On Why American Money Pissing Off Locals In Mexico Should Concern Locals In Missoula – by Travis Mateer

A recent story about immigration caught my attention because it’s not the kind of immigration story Americans are used to hearing about, since the immigrants perceived as causing the disruptive problem ARE, in many cases, Americans. This counter-flow of cultural wimps fleeing the states with their money to live in Mexico is impacting local Mexican neighborhoods in the ways money ALWAYS impacts localities that become popular—it’s fucking it up for those who serve the ex-pats their lattes and happy hour margaritas. This simmering local discontent recently flared up into a protest and overt acts of violence. Should our local officials be paying attention?

Yes, I think they should, but they won’t, just like I assume they won’t be receptive to the notion that we live amongst killers stacking up bodies around out state like poker chips. We don’t get our progress without a few bumps in the road, right? So, displacing the poors and protecting killers might have to be taken as unavoidable consequences that come along with developing our valley in accordances with the dictates of wealth.

Later today the Missoula Redevelopment Agency will be making a decision on whether or not to support the new 100 million dollar hotel project announced recently by our Harvard-educated Mayor, Andrea Davis. I have no doubt the money cogs at MRA are ecstatic over this project, but what about the MRA should inspire confidence in we, the plebes? Has the strategy of “land-banking” produced any results? Or, perhaps, are giant tracts of land STILL under-utilized, like the dirt where the Sleepy Inn once stood, or the former library.

Another chunk of property downtown recently went on the market-the Adventure Cycling property. This will be added to the vacant square-feet already on the market, like the Aaron Wagner con-job where the Missoulian once published its sad little propaganda rag, a building where current owner, Cole Bergquist, doesn’t give a shit enough about our community (because he lives in California) to even mow the fucking lawn.

Meanwhile, at the County Fairgrounds, where a dumbass threw a party for Missoula, our amazing County-led by another politician thinking Harvard is the answer to lackluster leadership-will be facing litigation over the inability to honor a contract. Go get ’em, Rhino!

Attorneys for Rhinoceros, Inc. (the owners of The Rhino) filed a complaint and demand for jury trial in Missoula County District Court in late May. They named the plaintiffs as Missoula County, Always On, LLC (the Zootown Festival’s promoter), The Press Box Restaurant, Sports Bar and Casino, and five anonymous individuals.

The Rhino alleges they have a signed “catering agreement” with Missoula County to be the exclusive alcohol vendor for any events occurring at the Fairgrounds, which is managed by the County. Under that contract, the Rhino gets to collect 45% of all gross alcohol sales.

The Rhino alleges that despite this, the County and the Zootown Festival’s promoter pressured The Rhino to accept a deal for far less money, 5% of net alcohol revenue. When The Rhino’s owners refused, they allege, Missoula County and the concert promoter chose to work with The Press Box as the alcohol concessionaire to service the festival.

While I’ve done my best to educate locals about the skim-and-give scheme of Tax Increment Financing, making a LONG documentary that kicked so much ass, it was blocked from being publicly shown by local gatekeepers, I’ve come to appreciate the version of the Hegelian Dialectic our local leaders rely on to stay relevant, and that’s the PROBLEM/REACTION/SOLUTION dynamic that sees MRA contribute to the problem of sky-rocketing housing costs, then, incredulously is selected by our Harvard braintrust to lead the solution by funding “workforce” housing for the “missing middle”.

I tried, Missoula.

Since housing is too far gone now to make a dent on the propaganda-led actions of our elected leaders, I’m shifting my focus on the big dirty secret no one relying on tourist money wants to talk about, but I’ll save THAT topic for another day.

Thanks for reading!