MontanaBuzz

July 24, 2010

 

THE BUZZ


Gov. Brian
Schweitzer was in Las Vegas Thursday to kick off the 5th annual convention of the progressive group, Netroots Nation.

The organization, an influential voice on the left, was originally organized by readers and writers of Daily Kos. The term netroots describes political activism spurred by blogs and other online media.

Other speakers includedHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, AFSCME President Gerald McEntee, and MSNBC personality Ed Schultz.

UPDATE: Markos Moulitsas, the founder of DailyKos, railed against "bull... Democrats" at the kickoff event, and urged Schweitzer to run in the 2012 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate against Max Baucus.  Baucus is blamed by many liberals for sinking the chances of a "public option" in this year's health care bill.


Travis R. Kavulla, the GOP candidate for the Public Service Commission in District 1, has been profiled in what might seem an unlikely spot: The Harvard Crimson. But then, Kavulla earned the honor by graduating from Harvard just a few years ago.

As a student, he wrote a column for the Crimson and served as editor of The Harvard Salient, which garnered national attention by republishing the infamous Danish cartoons that aggravated many in the Muslim world. Later, the Montana native worked for William F. Buckley's National Review, and toured east Africa. During his travels and studies, he wrote about subjects ranging from religion to energy. 

“I've always been kind of an energy policy nerd,” Kavulla told the Crimson. 

Kavulla told the Crimson his conservative views were often challenged at Harvard --an experience that helped him to appreciate that “so many people of such different political persuasions have very good points.”

There's an odd twist to the news that San Diego Gas & Electric wants to invest up to $600 million in a wind farm on the Montana Hi-Line.

And the twist? The power wouldn't go to Southern California, but would be shipped to Canada, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. So why would the San Diego utility be investing in a Montana wind farm if the power won't be shipped to California? It's because the utility can use the investment to meet an arcane California requirement that utilities get 20 percent of their power from wind, solar and other alternative sources.

The program is called the Renewable Portfolio Standards, or RPS, and the utility could earn RPS credits by investing in the Montana wind farm.

Consumer groups are expected to protest the San Dieto utility's plans to the California Public Utilties Commission. "It's (the utility's Montana investment) a disturbing example of how this Commission's obsession with renewable power results in perverse incentives for utilities," said Michael Shames, executive director of UCAN, the Utility Consumers' Action Network. "And a very compelling reason why the regulators have to seriously reassess its tradeable renewable energy credit policy."

Last year, San Diego Gas & Electric signed an agreement with developer NaturEner USA to purchase 309 megawatts of power from the $800 million Rim Rock wind farm in Glacier and Toole counties. In a July 15 filing with the state of California, the utility asked to amend the original power purchase agreement to allow the $600 million equity investment in Rim Rock.


Sen. Jon Tester is being targeted by a group that doesn't like him messing with the gun laws in Washington, D.C.

Tester is the sponsor of a bill that would eliminate any locally enacted firearms regulations within the District. That has drawn the ire of a group called the Free and Equal D.C. Fund, which claims the bill would let people in the District carry around semiautomatic rifles and is just an effort to score "cheap political points" with the NRA.

The group has started running a radio ad in Montana that accuses Tester of ignoring Montana interests and instead wasting time on D.C. matters. The ad doesn't mention what precipitated the controversy: Tester's gun legislation.

If it did, it probably would score points for -- rather than hurt -- Tester. Of course, Montanans may be so curious about the ambiguous ad that they do a little digging. If they do and they  find out that Tester is sticking up for gun rights, it is unlikely that the ad will do the Democratic senator much, if any, damage.


Montana ranked a measly 36th in CNBC's annual survey of the "Top States for Business."

Montana got its best scores in the Quality of Life and Economy categories. It ranked 15 in both categories, compared to the countries other states.

The Treasure State was weakest in Technology and Innovation (rated 44) and
Business Friendliness (rated 42).

Montana has, for the most part, avoided the severe economic stress that some states have experienced. Yet this survey suggests it has considerable work to do to boost its appeal to the business world.



President Barack Obama's poll numbers may be slipping, but he's still an inspiration to White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, a  University of Montana graduate who also once served as Sen. Max Baucus' chief of staff.

"It's like a dream every single day," Messina said about his job in the White House. "It's the single best thing. It is as cool as you think it is."

Dana Milbank, an acerbic Washington Post columnist, wrote about Messina's comments to a group of young Democrats in a column that surmised that one reason for Obama's struggles is that he "set impossibly high expectations." Milbank said Messina's remarks showed that Obama's deputy chief of staff showed that he still believed his boss "walked on water."

Milbank said Messina called Obama "the leader you all wanted him to be" and proclaimed that "I couldn't be any more proud of the guy."

He even held out the possibility that the students could someday "be Jim Messina," a status that allows you "to have a cool car and work for a cool president."

 

In the Bitterroot -- and around the country for that matter -- rock star Huey Lewis and finance tycoon Charles Schwab are pretty well known. But on the Internet's hot social networking site, Facebook, neither Lewis nor Schwab can hold a candle to the Bitterroot's Allie Brosh.

And who, you might ask, is Allie Brosh?

Brosh is a 25-year-old University of Montana student and writer who created a blog called Hyperbole and a Half last summer as sort of a distraction from her heavy course load. She had few readers in the beginning, but with her breezy style and self-deprecating wit, Brosh soon became a Facebook sensation. When one popular social media news site recommended her blog, she had 400,000 hits in one day. Today she has close to 33,000 fans. She's even had inquiries from book agents and a book-publishing companies.

"I try to be as silly as possible. I feel like you can do more with craziness," she told the Ravalli Republic.

Brosh says she's shocked by her success, and for a long time she resisted readers' entreaties to put a Paypal link on her site. She finally relented a month ago -- and admirers have sent in more than $6,000 since that time. Brosh has even started thinking about a career in writing, though she's majoring in human biology.



ALL THINGS MONTANA


Mt Travel Info

State Government

Montana Cities & Towns

Counties

Tribes


WEATHER

Billings

Bozeman

Butte

Kalispell

Great Falls

Glasgow

Glendive

Havre

Helena

Lewistown

Miles City

Missoula



Stuntman Spanky Spangler makes another of his patented jumps at the annual Evel Knievel Days in Butte, this time off the roof of the eight-story Metals Bank building, to the cheers of thousands of onlookers Friday evening. The event continues with one more day of  (Walter Hinick / Montana Standard)



Robbie Knievel comes home to honor his father's day

VP Biden to promote value of park's stimulus projects

Billings man 'gives something he didn't have to give'

Democrats urged to 'heckle' Rehberg at hearings

More sections added to GTF's River's Edge Trail

Same-sex couples hope lawsuit changes MT law

State investment program records profit on BP stock

Billboards attack Ravalli Co officials on property rights

State considers purchase of Spotted Dog Ranch Aug 5

NorthWestern, enviros want 'decoupled' rate scheme

Yellowstone Co deputies win almost $1M in lawsuit

Questions raised about Ennis school chief's contracts

MT Shrugged happy Rehberg joined Tea Party Caucus

Schweitzer touts liberal agenda to Netroots Nation

VP Biden visits Yellowstone Park on Monday

Tester pans banning snowmobiles in Yellowstone

Billings teen ID'd as cemetery pond drowning victim

PPL appealing MT's rent ruling to US Supreme Court

ACLU suit demands equal rights for same-sex couples

GOP warns Helena sex-ed plan could go statewide

Man's body found in pond at Billings' cemetery

Billings man in court after bizarre fence incident

Utility will take lower rate hike, but still wants $15M

Butte man pleads not guilty to prostitution charge

Hiker recalls near-tragedy from Glacier rock slide

Helena man charged with beating wife with cane

Building plunges, vehicle crashes highlight Evel Days

Glacier Park visits leap 3.8% over last year

Outcry over developers plan for Flathead River bridge

Powerline firm to use eminent domain on Hi-Line

Man accused of shooting wife, nanny drops attorneys

MSU student wins prestigious $30K science fellowship

Bison herd takes rare summer tour of Cooke City

Senate hears bill ensuring Blackfeet water rights

E-mail threat of UM sniper now thought to be prank

Yellowstone snowmobile options range from 0 to 720

Landowner: New urban-interface law being abused

Rehberg joins US House's new Tea Party Caucus

Sex-tape case leads to 2nd sentence for Billings man

Senate rejects $3B Indian trust settlement measure


BUSINESS

MT firm hopes to help clean up Gulf oil

First Interstate Bank earnings dip sharply in 2nd quarter

Demand for Flathead cherries high due to shortage

EPA wants to see Keystone pipeline review revised


Poor market forces Columbia Falls to lower lot prices

Bozeman farmers sell camelina oil as health supplement

Freeport-McMoRan creates $1M endowment at Tech


Shelby develops 120-acre transport site

Dillon bans slaughterhouses in city limits

Landmark Kalispell cafe closing doors once more

TV's Maury Povich tells of troubles starting MT paper


SPORTS / OUTDOORS

Kalispell horse triathlon lures nation's elites

UGF athletics director leaves after 3 weeks on job

Travis Lulay to start for BC Lions Friday

Marias River State Park is a little-known gem

All Grizzly games will be broadcast live


Billings Central's Jackie Elliott to play for Bobcats

Charges dropped, ex-Griz tries to get back on track

Griz picked as favorite to win another Big Sky title

Bozeman schedules new rodeo Aug 6 and 7

Grizzlies' Reynolds is Big Sky preseason pick MVP

5 Bobcats win preseason Big Sky honors

Krystkowiak joins NJ Nets as assistant coach

UM's Trumaine Johnson named to Buchanan watch list

O-Mok-See nationals slated for Kalispell July 25-30


OPINION

Highwood plant sponsors should stop work on project

Montana hunt helps guarantee extinction of wolves

Butte's Evel Knievel Days pay tribute to a legend

Billings Police Department must get its act together

Public employees can't expect pay raises in hard times

US can still do more to help disabled veterans

U-System lobbying in DC is pricey but pays dividends



FEATURE

Crows have long viewed Pompeys Tower as sacred

Lawyer hopes record swim opens doors for girls

Bozeman's historic Story Mansion makes a comeback


For tourists, life is good on the Last Chance Ranch

Artist creating 'Log Henge' near Seeley Lake

With help of Montanans, Pakistani overcoming adversity


New Doig book tells of Butte's Copper Collar days

Students play with balloons - and do serious research

Archaeologist discovers ancient teepee poles by chance

Kalispell girl writes novel due to be published in 2011



EVENTS


Wilsall to celebrate 100th anniversary July 24-25

Butte revs up for Evel Knievel Days July 22-24

Suzy Bogguss plays in Livingston July 31

Country star Josh Turner in Billings August 1

Jackson Browne to perform Aug. 3 in Bozeman

Scorpion, Hinder 2 others at MontanaFair in August

Dylan, Mellencamp play in Billings Aug. 11

Mission Mountain Wood Band plays in P-burg Aug 22

Celtic Woman comes to Billings August 22

Beach Boys plan Aug. 26 concert in Missoula

Beach Boys will play in Billings Aug. 28

Justice Scalia speaking at Museum of Rockies July 28

Dylan, Mellencamp play Missoula double-header Aug 31

Willie Nelson back for Big Sky concert Sept 3

MT Economic-Development Summit in Butte Sept 11-13

Sarah Palin speaks in Missoula Sept. 12

Baucus plans economic summit in Butte Sept. 13-14

Country star Brad Paisley plays in Bozeman Sept 30


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