Mad About Montana Podcast

Guy Alsentzer is the founder of the Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, a non-profit organization that fights for clean water.The organization is currently involved in a lawsuit to challenge the federal government’s approval of less stringent water quality standards for nutrient pollution in Montana. The suit alleges that the policy shift allows would-be polluters too much leeway by rolling back protective criteria that have been in place for years.If you care about the Bighole River, Guy is fighting for you. If you care about clean water to fish in, swim in and drink, then Guy is fighting for you.Listen in as Guy talks about the importance of fighting for clean water. Listen as he talks about how things might already be bad, and our water resources are under attack. But he said most of Montana’s problems are solvable. You can join Guy’s fight by visiting the Upper MissouriWaterkeeper website and donating today.

Maggie Amato joined the Mad About Montana Podcast today to scare the heck out of us.No, she isn’t telling ghost stories. She is talking about the very real dangers of artificial intelligence and data centers. They threaten our security and privacy. They also threaten our water supplies and power rates. They kill jobs and the environment, threatening our way of life in Montana and around the country.Maggie is a cybersecurity expert and whistleblower. She led aprogram that was credited with helping the United States healthcare industry defend itself from potentially debilitating impacts of the WannaCry ransomware attack. She had Whitehouse security clearance, and she was one of SC Media’s 2022 Women in IT Security honorees.So, it is safe to say Maggie knows what she is talking about when she warns of the dangers of AI and data centers. As Butte-Silver Bow jumps in bed with the data center industry, it is time for us all listen to the scary words of Maggie. It is time for the people to stand up and demand that our government strengthen AI guardrails and tell our local leaders to kill any plans for data centers in Silver Bow County.The time to act is right now because the scariest thing about Maggie’s words is they are the truth.

If you can’t prove them wrong, create a distraction. That seems to be the government playbook in Butte and around the country.In this episode, Erik and Bill start off agitated by the rumors being spread that they said a recently-hired Butte firefighter was not qualified for the job. They were accused of saying he only got the job because his uncle is a member of the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners.Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Erik and Bill have done nothing but praise firefighters — paid and volunteer. The brave men and women who sign up to go into a burning building to save lives are nothing but heroes, and Erik and Bill would never profess to be experts on the hiring qualifications of those heroes.They figure that the rumor dates to an episode earlier this year when Trudy Healy mentioned an ethics complaint she made against fellow commissioner Josh O’Neill because he did not disclose a conflict of interest while chairing the Fire Advisory Board. There was no mention of nepotism or qualifications in the complaint, and Erik and Bill had nothing to do with it.You can read the complaint at MadAboutMontana.com.The rumor is nothing more than a distraction to take away from the fact that our local government recently poisoned our water. It is a distraction so we might not notice that our chief executive lobbied the United States Department of Urban Development to raise — yes raise — the acceptable lead standards for affordable housing. Distractions are also been used by dark-money groups to attack citizens over the Bozeman Water Adequacy Ballot InitiativeWell, Erik and Bill are not falling for it, and neither should you.

Is our local government in Butte-Silver Bow lying about the latest water disaster that shook the community in August? Is it really being transparent when it comes to data centers planned for the Mining City?The answers to those questions are “yes,” “no,” and “whichwater crisis are you referring to?”Anonymous whistleblowers alerted the Mad About MontanaPodcast to the fact that Butte-Silver Bow’s response to the report of possible contamination from Montana Resources to the public drinking water actually made the problem worse. They also said that the imaginary dividing line of FrontStreet was just that. Imaginary. The five dividing valves that would have separated the water from downtown to uptown are on Aluminum Street. So, those who live and work in the blocks between Front and Aluminum were given a false sense of security while the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Butte-Silver Bow pretended to solve the problem by handing out bottles of water.The whistleblowers will remain anonymous because Butte Silver Bow has a long — and recent history — of retaliating against anyone willing to blow a whistle. This episode also dives into plans for data centers in Butte and the insane amount of water it will take to run them. These plans, by the way, were made with little to know public input, and anyone who asks questions only gets chastised by the Council of Commissioners.The Montana Environmental Information Center will hold adiscussion, which will be moderated by Erik Nylund with the Mad About Montana Podcast, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Montana Tech Copper Lounge.

The super-rich run the Yellowstone Club, and they have taken over the Crazy Mountains and Flathead Lake.Could Virginia City and Nevada City be next? Well, Mark Savinski sure thinks so. Our legislature and governor are primed to giveaway an authentic slice of the American West to turn it into yet another playground for the super-rich. The only use for the working class of Montana will be to serve the billionaires as they destroy Virginia City andNevada City. Of course, there has not been much — if anything — said in the media. So, we invited Mark to the Bagger Vance studio — if that is what it is called — to talk about what is going on that special slice of Montana he loves so much.This is a story that needs to be made public before it is too late. Call your legislators and tell them to do whatever they can to stop it. Tell your neighbors and friends. Tell everyone. As it is, Virginia City and Nevada City are a places where you can take your family and not break the bank. If the billionaires take over, that will be as dead as the gunfighters in Boot Hill.So, please, speak up so we do not lose even more of our heritage and our history.

Russell Cleveland is a Navy veteran who played football for Coach Bob Green at Montana Tech. He is currently the defensive coordinator for the St. Regis Tigers football team.Russ grew up in Stevensville, and was a part of some great football teams there. After starting a successful business in Colorado, Russ moved back to Montana with his wife, Dr. Kate Cleveland, and their six children. Russ is a descendant of Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. He bills himself as a moderate — he refuses to wear a red or blue tie — who is running on the platform of youth development, affordability, stewardship, public health, and financial reform.When he isn’t helping the Tigers win football games, Russ has been traveling around Western Montana talking to voters and hearing about the issues that are important to them.On Wednesday, his travels brought him to the Bagger Vance Studio to talk about his campaign and why he is running. It should be noted that we learned of the horrible assassination of Charlie Kirk while we were talking, and Russ, without hesitation, Russ quickly condemned any and all political violence. Click here for more on Russ.

Mike Jopek threw his hat in the ring to become the char of the Montana Democratic Party. The Flathead County Garlic farmer will square off against Missoula’s Shannon O’Brien as the party convenes for its convention this weekend in Livingston.Mike is looking to return the party to the playbook of Jon Tester and Brian Schweitzer. He wants to use the 56-county approach to help Democrats start winning elections in Montana once again. As it is with Democrats from Missoula and Bozeman calling the shots, Mike says the party is losing rural Democrats, and they have long been the staple of the party of the people.Mike, a former Montana legislator, wants to end the system where candidates are coronated by the party elites. He wants to see primaries that will strengthen candidates for the general election. He says candidates who win primaries are candidates who win elections.This is Mike’s second appearance on the Mad About Montana podcast. He made an appearance in April as he fought for real property tax reform.

Since they have spent so much time complaining, Erik and Bill decided to drive on the wet highway to Helena Thursday to talk about a solution.That is where they found Jeff Mangan, the leader of The Montana Plan. Also known as the Transparent Election Initiative, The Montana Plan is a ballot initiative aimed at making the Citizens United Decision irrelevant and getting rid of dark money in Montana elections. Mangan is a former Montana legislator and Commissioner of Political Practices. He has been working on the Montana Project for about a year with the hope of getting it on the ballot in November of 2026.The Montana Plan uses the state’s authority to define what powers corporations get and stops giving them the power to spend in Montana elections. It is not a partisan issue. It is not about red and blue. Rather, it is about green.We are all tired of the endless election ads and smear campaigns that have defined politics in Montana and around the nation. We are tired of the commercials and the endless supply of election junk mail. The Montana Plan could be the solution to that headache and help us take our state back from out-of-state and even overseas corporations. Listen in as Jeff talks about the whys and the hows of the plan and how you can join the fight by going to TheMontanaPlan.com. Listen in to hear why he is so confident that the Transparent Election Initiative will make it to the ballot and be passed by the voters of the Treasure State.

The people of Butte, America are pointing fingers and fighting with each other about the latest water disaster. This time, water from Montana Resources might have accidentally contaminated the potable water supply in the Mining City.People are scared and angry, and they want answers. Erik and Bill suggest that those fingers should be pointed at Helena. They suggest that the Department of Environmental Quality and Gov. Greg Gianforte dropped the ball with their reckless deregulation campaign.Where is Gianforte in this crisis? Where are Sen. Tim Sheehy and Sen. Steve Daines? Where is Rep. Ryan Zinke? Their silence on this matter is deafening.Instead of pointing a finger and laughing at the Mining City and getting ready to chant “Dirty water” at the Bulldogs and Maroons, the rest of the state should be paying attention, too. If the DEQ can drop the ball when it comes to our drinking water, their water could be contaminated, too. Maybe it already has.In the meantime, Erik and Bill suggest that we all chill out a little bit. They recommend catching a little comedy to help do that. Namely, they suggest you go see Sam Miller’s show Friday night at the Covellite Theater. Check out Uptown Comedy for more information.

The Mad About Montana Podcast took a road trip the StateCapitol Monday for an important conversation with Sheena Pesanti and Bert Tabor.Pesanti, a Butte native, has been involved in a well-publicized fight to see her two children. She says the courts in Montana illegally stripped her of custody after her divorce. Sheena has not seen those children in a year and a half, and she says she has PSTD from the abuse she has received in court.Sheena’s fight is the subject of a soon-to-be-released documentary, “Purpose In Pain: The Sheena Pesanti Story.” The movie documents Sheena’s journey and the lengths a mother will go to for a chance to be reunited with her children.On Monday, Sheena visited Gov. Greg Gianforte’s office in her on going quest to have a face-to-face discussion with the governor. Again, she was denied the chance to talk with Gianforte or even schedule a meeting with him.Sheena is traveling with Bert Tabor, a charismatic and passionate mover and shaker from Las Vegas. He is credited as being the man who brought the Raiders to Sin City. Together, Bert and Sheena have removed the gloves as they fight for her right to see her children. We discuss a few possible reforms to money and partisanship in court elections to start the change process.Listen in to hear Sheena tell her story and see that she is absolutely fearless in her quest for justice. Listen as she talks about her plans to run for Governor in 2028. Listen as she says that might not be her last stop as she climbs the political later. Listen in to hear the Sheena has an ally who will never back down in Mr. Tabor.

It was a Saturday night counseling session at the Bagger Vance Studio for Erik, and Bill is no Dr. Buddy Rydell.Erik’s anger reached a boiling point as he talks about the hurt feelings of some so-called Montana Democrats, or the “Missoula Minions,” and no amount of Goosefraba could calm that fire in his belly as he watches his party continue to walk away from him.When did they get away from kitchen table issues? When did they forget the real meaning of the term “bi-partisan?” How can they write off 132,000 poor Montanans getting kicked off Medicaid as an “administrative error?”When did they stop fighting for the little man?How can some Democrats claim victory as Montanans see their property taxes and property appraisals go through the roof? How can they “talk down” to the people and tell them the property tax scheme is somehow a good thing?In this episode, Erik and Bill do not have the answers to thosequestions. They can only say that the people need to get involved to hold their representatives accountable. We must demand that we get rid of dark money and get a handle on the lobbyists who seem to be running the show in Helena.We need to demand that the Montana Democratic Party regain its backbone and once again become the “Party of the People.”

In 2024, Steve Held ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana’s 2nd Congressional District.He is a fourth-generation Montanan who grew up in Broadus, in the south east corner of the state. While he ran as a Democrat, and will likely do the same for another office soon (at least we hope he does), Steve realizes that he is not that much different than his fellow ranchers who vote Republican. He realizes he can talk with people who identify as MAGA and find some common ground.Whether we are talking about the environment, gender-neutral restrooms or the importance of agriculture in the Treasure State, Steve reminds us that the wants and the needs of the people are pretty much the same. Themedia, lobbyists and dark money, however, work to drive us apart. Oh, and Steve is also an actor. His list of credits includesPatriot Games, Dallas, L.A. Law and Baywatch.Listen in as Steve talks about the need for Montanans totalk to each other instead of playing the partisan games. Listen as Erik tries to recover after hearing Steve tell a story about an encounter with Pamela Anderson.(Note:this episode is marked explicit because a few necessary f-bombs.)

In this episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley discuss how great it is to see the pride flag flying high above the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse. While hatemongers like Greg Gianforte and Braxton Mitchell call the flag “divisive,” Erik and Bill talk about the true meaning of the flag that stands for inclusivity. They talk about how they are extremely disappointed to see some members of the public and commission show that they do not get that when they spoke out against raising that flag at Wednesday’s meeting of the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners.They also talk about how the flag would have been raised last week — if not earlier — if the chief executive was strong enough to stand up to the bigots. Two years ago, he hid behind the county attorney. This year, he hid behind the Council of Commissioners.Erik dives into a personal story in response to officials with Butte-Silver Bow trying to paint us as bigots against the LGBTQ+ community, illustrating that nothing could be further from the truth. It is just another example of people getting attacked for asking questions. They discuss some of those previous attacks, mostly on scientists who reported inconvenient truths.Finally, Sir Mick Ringsak joins the show to talk about the Natural Resource Damage Program and how some money might not exactly be being spent in the right way. He talks about the lack of transparency that is behind it all. Listen in, and let’s get mad about Montana.

In this lucky episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley dive into the open-mic scandal from Wednesday’s Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners Committee of the Whole meeting.While the incident exposed the flippant attitude our local government has repeatedly shown toward our citizens, it did finally give us a moment of transparency. Accidental transparency, but transparency nonetheless. The scene also gave Erik and Bill some insight as to why their April 4 Freed of Information Act request to see emails sent to or from the chief executive regarding House Bill 547 has not been fulfilled. They must have used the wrong font.Also in this episode, Erik chooses former Carroll College football player Jim Kambich, the chief of staff to the chief executive, to a charity Sumo wrestling match.They close by praising the chief executive for his efforts to help further the Engine 25 Restoration Project to restore the engine in front of the Butte Civic Center. Learn more about the project at engine25.org.

Erik is a little more salty than usual after spending fivedays not catching any fish on the Smith River.So, he gets right after the legislators who sold their soulto lobbyists during the latest session of the Montana Legislature. He can only sit back and say “I told you so” after Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed many of the “deals” they sold out for.This episode also points out how the DEQ is possibly lettingus all down by ignoring a serious issue with the Big Hole River and the crazinessvof hardly anyone saying a word about billionaires taking over the Crazy Mountains. When will the “Out of my cold, dead hands” crowd realize that theselling off public lands is also a major threat to their gun rights? Why don’t people get as upset about the DEQ’s failure to protect the Big Hole as they did over the few people who drove their Side-by-Sides into the water last summer?Also, Erik and Bill point out the irony of some of thoseopposed to building a women’s prison in Butte because it will hurt the quality of life and business in town. Weren’t some of these people just willing to sell off the Silver Bow Drive-In, all in the name of jobs, to build gas station next door? Their argument might have some validity, but their hypocrisy islaughable.All this and more as the Mad About Montana Podcast reachesthe dirty dozen. Happy Memorial Day.

For episode 11 of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik andBill took a road trip to Bozeman to talk to one of the good guys.John Meyer is not one of the lawyers in the jokes. Rather, heis a crusader who fights for what is right. He puts people, wildlife and the environment above contingency fees and retainers.John is the founder and executive director of Cottonwood Environmental Law. The mission statement of the group stats, “Cottonwood is a group of free-thinking rabble rousers dedicated to protecting the people, forests, water, and the wildlife of the American West, and having fun doing it.”Cottonwood filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit against theultra-rich Yellowstone Club for knowingly discharging its treated sewage into the South-West Fork of the Gallatin River without a permit. For his efforts, John was arrested in 2023 for criminal trespass. His “crime” was legally walkingup the Gallatin to accompany a contractor who collected water samples coming from Yellowstone Club property.After the court dismissed the silly charge against John,Cottonwood relied on the samples to file the lawsuit against the club.So, if you drive around Bozeman today, you just might see one of John’s bumper stickers. “I went FISHING on the GALLATIN and all I caught was a LAWSUIT from the YELLOWSTONE CLUB.”Earlier this year, a federal court allowed Cottonwood tointervene on behalf of the National Park Service to defend a legal challenge to the 2024 Yellowstone Bison Management Plan brought by the State of Montana.Cottonwood also fought to defend the people against a senate bill that unlawfully infringed upon all Montanans’ constitutional right to propose ballot initiatives. John is not afraid to speak out and fight for what is right —even if that means running for mayor of Bozeman in 2024 or confronting Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) about the importance of townhalls, the EndangeredSpecies Act and the senator’s honesty, or lack thereof.Listen in to hear John tell his story, and visit cottonwoodlaw.org to learn more and join in on the rabble rousing.The podcast is labeled “explicit” because of a few justifiedF bombs.

In today’s episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erikshows how big of a nerd he actually is by making Star Wars references on “May The Fourth.”In the end, though, his analogy to today’s political scene makes complete sense since we recently watched the Montana Legislature and United States Congress gradually cede power to Gov. Greg Gianforte and President Donald Trump, much like the Galactic Senate did to the Emperor. Orsomething nerdy like that.Listen in as Erik and Bill talk about how today’s DemocraticParty is acting more like Jar Jar Binks instead of the Democratic Party of yesteryear. They desperately want to do something good, but they just don’t know how to. Thatis obvious as the Montana Senate Democrats Facebook page bragged about Montana’s envious Medicaid model, even after Gianforte shattered that model like Luke Skywalker did with the Death Star.Listen as they take on the cult of the right and, moreimportantly, the very-real cult of the left.Listen as Erik offers praise for the handful of Democrats whoconsistently showed that they were voting based on their values instead of making deals that are setting themselves up for future failure.Then, listen as Bill encourages everyone to attend a meetingat 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Butte School District Administration Building (111 N. Montana St.) to see Mike Foley and Sid DeBarathy make a presentation about their complaint of discrimination against female athletes in the Mining City.May The Fourth be with you.

After a two-week break, Erik and Bill are back to talk aboutthe ongoing shenanigans at the Montana Legislature.They ring the alarm bell to illustrate how we need to be aware as the deals are speeding up as the 2025 session races toward a closure. They talk about the need to hold our legislators accountable for their deals that will have long-term ramifications on the people who can least afford it.In this episode, Erik says “I told you so” to the Democratswho fell for the property tax and spending trap that they walked right into. He talks about how that will result in property taxes going up drastically for many; and the Democrats could take the fall according to GOP messaging. Of course, that news will hit home just after the primary elections.Listen as they talk about the bipartisan effort to changethe Public Service Commission. Instead of having five commissioners elected by the people, three would be appointed by the governor and two would be elected.That would give a constant majority to a governor who, like Gov. Greg Gianforte, might care more about his millionaire and billionaire friends and he does about the people.Finally, listen in as Erik talks about how he almost died ashe did a cartwheel to impress his granddaughter, and how Bill calls Bravo Sierra until he sees some video proof.

In the eighth episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley discuss “Bulls for Billionaires” and how House Bill 645 from the 2023 Montana Legislative session created an unfair hunting advantage for wealthy non-resident landowners.John Sullivan III of the Montana chapter of BackcountryHunters & Anglers joins the conversation to talk about how House Bill 907, which will go to committee in the Montana Senate on Tuesday, could be a possible fix to that bill. He encourages Montanans to contact their senators to tell them to pass the bill to ensure fairness.Wealthy people should not be treated better because of their money, and Montana should not be turned into a billionaire’s playground.Erik and Bill also discuss the important effort to save Holland Lake, look at the dishonesty that is behind Sen. Steve Daines’ coal bill and Montana’s House Bill and revisit the secrecy behind Montana’s House Bill 547.

In the seventh episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast,Erik Nylund and Bill Foley once again welcome Trudy Healy, who represents Butte’s District 8 on the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners.In this episode, they talk with Commissioner Healy about thebullying and retribution that she, like many others, has experienced for asking tough questions of our local government. They discuss how the secrecy behind HouseBill 547 will likely bring anything but healing to the rift between our volunteer firefighters and the Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department.Also, Trudy exposes non-disclosure agreements and,basically, a loyalty pledges Butte-Silver Bow is forcing members of government boards to sign. So much for transparency in our local government.

Whitefish’s Mike Jopek is a garlic farmer and a former member of the Montana House of Representatives.In addition to his dislike of the lobbyist takeover of the Montana Legislature, Mike is a fierce advocate of property tax fairness in Montana. While Gov. Greg Gianforte and many in the Legislature want us to believe that the property tax system in Montana is a complex matter, Mike tells us that it is far from rocket science.He is a proponent for House Bill 528, minus a Rep. Lew Jones amendment. He urges you ring that Liberty Bell and call (406) 444-4800 to leave messages for your senators. If they are like Mike when he served in Helena, you can call them on their cell phones, too.To have your voice heard on the Mad About Montana Podcast, contact Nylund at [email protected] or Foley at [email protected].

Brian Schweitzer was the 23rd governor of the great State of Montana. But don’t call him “Governor.” He does not want to be associated with what that word has become over the last four years.Brian hasn’t been in office since early 2013, but he hasbeen paying attention to the political scene in the state that he still loves. He is also fired up and ready to call out the lobbyists who are running the state. When Brian was in charge, Montana was governed by common sense and fiscal responsibility. He was honest and transparent. He didn’t eat the thick steaks or sip the old whiskey of the lobbyists who do not always have thebest interest of the people at heart.With Erik developing a case of the Mondays and worrying more and more about the political crisis our state is facing, we thought we would give Brian a call to try to wake some people up and send out a call to action to get us back on track.To have your voice heard on the Mad About Montana Podcast, contact Nylund at [email protected] or Foley at [email protected].

In the fourth episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley dive into the lack of transparency at all levels of government.They discuss the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners letting the chief executive off the hook over House Bill 547, and they talk about the Montana Senate doing the same with its former leader over ethics violations.Then, the Man on the Street knocks on the Playhouse door and talks about where we went wrong and how we can possibly get back on track.To have your voice heard on the Mad About Montana Podcast, contact Nylund at [email protected] Foley at [email protected].

In the third episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley welcome Trudy Healy, who represents Butte’s District 8 on the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners.In this episode, they discuss the overuse of the word “emergency” by our local leaders, Trudy’s work to clean up her neighborhood with the assist of a sidearm and bear spray, and how the process behind House Bill 547 might not have been the best way to try to “solve” the escalating friction between Butte-Silver Bow’s paid and volunteer firefighters.

In second episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley discuss how lobbyists are running the Montana Legislature.They talk about how that is not always the case and wonder what can be done to combat the growing influence of people who were not elected.

In the first episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley dive into the issues between Butte's volunteer firefighters and the career firefighters.There has long been an undercurrent of resentment between the two sides, who work together so well when it comes to battling fires. But that is not why there is friction over House Bill 547.Contact Erik and Bill if you have issues you would like to see tackled or would like to be a guest. Email Erik at [email protected], and contact Bill at [email protected].