Housing project falls short
The Trinity Housing project on Mullan next to the Missoula County Detention Center has not lived up to its promises and expectations. This was supposed to be a collaboration between the city, the county and HomeWord. HomeWord brought in Blue Line Developers for their expertise.
Missoula County Commissioners agreed to gift almost 5 acres of county taxpayer owned land adjacent to the Missoula County Detention Center to make this project affordable.
The land was purchased with taxpayer funded bonds to build the detention center. This property has been held by the County for future uses.
Remember when a joint city-county law enforcement center was proposed at that site? The sheriff’s department may need additional space in the future and unfortunately the detention center may need to be expanded. However, the Commissioners agreed to gift the land to the city for this project.
Sheriff McDermott was asked what he needed to protect the detention center and his officers. He had two, very clear, requests. He needed a new, dedicated access to the back side of the detention center as the project would cut off his current access. His second request was for a secure, fenced parking lot for the officers in that same area.
The City and HomeWord agreed to those reasonable requests. But apparently, nothing was put in writing with the transfer of the land.
Now, HomeWord and Blue Line have backed out of those promises saying they do not have enough money meet those promises because the cost of the project went up. If you google Trinity Project Missoula MT, the website clearly states there will be no local tax dollars used to fund this project. Not true.
Earlier this year the County Commission agreed to use $460,00 of general fund money to build this access road and fence a parking area. Those are local tax dollars. The bid just came in for the project at $830,000. Now the county is looking to fund that with an Intercap Loan which will be paid back with local tax dollars. It should be on the project managers to find that money not the County. Honor your promises HomeWord and Blue Line.
Jean Curtiss , Missoula
Some vaccines are not safe and effective
On Oct. 19, the advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted unanimously to take the first step toward adding the Pfizer and Moderna experimental mRNA medical therapeutics to the recommended immunization schedule for American children, without FDA approval. No sane person disputes the mounting evidence that these products have been a complete failure. The “vaccine” provides no immunity. It is, after all, nothing more than a medical therapeutic, and is not effective. Most Americans personally know people who received multiple injections and still got sick. What’s the point of getting a shot that doesn’t provide immunity?
The simple truth is this: The Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), which is soon to end, provides liability protections to these manufacturers. Yet, the protections can continue beyond the expiration of the EUA, under one condition: The CDC adds the “vaccine” to the pediatric immunization schedule which automatically extends forever the liability protections for these SARS CoV-2 mRNA manufacturers. That means that no one can sue Pfizer or Moderna for injury or death, even if children are forced to get the shot to go to school. Sweden, Norway, France, Finland, Iceland, Germany and Denmark have restricted Moderna mRNA therapeutics to anyone under the age of 18 because it is not safe. There will be an exodus from public schools that is so rapid and immense that the system will simply collapse if the CDC takes the final step of mandating these ineffective and unsafe injections for school attendance.
David Passieri, St. Ignatius
Gary Stein will Fight for His District
One of the biggest industries in House District 92 is Agriculture, full of hard-working men and women doing some of the toughest most satisfying jobs in society. These folks do it well. A House candidate suggested voting for the party that created the chaos because they simply have power. Someone should tell him the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The party running Helena isn’t the party it was just a few years ago and the central policy dictated by the Koch Brothers is profiteering, and chaos.
I’m not voting for that party and frankly, I’m not voting for any party. I will however vote for the candidate who is paying attention and knows what’s at stake for the district he seeks to represent. Gary Stein has been to these facilities more times than he can count and interviewed employees and experts for years. He understands the needs of his constituents in East Missoula, Seeley Lake, and the rest of the district, who are on the chopping block, but Gary grasps the massive economic impact throughout the region. He also knows how to ask the right questions to inform debate in the Legislature without having to call some private corrections lobbyist or dark money group to ask what he should do. Gary didn’t pick a party because there was a slot available, and he doesn’t follow a party line. He’s a traditional, working-class family man who is always engaged, not just when there’s an election.
Gary was in the fight when the power structure in Helena took jobs in the licensing bureau, unlike the elected officials who were told to “stand down” by party bosses. He didn’t throw his hands up. He’s witnessed the impacts of farm closures in Seeley Lake. Lodge and is stepping up to make sure our own government isn’t going to decimate the regional economy. It’s hard to choose between two nice guys in a race, but I’ll stick with the nice guy who has shown up and fought for people.
John Fauerbach, Missoula
Reader Comments(0)