Havre City Council Potentates Speak – you listen and obey

It was a very lively meeting at last night’s City Council meeting or as we like to call it, Havre Comedy Central. A packed audience anticipated the council was going to discuss an ordinance placing a moratorium on the new medical marijuana grow operations because the Havre Daily “News” erroneously reported that “fact” in last night’s paper when in reality all they had on the agenda was the proposal to prohibit itinerant venders from selling or distributing medical marijuana from a vehicle or temporary location within city limits. This proposal passed after some light discussion. Apparently the crowd agreed that they didn’t want door to door sales of medical marijuana or someone sitting up a tent on First Street for a dispensary. The actual Emergency Medical Marijuana Moratorium proposal the audience anticipated will have a hearing at 6pm on May 3rd and will be presented to the whole council at 7pm. Ya all come back on May 3rd Ya hear. Representative Wendy Warburton told those in attendance that the legislature was hosting an interim committee to explore possible solutions to the problems with the medical marijuana laws in Helena on April 27th and community members were invited to attend.


Surprisingly, what consumed most of the discussion time last night from the audience was the final reading on the ordinance allowing alcohol in certain city parks by special permit. Currently alcohol is only allowed at the 5th avenue ball field. This ordinance will allow alcohol to be consumed in Pepin, Deaconess, and the Optimist parks in addition to the 5th Avenue and slow-pitch ball fields. There was not one single person that testified that they were ok with this ordinance yet it past the final reading with a vote of 8-0. Countless people in the standing room only crowd did however go to the podium to speak out against this expansion of alcohol in the parks. Even the infamous retired former newspaper publisher, unbiased Val Murri, came with his buddy and Democrat legislative candidate Dave Brewer to speak against the ordinance.

The steady stream of people aghast at the city’s decision to allow alcohol in the parks spoke about the poor example this is to our children, their fears of increased drunk driving, one lady said she lived across from Pepin and as her children regularly played there she was concerned about drunks and the safety of her children, etc. Many people cited examples of how alcohol had affected their lives and asked the council to reconsider. Most of the council patiently listened but it was apparent that the people were not making an impact. Councilman Vies was even snorting and shaking his head as the taxpaying citizens tried to have a say in what happens in their community.

Finally, a young father asked the council if there would be a designated “safe” time in the parks where he could be certain there was no one drinking in the park so he could let his children play and councilman Vies finally blew his cork. He again started in with the snorting and tossing his head like a mad bull as his whole bald head began turning red in anger and he went into a 5 minute tirade yelling at the crowd. “We are not the parents! The council is not the parents! We have no responsibility for your kids” Vies shouted. Vies went on with a lecture about how alcohol is not bad but rather it’s the people that abuse alcohol that cause the problem. People are bad, not the drink. Vies further barked to the group that as a council “We govern you! We aren’t here to be your parents. We are just saying it is ok to be an adult and do what adults do, which is adult activities” As Vies, the apparent self appointed leader from the city aristocracy, was admonishing the dumb hicks that were his subjects he further went on to ask “Do I have to notify you every time I drive because I am a bad driver? Because I am a bad driver” Someone did dare to shout out “YES!” in an open defiance to this aristocratic pompous windbag.  Perhaps that daring person has already been drug to the dungeon to recieve his punishment for open defiance?

What was even more entertaining in my view was watching Jimmy Tripleanus, the bankrupt goat meat slinger, shaking his head up and down in agreement like a Greek bobble head doll as Vies hollered. When the meeting finally adjourned he sprinted up to shake the hands of the “important” people that comprise our council and gave his comrade Vies a hearty congratulation. Maybe he wants to be “knighted” by this roundtable of out of touch representatives we have? If you missed last night’s meeting, you missed a good one. That lady in the video we posted with the Santa Cruz City Council a week or so back looked darn intelligent compared to the goings on I witnessed last night.

The City Council’s next performance is May 3rd beginning with a 6pm curtain time. See you there.