by Travis Mateer

If the director of community planning and development, Eran Pehan, wants to explore a different career path someday, I suggest stand-up comedy, because the suggestion that we still have adequate tools to deal with criminal behavior is HILARIOUS! What we ACTUALLY have is well-paid bureaucrats like Pehan giving us the lip-service they are paid to give us, and it’s a bunch of bullshit (emphasis mine):

The city of Missoula confirmed Eran Pehan to be the director of the new Community Planning, Development and Innovation department in Monday’s City Council meeting.

The department isn’t supposed to cost more money to create, but NBC Montana found out Pehan will receive a $15,500 raise, bringing her salary up to $144,500.

It’s impressive that this kind of salary can produce such a well-informed suggestion on what to do if a homeless person is committing a crime. For example, let’s say a man steals a sandwich and puts it down his pants. Call the cops, right? And what might the result be? Quote below (emphasis mine):

The employee explained that he tried to address Grable by informing him that he was permanently trespassed and requested that he return the item he was attempting to conceal and depart from the store with.  

The employee stated that Grable demanded the establishment contact law enforcement. The employee explained that while waiting for law enforcement to arrive, Grable withdrew the sandwich he was concealing in his pants and ate it in front of the employees while mocking them. 

When the officer arrived on the scene, he observed Grable showing no remorse for his actions. Grable displayed his displeasure with law enforcement through verbal dialogue and refuted having committed burglary. 

Giving zero fucks about committing a misdemeanor felony theft is something locals have come to expect from certain individuals, like Kenneth Grable, but this next story is a little different because the alleged perpetrator of multiple arsons is a 24 year old University of Montana student who wants to be a crazy writer like Hunter S. Thompson.

Here’s Sean Staples earlier this year when he was profiled by the Kaimin about starting his writing career (emphasis mine):

After jumping among computer science, media arts and literature majors, 24-year-old University of Montana student Sean Staples has officially begun his writing career by publishing his first book, “Vision.” This is more than just a compilation of short stories — it’s a passion project years in the making. 

“‘Vision’ is just like off the rails crazy,” Staples said.

Later in the article, we get the sense that Staples has some awareness he’s chased the darkness a bit too enthusiastically, but the emphasized part of the quote shows he hasn’t learned his lessons quite yet:

“‘Vision’ is more like a Hunter S. Thompson-type story,” Staples said. “I feel like it’s a lot of craziness, a lot of wildness, but now, since I’ve been writing recently, I’ve been writing a lot more positive stories. More symbolic spirituality stories that kids could read as well.”

He’s already working on a second. He plans to keep this one more positive but to incorporate his dark humor as well. He also plans to continue this style of writing because he prefers shorter reads. For his next book, Staples teased that “it’s not going to just be all positive spirituality, the craziness is coming back.”

At least Sean Staples appears to be a man of his word, because the craziness DID come back with a vengeance. But before that, here’s one more quote that makes me sad, because it indicates this asshole has procreated:

Staples’ journey to “Vision” was no smooth road, even driving him to consider a Catholic monk’s life for a spell. His drive for creativity was made easier by the birth of his two-month-old son, Beckum James Staples. He dedicated his first book to his son because “they came out around the same time” and his son drives him to do better every day.

“I felt like I needed to start doing something with my life rather than just sitting around being a freaking piece of crap on the couch,”  he said. “Since he’s been born, it’s given me more drive in life. Every day I get up and I want to do something.”

Well, despite Staples’ stated intentions, this 24 year old decided to start some fires. Literally.

From the link (emphasis mine):

Officers responded to a report that a man lit a tree on fire and was walking west on Third Street around 2:15 a.m.

A police press release says law enforcement found 24-year-old Sean Staples, who reportedly threatened to pour gasoline on the police officer and light him on fire.

Police say Staples threw gasoline toward the officers and held a lighter in his hand.

Well, that sounds like some INSPIRING criminal behavior from a GOZNO writer educated by our lovely university. Let’s take a look at the charges and ask ourselves WHY NO BOND YET?

Interesting. And for me, a reminder of another young man I had to deal with while he was acting like a psychotically impaired driver. How ya doing, Francis Fidler? I see some new views on my article about you, so knowing there’s interest, here’s a screen-shot of another person to be aware of in our increasingly lawless town:

It’s nice of the Director of Community Planning and Development to tell the public to call 911, but Eran Pehan and company–like the Director of the Missoula Redevelopment Agency, Ellen Buchanan–ALSO want their Tax Increment Financing tool to continue to play with, and THAT tool is a drain on the general fund that pays first responders, like police officers and fire fighters, so the recommendation is just a tad disingenuous, in my NOT so humble opinion.

As for the young men with zero fucks to give about the laws intended to restrain their out-of-control behavior, citizens empowering themselves with lethal stopping power might not show the kind of restraint paid police officers try to show so they can keep getting a paycheck. If you don’t want to find out at what point that restraint ends, then stop fucking around because fucking around DEFINITELY leads to finding out, one way or another.

And remember, I’m not getting a salary of $144,500 to tell you this.

What I DO do at the end of each post is ask for voluntary monetary support, like the MUCH APPRECIATED $200 dollar donation I just received for Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF). Another way to support me is making a donation at my about page.

Thank you for the support, and stay tuned. More local reporting, analysis, and artistic expressions are on their way!

Have a safe Memorial Day weekend!