by Travis Mateer
When you touch the third rail, things go boom.
I wasn’t thinking about third rails, or any kind of rails, when I started working at the Poverello Center in 2008 as an AmeriCorps VISTA. I was more focused on the fact I was about to be a father and, besides writing, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my life.
Hey, maybe I could help people!
Did I help people? Yes, I helped LOTS of people, and that helpful attitude helped lay the foundation for the rise of a political star who shot far past her humble Boise roots, and who now only needs one name to be recognized by. That’s right, Ellie!
I was delighted to see Ellie’s name pop up in the BASH TRAVIS CAMPAIGN after Pete’s shot calling me a sociopath because it’s been ages since I’ve read this classic Missoulian article, which I will soon quote heavily from. First, the pile-on:
Isn’t this something? I would love to know more about what I’m allegedly experiencing in the criminal justice system from this lawyer/state senator/homeless-exploiter, but tonight is my last night enjoying conventional housing in this town, so I’m a little busy moving stuff out. Maybe Ellie can be subpoenaed at a later date so she can share with a jury the actions she has taken to stop me from exposing the Homeless Industrial Complex she used to start her political career.
When Ellie “resigned” from the shelter 13 year ago, the Missoulian captured an amazing moment of martyrdom that I still chuckle at when I read. Here it is (emphasis mine):
Hill announced her resignation on Monday as executive director of Missoula’s downtown homeless shelter and soup kitchen, after 5 1/2 years as its leader.
The first-term representative for Missoula’s House District 94, she will now co-chair the Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, serving with state Sen. Kendall Van Dyk of Billings. She will also remain as a board member and adviser to the Poverello.
“It felt that for 5 1/2 years, I stood alone with a lightning rod in one hand and a sword in the other,” Hill said. “I was sometimes the face and often the voice for the homeless.“
The article continues with a delicate treatment of the mayoral intervention required to convince Ellie it was time to go.
For much of the past spring, that voice was at work to relocate the homeless shelter from its Ryman Street house to the former Trail’s End Saloon on West Broadway. The proposal was put on hold in late June after local residents objected and Mayor John Engen withdrew his support
But Hill said finding a new home for the Poverello Center had enough momentum to continue without her.
“About 3 1/2 of my 5 1/2 years has been in the search for a new Pov,” Hill said. “The mayor wanted the conversation about the new facility and he remains committed. My work’s sort of done when the mayor’s behind it.”
To fully appreciate what you’re reading here, you have to understand that our Mayor at the time, the late John Engen, was himself an unchecked alcoholic, so I can only imagine what kind of conversations were happening behind the scenes to eventually become the parachute of accolades that gave Ellie the public-relations cover to transition out her director job (emphasis mine):
Hill’s growing prominence within the Montana Democratic Party also played into the decision. In October, Time magazine included her in its “40 Under 40 Political Rising Stars” roundup. She was one of just two people from the Northern Rockies mentioned.
Hill’s new campaign position will involve a lot of travel. She will meet with legislative and national-level Democratic candidates to help with their campaigns and attempt to retake political offices. She said her goal is to help the Democrats retake majority leadership of the state Legislature.
“She has a true passion for the political process,” said Missoula United Way Director Susan Patrick, who partnered frequently with Hill on community projects. “But trying to do both – serve in the Legislature and run the Pov – it would just require superhuman efforts. Each of those is a superhuman job.”
The article wraps up with Ellie and Ginny (who I place in proper provenance here) taking a bow for the Homeless Outreach Team ground I plowed.
At the Poverello, Hill expanded its awareness of homeless military veterans and helped to create Valor House, which serves them. She also pushed for the opening of the Salcido Center, which provides daytime treatment for people with mental illness or addiction problems.
Most recently, she teamed with downtown business leaders to create Homeless Outreach Teams, which send volunteer social work interns to defuse conflicts between panhandlers and downtown visitors.
Missoula city spokeswoman Ginny Merriam coordinated the Downtown Advisory Commission that developed the outreach teams with Hill.
I watched all this play out while continuing to do my job coordinating the Homeless Outreach Teams, then left my position five years later WITHOUT a Mayoral intervention being necessary to dislodge me from the job I knew I couldn’t effectively do anymore because of burnout. Three years after that I left the non-profit sector entirely, choosing instead to expose what I had come to understand about our local cabal and how they operated.
Guess who found this decision threatening?
When Ellie got selected to be a member of Gianforte’s task force on housing, I wondered why. Maybe it was the Democrat connection to our former Sheriff, who is pictured below with Guy Baker posing for the camera as they project the idea that their role is to protect our children from online predators.
From the link:
Missoula police Detectives Chris Shermer and Guy Baker and Missoula County sheriff’s Detective T.J. McDermott, from right, are the linchpins of the Missoula Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Shermer works full time busting Internet predators, while Baker and McDermott are part time on the task force.
Tomorrow, when I publish my Detective Guy Baker texts, readers will get more EVEN MORE intriguing context to make an informed decision on the following question: am I a dangerous schizophrenic sociopath writing delusional lies about innocent public officials and private citizens, or am I a former insider who couldn’t turn his back on the fact our Sheriff’s Office has the power to EUTHANIZE and EXECUTE black men in our liberal town?
If you appreciate how I’ve derailed my life in order to seek the truth about what happened on January 3rd, 2020, inside the homeless shelter where I used to work–a shelter celebrating 50 years of existence during the same month I’ll be acquiring homeless superpowers by living in my box truck–then consider donating to Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF). Any little bit helps.
Thanks for reading!