Archive: October 2023

Airshow Gets Nominated as Best, Invited to Advise

23 October 2023
Evelyn Pyburn
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While Billings is still talking about the Yellowstone International Airshow which was held in Billings in August, there are outcomes from it that are posing interesting opportunities.

Also, officials have announced that The Yellowstone International Airshow has been nominated for “Best Civil Small Airshow,” by airshow performers, and for “Best Marketing,”  The awards are to be presented by the International Council of Air Shows at its convention in Las Vegas on December 6.

This is “the Pinnacle” enthused Matthew McDonnell, in making the announcement, who further commented about the Billings airshow, “It was very well done.” Something of an understatement.

McDonnell was one of the people who spearheaded the event, but he quickly presents a long list of volunteers in Billings who stepped up to make it happen. There were in fact thousands – often at some great expense to themselves – who demonstrated what this community can do.

The Blue Angeles crew said it was the best airshow ever, according to McDonnell. It was a “First Time Airshow and a Legacy Airshow.”

The coordination, planning and production of the airshow was second to none, and there are now people involved in the business of airshows who are asking if there are people in Billings who would go on a circuit to make “how to” presentations to other communities wanting to take on a similar challenge.

“That is a big compliment,” said McDonnell — and, the Billings group did compile “a notebook on what to do” in anticipation of the next airshow in Billings, which McDonnell doesn’t think will happen for another three to five years – “so we don’t wear people out.”

How to address the request is being pondered by McDonnell and others. “We would focus on smaller communities like Billings,” said McDonnell. He said he thinks it should involve a team of consultants, comprised of those who were in charge of the specific challenges. From throughout the community there were volunteers who oversaw the many aspects of putting together the event from sponsorships  to marketing, from managing business to organizing volunteers, from security measures to food vendors, from parking to air traffic control, from road closures to emergency medical, from set-up to dispersing information….and much more.

McDonnell marvels at what people accomplished. They coordinated a world-class air show. And, “we were lucky to get all ‘the greats’ to help us out,” he said referring to the contributions of people like “Thumper” – Kendall Switzer — a retired Brigadier General, a past Blue Angel, who now lives in Bozeman. 

And the depth of commitment was amazing, from volunteers who stepped up to take on a whole segment of the planning and no one had to worry about that aspect of the show again – people like Ben Flanagan, said McDonnell. For lack of a better description, Flanagan was the airshow’s superintendent, said McDonnell. He just got things done. For example, there was a big wind storm Saturday night that knocked a lot of things down. Flanagan was at the air field at dawn putting things back up. By the time everyone else arrived they didn’t even know there had been a problem.

And, “kudos” to the Blains at Billings Flying Service and to Edwards Jet Center – “They were the most accommodating,” said McDonnell, who went on to mention many others including one of the other lead organizers, Jake Penwell, as well as:

Reid Pyburn, who oversaw the organizing of Food and Beverage vendors; Chad Amstory, ground operations, who helped Flanagan with layout; Jodee Etchart, coordinator of volunteers; Robb Bergeson at Edwards Jet Center who moved planes as needed and got fuel – “We couldn’t have done it without them.” Then there was Shane Ketterling, Airport Assistant Director, who worked with FAA and security, “absolutely instrumental”; Sara Blenkner, Director of Development “kind of like a secretary”; Rob Moore, Executive Communication Director for the Board; Noah Kiprono, Finance CFO; Vu Pham, Legal Council and Secretary to the executive board; Jeff Stovall, in charge of security working with the Billings Police Department – and all law enforcement who had people working with the air show.

And then there were dozens of people on the board who attended an untold number of meetings. During the week of the event, all of the organizers and many volunteers met early every morning at the Northern Hotel to coordinate events and share information.

On the weekend of the air show there were hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who played a part in many different roles from shuttling people, serving food, monitoring gates, and overseeing dozens of details.

Billings and Montana were obviously ready for another airshow with it having been over 20 years since the last one . The Yellowstone International Airshow sold 11,500 tickets for each of the two days of the air show, plus 1000 VIP tickets. And that is not counting the attendance for the two days prior to Saturday and Sunday, nor does it include the volunteers and vendors who were on hand to serve the spectators. It is estimated that there were 30,000 people in total at the air show.

The 72 Blue Angels and support crew were invited by Billings to arrive early in order to participate in some special events especially for them. Fifty-five came to be hosted at the S Ranch in the Pryor Mountains and to play golf and go fishing. “They were enamored with Montana,” said McDonnell. The Blue Angeles and crew members commented on how much more welcomed they were made to feel in Montana compared to their reception in other states.

Of course, the Logan International Field was shut down during the show and practice times, but one aspect that was not shut down was emergency medical flights. Twenty-one medical flights happened without a hitch, said McDonnell. “I don’t think anyone knew they were happening,” He said he was impressed with how readily the Blue Angeles and crew accommodated the flights. “Knock it off,” is the command given to put everything on hold.

So, for at least, the next three years – “Knock it off.”

Advisor Mike Vondra Recognized by Forbes

23 October 2023
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Edward Jones Financial Advisor Mike Vondra of Billings has been named to the 2023  Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State ranking by Forbes/ SHOOK Research. The list is comprised of more than 1,460 financial advisors nationwide, all under age 40.

“This is an incredible honor, one I could never have achieved without the tremendous support from my branch team. And I am forever indebted to my clients for the trust they have put in me and the relationships we’ve built as we work toward the financial goals that help give them the freedom to live life on their terms,” Vondra said. “This work inspires me because I know that, for years to come, I can make a meaningful difference in the lives of my clients and colleagues, and in my community.”

AARP Reports that Care for the Elderly is “Painfully” Inadequate

23 October 2023
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AARP’s new Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard finds that more than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, care provided in the United States for older adults and people with disabilities is painfully inadequate. The report finds that major gaps persist in every state, including Montana, especially related to Safety & Quality; Choice of Setting & Provider; and Affordability & Access.

 Ranking #33 in the country, Montana has made some progress to improve care options for older adults, including “Assisted Living Supply” meaning assisted living and residential care units per 1,000 population (ages 75+). However, the report shows there is still much more to be done to keep up with the rapidly changing needs of an aging population. Montana dropped six slots since the last score card was issued in 2021, Montana was ranked #27 in the country.

 “The pandemic reinforced the need to strengthen long-term care for loved ones across the country, including in Montana,” said Mike Batista AARP Montana Director of Government Affairs. “AARP’s Scorecard shows that there are many roads to meet the needs of all Montanans who deserve the very best care, including the 112,000 family caregivers in our state. It’s time to accelerate our efforts.”

 Additional key findings from the report include:

 Family Caregiving

* Only six states, including Montana, provide a tax credit for family caregivers’ out-of-pocket expenses. Oklahoma enacted a caregiver tax credit bill in June, after data for the Scorecard was collected. Family caregivers on average spend $7,242 per year on out-of-pocket costs.

 Home Based Services

* There has been a surge in older adults receiving long-term care at home, rather than in nursing homes and other institutions. For the first time, more than half (53%) of Medicaid LTSS spending for older people and adults with physical disabilities went to Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). This is up from 37% in 2009. HCBS includes support for home health care aides, respite services, assistive technology and home modifications and other services.

o The average annual per person cost of home care in 2021 was $42,000.

o Montana ranked near the bottom at #42 for “Home Care Cost” meaning the median annual home care private pay cost as a percentage of median household income, (ages 65+). 

* Many states have large numbers of people with low care needs living in nursing homes, indicating a lack of HCBS access and services. More than 20% of residents in Montana have residents with low needs, compared to 9% nationally.  

Nursing Homes and Institutional Care

* A major workforce crisis exists in nursing home care. Across all states, wages for direct care workers are lower than wages for comparable occupations, with shortfalls ranging from $1.56 to $5.03 per hour. In Montana, wages are $2.28 lower than other entry level jobs.

o Nationally, more than half of nursing staff in nursing homes leave their job within a year (53.9% turnover rate). In Montana, the rate is above the average, at 63.2%, with Montana, Vermont, and New Mexico experiencing the highest averages in the nation in staffing turnover.

o Staffing disparities are a significant challenge. Residents of nursing homes with high admissions of Black residents receive almost 200 fewer hours of care per year compared to residents of nursing homes with high admissions of white residents.  

* Nationally, only 22% of nursing home residents live in a facility with a 5-star rating; about 33.7% of Montana residents live in a 5-star facility. Gaps in workforce and equity result in persistent problems in care. For instance, about 10% of nursing home residents nationwide experienced a pressure sore. Pressure sores can be life-threatening as they can lead to bone or joint infections, cancer, and sepsis. 

“COVID-19 tested our long-term care systems, and they failed. Now is the time to take the lessons we’ve learned to fix them, for the sake of saving lives,” said Susan Reinhard, Senior Vice President, AARP Public Policy Institute. “AARP’s LTSS Scorecard shows some progress and innovation, but there’s still a long way to go before we have systems that allow people to age well and independently for as long as possible and support the nation’s 48 million family caregivers. It’s also clear some emerging issues deserve more attention – from whether nursing homes are prepared to confront natural disasters, to whether they have plans in place to maintain and grow their workforces.”

18 States Want Judge to Deny Request to Halt TikTok

23 October 2023
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A group of 18 state attorneys general and two separate organizations recently filed amicus briefs in support of Montana’s law banning TikTok from operating in the state. The law was written  by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen following documented concerns over the app’s  data-harvesting and access to that data granted to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials.

The new law requires TikTok to stop operating in Montana and prohibits mobile application stores from making TikTok available starting on January 1, 2024. Shortly after Governor Greg Gianforte signed SB 419 into law, the company and a group of users it funded sued and requested a preliminary injunction. The three groups  joined Attorney General Knudsen in urging the court to deny the plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction due to the adverse impact on citizens’ privacy and data security.

The coalition of 18 states argues that SB 419 falls within the States’ historic police powers under the principle of federalism that “each State may make its own reasoned judgment about what conduct is permitted or proscribed within its borders,” and by banning TikTok’s operation in the state, Montana is protecting its citizens’ privacy from TikTok and the threat of the CCP’s data-harvesting practices.

“SB 419 is justified, and Plaintiffs’ motions for a preliminary injunction should be denied, because TikTok intentionally engages in deceptive business practices which induce individuals to share sensitive personal information that can be easily accessed by the Chinese Communist Party and because TikTok’s platform harms children in Montana and Amici States. Federal law does not prohibit the States from protecting their citizens from such conduct,” the attorneys general wrote in the brief. “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the political party with unchallenged control of the government of the People’s Republic of China, exercises significant influence over ByteDance. Allowing TikTok to operate in Montana without severing its ties to the CCP exposes Montanan consumers to the risk of the CCP accessing and exploiting their data.”

When a Grunt will Do

23 October 2023
Evelyn Pyburn
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By Evelyn Pyburn

With all the wrangling we encounter about words—what’s appropriate, what’s not, what a word means, and even if we dare speak words – if you think that is just an accidental manifestation in our society – think again.

To attack our language, to make communication difficult if not impossible. To create confusion and to intimidate, is a front line tactic of collectivists —socialists, communists, etc. To undermine society and the strength of the individual, really can be just a matter of words.

“The confusion and vagueness of terms always found in collectivist theories is not accidental; it is a reversion to the mental and verbal limitations of the primitive society it advocates, the inability to think in abstract terms,” writes Isabell Paterson, in God of the Machine, a 1968 book that explains why the Constitution works.

While most people use words to communicate, collectivists use words to create confusion. They want human beings to be cogs in a machine where no language is necessary, says Paterson.

Crippling our ability to communicate clearly or to articulate ideas is but one part of changing the words we use and the terms of their use, it is also used to subtly convey a concept — to infiltrate society with unchallenged perceptions.  A good example is the change of the word employee to “team member.” It is almost anathema to be called an employee any more  – you are a “team member.” The change underscores the collective as being more important than an individual. It diminishes individual achievement, automatically forcing the sharing of it with less productive members of a group. It also diminishes the role of the employer and what they must achieve in order to be an employer.

Paterson also underscores how the suspension of the real meaning of words allows people to speak utter nonsense without challenge, and advance concepts that make no sense. The example she gives is the claim that “All property is theft.” The definition of property is something that is owned. If it is not owned it is just something in nature. Theft presupposes rightful ownership – the forcible taking of something that is the property – ie. owned – by someone else.

Those who make such nonsensical utterances pay no attention to the meaning of words… they assign their own meanings. They would probably attempt to claim that the collective owns it – that it belongs to everyone — again, paying no heed to the insanity of such a concept, to the fact that words mean something. In practicality when everyone owns it, no one owns it. When no one owns it the government has total control. Aha, might that not be what they really advocate?

And we all have become aware of how words can suddenly change in their meaning and in unexpected ways. For example “woke” was self-adopted by those who wanted to claim they identify with a group but didn’t want to exactly say they were “politically correct,” which held its own negative connotations. But while “woke” was meant to be a positive change for obedient followers, it kind of boomeranged into a negative. Its meaning was far too well understood by many people, and now those who coined the term are begging that it no longer be used.

Of course, there is the most glaring way in which words are changed, to suddenly mean negative things about race so those caught unaware can be accused of racism. It is done as a political tactic even when those being “protected” object – such as the political agenda that forced the changing of the name of the Washington Redskins to Commanders because Washington Redskins was perceived as being a racist slur – apparently by those who were not Native American, because there is now an effort by Native Americans – by the “Redskins” — to try to undo the name change.

Of course language is always changing most often as a consequence of things that change our lives – other than collectivists. Your great grandparents would undoubtedly have no idea what you mean to hear you say you are going to “google” someone.

The term “I figure” or “I calculate” emerged in the early days of American life, as more everyday people entered business and used math as their means of earning a living – they really were “figuring” and “calculating” in this Capitalistic society.

So if in this new age world you don’t know what to say to some people, just grunt.

MetraPark Makes $1.3 million in FY23

9 October 2023
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In FY 2022-23, MetraPark events contributed $110,700,000 to the local community, and $177 million globally, according to a report presented to the Yellowstone County Commissioners by Michael Mayott, Chairman of the Metra Park Advisory Board.

Given that MetraPark receives a tax funded subsidy of $3,672,600 annually, the proceeds generated is a return of $3 for every $1 subsidy, said Mayott.

Over the past year MetraPark hosted 388 events with the most events – 60 – occurring in April.

Total revenue for Metra Park was $9,916,000, with total expenses of $8,639,000.

Top five events during the year were:

PBR, $219,274;

Kane Brown concert, $175,904;

Lil Wayne concert, $102,152;

NILE Livestock Show, $93,926;

Ian Munsick, $92,622.

Highest Number of People on Food Stamps

6 October 2023
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By Shirleen Guerra, The Center Square

The 2023 fiscal year is on track to average the highest number of individuals on food stamps in the U.S. since 2016.

There were 42,329,101 on food assistance on average each month on through the first nine months of the fiscal year, as of June 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The fiscal year is completed at the end of September.

That’s the most people on food assistance since the fiscal year 2016 monthly average of 44,219,363.

The fiscal year 2023 overall cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, will be the first time in two years that emergency pandemic relief was not included the full year. Most states dropped the extra COVID-19 stipend by March 2023.

In 2016, the yearly cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was $66.5 billion, or $84.2 billion when adjusted for inflation.

Through the first three quarters of fiscal year 2023, the costs are $85.1 billion, which projects to $113.5 billion for the full year.  In fiscal year 2022, the SNAP program cost almost $114 billion.

Billings Building Permits October 1 2023

6 October 2023
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Commercial

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 1817 Annafeld Pkwy W, Com New Townhome Shell, $236,412

GTP Aquisition Partners II LLC C/O Property Tax De, 1204 W Wicks Ln, Com Remodel, $20,000

Landen Bahl, 1595 Grand Ave, Com Remodel – Change In Use

$630,000

Bar A 7 LLC/ Schenk Construction Inc. 19 N 22nd St, Com Remodel – Change In Use, $115,000

McCall Properties LLC, 1625 Annafeld Pkwy E, Com Remodel – Change In Use, $35,00 Neumann, Gerald A & Ardis M/ YC Contractors, 321 S 24th St W, Demolition Permit Commercial $45,000.00

Covert Company LLC/ Commercial Marketing Specialties, Inc., 1320 Main St, Demolition Permit, $27,000

Residential

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 6152 Rosemary Rd, Res New Accessory Structure, $42,240

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 6140 Rosemary Rd, Res New Accessory Structure $42,240

South Pine Design/ South Pine Design, 5338 N Iron Mountain Rd, Res New Single Family, $450,000

Larsen, Arion & Dianna, 3739 Colton Blvd, Res New Single Family, $575,000

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 1933 Annas Garden Ln, Res New Single Family, $325,017

McCall Development Inc McCall Development, 6183 Eva Marie Ln, Res New Single Family $147,460

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 6171 Eva Marie Ln, Res New Single Family, $147,453

CB Built, LLC/ CB Built LLC, 4634 Talking Tree Dr, Res New Two Family, $500,990.

IRS to Target Millionaires in Crackdown, Use AI

5 October 2023
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By Brett Rowland, The Center Square

The IRS announced new enforcement initiatives  to crack down on 1,600 millionaires and 75 large companies it said owe hundreds of millions in unpaid taxes.  IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said the agency will use Inflation Reduction Act funding to focus on high-income earners, partnerships, large corporations and promoters. He said the IRS won’t increase audit rates for those earning less than $400,000. “This new compliance push makes good on the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure the IRS holds our wealthiest filers accountable to pay the full amount of what they owe,” Werfel said in a statement.

The IRS will prioritize high-income cases. The High Wealth, High Balance Due Taxpayer Field Initiative will take aim at taxpayers with total positive income above $1 million who have more than $250,000 in recognized tax debt. The agency also will have dozens of revenue officers focusing on these high-end collection cases in fiscal year 2024 and the agency is working to expand that effort by contacting about 1,600 taxpayers who owe hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes, according to the agency. 

The IRS further plans to expand a pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to take a closer look at the 75 largest partnerships in the U.S. That is expected to start by the end of the month. On average, such partnerships have more than $10 billion in assets.

Businesses Owners Want Credit Card Competition

5 October 2023
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Small business owners have been concerned about excessive credit card processing fees for years but have had no possible course of action until now. The Credit Card Competition Act of 2023 (S. 1838 / H.R. 3881) has been introduced in both chambers of Congress, and NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses) released a new video featuring small business owners explaining the impact its passage would have on their Main Street businesses if passed into law.

The Credit Card Competition Act of 2023 seeks to ensure competition in the credit card processing market by allowing small businesses the freedom to choose between multiple credit card networks. Without this legislation, businesses everywhere are subjected to ever-rising processing fees – known as swipe fees – set by large credit card companies in a closed market, free from competition.

“The Credit Card Competition Act of 2023, I think, would be very beneficial to our business,” said Renea Jones, a small business owner from Tennessee. “We just recently started accepting credit cards, and we have noticed that that ‘swipe fee’ has been very expensive for us.”

According to a recent NFIB member ballot, 92% of small business owners believe that businesses should have the right to choose between multiple credit card processing networks. This legislation would help preserve their freedom of choice by injecting much-needed competition into the credit card processing market, allowing small business owners to choose the option that is best for their business.

“Just like we have to compete for clients and for the business that we want to be engaged in, the credit card companies should absolutely not have a monopoly on the business owners that are able to take advantage of their services,” said Michelle Smith, a small business owner from Florida.

Credit card swipe fees have more than doubled since 2012. As small business owner David Henrich from Minnesota explains, there is not a lot that small business owners can do to maintain prices with this added fee.

“I think one thing people forget about all these costs and fees that they think businesses pay is that it’s the consumers who end up paying these fees,” said David. “At the end of the day, if we can reduce those fees, we can stabilize costs.”