by Travis Mateer

In what looks like a recurring series from the Missoulian about homeless people with NOWHERE TO GO the reporter, David Erickson, does an impressive job barely mentioning illegal drugs, like meth. Instead the readers of the Missoulian are treated to propaganda bullshit like this (emphasis mine):

A lack of affordable housing, steadily pushing people to the brink and over the edge into homelessness, is Montana’s most intractable problem.

“I think affordable and attainable housing is probably the No. 1 issue facing working families in Montana,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said at a press conference in April.

An influx of wealthy newcomers since the start of the pandemic has exacerbated an already severe shortage of places for people to live. Building hasn’t kept pace with population increases. Borrowing costs have skyrocketed along with interest rates. The price of labor and materials have made building new homes much more expensive. Landlords are taking advantage of those factors and raising rents, and out-of-state investors are snapping up everything from multifamily apartment buildings to mobile home courts in Montana.

Companies aren’t paying wages high enough for local workers to compete for available rentals with remote workers drawing big-city paychecks. When older homes are demolished to make way for new complexes, low-income renters are evicted, left with few options in an expensive market.

Meanwhile, a lack of mental health services has left an untold number of people on the streets dealing with undiagnosed or untreated illness. Federal statistics say about one-fifth of unsheltered people have a mental illness or are dealing with substance abuse, but surveys in other cities have found that percentage to be much higher.

The part of the quote in bold is the ONLY reference I could find in this lengthy article about homelessness, and that’s a problem. Why? Because, if a news outlet can so effectively downplay this MAJOR factor of drug abuse in the homeless equation, then what else are they distorting for their readers?

For MY readers, it took me all of 15 minutes to find (on Facebook) the connection between Eric Tennant and meth dealing, and that connection John Cave.

How do I know John Cave is a meth dealer? Well, because he was arrested selling meth out of the Authorized Camping Site (ACS) last year, that’s why. From the link (emphasis mine):

On October 14, 2022, Missoula Police Department officers arrested a male for possessing 2.5 grams of methamphetamine.

During the officer’s interaction with the male, the male said that he had bought $100 worth of methamphetamine and that he had smoked two “bowls” worth of the substance from the pack that was located on him. The male told the officer that he bought his meth from a male named Cave at the Missoula Authorized Camping Site. Police Public Information Officer Lydia Arnold has more.

“Officer responded to the Authorized Camping Site on Clark Fork Lane for a report of a person selling illegal drugs there,” Arnold said. “Officers on the scene spoke with the security guards and were able to see video surveillance of the suspected area and the tent involved. In the tent, officers observed drug paraphernalia, weapons, and other items associated with illegal drug activity.”

Omitting the reality of rampant drug abuse is an incredible DISSERVICE to those in Missoula with eyes and functioning brains. It also IS NOT HELPING those on the streets wasting away as we discuss the finer points of jobs many of these people DO NOT WANT and the housing some of them would TURN DOWN if offered.

What else is lurking amongst the drug abusers living like animals in our idyllic mountain town under a BIG SKY? Maybe some occult imagery will help. This is another image taken from Tennant’s Facebook page:

If you can’t clearly see the Sigil of Baphomet, here it is without the asshole flipping off the camera:

Another person I suspect is helping homeless drug abusers acquire their poison also popped up on Tennant’s list of friends. Here’s the same reporter from the Missoulian giving a platform to Heather Hays last October, enabling her use emotional manipulation in a last-ditch effort to keep their open-air drug market active for customers:

Heather Hays, a resident of the camp, said she was upset that city officials believe that there has to be electric heat and private security guards in order for the camp to remain open.

“I am near furious hearing the lies that have been told to you about the things that have been done,” she said. “We have generators that we share. We are a community, we are a family, we take care of each other.”

Hays said she’s researched other legal homeless camps.

“I’ve seen other states that have done this,” she said. “That fact that (Pehan) thinks that we need such an aggressive on-the-ground (security) there — we are all adults. We had jobs just like you, but one bad thing happened to us and we ended up here. You’re making us out to be animals in that place. We’re human. If you take this away from us during the winter months, you’re killing us.”

The bold parts represent the emotional manipulation I find most offensive because I know, from seeing the results, that people ARE living like animals, and it’s THE DRUGS that are fucking doing it. Why is the reality of this so fucking impossible for local media to accurately report on?

About 20 minutes after this article posts today, I’ll be at City Club listening to the LOCAL MEDIA DEATH WATCH and what, if anything, local leaders want to do about it. Since so many of them seem to have an allergy to truth and transparency, I imagine it won’t be much.

If you want to make an impact in the local media landscape, my VERY BIASED suggestion is to support ME through Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF), or by making a donation at my about page.

Thanks for reading!