Those of us left behind are pretty sure it is both and more. Newspapers need talent to do stuff just as much as any other entertainment venue. Chances are our Council members, not being paid that much anyway, think of the trip as part of their “perks,” and the Mayor needs to get his name and maybe a picture in some kind of media, just the usual political theatre. Heck, just a website might be enough.

Besides, everyone knows that Sutton’s Law has been amended: you remember the bank robber, Willie Sutton, some years ago, when finally caught was asked “Why he robbed banks?” He replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” Of course, the money no longer is in banks, but it can apparently be found under the cushions where our congressional masters sit in Washington DC. Hence the need for the amendment of the law and hence the need for our City Council, with begging bowls in hand, to go to Washington DC. And we know they don’t answer phone calls or emails do they?

While we’re on pleasure trips disguised as business, it turns out the Gazette also had one of their premier columnists, the very shy but extremely talented Dr Alan Muskett, write up one of his medical convention junkets in his wise monthly column, called simply Plastic Surgery. In addition to being a certified plastic surgeon he is also a certified member of P.O.E.M., the Professional Organization of English Majors.

He doesn’t give lame excuses for going on trips. He tells it like it is. He goes on these occasional trips to see how others are doing his particular kind of surgery and compares and contrasts what he sees with what is being done right here in River City. He also gets to exercise his humor organ by noting that “Between [I'm sure he meant to say 'among'] the wives and industry reps, there were enough over-sized breast implants that, if dropped on Afghanistan, would crush the Taliban.” Or maybe Dave Barry is writing his stuff. And he has some good things to say about Billings and how we practice medicine.

As promised, we have a great idea for promoting the building of the inner beltloop! The concept will be presented to the Billings City Council on Monday Sept 19th at the 5:30PM Work Session.

This is a project that we could begin design this year and have a working road by 2011!!!!

The cost of this project is projected to be around $12 million.

I have attached the work session agenda.

I will also continue to post information about this on my web site. www.DenisPitman.com

If you have any questions, please email me at PitmanWard2@aol.com or call me at 670-7430.

Denis Pitman
City Councilmember Ward 2
726 Aquarius Place
Billings MT 59105

The work session agenda is here.

That being said, I was blessed to find three new to me Billings blogs today.

Gazette reporter Matt Hagengruber on his On the Margins blog pointed out City Councilman Chris “Shoots” Veis has a new blog and looking over Shoots’ new blog I noticed he already had a previous blog.

Both of Shoots’ blogs are event blogs. The first is the Shoots Marshall Fellowship Blog about his travels in Germany and the second is Shoots in South Africa. He is in South Africa as I write this and I look forward to his updates. It’s nice to see a member of our city government willing to put himself out there.

Last but certainly not least is Katie Brown’s new blog, Montana is Going Brown. Katie is Roy Brown’s daughter. Yep, that Roy Brown. Katie’s endeavor reminds me of Meghan McCain’s blog. Katie wants is to show the side of her father she knows and loves and by doing so she hopes Montana gets to know her Dad better. Montana is Going Brown isn’t officially a part of the Brown/Daines campaign but a labor of love by Katie.

I had the pleasure of meeting Katie for the first time this evening and she is a charming young lady. I wish her well with her blog.