Heads up, Great Falls, Halloween is this coming Monday.
‘Candy’ that looks like Skittles or Sweet Tarts could actually contain fentanyl.
If you think this poison, or other harmful stuff, could never get into YOUR kids’ trick or treat candy you’re whistling past the graveyard.
At our 10/18/22 regular meeting the Great Falls City Commission received a report from the local High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas task force that we have had 15 fatal fentanyl overdoses so far this year in Great Falls/Cascade County.
Be Smart. Be Safe.
Make sure a responsible adult accompanies your children when they go trick or treating.
Check and double check ALL treats before consuming.
Throw out any treats not in original, sealed packaging.
Halloween is supposed to be fun-scary, not real-scary. But we live in a world and a time when real evil exists – like people who make and export candy colored fentanyl into our neighborhoods.
So please, please be extra careful this Halloween.
If you want to know what politicians really think then you have to be reminded of what they say when they think voters aren’t listening or watching very closely.
E-City Beat has been keeping track of what the most ‘progressive’ local Democrats running for state legislature were Tweeting when they thought voters weren’t paying attention.
And it’s quite different from the image they’re trying to put forward now that it’s election season.
So here’s a brief rundown of what Jasmine Krotkov, Barbara Bessette, and Melissa Smith actually believe – which is not the feel-good, ‘moderate’ happy talk they’re trying to palm off on Great Falls/Cascade County voters now.
Jasmine Krotkov, Candidate for HD25
Looks like we know where Krotkov stands on teaching critical race theory in our public schools.
Employees who lost jobs for refusing vaccine mandates, take note.
Trickle down economics is a ‘killer’? Pure garbage from Krotkov!
Barbara Bessette, Candidate HD24
Is Bessette running to represent all of us – or just ‘the resistance’?
Oh, it ‘sounds like’ our Lt. Governor is a racist, huh? What a dangerous and bigoted presumption by Bessette, a candidate for state legislature.
Unacceptable, nasty, and hateful Tweet from Bessette.
Melissa Smith, Candidate HD23
Nice reminder of Smith’s priorities for our community.
Do we really want someone like Melissa Smith in public office deciding who should and ‘should not have money’?
Wait, ‘we could just stop burning fossil fuels’? You mean like in my car that takes me to work in the morning and in my home this winter?
There’s more, lots more, but I think you get the basic idea here.
Krotkov, Bessette, and Smith are nowhere near ‘moderate’. They are far left ideologues with an agenda that they intend to push if elected.
Don’t let them succeed in pulling the wool over your eyes.
Today, October 12, is the actual Columbus Day anniversary even though the federal holiday was Monday.
Below is a re-post of an article I wrote last year for Columbus Day.
First, though, I want to comment on a recent post from the ‘Jasmine Taylor For Montana’ Facebook page.
Taylor is an official with the Cascade County Democratic Central Committee, a precinct captain and former failed Democrat candidate for state legislature and Great Falls city commission.
She is also a divisive, racist, extremist who is largely responsible for turning the local Democrat party into the laughingstock it has become. Why local Democrats would allow a loser like Taylor to represent their ideas and values is a baffling question indeed.
What is the purpose of a public Facebook post like this from a Democrat official (“…for Montana”, really?) other than to demonstrate to a tiny minority of kooky extremists how ‘woke’ she is?
One might as well insert “Great Falls voters” in place of “Christopher Columbus” on the picture below because that seems to be Taylor’s attitude towards this community.
Taylor and others like her think they’re edgy and oh so hip by posting garbage like this, but really they’re just dumb and totally out of touch with this community.
Here’s the article from last year.
“Like many Italian Americans I recognize Columbus Day as a way to take pride in my Italian heritage.
Unfortunately, once again this year there are those would like to take Montana in the direction of other states like Hawaii, Oregon and South Dakota, in the elimination of Columbus Day.
Those voices, including the usual state legislators and apparently everyone who works for the Great Falls Tribune, seem willfully ignorant of a couple of important facts.
First, Columbus never set one foot in what we now call America.
Secondly, history is replete with examples of indigenous peoples in America conquering and taking neighboring tribes as slaves, stealing their land, brutalizing and raping women, engaging in human sacrifice and torture as well as committing atrocities including acts of cannibalism.
No racial or ethnic group is pure and innocent when it comes to treating fellow human beings badly. Those who constantly single out white Europeans as monsters while ignoring the atrocities committed by other groups and individuals do so mostly for selfish political reasons.
Their hypocrisy is clear to anyone interested in the facts.
So I would ask the local Great Falls finger pointers and virtue signalers, like those at the Great Falls Tribune who make money on the Lewis and Clark advertising brand, how they feel about the fact that Clark himself held slaves and the Corps of Discovery helped open up the West to American expansion and the “exploitation” of indigenous peoples?
Where are the calls to eliminate the statues of Lewis and Clark in and around Great Falls?
Where are the demands to get rid of any mention of Lewis and Clark in our local celebrations or in the naming of local restaurants and other businesses and tourist sites?
Please, be consistent or be quiet.
Philip Faccenda – Proud First Generation Italian American“
POSTSCRIPT
Christopher Columbus wrote in his Lettera Rarissima, “Let those who are fond of blaming and finding fault, while they sit safely at home, ask, ‘Why did you not do thus and so?” “I wish they were on this voyage; I well believe that another voyage of a different kind awaits them, or our faith is naught.”
To quote a piece by John Hirschauer, Contrary to the simplistic picture painted by academics, the indigenous cultures Columbus encountered were as assorted as those of any other peoples in history. While it might be true that some such cultures fit the nomadic, tranquil image pushed by the revisionists, not even close to all of them did. Which leads to an inevitable follow-up to those who would eliminate Columbus Day in favor of “Indigenous People’s Day. Which “indigenous people” do you have in mind? Is it the Kalinago people, who ate roasted human flesh, with a particular affinity for the remains of babies and fetuses? Is it the Aztecs, who killed an estimated 84,000 people in four days in their consecration of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan?
As historian Samuel Eliot Morison, in his book The Great Explorers noted, Columbus “had his flaws and his defects, but they were largely the defects of the qualities that made him great – his indomitable will, his superb faith in God and in his own mission. That will and faith make him a man worthy of this, the day on which we honor him.
I noticed this post (screenshot below) on the Great Falls Tribune Facebook page this morning and had to scratch my noggin a bit.
The Facebook blurb above the picture doesn’t jibe with the headline below the picture.
The caption below the picture is accurate, the sentence above the picture is an uninformed opinion presented as a “news” item.
Saying that the “Great Falls City Commission is asking voters to prohibit all types of marijuana businesses from operating in Great Falls city limits” is either an intentional misreporting of fact meant to mislead readers, or it’s a failure to understand the simple basics of how and why issues are placed on a local ballot.
The Great Falls City Commission is NOT asking local voters to do anything other than vote on the issue of whether or not they want weed shops and other types of marijuana businesses inside city limits.
The placement of the ballot question is in accordance with Montana Code Annotated, specifically authorized under HB 701
The Commission is NOT advocating one way or the other or “asking voters to prohibit” weed businesses here. Period.
A vote “For” is a vote for prohibiting weed shops etc. in Great Falls city limits.
A vote “Against” is a vote against prohibiting weed shops etc. in Great Falls city limits.
As a side note, this upcoming ballot question is NOT a “local legalization” or “local repeal legalization” vote as some have suggested.
That issue was decided and settled in 2020 when MT voters voted in favor of I-190, legalizing adult use recreational weed statewide.
There was a comment from Great Falls GOP legislative candidate Steve Gist on the ECB Facebook page recently that went like this:
“Please be aware that Democratic candidates in Great Falls and around the state are going around claiming they are either Independents or Moderates. My constituents are telling me this. DO NOT Be FOOLED by these deceptive practices.”
Good advice. Don’t be fooled.
So starting today E-City Beat will be running a series of reminders of what local candidates were saying before campaign season started, when they thought no one was paying attention, demonstrating that the local Democrat machine is STILL dominated by the same far left ideas and candidates for state legislature that Cascade County/Great Falls voters rejected in 2020.
We’ll start with Barbara Bessette, who lost her run for re-election in 2020 to Steven Galloway in Great Falls HD24 where she is running again this cycle.
Here’s a charming Tweet from Bessette. Makes one wonder how she could possibly work with fellow legislators if elected, given her opinion of them here.
“F*** yes”, agrees Bessette, our U.S. Supreme Court “is an active shooter” and police make a habit of filling Black men with “60 holes”.
Apparently Bessette doesn’t think much of white men, so why is she asking for their votes?
Finally here’s Bessette wearing her “Hail Satan” shirt. She thinks it’s cute and funny and mocks anyone who considers it offensive.
I wonder if she would be so cavalier and snarky if someone posed publicly in a shirt with a mocking portrayal of indigenous peoples’ religious beliefs, or a cute cartoon ridiculing Islam.
Back in the summer of 2020 the ‘Defund The Police’ movement had reached a crescendo and was spreading, even becoming a popular rallying cry for the ‘progressive’ left here in Great Falls.
There were local protests and calls for defunding our own Great Falls Police Department as well as accusations of racism against local law enforcement.
Here is an excerpt from an email form letter sent to the Great Falls City Commission in June 2020. I received over a dozen of these emails that month, from both local and out-of-town senders:
“…I am demanding that real change be made to the way this city allocates its resources.
Support for communities in need is necessary now, more than ever. I am demanding that the City Commission meaningfully defund the Great Falls Police Department. I join the calls of those across the country to defund the police. I am demanding a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of at-risk Great Falls residents during this trying and uncertain time. I am demanding a budget that supports community wellbeing, rather than empowering the police forces that tear them apart.“
At the time it was obvious to anyone watching events unfold locally that several Great Falls Democrat candidates for the legislature were helping in organizing and supporting the protests and were driving some of the ‘Defund’ and related narrative.
Helena Lovick, now Vice Chair of the Cascade County Democratic Central Committee, and far left activist and CCDCC precinct captain Jasmine Taylor were among the most vocal.
That was then, this is now, and the hot rhetoric of the time has cooled in the face of the reality that public safety demands full funding for our local criminal justice system and law enforcement. What was hip and trendy for many at the time, ‘Defunding The Police’, is now seen as absurd and dangerous by citizens concerned about the safety of their families and neighborhoods.
And now that we are currently in the midst of a campaign for state legislature I have a serious question for local candidates: Exactly where do you stand on the issue of public safety and on funding and supporting our law enforcement folks?
That question goes to all of our local legislative candidates regardless of political party, but due to her past statements on the issue it’s important that one of them in particular clarify her position.
Democrat Melissa Smith, the losing candidate for HD20 in 2020, now running in HD23, and Secretary for the Cascade County Democratic Central Committee, has posted some troubling tweets concerning local law enforcement and public safety. Here are a few examples.
So, as a Great Falls City Commissioner and citizen who takes the issue of public safety very, very seriously and considers it the most important priority for government at all levels, I sincerely hope that Smith will clarify her positions on and attitudes towards law enforcement as she goes around town campaigning for public office.
I’m not under any illusions that she, or any other politician who may have said one thing then and another now, will respond to the question (though they should), but I am encouraging Great Falls voters to ask candidates what they said and thought about ‘Defund The Police’ back when it was a fad.
Ask them directly when you encounter them at your door, campaign events, or anywhere else.
Or you can email them. Here is Smith’s email address – MelissaSmith4HD23@gmail.com
If candidate Smith’s past statements aren’t an accurate reflection of her thinking or an indication of how she would help shape and fund public safety policy if she were elected to state office then voters need to know that. It’s perfectly acceptable to honestly change ones views over time.
But it is wrong for candidates to avoid the issue and hide their actual beliefs right before an election because they think their true position will cost them votes.
This is super fun and super easy. Good clean competition for a good cause.
If you’ve never played fantasy football don’t worry, it’s simple.
Nothing to do but join the league, draft your team and pick your weekly lineup. You can do it all on your phone or computer from anywhere.
1/2 point ppr
$20 buy in
10 teams – each representing a local charity/non-profit.
End of season, $100 goes to the winning team’s charity. $50 goes to the first place team ‘head coach’, $25 to second place, to keep or do with whatever they want.
I think there will also be some opportunities to raise more money for the charities with weekly team “wagers”.
Gotta hurry though, our remote draft is 1:00 PM on Sunday 9/4.
Over the past couple of weeks the First United Methodist Church has been notifying those camped out in their parking lot that they would have to leave the premises because of potential zoning violations raised by the City of Great Falls.
On Monday morning that process was completed and the FUMC parking lot was cleared of tents, porta-potties, RV’s and campers.
In an email sent to church leadership last week City Manager Greg Doyon reached out and offered the City’s assistance in helping those who need it during the transition.
“I have also asked United Way to provide me with contact information for the best community resource contact to assist homeless who are desirous of assistance when they vacate the property. Her name and contact information is:
Gina Black Street Outreach/Therapist 1123 Central Ave (Physical Address) Great Falls, MT 59401 Office: 406-216-2300 Cell: 406-836-1360 Fax: 406-216-2305
Again, this is the best primary point of contact to direct the homeless to needed services.“
In addition Mr. Doyon offered the following:
“Finally, I know a group of congregants are exploring the creation of a “low-barrier” shelter. As they explore options, please be aware that the City participates in the Community Development Block Grant Program. There may be resources to assist in this endeavor. I encourage you to contact the CDBG Administrator Tonya Shumaker at 406.455.8443. Additionally, the Department of Housing and Urban Development have resources that may be helpful. Additional information may be found here: https://www.hud.gov/topics/homelessness/assist/.“
At the June 14th Great Falls Planning Advisory Board/Zoning Commission members voted unanimously to recommend the denial of a conditional use permit submitted by the First United Methodist Church to operate an outdoor emergency homeless shelter on their property in downtown Great Falls.
At the meeting several local owners and managers representing downtown businesses in the FUMC neighborhood provided public comment on the impact of the ‘encampment’ on their businesses.
E-City Beat will be publishing some of their comments and thoughts, directly quoted, continuing today with Wes Bentley, manager of the downtown Zip Trip. The entirety of Mr. Bentley’s public comments can seen here, his remarks start at 00:48:00 of the video.
“Our parking lot is right across from where this is going down and I’m just gonna touch on a few things.
Our employees can’t even park in our lot anymore because of the people in the encampment over there vandalizing the cars, they’re spitting on the windows, they’re taking off license plates off of vehicles, I can’t send my employees over there without sending two at a time.
I have people that walk home walk to the job and walk home I now have to go provide them rides by one of my employees because we do not feel safe at 12 o’clock in the morning with one single employee walking by there because we’ve had to kick every single one of those people on that encampment off of our property for stealing or drinking, causing problems, harassing my employees, spitting in their faces…
This isn’t a houseless problem as he calls it. I’ve managed that downtown location since 2017 now and I would say that 75% of the people that he’s allowing on that property have been a problem downtown for five years.
They were recently kicked out of the Mission because of drinking and doing drugs which is what they now continue to do on that property.
They make it dangerous, they’ve attacked other workers from a business right behind us and I’m afraid they’re going to do that to me or one of my employees when we go down to work every day.
I have a family of four… I don’t wanna not go home to my family because of something that’s going on in this encampment that he’s (FUMC’s Rev.Wakeley) trying to allow.
I think that he has the right idea, but downtown isn’t the place for it and the way he’s handling it, it’s not appropriate.
There’s nothing being done about the drug use, the alcohol, the violence, prostitution, masturbating, urinating, I mean we can’t allow for that, we gotta do something about it.
It’s got to be somewhere else. We’re trying to make downtown a better place for businesses and really bring business to downtown, and this is not the right direction.”
