Month: January 2024

by Travis Mateer

The answer to the question of whether or not the Republican Party actually exists in Montana, in my opinion, is NO, the Republican Party in Montana is a fiction held together by the thinnest of national threads, threads that mostly consist of wedge issues hypocrites like Lauren Boebert exploit to obtain and maintain power for personal enrichment.

Both Greg Gianforte, Montanan’s Governor, and Austin Knudsen, the Attorney General, think they deserve another term doing the jobs they’ve been doing these last few years. Really? Did anyone actually pay attention to the last legislative session and the utter collapse, thanks to the Montana Supreme Court, of the housing bills intended to alleviate the housing crisis?

No, Republican in Montana are so fucking pathetic that even law and order issues aren’t being taken seriously. Why? Is it because this guy is so obsessed with the SOUTHERN border of America that he doesn’t know what’s going on along the WESTERN border of Montana where Interstate 90 enters our fair state?

If I had an opportunity to ask this AG questions, I’d inquire about some law and order issues, like why his office doesn’t take border security in Montana more seriously? Because, if he did, Mineral County wouldn’t be so dangerously under-resourced when it comes to busting vehicles moving product across state lines.

Do those busts result in a special tow truck company taking those busted vehicles off the highway, only to return the vehicles to said occupants, perhaps weighing slightly lighter than before? Maybe that’s just a rumor, but it’s one I’ve heard more than once, so I suggest someone with more resources than an unpaid blogger look into that supposed rumor.

Another thing someone should look into is the ACTUAL work being done by the Lifeguard Group, since this “non-profit” has received so much financial favor from Gianforte’s personal coffers. If any journalists with guts still exist, here’s a hot tip to get the ball rolling: look into Lowell Hochhalter’s relationship with his parents, specifically whether or not a state agency by the name of ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES has had to open up any official inquiries into his behavior.

If Republicans in this state want some integrity back, find someone to challenge Gianforte, because under this asshole’s watch a billion dollar surplus was utterly squandered, and there’s SO MUCH MORE I know about that really needs to see the light of day.

On that note, stay tuned. I might not be posting as frequently, but the stuff I do publish will be VERY interesting.

Thanks for reading!

by Travis Mateer

Yep, that’s right, I rode the vortex out of town on Thursday, heading south to Lehi, Utah, where I spotted the White Lion in his natural habitat. You can read more about my travels, and the immediate weirdness I started experiencing upon leaving, at the new blog space.

Since I’m on the move again, posting here will be more sporadic, including a pause on reviewing the week’s posts every Sunday. One post from last week is temporarily unavailable to the public as I reflect on some behind-the-scenes considerations unrelated, I hope, to my new fan base in Turkey.

Instead of links, I have two video clips to share. The first one is my on-the-ground report from Lehi, Utah, and the second one is a song about pooping in a bucket, titled I Left My Turd In Aspen. Enjoy!

https://vimeo.com/902748094?share=copy

https://vimeo.com/902741042?share=copy

by Travis Mateer

I saw the spike in views before I saw the email threat from “Fareed Ayaz” in my inbox. Why am I being threatened with a DDOS attack on my blog and the removal of my Twitter account? Supposedly, according to the email, it was my post on bridges in Missoula that triggered this threat. WTF?

Let me see, who else has issued threats to my online content? I know one particular person, but since she made good on her threat to entangle me in a legal hell that is ongoing, I’ll try to refrain from further speculation.

A recent criminal case got my attention, and that’s the case of the former Grizzly basketball player who recently got herself arrested after stabbing her husband with a butter knife.

From the link (emphasis mine):

The man said he was able to get the knife away from Schlimgen, and reportedly held her in a bear-hug to keep her from attacking him again. She later left the room and the man turned the lights off, locked the door and went to bed.

A video of the altercation was obtained by law enforcement. Schlimgen can reportedly be heard in the video telling the man multiple times that she would call 911, and alleged that he was abusing her. Blood from the man’s wound can also be seen on the bedsheets at one point in the video.

Is Kristy Schlimgen in jail for attempted homicide? No, she was released on her own recognizance.

Justice of the Peace Jennifer Ray declined to set bond and Schlimgen was released on her own recognizance.

Schlimgen, a former Lady Griz standout, was MVP of the Big Sky Conference tournament in 1995. She has coached girls volleyball in Stevensville, basketball in Florence and golf in Corvallis. She has also served as a referee for the Montana High School Association as well as the Big Sky Conference.

If a MAN who worked with kids stabbed his wife, would he be released back to the community this quickly? I doubt it.

Earlier this week I made public comment at the Committee of the Whole, and part of that was me commending Heidi West for taking THIS stance on JEDI bullshit, also known as DEI standards. From the link (emphasis mine):

But as rosy a picture as Buchholz paints, not everyone is on board with JEDI work. Longtime City Councilor Heidi West from Ward 1 declined to seek reelection this year, in part because of her struggles with the JEDI push.

“I just was so disappointed,” said West, referring to a report the city conducted to learn about disparities. “I just was devastated. I bawled my eyes out. What are we doing?”

West, who identifies as a “Big L and little l liberal,” doesn’t deny there are inherent inequities in Missoula. In fact, she spearheaded an effort to redirect JEDI funding toward Lowell School’s after-school program. The innovative program serves a population with a generally lower socioeconomic status than much of Missoula, and West thought adding support for that service would directly address the issues at the heart of JEDI.

But she takes serious issue with JEDI work as it’s been laid out at the city and county. For one thing, West explained, she feels the new JEDI board transcends the traditional checks and balances that make government accountable and effective.

“It’s gameable,” West said. “If it’s a system that’s being kept in place by a couple people with good intentions, it’s not good enough.”

For West, the imperfect progress discussed by some of her peers also isn’t good enough. West wants measurable outcomes and standards to be put in place to determine whether JEDI is having its intended effect. She’s worried JEDI could exacerbate the gulf between people and foster animosity.

“Past discrimination can’t be solved with current discrimination,” said West. “It’s gaslighting. It’s almost like an abusive relationship.”

Yes, credit where credit is due, so thank you, Heidi, for dropping a nice little tidbit of reality on your way out the door, it’s appreciated.

To those who have let me know my work is appreciated recently, I give a hearty THANK YOU for the support. I now embark on another leg of a strange journey I have faith will yield, at some point, some interesting results.

If you would like to help me as I travel, Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF) is still accepting donations, and every little bit helps.

Thanks for reading! And don’t forget to check out the new blog space of updates.

by Travis Mateer

How do I know former cop, Bob Campbell, is trying REALLY hard to be a politician? It’s the two words he used several times during a recent public Zoom meeting to explain why police can’t do more to quell the consequences of urban camping, and those two words are SIDE RAILS!

Since Side-Rail Bob couldn’t get back to me when he was just Candidate Bob, I decided to head down to the COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE on Wednesday to give this newbie on City Council the Travis Public Comment Experience. Did he enjoy his TPCE? Probably as much as the seasoned incumbents did!

https://vimeo.com/901646783?share=copy

In the clip I point out that the exploding urban camp I reported on last week did NOT seem to concern law enforcement, since no law enforcement ever responded to the scene, just city Fire. I have called and left a message for John Petroff with city Fire, who spoke during the Zoom meeting, but so far haven’t heard anything back.

I’m glad I was able to watch this insightful hour of public engagement because, had I not, it’s doubtful I would have caught the fact that Todd Spence was released from jail on January 2nd. I only thought to check the jail roster because city Fire said they had recently responded to “warming fires” beneath the Reserve Street bridge. Could that be you, Spence?

I used this jail-discharge opportunity to swing by Riverside Pawn and chat with a delightful cynic who deals with the same thing I deal with, which is something I like to call REALITY, like the fact that despite fencing and private security, there are still instances of people using this area.

For example, the site pictured below is the result of someone new arriving town, which I found out later from security. I’m glad I didn’t get too close to this camp site because I was also told that this homeless guy had ammunition stored at his site, and he was VERY aggressive when told he couldn’t make his camp there.

While this area represents the success of private citizens taking matters into their own hands and getting shit done, the resources it takes to MAINTAIN this area are substantial, like the cost of paying private security to patrol this wild terrain. Also, there’s the matter of THREE DEAD BODIES that you’re probably hearing about for the FIRST TIME here, at Zoom Chron.

After speaking with multiple sources I am now reporting that one dead body was found on October 4th near the river, behind Riverside Pawn. Another body was supposedly found near the water treatment plant, and a third body was discovered hanging from a tree in the area by the Reserve Street bridge. That body was discovered in October as well.

Sometimes I come off as having no patience for bullshit, and this seeming media blackout on serious shit happening in our community is one big reason why. The bodies are literally piling up, Missoula, while you have retarded debates about urban camping.

There are still aspects of what I know that I’m keeping to myself, for now, but maybe after I put some distance between myself and this stupid fucking town I’ll share some more details.

Until then, adios, Missoula!

by Travis Mateer

After last week’s exploding homeless camp it was a little galling to listen to regular homeless commenter, Clayton Shea, complain about “amenities” that our placeholder Mayor, Jordan Hess, supposedly promised, but never delivered.

Here’s a portion of the comment (sorry for chuckling at the end, I couldn’t help it):

While Clayton Shea did his bitch and moan routine, another appreciative homeless man showed HIS gratitude by using a blow torch. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. From the link (emphasis mine):

On January 4, 2024, at approximately 11:43 a.m., a Missoula Police Department Officer was inside the Poverello Center for another call when a staff member approached and wanted to report an incident that had just occurred. The staff member reported that she was threatened by one of their clients, 36-year-old Richard Schreck, and that he also assaulted another member of the staff.

The staff member stated that she was checking people in for lunch when she saw Schreck enter the center. She explained that Schreck had been placed on an “out” from the Poverello and that he was not supposed to be inside the building.

According to court documents, Schreck then grabbed a blowtorch out of his pocket and put it in the other employee’s face. The officer interviewed the other employee who stated Schreck pulled out a “click button torch” out of his pocket. He stated that he took a step back but Schreck raised the blow torch approximately six inches away from his face, lit the torch, and then told him “I’ll burn your a**”.

This lovely individual continued to exhibit displeasure in a manner that eventually led to his arrest, but how many charges did he get? KGVO says Shreck got TWO felony charges for his behavior (emphasis mine):

While Schreck was walking out of the door, he stated to the first staff member, “You’re gonna die”. She said Schreck had a history of assaulting staff before and she would not “put it past him to do it again”.

A short time later, officers found Schreck walking west on Pine Street and placed him under arrest. An officer asked Schreck if he had any weapons on him and Schreck became argumentative. The officer then specifically asked Schreck if he had a blow torch on him and he stated that he did. Officers performed a search incident to arrest and found a handheld blow torch in his right pocket.

Schreck was then transferred to the Missoula County Detention Facility without further issue. He is currently being charged with two counts of felony assault with a weapon.

TWO counts of felony assault, you say? Sorry, KGVO, but I only saw ONE felony assault when I consulted the Missoula County Jail Roster.

What kind of amenities does blow torch guy need? How about some behavioral health services so he can find ways of expressing his frustration that doesn’t include threats of burning alive Poverello staff members?

Well, if blow torch guy identified as a Native dude, it appears behavioral health services have been paused at the amidst a shakeup that doesn’t bode well for patients of the All Nations Health Center. From the link:

Here’s what sources tell me started it all – the Behavioral Health Supervisor was fired late last month creating a ripple effect in the department.

Five service providers are working under a candidate license and must have a fully licensed supervisor to do their job, according to Montana Law. We also pulled the records to confirm this.

We were told these providers paused services with clients and two interns were forced to do the same.

I reached out to All Nations’ Executive Director Skye McGinty about pausing behavioral health services and how many patients were impacted.

McGinty confirmed that there is a pause for behavioral health services, but they hope to have services restored sometime this week.

What’s going on? Whatever happened, it looks like there will be several job opportunities at the All Nations Health Center, including the Executive Director.

In an unexpected turn of events, executive director McGinty submitted her resignation last week. She confirmed in an email to NBC Montana that her last day will come in February.

I guess providing amenities for marginalized populations isn’t the easiest thing to sustain. At least they have a nice, warm venue to complain in, right Clayton?

If you appreciate my local reporting, Traivis’ Impact Fund (TIF) is still accepting donations.

Thanks for reading!