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HIGHS & LOWS

By Beacon Staff

We’re high on Mayor-elect Tammi Fisher and low on the state’s dropping tax revenue in our weekly index of what’s up, down and in between …

HIGH
TAMMI FISHER – In her first run for office, the next mayor of Kalispell won 63 percent of the vote in last week’s election, unseating incumbent Pam Kennedy and ushering in a new era in city government.
NANCY PELOSI – The triumphant U.S. House Speaker strong-armed enough votes to narrowly pass landmark health legislation, but the Senate will prove a tougher hurdle.
NEW YORK YANKEES – The Bronx Bombers defeat Philadelphia in six games to win their 27th World Series, all with a payroll puny compared to most Wall Street banks.
BOBBY HAUCK – The feud between the Griz head coach and the Kaimin student newspaper appears to have blown over, with Hauck taking questions again from student reporters.

BETWEEN
GOP – Republicans are riding high after gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey. But the same night, Democrats won Congressional seats in California and New York, which actually helps President Barack Obama’s agenda more. So does Election 2009 reflect a shift in momentum toward the GOP for 2010? Or against all incumbents? There’s a lot of bloviating, but no one really knows.

LOW
NIDAL MALIK HASAN – The Army psychiatrist and major is accused of shooting to death 13 people Fort Hood in Texas last week, and is said to be recovering in the hospital after being shot four times, as of this writing.
STIP – Dropping interest rates have made the state’s Short Term Investment Pool less enticing for local governments. Flathead County pulled out $35 million and put the money into local banks offering higher interest rates.
JOBLESS RATE – National unemployment has surpassed 10 percent for the first time since 1983, leaving 16 million Americans without work – and it could get even worse.
STATE TAX REVENUE – Facing shortfalls of corporate and individual income tax revenue, the state could take in anywhere from $51 million to $129 million less than lawmakers forecast this year.