, “the Mayor is mostly ceremonial and doesn’t really have any influence” and “the Great Falls City Commission is just a technicality, the city manager has all of the power.”

Wrong.

These kinds of misconceptions are not only wrong but they are also part of the reason that Great Falls struggles to remain stagnant, because they lead to apathy and cynicism. Why should folks give a rip about our city elections if the outcome is inconsequential?

Why vote? Why not just treat our municipal election like a popularity contest, high school prom royalty, or a vote for ‘The Nicest Smile In Town’?

If the City Commission doesn’t matter then why have an election at all?

Well, because it does matter – a lot. The City Commission is equivalent to the legislative body for Great Falls and the City Manager is equivalent to the Executive. Equivalent, but not exactly the same, because the City Commission is also responsible for hiring, evaluating and negotiating the terms of employment for the Executive, our City Manager.

In addition, the City Commission is charged with approving major expenditures, setting development and growth policy and direction, voting on city ordinances, approving a budget etc. All of that and plenty more.

None of us should be apathetic about any election, including our city election, in fact, especially our city election. If we want to see our town live up to its full potential then we need to be engaged and informed about what our local government does.

This stuff matters. It really, really matters.

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Great Falls Commissioner’s ‘Nefarious’ Pet Project

Rick Tryon on July 1, 2019

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Below is more important information provided by Great Falls resident Pam Hendrickson concerning efforts by Great Falls city Commissioners Moe and Robinson to secretly negotiate a partnership between the City of Great Falls and the Maclean Animal Adoption Center.

Every concerned citizen in Great Falls should read this and share it widely. The shenanigans by our city commission that have surrounded this issue (and several others) are the polar opposite of transparency and honesty.

Thank goodness for Ms. Hendrickson and the increasing number of local citizens like her who aren’t afraid to speak up and stand up.

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“WE’RE FINALLY GETTING AN OFFICIAL UPDATE ON THE CITY SHELTER AND MACLEAN ANIMAL CENTER PROPOSED PARTNERSHIP.

Commissioners Robinson and Moe will be updating the public on the status of their private discussions with Maclean on Tuesday, July 2 during the commission work session. Whether you have a dog in this fight or not, or even if you just want to see how they supposedly will save money for the taxpayers, I hope everyone will take an hour or less to go to the meeting and just listen.

It is at 5:30 at the Civic Center and it is the first item on the agenda. There is a public comment period at the beginning of the meeting where everyone is free to offer an opinion, but we’re not sure if the public will be allowed to ask questions or comment during the actual agenda discussion which would be the ideal time to speak – after we hear what they have to say on the matter. It would be nice if the citizens of Great Falls can offer pertinent comments and questions after the commissioners fill us in (with their load of baloney).

I wish I had the time to fill you in on the nefarious dealings of commissioners Robinson and Moe in particular, and the Mayor (Kelly) and the rest of them to boot, but I just don’t. I do, however, have lots of interesting information from several FOIA requests (Freedom of Information Act), which I was told is the only way to force the city commission to answer my questions.

Suffice it to say that I have documentation that Robinson and Moe have both tried to shut down public information and input on the matter.

That Moe’s previous assertion that this partnership could potentially save the City $500,000 per year sure looks like it would cost us even more than we’re paying now.

That Robinson has failed to file a disclosure form that acknowledges his previous involvement with the Maclean center.

That John Huber of the Animal Foundation sent an email on Wednesday, March 27, to Moe, Robinson and another Maclean person to schedule a meeting for April 1.

Robinson called Huber to tell him that the city commission the following week was holding a vote “that could affect what we are doing…” On April 2 the commission voted to postpone awarding the cattery contract.

The implications here are clear. What isn’t so obvious is that Robinson called a private entity a) before that agenda item was made public; and b) seems to me that Robinson and Moe allowed a private entity to influence their recommendations to the full commission.

Let me just end my diatribe with information I obtained that indicates that Maclean’s approximate operating costs are $66,000 per month (which may or may not include personnel costs). According to commissioner Moe’s “Joining Hands” document (see below), the city would end up paying most of that. ON TOP OF OUR CURRENT SHELTER EXPENSES.

I hope I’m wrong about the expense. But since the commission will not answer my questions, and I have been told in my FOIA requests that there is no financial data to share, I can only put the pieces together best I can.

I obviously have a dog in the fight. Woof woof. Hope to see you there.

Pam Hendrickson”

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