Montana Legislator wishes to Join Utah land grab, Resolution.

[Sytes]

They’re still allowing quite a bit of access. When news of that sale broke, a lot of hunters were freaked out. I don’t hunt that area, but know people who do and have for generations. It could have been a disaster.

Caleb is a solid dude and a good forester. I worked with him at my past job.

SPP via Weyerhauser (#1) via Plum Creek...

#1 Weyerhauser, we sold a corner piece of our Whitefish property to allow their logging trucks access to their property w/o routing through a corner of State land.
In the agreement, they would continue offering access to our land that bordered theirs. Unfortunately, w/o forethought and with the general impression that would convey to future owners, I did not pay an attorney to review and define.
Southern Pines Plantation took over (as we know) and just like that, signs noting private property. The owner, whom I don't recall his name took that land, redefined the Whitefish watershed land segments and made my bordering parcel his own private land for his Whitefish house, etc. I contacted Weyerhauser who in turn contacted SPP, and I received a call from the owner's personal attorney, that gave us private consent to ride horses and allow my daughter and us the opportunity to continue hiking, camping, with prior notice though no longer access to hunt.
His property, his right, my bad for not having an attorney review.
***Along with this, numerous electrical residential units (large green metal containers every couple hundred yards or so) added along the dirt road our family rode horses and I hunted for wolves, elk, deer, and bear.

I've since sold my property for a nice covid mint though, SPP is certainly about real estate over public access.

Nature of the beast.

I hope people stand up OUTSIDE entrenched partisan placement and conside our children's future for Montana accessibility.

 

[Irrelevant]

When everything is about "winning", compromise, nuance, and alternative ideas have no place at the table.

I find myself increasingly in the minority of people who view public lands as THE principal way I maintain and regulate my happiness. I care about a lot of different political and policy topics, but public lands directly affect me, every week, almost every day (at least in the summer). Sign me up for shittier taxes, corrupt government, outlandish and irrelevant pronoun use; sign me up for more potholes, leaky water mains, more development, less development, shittier air quality, and dewatered trout steams, all before you take away my public land and force me to live on just my postage stamp of dirt. I can't do it. Humans were meant to roam, I was meant to roam, and there is nowhere better to do that than the mountains, desert, and prairies that are our public lands.

I can't wait to bask in all this winning. It's just piling up, win after win. I can't wait to pace circles around my yard gloating over the lack of pronouns in my life. The money saved from all this efficiency will probably allow me someone else to live a great life- a 'UGE life.

 

[RandanP]

Just another carpetbagging American redoubter. From his campaign website:

Fled Las Vegas 12 years ago…came to Montana because of the culture of freedom, rugged independence, beautiful outdoors, wide open spaces, and of course, the friendly people.

 

[Southern Elk]

Does anyone know if Rep. Millett is Mormon? Just curious where he’s getting his marching orders from, since he’s so worried about Utah.

 

[INMT]

Just another carpetbagging American redoubter. From his campaign website:

Fled Las Vegas 12 years ago…came to Montana because of the culture of freedom, rugged independence, beautiful outdoors, wide open spaces, and of course, the friendly people.

The new breed of Montana migrant is disheartening. Bringing their own view of big world politics to a state that used to be independent thinking. Liberal or conservative, this state’s government is taking a fast nose dive.

 

[SAJ-99]

The new breed of Montana migrant is disheartening. Bringing their own view of big world politics to a state that used to be independent thinking. Liberal or conservative, this state’s government is taking a fast nose dive.

Not really new though. Actually,
MT was the test.

FRONTLINE | Big Sky, Big Money | Season 2012 | Episode 21

A tale of money and politics from Montana, the epicenter of the campaign finance debate.

www.pbs.org

 

[INMT]

Not really new though. Actually,
MT was the test.

FRONTLINE | Big Sky, Big Money | Season 2012 | Episode 21

A tale of money and politics from Montana, the epicenter of the campaign finance debate.

www.pbs.org

I kinda get your point. That was a great and frustrating episode. I watched it when it aired.

Besides dark money campaigns, believe it or not, MT voters voted on issues, not just party line BS until recently.

MT was a purple state, or one that moved back and forth between parties until 2020. You had the robber barren years, the Raciot and Martz years, the Switzer and Bullock years. The Constitutional Convention, Pat Williams, Denny Reburg, Max Baucaus, Conrad Burns, Jon Tester.

It wasn’t bright red until the national landscape changed and I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to non partisan voting.

 

[SAJ-99]

I kinda get your point. That was a great and frustrating episode. I watched it when it aired.

Besides dark money campaigns, believe it or not, MT voters voted on issues, not just party line BS until recently.

MT was a purple state, or one that moved back and forth between parties until 2020. You had the robber barren years, the Raciot and Martz years, the Switzer and Bullock years. The Constitutional Convention, Pat Williams, Denny Reburg, Max Baucaus, Conrad Burns, Jon Tester.

It wasn’t bright red until the national landscape changed and I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to non partisan voting.

Agree. I think it frustrates many. It was Purple, but certainly conservative by any reasonable definition. But only took a small push to change to red and it won’t look back until there is some pain.

 

[Sytes]

Agree. I think it frustrates many. It was Purple, but certainly conservative by any reasonable definition. But only took a small push to change to red and it won’t look back until there is some pain.

As you're from Washington State, "Consistent with previous years, over 68% of state population growth occurred in the five largest metropolitan counties."
Seattle metro accounts for more than 1/2 the entire population of the State.

Reality for Montana: 2020-2024, we've only grown 54,000 to a total population of 1,140,000. The past five year population increase are not 54,000 "voting age" [red] residents.
Far too much party excuse is placed on people transplanting to Montana as "red", thus allegedly tilting the scale. Far too little is placed on the voting population's considerations for the totality of one platform over the other.

*********

Taking into account PEW research - some interesting reflection points:

7. Partisanship in rural, suburban and urban communities

Registered voters in urban areas mostly align with the Democratic Party. Rural areas are increasingly Republican and suburbs remain divided.

www.pewresearch.org

6. Partisanship by family income, home ownership, union membership and veteran status

Democrats have an edge among registered voters in the lowest and highest income tiers, union members and voters who rent their home.

www.pewresearch.org

 

[BigHornRam]

Bad ideas still get weeded out before they become law. Sky is not falling.

Ennis Lawmaker Tables Bill to Restrict Perpetual Conservation Easements in Montana - Flathead Beacon

During opening remarks Tuesday to introduce a bill aimed at restricting the terms of perpetual conservation easements in Montana, a Republican lawmaker from Ennis offered to table the measure before inviting dozens of opponents to the podium to testify against it. In what amounted to a...

flatheadbeacon.com

 

[Forkyfinder]

Bad ideas still get weeded out before they become law. Sky is not falling.

Ennis Lawmaker Tables Bill to Restrict Perpetual Conservation Easements in Montana - Flathead Beacon

During opening remarks Tuesday to introduce a bill aimed at restricting the terms of perpetual conservation easements in Montana, a Republican lawmaker from Ennis offered to table the measure before inviting dozens of opponents to the podium to testify against it. In what amounted to a...

flatheadbeacon.com

I highly doubt he would have tabled it - had generational ranchers, a cpa, some regular citizens, and a lot of orgs not shown up to speak against it. Sixty or so people, to testify against, I think. The disapproval was overwhelming enough for him to table it before it was even discussed.... id imagine they went because for them the sky was falling.

 

[SAJ-99]

As you're from Washington State, "Consistent with previous years, over 68% of state population growth occurred in the five largest metropolitan counties."
Seattle metro accounts for more than 1/2 the entire population of the State.

Reality for Montana: 2020-2024, we've only grown 54,000 to a total population of 1,140,000. The past five year population increase are not 54,000 "voting age" [red] residents.
Far too much party excuse is placed on people transplanting to Montana as "red", thus allegedly tilting the scale. Far too little is placed on the voting population's considerations for the totality of one platform over the other.

*********

Taking into account PEW research - some interesting reflection points:

7. Partisanship in rural, suburban and urban communities

Registered voters in urban areas mostly align with the Democratic Party. Rural areas are increasingly Republican and suburbs remain divided.

www.pewresearch.org

View attachment 359841

6. Partisanship by family income, home ownership, union membership and veteran status

Democrats have an edge among registered voters in the lowest and highest income tiers, union members and voters who rent their home.

www.pewresearch.org

View attachment 359843

Not sure what you are getting at, but good luck with it all.

 

[BigHornRam]

I highly doubt he would have tabled it - had generational ranchers, a cpa, some regular citizens, and a lot of orgs not shown up to speak against it. Sixty or so people, to testify against, I think. The disapproval was overwhelming enough for him to table it before it was even discussed.... id imagine they went because for them the sky was falling.

In the article, one person's conversations convinced him this was a bad bill.

"However, after conversations with Kendall Van Dyk, of the nonprofit Montana Land Reliance, which helps multi-generational Montana ranchers preserve their succession of land ownership, Tezak said he had a change of heart."

 

[Forkyfinder]

In the article, one person's conversations convinced him this was a bad bill.

"However, after conversations with Kendall Van Dyk, of the nonprofit Montana Land Reliance, which helps multi-generational Montana ranchers preserve their succession of land ownership, Tezak said he had a change of heart."

Must be why he tabled it before any person spoke a word.....

 

[Southern Elk]

I didn’t realize it was my senator that introduced the terrible conservation easement bill. I think I will reach out to try to figure out what the heck he was thinking.

 

[Sytes]

Grats to all for taking the initiative to do more than yammer on forums.

Politics of dancing.

"We're under pressure
Yes, we're counting on you
Like what you say is what you do, whoa-oh"

 

[Straight Arrow]

I didn’t realize it was my senator that introduced the terrible conservation easement bill. I think I will reach out to try to figure out what the heck he was thinking.

'Doubt that you will get the real truth. Likely he was being a good party member and following instructions of his caucus, AG Knudsen and the Governor.
IMO, too bad since Tezak seems to be a person of reason and ethical values.

 

[BigHornRam]

I didn’t realize it was my senator that introduced the terrible conservation easement bill. I think I will reach out to try to figure out what the heck he was thinking.

I didn't vote for this slob, so don't blame me!

Montana Senate votes to delay Ellsworth ethics investigation, refer to Department of Justice

Emotions ran high Thursday afternoon on the Montana Senate floor, as members approved a motion that would delay the Senate Ethics Committee’s investigation into a former Senate president.

www.ktvh.com

 

[Straight Arrow]

I didn't vote for this slob, so don't blame me!

Montana Senate votes to delay Ellsworth ethics investigation, refer to Department of Justice

Emotions ran high Thursday afternoon on the Montana Senate floor, as members approved a motion that would delay the Senate Ethics Committee’s investigation into a former Senate president.

www.ktvh.com

I watched some of this Senate floor mess on PBS and was appalled at the rhetoric and the obvious hatred spewed by elected officials toward one another. Comments which really were appalling alluded to one party having the strong majority and thus chastising fellow party members for voting contrary to the "party line". It sounded as though that particular Senator thought that the minority party was just in the room to fill a seat and not be considered during any issue or bill debate. IMO, it was disgusting and embarassing to Montana!

 

[Jwill]

I saw Elon Musk share a video on his social media yesterday of Milton Friedman saying the government should sell all of its lands - should only own the land on which govt buildings reside. I saw a prominent individual at a Montana think tank - who has found a fair bit of success getting bills passed in the legislature - also share it.

Transfer is a poisoned well of an idea. Not only for the very real logistical, legal, or philosophical reasons, but because a powerful subset of its proponents are leveraging folks who would be reduced to suckers staring at No Trespassing signs were it to come to pass. A lot of people - most who don't hunt, fish, or trap - really actually do think public lands simply should not exist.

After seeing Elon share trash from Mike Lee I knew this was coming sooner or later.