Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing

Are there wolves in sheep’s clothing in our field of candidates for the upcoming City’s mayoral and commission races?

Yes. Judging by comments from many of our readers, there are candidates who would have you believe one thing while they appear likely to do another.

You might say, “So what’s new about that, politicians do it all the time.” And you would be correct.

They try to “pull the wool over our eyes”, while their real intent is to pursue their own agenda that benefits them and their friends.

How often have you heard local candidates profess a would-be commitment to bring about economic development and ‘good paying jobs’ to our stagnant economy? The truth is that most don’t have a clue about how to accomplish that lofty goal. We have heard that tune for decades without results.

Any building project requires a good foundation and economic development requires a foundational environment where people are willing to risk financial and creative capital.

A growth conducive environment has many ingredients, but first and most importantly is the elimination of barriers and practices that detract from anything positive. Those barriers and detracting practices include cronyism, conflicts of interest, and the reluctance to allow fresh ideas.

If candidates and leaders are named in a HUD scolding, or advocate to import Syrian refugees, or if they are proponents of giving millions of dollars to their favorite nonprofit organizations to dole out to their friends, you can be sure that they will have a negative effect on the creation of a suitable environment for economic development and job creation.

A candidate’s history and associations are good indicators of their future performance.

Neither one of these candidates would answer specific questions about their positions on important topics facing the City and it seems they are running together to maintain the status quo. No solutions, just talk.

At the risk of mixing animal classes, do wolves and birds flock together? In the upcoming election, it appears they do.

As Stevie Wonder said in his 1974 song, ‘You Haven’t Done Nothin’, “…we are sick and tired of hearing your song, Tellin’ how you are gonna change right from wrong, Cause if you really want to hear our views, You haven’t done nothing”.

In this election, comb the wool out of your eyes and don’t’ let the answer to, “What’s for dinner?”, be “Rack of lamb.”

Posted by Philip M. Faccenda

Philip M. Faccenda is an AIA award-winning architect and planner. He is the Editor-in-Chief of E-City Beat.

Reader interactions

3 Replies to “Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing”

  1. Good points.
    Plus keep in mind, candidate Hayden also has potential conflicts of interest.
    As director of Children’s Museum of Montana, the same conflicts exposed by the HUD scandal (which noted CMoM also received funding from those Block Grants, through questionable city connections) could rear its head again.

    E-City Beat’s diligent reporting is such a treasure! Voters need to know the history of the city’s systemic corruption – which of course is NOT corruption under parameters of Agenda21.
    Here we are at the endgame 2021, and now corruption is business-as-usual.
    Our sovereignty has been eroded, GOBAG Club has deepened its roots, and manipulation and lawlessness have become routine.
    JMHO

    Reply

  2. This good old boys club has existed ever since I’ve lived here. (48yrs.) could have had a bypass around great falls but was turned down by the powers that be back then.

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  3. Mitchell Peters October 26, 2021 at 5:44 AM

    It’s doing the samething over and over expecting different results. People that have good jobs get to choose where they move. Why do people want to move here is always the question. Right now the only reason we have to have any growth is cost of living. If we want better we have to do better

    Reply

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