Month: December 2020

by William Skink

For a politician like our Mayor, who has access to tens of millions in public money through the Missoula Redevelopment Agency, every day is like Christmas.

But to continue using this money for important things like a $46,000 Spider McKnight communication plan, Democrats in Missoula were really hoping Santa would bring them a Cooney for Christmas instead of the lump of coal called Greg Gianforte.

Now that a lump of coal is our Governor, there is BIG worry from our BIG Mayor that Gianforte could derail the TIF train, and all that sweet, sweet public money might leave the clutches of Ellen Buchanan and her legion of gentrifiers to return to its rightful home in the general fund.

Here is the Missoula Current relaying our Mayor’s concern about his urban renewal slush fund:

With it being Democrat Mayor John Engen’s first term under a Republican governor in office since 2005, Missoula’s top official expects the city to play defense in areas during the upcoming 2021 legislative session.

“We’re largely focusing on making sure that we don’t lose ground with regard to local control and revenues, so those issues are always critical for us,” Engen said. “We will need to protect the revenue streams so that we’re not in a position of further relying on property taxes to operate the essential services. And then we’ll need to pay attention to the changes.”

I added the emphasis to better identify the threat Engen is making to homeowners, but let me rephrase what Engen is saying so that it’s crystal clear: if those mean Republicans in Helena take away my slush fund, I’m going to turn the screws on home owners to make their existence even MORE financially precarious.

In order to drive the fear of increasing property taxes, Mayor Engen is being very deceitful about what might happen with his TIF slush fund by framing it as Missoula losing local control of a revenue stream.

This is not accurate, but I understand why a TIF-aholic like Engen would want us to think it is.

Instead of LOSING CONTROL of a revenue stream, the abolition of Tax Increment Financing would simply RETURN the revenue currently being diverted through urban renewal districts BACK to the general fund.

And Mayor Engen DOES NOT WANT that to happen because he likes wielding his “tool” to gentrify Missoula. Here is our TIF-aholic rationalizing his addiction to TIF:

Engen, a proponent of tax increment financing, said the tool and how it’s used is often misunderstood, even by lawmakers. 

“It’s a great development tool and it’s a great investment tool for municipalities, but it’s certainly gotten a bad rap,” Engen said. “I do actually believe that it is misunderstood to a great degree. And therefore, folks want to get rid of it. But the fact of the matter is if we get rid of that tool, I believe that communities like ours will have fewer incentives for creating quality public spaces around private development.”

One of my goals in the Missoula language wars that is developing is to call public/private partnerships what they are: fascism.

But wait, how can well-intentioned liberals like our Mayor be supporting fascist policies?

To answer that, I suggest reading this fascinating article about H.G. Wells’ dystopic vision. From the link:

In 1932, Wells gave an Oxford speech championing a global order run by liberal fascists saying: “I am asking for liberal Fascisti, for enlightened Nazis”. This was not paradoxical when one realizes that the rise of fascism was never a “nationalist” phenomenon as popular history books have asserted for decades but rather was the artificial consequence of a supranational financier-oligarchy from above who wished to use “enforcers” to bend their societies to a higher will.

Identifying what our local braintrust is up to is going to be a big focus of mine in 2021, especially as it relates to homelessness and the allocation of public resources.

For the readers of this blog who have already directed some of their limited resources in my direction, I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU! With so much worry and uncertainty out there in the world, I am humbled by any amount of support people choose to give me.

And I will honor that support by continuing to do what I feel called to do: expose what they are doing, and why.

Stay tuned…

by William Skink

One of the main lynchpins that keeps us mired in their control matrix is the fear of death. If you take away that fear, then the perceived need to inject an unproven vaccine into your body will quickly evaporate.

If you are someone who thinks your consciousness is snuffed out when your meat sack expires, then it makes sense that anything that would protect it from a threat like the dreaded Covid would seem preferable.

Companies like Tonix Pharmaceuticals, which just closed on 44 acres in Hamilton for vaccine production, is more than happy to rake in billions of dollars on your fear of Covid, and media outlets, like the Missoula Current, are more than happy to provide the fear-based stenography that will ensure vaccine regimens will be a big part of our NEW NORMAL.

Here is stenographer Martin Kidston doing his thing for Big Pharma:

Dr. Seth Lederman, co-founder and CEO of Tonix, said it’s unknown whether the first generation of COVID vaccines currently being administered to the public will provide year-after-year protection, or block forward transmission of the virus.

New strains of the virus have already been reported in Europe, and like the flu virus, COVID could require an evolving vaccine to stay ahead of future mutations.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in domestic vaccine development and manufacturing capabilities,” said Lederman. “We believe it’s critical to bring these capabilities and high-tech jobs back to the U.S., both to finish the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for potential future pandemics.”

Even when the current pandemic subsides, Lederman said it’s likely that COVID will become endemic, meaning that humans will have to live with the virus. Like other diseases, it will serve as a constant threat that can only been managed by vaccinating the population.

“To manage COVID-19 in the future, we need a next generation COVID-19 vaccine that can be part of the standard childhood immunizations, like MMR for mumps, measles and rubella,” Lederman said. “We expect that such a vaccine will be a live-virus vaccine, because of their potential to provide durable protection and block transmission.”

My emphasis in the above quote highlights the fear-porn programming we are being subjected to. MORE pandemics are coming…a CONSTANT THREAT that can ONLY be managed through vaccines!

Fuck that noise.

Instead of wrapping my meat sack in their fear blanket, I wake up each morning and greet the day with the knowledge that today could be the day I die, but since I have faith that consciousness persists beyond the expiration of my flesh suit, I am not paralyzed by fear and dutifully waiting for a company like Tonix to save me.

If you read the rest of the Missoula Current article, you will get supportive quotes from Jon Tester, Steve Daines and Governor-elect Gianforte because nothing is more non-partisan than making massive amounts of money by exploiting fear.

Remember 9/11? Remember Al-Qaeda and how afraid you were supposed to be of them?

That fear was a bunch of bullshit as well, as evidenced by the fact that the same brand of Muslim extremists who supposedly attacked America on that day strangely became our allies of convenience in places like Syria.

It’s only strange if you don’t understand how fear is used to stop your brain from working and to keep you in a low, vibratory state of consciousness.

If you are tired of being a victim of their fear-based mind control then take some simple steps to extricate yourself from their web of influence. Turn off your tv, put the phone down, and go the fuck outside to experience the daily miracle of the natural world and the symbiosis of life as it exists all around you.

The magic is there, waiting for you, but you’ll never see it or experience it if you allow their fear regime to dominate your consciousness.

You are NOT cattle meant to be managed by sociopath shepherds feeding their dark appetites.

You are sparks of divinity created from the highest vibration in the known universe: love.

So start acting like it!

by William Skink

On the longest night of the year, Missoula service providers get together to hold a memorial for the people who died without homes in Missoula. One of the names written on a ratty piece of cardboard this year was Sean Stevenson.

Here is one the statements from the event, as reported by NBC Montana:

“No one should die on the streets alone, and I think as a community it’s really important to work towards more housing options for everyone to make sure no one has to die on the streets,” said Allison Thompson.

While these generalities articulated by Amy Thompson, the director of the Poverello Center, apply to many of the names being remembered, they do not apply to Sean Stevenson. Why? Because Sean Stevenson didn’t die on the street WITHOUT shelter, he died because of violence he experienced INSIDE the shelter.

When the physical altercation that led to Sean’s death occurred in January of this year, the Poverello Center was serving more homeless individuals than the building was ever designed to serve. In addition to allowing overcrowding, the Poverello Center ALSO changed its policy the month before to allow people using drugs and alcohol to stay. This was done at the behest of the city.

In this post I wrote on January 8th, I excerpted the following quote from this NBC Montana article (emphasis is mine):

The Poverello wouldn’t talk specifically about that incident. They were able to explain how they train their staff to deal with those situations.

“We focus on de-escalation training that really supports folks, and really works to help them calm down,” said Allison-Thompson

The Poverello’s policy of who can and can’t come in, changed back in November.

“We specifically focus on a behavior-based policy, so as long as people’s behavior in the building is appropriate, they are welcome to stay,” Allison-Thompson told NBC Montana.

They say it was a recommendation by the city. “We felt good moving into that, because it is a best practice nationwide to be a behavior-based shelter,” said Allison-Thompson. “So we’re actually following the lead of shelters around the nation in that.”

While Missoula’s recent focus on the complex issue of homelessness has been directed at our latest bandaid fix, called the Temporary Safe Outdoor Space, I think our community needs to more seriously reflect on this past year so we can ask ourselves how safe the already existing INDOOR spaces are for those individuals experiencing homelessness.

But, in order for a genuine accounting to occur, we need to know what actually happened to Sean Stevenson inside the Poverello Center on January 3rd and the sequence of events that led to his removal from life support on January 5th at St. Pats.

In the subsequent year since Sean Stevenson’s death, I have been in communication with his family. They reached out to me because my blog was reporting more accurate information than what they were being told by authorities at the time regarding the young man who allegedly got into a fight with Sean, strangling him unconscious.

On December 9th I recorded a 90 minute interview with two of Sean’s siblings. Our hope is to release the interview on the year anniversary of Sean’s death, which is January 5th, but before I can do that I need to better understand the legal risk I am taking in doing so.

From my conversations with Sean’s family members, it is my understanding that the Missoula County Attorney’s office required the Stevenson family to sign a legal document indicating they would not share ANY documents related to Sean’s death, including images from his autopsy.

If the investigation is done, and the County Attorney’s office is satisfied they made the correct call in determining Johnny Lee Perry used justifiable force in self defense when he strangled Sean Stevenson unconscious in the men’s dorm at the Poverello Center, then WHY would the family be legally barred from sharing documents related to the investigation?

That is just one of the questions the Stevenson family has about the tragic death of their family member in Missoula. There are many others.

If anyone has any information about what happened to Sean Stevenson at the Poverello Center on January 3rd, 2020, my email contact is willskink at yahoo dot com.

by William Skink

Earlier this month, Ericka Fredrickson reported on the role of historians in preserving the history of the Covid crisis in real time. Since our County Commissioner, Dave Strohmaier, is also a historian, it was natural for him to spearhead this effort:

As a county commissioner who previously served two four-year terms on the Missoula City Council, Strohmaier is deeply engaged in public policy, but he’s also a historian who worked for Missoula’s Historical Research Associates for 13 years. He said he’s always looking for ways to expand the role of Missoula County in the stewardship of heritage resources. When COVID-19 began affecting Montana, he saw an opportunity, and a need. 

“It occurred to me that this is the moment for public historians to step up,” he said.

So, with his historian hat on, Dave assembled a team to document this historical time in our local history:

With that idea in mind, Strohmaier put together a COVID collection team with the help of Alan Newell, a public historian active with downtown Missoula and UM projects, and Matt Lautzenheiser, executive director of the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. The team includes UM’s Fredrickson (disclosure: the reporter’s brother); Donna McCrea, head of archives and special collections at the Mansfield Library; and Kalina Wickham, program director for the Downtown Missoula Partnership.

While this surface-level story about a seemingly well-intentioned effort by our County Commissioner, Dave Strohmaier, to document the history-making impacts of Covid is kinda interesting, I’m much more interested in what is NOT included in this article, and that’s the business relationship between Dave Strohmaier and Alan Newell.

Strohmaier’s bio at the County website includes this: Since 2015, he has been a partner in a digital technology firm called Three21 Innovations, which focuses on digital solutions for the humanities.

According to its website, Three21 Innovations does stuff like this:

Our network of professional historians and researchers develop compelling stories that showcase heritage and community resources. Through our apps, websites and other digital products, we can connect local history and provide community residents and travelers with an engaging, interesting and interactive experience.

Gee, does this sound like something local governments would spend money on? And, with that in mind, wouldn’t it be nice to have a historian who is ALSO an elected member of a local government?

While the physical location of Three21 Innovations appears to be in New Mexico, it looks like the business was incorporated in Florida. At this link, Newell’s role at this company is described as “managing partner”:

Alan brings his historical knowledge and his extensive business and project management experience to the Three21 Innovations team as its managing partner.

Now that this unreported business relationship between Missoula County Commissioner, Dave Strohmaier, and his business partner, Alan Newell, is out there for the public to scrutinize, it makes Dave’s epiphany that THIS IS THE MOMENT FOR PUBLIC HISTORIANS TO STEP UP seem a little self-serving.

If you are tired of self-serving politicians like Dave Strohmaier, your chance to return him to his historical roots will come in 2022.

by William Skink

It’s weird making moves to monetize content, and very much outside my comfort zone, but at the same time it’s exciting because I’m joining other content creators doing the same thing, like Sam Tripoli.

The Tin Foil Hat podcast was my entry point into a new platform I am now a subscriber to, called Rokfin. They’ve got Tripoli’s spiritual podcast, Zero, and other amazing contributors, like Whitney Webb, Jimmy Dore, Ryan Christian and more.

Today I submitted an application to join the contributors at Rokfin, so I’m hoping to hear something back in a couple of days. I can think of no better hosting site for my weird videos currently gathering dust on Youtube.

At Substack I just released the third installment of my serial work of “fiction” called Zula. So far I’m keeping everything public because my agenda is to lure you into my narrative, then throw up the paywall for subscriptions.

I should warn readers that the third installment has a violent scene that mirrors what happened to a local homeless man last month. I had written this scene around 4 years ago, so am a little unsettled at the synchronicity.

On Instagram I’ve started posting pictures of my art journal, or what my kids call “dad’s sticker book”. But it’s so much more than just stickers; it includes ephemera from my past, images of cultural icons, ink doodles, and poems, all mixed together in strange collages.

Other ways to support my work include the donation button at my about page, buying my book of poetry at the ZACC’s online artist shop, and going LIVE and IN PERSON to the Loose Moose in downtown Missoula (219 N. Higgins Ave.).

If all this is not enough, I’m recording interviews now for a podcast I plan to be launching very soon, and just in time to join the SINISTER SOUNDS OF DISINFORMATION claimed by this scaremongering Guardian article.

Maybe podcasters like Joe Rogan wouldn’t be so popular if traditional media hadn’t become such obvious propaganda platforms for the parasitic oligarch class.

I’m excited for 2021, and I hope you are to