play nice in Montana.....

[buga]

Occupy Missoula has saved the County and City taxpayer's money by maintaining and improving the court house lawn, promoting the peace and providing human services to those in need. I'd be more worried about the County and City's programs of socialism for the rich and their public/private partnership contracts that goes against the will of taxpaying voters. Research who is on the Missoula Downtown Advisory Committee, the board of directors and staff of institutions such as the Missoula Downtown Association and the Building Improvement District. Research how they implement, promote and enforce policies such as its illegal to be homeless and panhandling downtown while its alright for the Farran Group to panhandle for the Old Fox Theater site. Research how the taxpayers have paid millions and will pay millions more for the Osprey Stadium, funneling taxpayers money to the Missoula Federal Credit Union and First Security bank through the bail out of the non profit "Play Ball" (technically its a local bail out for the banks), priorities before the human services crisis that is happening in the County and City. Didn't Missoula voters agree 4 to 1 that corporations are not people? That it should be people over profit?

[Guest]

I think its pretty telling that their cash shelter is called "Play Ball." That is absolutely the tone and expectation of the MDA, MCC, BID, SBC, and various city council members. You Play Ball their way, you get lots and lots of status and perks. Point at the men behind the curtain ( the old boys club of Missoula and its dutiful wives), and you're out. They are not "liberal" nor "progressive" but pure and simply capitalists following the dollar. If it makes them look good to "care" about a "cause" because public opinion seems like it would shine favorably, they will claim to stand for a cause. But they talk out of both sides of their mouths. They blow a lot of smoke up our asses and then make backroom deals. They say they want eventual municipal ownership over our water, for example, but they want Carlyle and other groups like it to come here. That is the thrust behind the Best Place Project, is to ATTRACT corporations like Carlyle, regardless of their track records or intentions or ethics. There are, however, some well-meaning people in our city's organizations so it is not fair to lump ALL of them into that category. But all the actual well meaning players in that whole mess , they know that the game is to PLAY BALL. They work in that sick environment and do the best they can. They try to make changes by playing the game... but i really agree with you that Occupy Missoula should seriously investigate this whole mess and be honest about it. But we should also try to be mindful of the distinction between the complicit members of the game, and those we should we be careful to recognize for their authentic work for the common good. There are good players in there, who strive and work to help others, and who may even be deceiving themselves about the game they are enabling behind the scenes. We should be careful about that, it seems.