by Travis Mateer
Have you ever spent $800,000 dollars on something then changed your mind about it? If you live in possibly the stupidest municipality in America–which appears at this point to be Missoula–that is what might happen with one of the stupidest pieces of infrastructure this stupid town has ever produced: the bridge to nowhere.
I first started writing about this project in 2019, when the cost was “only” a half million bucks. Why was this bridge supposedly necessary? Here’s the quote (emphasis mine):
The project aims to protect and enhance the recreational value of the island. Its natural setting includes views, river sounds, birds and small wildlife, according to a news release.
Did this project succeed in its stated goal? NOPE! In fact, the exact opposite of “protection” happened, just like I suspected it would, because creating “access” just made it easier for the drug addicts to entrench themselves deeper into this plot of city land. Is that why “concept 3” suggests REMOVING this access?
The third concept also includes rapids and enhances trail connections. However, it removes the two bridges that serve Broadway Island, reserving it primarily as urban habitat. The proposal also deepens the irrigation ditch and creates a new surfing wave.
Yes, that’s right, improvements that cost HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars in public investment might now just have to be “removed”. And here is my the skepticism I expressed four years ago, when this project was only a cool half million dollars:
From conversations I have had with Morgan Valiant, the Parks and Rec. lead on this project, the city didn’t know what it was getting itself into when they got this parcel of land, and not because of any of its natural features, but because of the human problem.
I did plenty of outreach in this area after the Poverello Center opened its new center on West Broadway, so I am quite familiar with the terrain and with the hope articulated by Parks and Rec. that building a bridge would somehow encourage a different kind of use of this area.
Did I think spending a half million dollars in public money on a bridge across the street from the homeless shelter was going to somehow bring in an barrage of dog walkers to run out the meth users? Hell no. But I don’t get to direct public money to projects that any bank would laugh at funding.
In another article that highlights how stupid our leadership in Missoula is, here’s a MAN who works for the organization Montana WOMEN Votes telling Mayor Davis and her cadre of dumb virtue-signalers how much they suck with the urban camping charade (emphasis mine):
The meeting – which was to set a public hearing to amend the ordinance had hours of public comment. In a unique turn of events – the power went out in downtown Missoula putting a pause on the usual proceedings. As soon as the power came back – the comments continued.
“When you’re faced with an option you are faced with two options – you can either try or you can do nothing,” said John Rhoades, a representative for Montana Women Vote. “This council has found a mystical third option of making things worse.”
Yep, things are NOT improving in this stupid town, and perhaps that’s because the people who make decisions are THEMSELVES stupid? I think that is a distinct possibility, and one I will CONTINUE to write about since I was assured yesterday by a judge that the first amendment DOES INDEED apply to me and my citizen journalism.
If you would like to support that citizen journalism, Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF) is the way to do it, and any little bit helps.
Thanks for reading!
Have you looked at the parking in the park these people are parking in the park parking lot and going to their condominiums so that shows you there’s not enough parking for all those houses there and they get a free pass on using the park to park their vehicles anywhere else this b******* would not be allowed
As you know I sent you some interesting diatribeisms from 2006 when they first started planning this LLC overtake of that island and they profited somebody $25,000 cuz in 2006 they said they were going to get that island for free
Yet in 2011 they gave an LLC 25,000 to transfer the title of that property this does not show up on the GIS every other piece of property shows prior owners prior titles and prior deeds
This is just another stank ass deception put forth by government and this one came from Johnny Big boy engen
And we know he was accurately portraying the financial interest and cost of everything he tried to acquire
I want the city to cop to who they paid the $25,000 to Will they ever tell us no
And if you look at their amended budget paperwork for 2006 they had $25,000 to start developing that property mysteriously in 2011 it goes to an LLC why do people hide purchases behind LLC’s look into that
And of course you see this was all done through the redevelopment agencies so oversight or any say of the public and how this should or shouldn’t happen is null and void
I believe that’s called taxation without representation
I’m glad to hear that you’re first amendment rights apply mine have been smashed squish kicked and ball sacked
And they continue on ghosting and ignoring me when I request legal court documents pertinent to my case is in my defense it’s a big case of f*** you John You’re not getting the proof that we’re in at and criminally behaving and this is our justice in the district court system
They don’t like people like us that can dig past the fog of deception and look at the real issues
One of the last things I posted was this
How do I contact Travis or get important information to him directly? I’ve looked all over this blog for a contact-us link. I apologize for the hassle. Thank you
No hassle, my email is willskink at yahoo dot com.