Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Lest We Forget

Mail-In Primary Election Ballots are out... please vote for candidates that don't just talk about our Montana public lands & access, stream access, the environment & wildlife - vote for candidates who actually defend and enhance them with action!

Over the years, there are some candidates who keep running for a variety of positions. While they tout their desire for "public service" as their motivation, it is really about power & control - power and control to privatize and profit.

For example, in 2016 a group of Republicans went around Montana campaigning as a group - "Future Land Board". That was the whole bloody point of these candidates running for those specific positions, was to CONTROL our STATE LAND BOARD!!!
 
 
 
 
As far as public lands and access, including stream access, that is where some of these candidates really are dangerous for Montana.

So for a reminder as to how horrible some of these candidates are for Montana and Democracy in general, here is some of the research I have done over the years, made public for y'all on the EMWH website and networked thru the Newsletter...

Greg Gianforte lied, when he last ran for Governor, about our FWP Fishing Access Site Easement in the Gallatin - a perpetual easement, btw. He was trying to make a land grab by filing a lawsuit, demanding FWP give up our deeded public access. I went to the courthouse and clerk & recorders offices in Bozeman, got the lawsuit and the property records to show the truth. Click to view the Easement documentation webpage.

Gianforte also assaulted a journalist on the eve of the Special Election in 2017. Click to view the assault documentation webpage.

Now Gianforte is running for Governor again, whis is a Land Board position, this time with public access partner in obstruction - Kristen Juras.

Kristen Juras ran for the Montana Supreme Court. Once she filed, I looked thru law journals to see what she wrote about. I found a law review - Stop the Beach Renourishment. On page 58 she wrote, "Although the early Montana courts and legislature strongly protected riparian rights (1) by extending riparian ownership to the low-water mark of navigable waters and to the middle of non-navigable waters, and (2) by affirming the riparian owner's right to exclude the public's use of privately-owned stream beds, these rights have progressively eroded. The first erosion was slight (and, in view of Montana's affinity for fishing, caused little controversy) -the adoption in 1933 of the 'angler's statute' allowing fishermen to enter onto the banks of navigable rivers between the low- and high-water marks for purposes of fishing. The second erosion was monumental-the expansion of the public trust doctrine to allow public use of both navigable and non-navigable stream beds for recreational use." She's talking about our Stream Access and Public Trust Doctrine as an erosion!

Troy Bryan Downing Jr. ran for U.S. Senate in 2018. He is now running for one of those Land Board positions, State Auditor.

A week before Downing was to stand trial for the 9 FWP hunting violations (including purchasing Resident license when he was a California resident, robbing FWP of the funds), Downing plead guilty to 2 charges as part of a plea agreement. Click to view the Troy Downing FWP documentation webpage.

Additionally, Downing hired a Republican opposition researcher from Washington, D.C., who used to work for the Republican National Committee doing oppo research, to research me - not a candidate - as a result of my watchdogging research.

____________________

On an additional political front, in February I attended our Montana Progressive Democrats annual meeting. I was asked to run and was elected for the Communications position. The Montana Progressive Democrats are a chartered & recognized partner organization of the Montana Democratic Party.

I'm gradually working on the Montana Progressive Democrats website, showcasing progressive activism and positions from across the state (be patient). I just recently produced the Candidate Endorsement memes, you can check those out on our MT Progressive Dems twitter page.





Click to be a Contributor or Subscriber to
Enhancing Montana's Wildlife & Habitat





Thank you,
Kathryn QannaYahu
406-579-7748
www.EMWH.org
Helena, MT

No comments:

Post a Comment