My first vote in Montana...

[Nimrod]

...we only have 3 electoral votes here, and it's constantly showing firmly red in the "polls" (note the quote marks), but still.

Here's a few things going on here.

A Republican-backed initiative to lift a voter-implemented ban on cyanide leach mining, all so a mine roughly the size of Missoula can be built at the headwaters of the Blackfoot river by a company with one of the worst environmental records in the nation.

A Republican-backed initiative to remove all county funding of public libraries.

A Republican-backed initiative to log hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest.

A Republican-backed initiative to lift a voter-implemented restriction on subdivisions in rural areas.

A Republican-backed initiative to virtually eliminate designated roadless areas.

A Republican supreme court candidate who has never worked a criminal case - in fact 90% of her cases have involved working against environmental restrictions, and the rest are all domestic suits.

A Republican gubernatorial candidate that has hired a private investigator to harass the democratic opponent. Same guy also made his tax returns public, showing him making six figures for the last ten years in a state ranking 47th in the nation for average worker income.

Blue Cross is suing a group of doctors and radiologists for withdrawing from their PCP roster. The doctors withdrew because they want to make themselves available to people with no or lower-cost health insurance, and Blue Cross demands exclusivity and is high-cost. Not blatantly Republican, but you can guess where their sympathies lie.

On the positive side...

This is one of the states where the voting process will be observed by the tribal council to prevent them getting illegally barred from voting.

The Missoulian is horridly pro-*, except in the Opinion section where 7 out of every 10 letters to the editor is pro-Kerry, 1 out of 10 is a raving theocrat for *, and the remaining 2 are unrelated.

We're in sync with the number of new voter registrations.

One thing I've learned in my time here is that the citizens are pretty proud of the natural beauty in their state, and HUGE numbers are up in arms over all the Republican efforts to degrade the environment so two or three big corporations can increase their profit margins. There are lots of signs put up by the Rep headquarters, but it seems the vast majority of privately posted signs are K/E.

I would certainly love to celebrate my first vote in Montana with it going blue on 11/2.

[John Q. Citizen]

1. nimrod, be sure to make the Dump Bush Missoula Rally

in Caras Park Sunday Oct 3 )tomorrow) in the afternoon.

Lots of energy ideas and The Big Sky Mud Flaps are playing.


www.dumpbushmissoula.com


added link on edit-

[Nimrod]

2. Already there. :)

[havocmom]

3. And now a report from Eastern MT, normally solidly in the GOP ranks:

Not one single sighting of a bush*/Cheney 04 bumper sticker or yard sign.

Not one positive statement about bushco policies or performance in over 2 years. NOT ONE.

Grumblings about outsourcing. This population is not threatened with job loss from outsourcing, yet they see that it hurts America and they are mad as hell about it. That they are grumbling out loud is a victory in itself. These are pretty tight lipped folks. If they actually voice complaint, it means they are plenty worked up.

The VFW is a major part of small town life. Vets wear their uniforms proudly for funerals and holidays in these parts. There is considerable concern that US troops are being used recklessly and it doesn't play well. Harder for the younger vets to get care and the older ones are pretty damned pissed about that too.

There is a very long, open border here and folks sorta see up close and personal that 'homeland security' is a joke. Miles of unwatched frontier and too many small town emergency response teams under staffed because Guard and Reserve members are in Iraq.

Those same Guard and Reserve members in Iraq writing home and begging for bottled water, baby wipes and food stuffs are making folks wonder just what the DOD is doing with all the $$. The few Montanans KIA make a big impact in places where everyone has always known all the kids, watched them grow up, expected them to see to things as their time to take over comes around. The median age for farmers and ranchers is about 51. Young people matter around here. When one comes home in a box, it is a BIG thing. These folks know they have been betrayed by bushco on many, many levels.

The corporations are doing very well, but the workers and consumers aren't and that offends a basic sense of justice held by most of the folks in these parts. They can make the connection that a well paid work force benifits everyone. A mistreated workforce is not part of the American dream. There are a lot of folks here who know others whose pensions are gone due to corporate crimes. They know people worked hard and loyally for their pensions. It offends them mightly that their neighbors have been betrayed and face old age with less than they were promised in exchange for decades of good works.

The rumbling is not loud, but that it is audible at all speaks volumes. These people are not happy with the course we are on. Only the most fragile of them cannot admit the bush*/cheney experiment has been a disaster.

FOX is not getting as much air around here as it used to. More and more internet news sources being shared. More and more questions being raised.

And around here, we use paper ballots. They are counted by people who feel strongly that voting is a sacred responsibility. I helped count the votes for our primary. Being one of the very few registered Dems around here, I was a bit concerned at what I would find after the polls closed. What I found were neighbors who really took it seriously that each ballot be treated well. I saw simple counting methods and checks and checks and more checks to assure accuracy. I saw very serious consideration and consensus in the rare case that a vote on a ballot was not clear.

Around here, we use paper ballots. And we use good, honest American citizens to count them. I have reason to be hopeful.

[Nimrod]

4. That is so great

It's nice to know there are still good, honest American citizens. As a city slicker, I'm still being taken by surprise by that fact. What can I say, I haven't seen it in awhile - Remember that I just came from a place where good service means your waitress doesn't give you the finger.

Hell, I just got my welcome package. A really cool lady brought it around and hung out and talked for about an hour. Couple of free newspapers, bunch of coupons from local Mom n' Pops, and even a new toothbrush. I didn't know such a thing even existed (the welcome package, not the toothbrush).

My 60+ year old neighbor started talking politics to me REAL carefully. I could tell he was taking little baby steps trying to see if I was a freeper before going too far in the conversation. We had quite the little chat about the local Republican tomfoolery. :)

Small Town America is greatly misunderstood, methinks.

[havocmom]

5. OT but let me tell you about my native Californian nephew's visit to me

in Helena at Christmas many years ago. After everyone else turned in, my 19 year old nephew was still all pumped about his flight up and seeing all of us who had migrated to the far north. I suggested a walk.

He was shaken, Can't go for a walk! It's late at night! :sigh: I laughed and tossed him some gloves and a hat. We walked for hours, seeing the town quiet in snow and pretty in lights. We met only those few travelers getting in late from where ever. At first he was defensive and edgy. Didn't take long for that to fall away, along with all his 'big city' armor. He started to look forward to finding someone out and about that he could exchange pleasantries with.

I then took him up Last Chance Gulch. It was about 3AM. Santas and angels in shop windows, lights and messages for a Merry Christmas everywhere. Even the signal lights seemed friendly, reflecting green and red off the snow.

He turned up the collar of his coat and dug his hands deeper into his pockets, then laughed, bumped his shoulder against me and said "Golly, it's like living in Mayberry!"

Next morning, as he wiped the frost from my kitchen window and commented on the Currier & Ives view of my tiny yard with bird feeder and grateful birds, I told him, "Just wait til we go to Grandma's house today!" To his puzzled look, I explained: "It really is over the river and through the woods!"

Welcome to the Big Sky, Nimrod. I hope you learn to love its many facets as much as I do.

:toast: