Montana Kaimin, September 19, 2012 Students of the Niu Versity of Montana, Missoula
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Associated Students of the University of Montana Montana Kaimin, 1898-present (ASUM) 9-19-2012 Montana Kaimin, September 19, 2012 Students of The niU versity of Montana, Missoula Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/studentnewspaper Recommended Citation Students of The nivU ersity of Montana, Missoula, "Montana Kaimin, September 19, 2012" (2012). Montana Kaimin, 1898-present. 5546. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/studentnewspaper/5546 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Montana Kaimin, 1898-present by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PETSA , REVIEWED GRAB A SLICE see page 4 MK September 19, 2012 montanakaimin www.montanakaimin.com GUITAR BY THE GRIZ CAMPUS MontPIRG ready for fresh start, changes student fee Austin Green Montana Kaimin Like many groups at the University of Montana, Mon- tana Public Interest Research Group is attempting to distance itself from recent failures by ushering in a new era of trans- parency and professionalism. The group—a student-fund- ed, student-directed organiza- tion aimed at helping young people advocate for certain causes—saw its reputation tarnished during the 2010-11 academic year. Due to internal conflicts and inexperience in running a non-profit organiza- Thom Bridge/Montana Kaimin Vietnam vet and astrophotographer Peter Arnold Locke plays music near the grizzly statue on Tuesday. Locke played examples of three separate guitar styles: tion, the group mismanaged Spanish, flamenco and classical. thousands of dollars of stu- dent money. But with new and MISSOULA more experienced leadership in place, MontPIRG insists no stu- dent money will be misused. New trail helps bikers, walkers “There are no concerns of that at all,” said MontPIRG Taylor Anderson Street and Interstate 90 will enue intersection stopped to let may change if you expand or board chair Haynes Hansen. Montana Kaimin act as another leg of the town’s a biker cross. change the system in any way,” “In our contract with the uni- extensive bike trail system. Nellis said bikers are con- said Missoula’s transportation versity, we have to release an Breaking ground on a new For Missoula’s transportation sidered vehicles and shouldn’t information specialist Mirtha annual financial statement that pedestrian trail along East groups making it happen, this necessarily get the same treat- Becerra. very thoroughly details where Broadway Monday morning is business as usual. ment as pedestrians. Until 2010, Missoula’s trans- every ounce of the money didn’t mean the groups behind Mary Nellis sat under the Nellis’ volunteer tallies will portation planning program went.” the project had any less work to shade of a maple tree on Ar- be used by the Missoula City- used information from Port- MontPIRG also has an ex- do. thur Avenue on a Tuesday. The County Transportation Plan- land, Ore., a bustling city of ternal bookkeeper who makes The new trail will connect university employee resembled ning Division in its planning 600,000 that has similar urban sure everything is accounted existing sidewalks and bike a crossing guard in her neon for non-motorized bike and pe- demographics and extensive for and that nothing slips by the lanes on Van Buren Street in orange bib and nylon camp- destrian routes around town. bike networks. wayside. the lower Rattlesnake with a ing chair, but the pen-marked The group uses statistics to But when it comes time to After its former leaders’ in- new trail running east/west sheet in her lap told a different judge the success of its projects project what Missoula’s trans- competence was revealed in near the railroad tracks behind story. and determine need for new portation system will look like spring 2011, MontPIRG’s $5 Five Guys and McDonald’s. Nellis counted the number ones. in 30 years, it’s best to use the refundable fee, which was at- A pedestrian bridge will then of bikers and pedestrians at the Counting statistics started town’s own numbers. tached to every student’s regis- cross Rattlesnake Creek to con- University and Arthur Avenue just two years ago in Missoula. “We still feel like we don’t tration bill, was eliminated. nect with existing bike routes intersection during rush hour The group is trying to catch up have the years under our belt It has since been replaced on Pine Street near the fire station. from 4–6 p.m. to create a customized model to chart bike-ped trends,” said by a similar $5 fee, but now The new trail and pedestri- “I actually get upset when I for the future. Ann Cundy, senior transporta- students can choose not to pay an bridge near the Rattlesnake see people stopping for bikers,” “We use a modeling soft- tion planner with county trans- it when they finalize their bill, neighborhood in north Mis- she said as cars heading north ware and technique that allows portation. rather than getting their refund soula between East Broadway and south at the University Av- us to take a look at how things See TRAIL, page 3 later. See MONTPIRG, page 8 Volume CXV Issue 13 UM’s Independent Campus Newspaper Since 1898 @KaiminNews Montana Kaimin 2 OPINION Wednesday, September 19, 2012 POLITICAL COLUMN CAMPUS RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE Political Pageantry heard around the OUTSIDE PANTZER “He’s the bacon to my By Cassidy Belus filet mignon.” LA BUILDING OVAL “Gen Eds! That’s my The Miss America of political races is in full swing. As a nation, we hold our breaths to see who will be crowned the next President of the major in college.” United States. Will it be Barack Obama, the current title-holder, or new- THE OVAL comer Mitt “the Mormon” Romney? The tension is high. “I think it’s healthier THE REC SS BUILDING During the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 4-6, no one could I throw up now, as “Yeah, I’m starting to get enough Osama Bin Laden talk. He’s dead. Did you know he was “Is that how you get girl- opposed to just dead? We wanted to make sure you didn’t forget. The highlight of the friends? Just say you’re think that was alcohol blacking out.” convention was definitely Joe Biden’s beautiful and nonsensical merging filming a music video?” poisoning.” of terrorism and automobiles in his speech: “Osama Bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive.” While the two have nothing in common, it was a valiant try by the Democrats who might be fishing for a distrac- ARTS + CULTURE COLUMN tion from the Republican party’s effort to discredit Obama’s efforts in the f I lie down in the middle of White House. the street, would you stop KEEP MISSOULA WEIRD Obama was pretty much handed a catastrophe in the making after the I for me? Probably. I’ve got 2008 financial crash. Though unemployment is slowly crawling down- you pretty well trained. I’m walkin’ here wards, it’s still teetering between God-awful and unfortunate. The Bu- Welcome to Missoula, where By Brooks Johhnson, A+C editor reau of Labor Statistics Data released that it has gone from 9.1% to 8.1% this the walkers write the rules. Pe- past August, not exactly earning Obama any bragging points yet. Biden destrians are the patriarchs and Drivers, you know what I’m walker; but still, I wasn’t in a hurry tried, but it didn’t distract those pesky Republicans. matriarchs of our street fam- talking about. You’re rounding to get hit by a car that day. Basi- Various Fox News (“news” being used lightly here) reporters and com- ily, and there isn’t much talk of University Drive a little too fast (as cally, some old guy (I think he was mentators spent their time covering the Democratic National Convention, a coup. Drivers bow before the if there’s anywhere to park any- a painter!) looks anxiously down reminding the nation how godless the Democrats are. On the Fox News masses mindlessly crossing busy way), and here comes Winnie the both sides, and after a Subaru show “The Five,” Eric Bolling said, “Thank God Fox News is on it, push- one-ways and five-lane thorough- Walker, dipping her toe onto the passes in front of him a little too ing the button saying ‘Hey, where is God in the platform?’” fares. They don’t always wait for asphalt like it’s a wading pool. The fast, he put his boot on the pave- It has become another form of reality television. Candidates focus more the light, walk the distance to the temperature seems all right, so ment and strolls into the road. It on slinging mud then convincing us that they have the credentials to be crosswalk or even make it to the she’s going to venture a little fur- seems that traffic is indifferent to our president. A Romney ad bashes Obama for depleting the job market, crosswalk. But still, traffic comes ther, giving a casual glance in both the old guy – he’s not gonna make but during Romney’s term as governor of Massachusetts, he was ranked to a halt. directions before deciding to walk 47th in job creation. The Democrats retaliate with this information, ignor- it! Oh, they’re slowing down. He’s This seems to suggest two very, very slowly across the street.