I need help with this, one person can only do so much and I can no longer foot the bill for this. I need people who are willing to go to DC with me oin June of this year to attend the National Alliance of HUD Tenants conference and speak to HUD about the problems in our state around the programs and apartment buildings particpating in HUD, as well as why their are a lack of landlords who participate in the Home Choice Voucher Program.

We do have low income tenants in this state and we need to protect their basic human right to housing. I am seeking non profit status, but until then I can not legally accept donations that are deductable.

If you would like to learn more about HUDs Transforming Rental Assistance and how it will effect Montana Women call (406) 600-1653.

As you may be aware, a few weeks ago there was a demonstration on the Gallatin County Building steps by an organization called the Creativity Movement. This white supremacist group, active in other communities in Montana including Billings and Kalispell, has decided to open up shop in Bozeman. The pictures of the demonstrators on the courthouse steps, giving Nazi salutes, waving Nazi flags, with bandanas or masks over their faces to cover their identity, were chilling. Even more chilling are some of the other actions that have taken place in our community. The Irving School and Bozeman High School are the local schools with the highest non-white enrollment. Homes and vehicles in the vicinity of both schools have been leafletted by this group. Dormitories on the MSU campus have been leafletted as well. Students of color at the University are feeling particularly vulnerable. A restaurant in the vicinity of the University, owned and operated by a non-white person, had a swastika painted on their vehicle. All of this is shocking. Ignoring it or sweeping it under the rug will not make this behavior go away. Citizens of good will are gathering on November 1 to make a visible statement that this community is open to all, and that we as a community embrace diversity.

People will gather at 2:00PM on Sunday, November 1, at the corner of 8th Ave. and West Cleveland St, just north of the MSU campus. The group will march from that location to Main Street, and will gather at the Willson School for speeches.(indoors if the weather is foul) Local educators, clergy and respected citizens will be speaking, followed by an open mike for any in the community who would like to address this issue.

Participants are encouraged to make and bring signs attesting to their belief in a diverse inclusive community. You might want to think about wearing a sign attesting to your origins.

I hope that you will come, with your friends and loved ones, and will let as many people as possible know of this gathering. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for thinking about joining us on November 1.
Betsy

Betsy de Leiris
mtbound06@hotmail.com

406-582-0155
cell 401-225-3902

I have been working an a grassroots campaign to create a national bottle and bag biil. Montana’s recyling rate is nearly last in the nation at 10%, and the eleven states with bottle bills are over 70%. Litter is also reduced by at least 50%. No state has passed a bottle bill since 1982 due to powerful lobbies. A National Bottle Bill was proposed in Congress in 2007. Millions of dollars of unclaimed deposit money is used annually by states for environmental protection measures.

I have written to philanthropists for eight years with my bag program idea in which shoppers who use their own bag receive a token worth $.05 to deposit in tallying machines in store lobbies. The thousands of dollars generated daily community-wide is then donated to a rotating array of non-profits benefiting youth and community. Several states currently have bag bill proposals in their legislatures in which $.05-.20 fees on bags are imposed with the proceeds going to state environmental protection funds. I believe that investing in local programs like farm to school, nature conservation education, and intergenerational and vocational mentoring provides the best environmental protection because empowering the future stewards with positive outdoor experiences is a key component in creating a better world for future generations.
I have gathered over 2,300 signatures in 2 months in my time off work with only an occasional volunteer or two. The local petition will continue through April, and a different, online petition can be signed at Care2Petition’s site under ‘national bottle bill’.
Please call me at 579-7384 for more information or to volunteer.
Thank you for the invaluable work you are all doing. Together we are making a difference.
Sincerely-
Wren Kilian Bade

I am the Bozeman area signature coordinator for I-155. We are collecting signatures so we can get this important initiative on the Nov. ballot. Our goal is to get health insurance for 30,000 children in Montana that have no health insurance. I am looking for opportunities that would be conducive to getting as many signatures as possible by June 20th. If you have any input or ideas, please call or email me via healthymontanakids.org.

Thank you,

Fonda Porterfield