by Ken Toole | Jul 2, 2024 | E-City Beat Watch
E-City Beat✔ Whining Again
I don’t read E-City Beat✓ much. But it has come to my attention that Phil Faccenda, one of the writers for that blog, took offense to a recent post I wrote about some guy with a huge “Fuck Biden and Fuck you for voting for him” banner on the front of his pickup at a crowded public campground on the Missouri River. https://wtf406.com/2024/06/nice-afternoon-with-my-grandson/
At first I thought that Phil’s problem would be the fact that we had posted a photo of the offensive banner with the word “fuck” on it. A reasonable assumption given E-City Beat✓’s consistent support for censorship at the library. But it turned out that wasn’t the problem at all. Phil said he thought the posting was hypocritical, because our blog had used the word “fuck” in some of our postings.
So, apparently, in Phil’s mind, placing a large banner saying “Fuck Joe Biden and Fuck you for voting for him” in a public campground with lots of people around (including little kids) who have no choice but to look at it, is somehow the same as using the word “fuck” in an on-line blog which readers have to seek out and is privately owned. Seems like quite a stretch to me but, as I read the whole posting he wrote, it became apparent that his real problem is Jasmine Taylor and Helena Lovick. They are two young women who also write for our blog and have a long history of challenging Phil Facecnda and Rick Tryon, the editors of E-City Beat✓.
To bolster the circular logic of his argument, Phil provided a list of posts written by Jasmine and Helena. He obviously spent a lot of time going through our blog. Fine with us. It just gives us more exposure.
But the whole episode leaves me wondering. Does Phil have no objection at all to this kind of public display? What if a bunch of Trumpers decided to park their banners at Gibson Park or The City Water Park? How about in the 4th of July Parade? In his effort to take a shot at the WTF406 Blog, he left common sense and logic far behind.
by Guest Writer | Jun 13, 2024 | E-City Beat Watch
By Jackie (Mike) Brown blogger for the Western Word
Apparently, someone got under Great Falls City Commissioner Rick Tryon’s skin again. He penned a column that was posted on the E-City Beat blog:
Tryon says:
In light of some of the recent chatter around town I thought this would be a good time to offer my own opinion on the character of my hometown.
I grew up in Great Falls in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I raised my own two daughters here and helped to get a couple of my grandkids started right here in the Electric City, so I take strong exception to some of the disparaging, insulting, and divisive comments which have made it into the local news recently about the kind of community this is and people who live here.
Despite what some of the loudest most obnoxious local voices would have you believe, the overwhelming majority of folks in this community are not bigots, homophobes, racists or haters.
He does ask the question, “Are there jackasses in this town?” He answers his question with, “Sure, just like in any other town.”
I think I know one…
If you haven’t done so already, check out The Western Word blog https://thewesternword.com/
by Ken Toole | Mar 27, 2024 | City, E-City Beat Watch, Elections
Cascade County’s far right was mad as hell when the County Commissioners removed election duties from Sandra Merchant’s control. Nevermind that Marchant had fouled up virtually everything she touched since taking office in January of 2023.
When the County Commission held a hearing on Ordinance 23-65, which removed election duties from Merchant’s Clerk and Recorder’s office to the County Commission office, the hearing lasted 7 hours. Cascade County was treated to a cavalcade of baseless allegations, bible quotes and challenges to Commissioner’s motivation and patriotism. It was quite a show. But in the end, Commissioner’s Joe Briggs and Jim Larson stood for competent election administration and placed election administration under the Commission office. Here’s a summary of that meeting: https://wtf406.com/2023/12/the-grinch-in-great-falls/
In response, these folks organized a petition drive to place the issue on the ballot and give people the opportunity to express their opinion supporting their point of view. But, alas, they failed. Not only did the imagined vast majority of supporters not get to vote, signature gatherers couldn’t even get the required 15% of eligible voters to sign the petition to place the measure on the ballot.
Read our prior coverage here: https://wtf406.com/2024/01/dont-sign-the-petition/
In order to place the measure before voters the organizers had to get approximately 5,500 signatures from registered voters in Cascade County. But after 90 days signature gatherers only managed to gather 1,242 verified signatures. Less than a quarter of the required number. So much for a wave of public support for the Merchant/Grulkowski crowd of conspiracy theorists.
Note: Since starting this blog we have learned that getting public information from Cascade County is incredibly difficult and frustrating. We found the new election administrator, Terry Thompson, to be an exception. Our request for information about the signature gathering effort was responded to in a timely manner with complete and accurate information.
by Jasmine Taylor | Mar 2, 2024 | E-City Beat Watch
Jeni Dodd, our favorite cosplay patriot, also seems to be one of our most devoted readers. If I make a typo or forget a comma, Jeni is sure to let me know. As What The Funk is a volunteer-based project, it’s great to have a volunteer-editor like Jeni to let me know when I mess up. Today, I want to thank Jeni for pointing out an error I made in a previous article, and the error was certainly bigger than a misspelling. I incorrectly identified Beth Cummings as the latest hire at the elections office. My mistake, and my apologies to Beth Cummings.
I should have identified Beth Cummings as one of the lead plaintiffs in a failed lawsuit attacking the library levy. I’ve updated the article to reflect the correction: https://wtf406.com/2024/02/ecb-hatesphilanthropy/
To understand important context, we have to back up to last year. The library mill levy was on the ballot. Sandra Merchant’s numerous mistakes resulted in the court appointing an election monitor to ensure the election ran smoothly and lawfully. As we previously reported, “volunteers” working in the elections office during the library mill levy were allegedly distributing anti-library materials while volunteering.
Well, the library levy passed, despite the misinformation campaign propagated by the far-right. Shortly after its passing, a lawsuit was filed attempting to keep the library from implementing those mills. One of the lead plaintiffs in that lawsuit? Beth Cummings.
Just this week, a judge threw that lawsuit out. Importantly, the judge explicitly states that it appears the plaintiffs (ie Cummings) had no actual legal dispute, were aware of such, and were simply angry about the results.
Read The Electric article here: https://theelectricgf.com/2024/02/28/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-against-city-over-library-election/
The articles states,
“In her order, issued Feb. 27, Perry dismissed the case, writing, ‘although their filings are detailed and generally well organized, every one of their legal arguments is wrong. They are consistently mistaken about which sections of law actually apply to the instant matter, misread and misapply controlling precedent, and generally find fault where no fault actually exists or any error was clearly harmless. It is difficult to read their filings and come away with any impression other than that this action is a thinly veiled attempt to undo an election result they dislike rather than a truly justified complaint about a mishandled or otherwise legally problematic election.”
Huge thank you to Jeni for bringing this mistake to my attention.
As to Jeni’s other arguments in her piece, we anticipated E City Beat’s lame defense of their story about the library levy campaign. In fact, we addressed it in our own article. As to Jeni’s other assertions about the levy, these claims were already addressed in court, as mentioned above.
by WTF 406 Staff | Feb 29, 2024 | City, E-City Beat Watch
As we previously reported, Commissioner Rick Tryon has been relentlessly attacking the library. Read about those attacks here: https://wtf406.com/2024/01/tryon-ignores-voters-threatens-library-funding/
Funding our library benefits the entire community. Let’s help protect our library and its vital services by doing one or more of the following action items:
The city commissioners have decided to begin negotiations regarding the City/Library management agreement. The library currently receives city funding through 17 voted mills (passed by voters last June) and 7 mills by agreement (through the management agreement started 31 years ago). Some commissioners feel the 7 mills would be better utilized for safety funding and are seeking to modify the terms of the agreement to reduce city funding for the library.
Should the city require the library to give up the 7 mills, the library will be right back where it started regarding funding.
Voters spoke up for increased library services. The library is working hard to implement this plan. Should the library lose 7 mills, your library and your community will suffer.
2. The members of the public attending the Great Falls Public Library Board of Trustee meetings have become exponentially negative-focused and intimidating to the board trustees (volunteers). While it is absolutely everyone’s right and duty to attend public meetings and express their concerns, the opinions expressed do not accurately represent the general population. Our public library and its trustees NEED OUR SUPPORT!
Please commit to at least one of the following regularly:
1. Attend a GFPL Board Meeting Make comments of support/celebration/feedback OR be a friendly face in the audience.
2Email the GFPL Trustees:.: Email Library Director Susie McIntyre, [email protected] with the subject line “FOR THE BOARD”
3. Email the Great Falls City Commission:
4. Encourage your friends and family to attend meetings or email feedback.
5. Attend City Commission meetings and express your desire that they honor the long-standing library funding agreement.
Board of Trustee information, meeting times, agendas, minutes and video links:
Upcoming GFPL Board of Trustee Meetings:
Tuesday, March 26th, 4:30 pm
Tuesday, April 23rd, 4:30 pm
Tuesday, May 28th, 4:30 pm
Upcoming City Commission Meetings:
Tuesday, March 5th, 7:00 pm
Tuesday, March 19th, 7:00 pm
by Jasmine Taylor | Feb 21, 2024 | E-City Beat Watch
Just last Wednesday was Valentines Day’s, but the ghouls over at E City Beat ✅ seem stuck in the first act of The Grinch. Great Falls faces a lot of problems right now, from a housing crisis to a police force without mental health services support. Yet, “ECB Staff” which is typically code for “Commissioner Rick Tryon” decided they needed to release a hard-hitting report on two local philanthropists.
Keeping people angry and ignorant is a key Republican tactic. So, although dystopian, it should be no surprise that Republicans have turned their ire towards libraries. Free information, community space, help with things like taxes and legal paperwork, all of these services infuriate the right. Frankly, the less you read, the more likely you are to vote down ticket Republican. So while libraries are, undoubtedly, a-political entities simply serving the public good, they are now the #1 target for idiots like the staff at E City Beat.
Enter the “Vote Yes” campaign. This privately-funded initiative worked to promote the library levy which passed last summer. Not a single taxpayer dollar was used for this initiative. The library levy passed, and Commissioner Tryon has been going after the library ever since.
Most recently, ECB decided to drudge up the records of who donated to the “Vote Yes” initiative. This information is indeed public record, but what confounds this author is that ECB would attempt to shame local citizens for their philanthropy. Charitable giving to institutions like libraries and schools (and the groups that support them) should be the subject of praise and appreciation. In another journalistic faceplant, ECB even revealed that the two families donated to the Great Falls Public Schools Foundation and the United Way of Cascade County respectively. The horror! The shame! The selfless sharing of wealth!
ECB’s ire towards these donors is particularly funny considering their vocal support of the failed safety levy. The media campaign for that levy was NOT based on private donors. Instead, Tryon spent tens-of-thousands of OUR tax dollars to try to sway the voters. He failed. You still paid the price.
However, if ECB really wants us to start getting into who is donating to causes, it seems fitting we look at the ANTI-library campaign. You know the one. They had several billboards all around town. They falsely claimed that the library promoted pornography and drag queens. They also used the “No” symbol twice, grammatically negating their claims and reminding us of the importance of literacy.
The main funders of the anti-library campaign, the group “Liberty and Values MT,” were the Duncans. They donated a total of $3987.00. The Duncans are also the owners of Happy Tails Lodge. If you either support libraries or simply don’t believe in misinformation and homophobia, then consider NOT boarding your pets at Happy Tails. If you’re pulling your pet from their services, be sure to let them know that E City Beat’s article is the reason you’re taking your business elsewhere.
Also of note, Lola Sheldon Galloway donated $200 to the group. Considering the Galloways are millionaires, it appears they weren’t wholly committed to this project. Perhaps they considered it a bad investment? Importantly, Beth Cummings ALSO donated to the campaign. Cummings is one of the lead plaintiffs in a failed lawsuit against the library levy.
I anticipate ECB will now claim this information is all “publicly available” and perhaps try to claim their article had no ill-intent. That’s bullshit. ECB wanted to make these donors uncomfortable, and likely wanted to turn public opinion against them. We trust that Great Falls citizens are smart enough to realize that philanthropy towards groups like United Way, the Great Falls Public School Foundation, and the library is a GOOD thing. The only time such donations are shameful is when they’re supporting groups that trying to cause harm and spread hate- groups like Liberty and Values MT.
Since we can’t count on our actual Commissioners to say this, we will instead.
THANK YOU to the generous donors that supported our library. We appreciate your use of private funds to support this great cause. You saved the city money. In stark contrast to the safety levy, you didn’t rely on taxpayer dollars for your initiative. Our city is better when the library is fully funded. Our city is better when those with the means support fantastic organizations like the United Way. We appreciate that you care enough about others to help support these wonderful institutions. There is NO shame in philanthropy, and we sincerely hope that you won’t be dissuaded from future donations because of ECB’s pathetic attempts to shame you. Great Falls is better when we take care of each other. We appreciate you being part of that.
Read about our prior interactions with this confederacy of dunces here: https://wtf406.com/2023/04/wtf406-forces-anti-library-group-to-change-its-name/
Read about Tryon and friend’s history of attacking the library here:
https://wtf406.com/2023/07/city-commissioners-mckenney-and-tryon-hypocrites/
https://wtf406.com/2024/01/tryon-ignores-voters-threatens-library-funding/
https://wtf406.com/2023/08/city-commission-changes-the-rules-for-library-board-appointments/
https://wtf406.com/2023/10/quit-playing-games-with-my-town/
Here’s verification of the donors to the anti-library campaign. This, too, is public record.
These screenshots show the donations discussed above. You can also see the records for yourself by searching Liberty and Values MT here: Campaign Electronic Reporting System (dashboard) (mt.gov)
UPDATE: A previous version of this article incorrectly indicated Beth Cummings was the latest hire at the elections office. This was inaccurate. Our eternal thanks to Jeni Dodd for bringing this mistake to our attention. We value her continued readership.
