by Archie Thomas & Merry Schrumpf, Corvallis
The Republican administration is delivering on his campaign promises locally.
If all federal funds are stopped. Ricketts Road paving will be stopped.
If the buy outs and cuts to NIH are successful, Rocky Mountain Labs and the 425 local employees are facing unemployment.
360 US Forest Service employees statewide have been terminated, more locally unemployed neighbors.
Federal funds in Montana paused by executive order equals $628,973,798.59 through the Broadband Deployment (BEAD) program.
$8 million in facilities funding for Montana State University and University of Montana.
$43 million to Montana for interstate and highway infrastructure.
$355 million to improve water infrastructure.
$143 million for Montana’s airports for infrastructure development. Montana agriculture negatively affected by tariffs and shuttering of USAID wheat and grain purchases have yet to have a dollar determined.
Where are Senators Daines and Sheehy and Ryan Zinke’s justification or explanation for these cuts? Where is congressional power of the purse?
Just maybe, The Republican administration will save this country for President Musk.
Ravalli County and Montana, not so much!
Mike Mercer says
So much rhetoric about what could happen “if” with little thought about what “is”. As a nation, we have painted ourselves into a corner over the last 100 years so that we must now trim four billion dollars a day for the next year to remain solvent; this is a real number not a political talking point. So you tell me, “if” we don’t what “is” going to happen.
DEL says
Mr Mercer, the way you framed your comment makes it politically and practically irrelevant. You added nothing to this conversation.
Mr. Cavanaugh, you dismiss Archie and Merry’s numbers; consider yourself challenged to produce more accurate ones. After all, the county commissioners may face some difficult decisions to make in the coming 12-18 months. I wish for them good numbers and analysis.
Mike Mercer says
You sound like my Ex
Bill Cavanaugh says
Well, first of all it was PAUSED not cancelled. As Trump once famously said “until we can figure out what the Hell is going on”. Second Biden approved $43 Billion for BEAD 3 YEARS AGO and not one house has been connected.
Now do the military personnel, firefighters, cops, government workers etc who lost their jobs when they chose “my body my choice” and refused to take the phony damaging Covid Vaccine. I’m sure you have those numbers handy Archie and Merry.
Your propaganda falls on deaf ears.
DR says
I think that this is just the beginning. Trump and Musk and the Republican sycophants will strangle the National Parks by shutting off funding. The Parks will fall into disarray and before you know it a solution will emerge – privatize the parks. And then will see the real wolves emerge.
Mike Mercer says
One idea being discussed is transferring the parks to tribes, not corporations…look it up before you have a stroke.
Mike Miller says
After travelling through multiple reservations, I wonder if DR will worry about parks falling into disarray if they get turned over to Indians? If the parks did get turned over to Indians, wouldn’t that be privatizing? Would the current funding for the parks simply be rerouted to the BIA, which is really part of the Dept of the Interior?
I know you don’t have the future answers to my questions, Mike, I’m just pondering further, based on your response to DR.
Mike Mercer says
My understanding was the tribes would monetize parks for upkeep; may go nowhere. Can’t speak to privatize issue.
Linda Schmitt says
Good summary, Archie and Merry. Thanks. The real numbers you provide are greatly appreciated. They give us the scale of what’s coming. And, by the way, they are a reduction in the national debt so small as to be not measurable. At the cost of the economy of the entire Valley. Apparently the pro-Trumpers and pro-Muskers think the Bitterroot River will keep us afloat after federal funds disappear.