Who is Gary Marbut?
What is Gary Marbut?
(besides being a candidate for Montana House District 90)
Very first, Gary is the proud father
of two great sons:
Scott, Ret., US Army Special
Forces
Ty, entrepenuer and online education,
Recipient, Bronze Star, Iraq
Gary is an organic gardener and an amateur
musician:
Gary's organic garden -
Gary and his Framus 12-string guitar
every year for 30+ years
"amateur
musician" more info
Gary is a very successful citizen activist, and a patriot:
Bill signing,
Helena
Gary's pickup (with Lea),
Rep.s Vick & Davies, Gov. Martz, Gary original-owner, 138,000 miles
Gary has written 70 bills that have
passed the Montana Legislature
Gary is a husband, and a veteran of the U.S. Army, 1966-1969:
Wife Ellen (the RN) and
Gary
Gary wearing clothes provided by Uncle Sam
-
circa 1968
Gary is a lifetime educator
In 1965 and 1966 Gary was employed to teach for the University
of Montana (skiing).
In 1967 and 1968 Gary taught for the U.S. Army (mountain
rescue, first aid).
In 1971 through 1975 Gary taught for the American Red Cross
(Advanced First Aid).
In 1974 through 1978 Gary taught for the American Heart
Association (emergency cardiac care).
In 1974 through 1979 Gary taught for the Tanana Valley
Community College (emergency medicine).
In 1974 through 1979 G taught for the University of Alaska
(Fire Science, rescue).
From 1985 to 2020 Gary taught privately. Over that
period, Gary graduated over 6,000 students (safety, self
defense).
Gary's
"Green" credentials
Green History
1) Governor's appointment. In the 1980s I was
appointed to a Governor's Advisory Council for Residential
Energy Conservation.
2) Energy conservation standards. In the late 1980s I
worked with the Northwest Power Planning Council to help them
design their residential energy conservation standards.
3) Eco software. Also during the late 1980s I wrote and
sold software to evaluate any home, existing or planned, for
its energy consumption features and to analyze the payback for
investment in energy conservation. This software was
approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for use in lending for
home construction.
4) Converting excess forest biomass to green
power. In 2004 and 2005, I designed and described a
process to clean up our overburdened forests by converting
excess forest biomass into electricity at the nearest power
line to the cleanup project and to inject that green power
into the power grid for resale. This process would turn
the bottom line of many forest cleanup projects from red to
black, could employ a lot of forest workers, and would reduce
the potential for catastrophic forest fires. It is
carbon neutral, pollution free, and could produce a
significant amount of green electricity from a renewable
source.
5) Model solar home. In 1979-1980 I designed, built, and
now live in what is one of the most energy efficient homes in
Montana. It is 2,400 square feet of living space and is
active thermal solar, electrical solar, organic solar, and
passive solar. It is super insulated, an efficient
shape, partially earth-sheltered, high thermal mass, and has
special integration of systems with extensive
monitoring. My hot water is mostly free. My
electric backup heat costs about $10 per year. I built
this custom home 40 years ago to be a model of energy
efficiency. It was such a model then and still is
now. It was featured in the Missoulian when built.
When some people say they "built" a home, they mean they hired
or paid the contractor. I mean that I cut the boards and
drove the nails.
6) Buying green power. Despite my home's lean energy
design and function, I still buy some electricity from the
utility company. For more than two decades, however, I
have paid extra each month to source the electricity I do use
from green, renewable sources. Anyone can do this; few
choose to do so.
7) All-electric transportation. When you see me
driving, it will usually be an all-electric 2017 Fiat 500e
(“EV”) that I have owned since it had 4,500 miles on the
odometer. I can charge this vehicle from my solar
panels. If I charge it from the grid, I use green energy
for which I pay the utility extra to obtain it from a
renewable source.
8) Action, not talk. During an episode in fall of
2019 when some Montanans were carrying signs and protesting in
the streets about fossil fuels and climate change, wanting
government to just do something, I spent two months helping my
son build and install a 15kW photovoltaic system - talk versus
real action. I was actually on the roof bolting solar
panels in place while others were publicly protesting fossil
fuel use. I believe in leading by example, not by
mandate.
9) Organic food production. For 40 years I have
been an organic gardener. I have about 1/2 acre under
active cultivation to grow the usual foods for consumption,
plus I am experimenting with growing Quinoa in our Montana
climate. This fits well with the national Green Party
platform's goal of sustainable local agriculture for food
production.
10) Livestock. The livestock that graze my
property are Alpacas. They are kept for their fiber,
which is harvested at the annual, springtime shearing.
Alpacas are gentle on the land and their fiber helps keep
people warm.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment
before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank
Real
accomplishments - hands-on experience and success
Much more
than just talk!
Empowering
women. Gary has
graduated over 3,000 Missoula-area women from classes he teaches
in methods of self defense, empowering women to be able to
enforce their choice to not be victims. See the May
20, 2012 story at KECI TV and theJuly
4,
2012 Missoulian story.
Green - Energy
conservation. Gary lives
in a solar home he built as a model of residential energy
conservation, featured in a Missoulian supplement (April 14,
1980) when new. This home
still uses minimal energy. For
over three decades, Gary has paid extra each month to buy
electricity from renewable sources.
Gary was appointed by Democrat Governor Ted Schwinden to serve
on the Montana Governor's Advisory Council for Energy
Conservation. Gary wrote and sold computer software
approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to model, predict, value
and improve a home's energy conservation features.
Green
power generation from excess forest biomass. In
2005, Gary originated and described an environmentally friendly
process to clean up our forests and prevent catastrophic wildfires by using biomass
conversion technology to convert excess but low-value forest
biomass into green electricity at the forest cleanup project
location and use the power grid to transport this desirable
green electricity to willing buyers. This process is
carbon neutral and produces zero pollution, unlike wildfires,
and would provide much-needed jobs. See Gary's proposal HERE.
Health care. Working for the Tanana Chiefs Conference under
a federal grant he wrote, Gary designed and implemented an
emergency medical services system to deliver care to the Native
American population of the Interior of Alaska, covering an area
about the size of Texas. Gary taught emergency medicine
for the Tanana Valley Community College in Fairbanks,
Alaska. Gary was an Advanced Life Support Paramedic for
most of a decade.
Protecting children. Gary wrote and implemented the highly acclaimed
"Be Safe"
firearm safety program for Montana children. With over
100,000 copies of Be Safe distributed across Montana, this important program is
the most common method used to deliver firearm safety training
to young children in Montana. Be
Safe is approved by
the Montana Legislature, the Superintendent of
Public Instruction, law enforcement and others.
School teachers asked to rate Be
Safe on a scale of 1-10 give
it an average score of 9.9. Given the high density of
firearms in Montana, Be Safe has become the preferred method to deliver essential
firearm safety education to Montana children, affecting many
thousands and certainly saving many children's lives. (Letter
from OPI supporting Be Safe (.pdf file) CLICK HERE;
Senate Joint Resolution 16, 2007 endorsing Be Safe (.pdf file)
CLICK HERE)
Fighting hunger in Montana. During the 1990s, Gary organized a multi-year,
statewide campaign for hunters to donate excess game meat to
neighbors in need and to Montana food banks. (See News Release - MSWord file)
The food bank network reported that meat donated by hunters
became the primary source of protein-rich food for their
clients, food that was also free of pesticides, antibiotics,
steroids and other commercial chemicals.
Gary is a published and acclaimed author. His book Gun Laws of
Montana is in its Third
Printing, with nearly 10,000 copies sold. It is the
standard reference on that subject in Montana, with copies in
the reference libraries of the Montana Supreme Court and the U.
of M. School of Law. Gary is also a storyteller. A veteran writer,
Gary has also written a historical piece about the Grant Creek Valley
where he grew up. Gary has published two e-books at
Amazon.com, one a book of autobiographical short stories (5
stars) and another a guide to hunting elk with handguns (4.4
stars).
Preserving Missoula history. In 1980, Gary designed and distributed an etched
marble collage of Missoula architecture and scenery, titled "Missoula, The Garden City," thereby
preserving for future generations images of historic Missoula
places.
Union connections. Gary was a member of the Millworker's Union
while working at the Champion Mill in Bonner during college at
the U. of M. Gary was a member of the International
Association of Fire Fighters, Local 1324 for a decade. In
a previous run for the Montana House, Gary was endorsed by the
Missoula Central Trades and Labor Council.
Long time in Missoula area. Gary first came to Missoula County in 1952 and
moved to Missoula's Northside from ten miles up Lolo Creek Road
in 1955. Gary grew up locally, attending local schools and
working locally.
Ham radio. Gary is a licensed amateur radio operator - K7GMM.
This
Website?? As you have learned
from this Website (built by Gary), Gary has only very basic
Website programming skills, but you should hire (vote for) Gary
for his other abilities . (BTW, the lifetime teacher in Gary tells him
there is a "teaching moment" here. Like this plain
Website, Gary is much more about substance and content than
about fancy and flash - more about providing information and
genuine service than about marketing and "selling sizzle."
Hopefully, visitors and HD 90 voters are more interested in the
product and service than in the packaging.)
Gary has been:
A mill worker (Bonner);
A ski instructor (University of Montana; Snowbowl; Europe);
A ski patrolman (Senior, National Ski Patrol)
A professional firefighter (Local 1324, IAFF);
An Advanced Life Support Paramedic;
A nationally-recognized grassroots political activist (community
organizer);
A strong and successful advocate for individual rights;
An instructor of Fire Science (University of Alaska);
An instructor of Emergency Medicine (Tanana Valley Community
College);
An expert witness in state and federal courts - self defense,
use of force, firearm safety;
A self defense and firearms safety instructor, including for law
enforcement and military personnel; 6,000 citizens trained and
graduated in self defense and firearm safety
On the front page of the Wall
Street
Journal;
Featured in the High
Country
News;
Filmed
by
Public Broadcasting System for a documentary on the
Constitution.
Gary attended local schools:
Woodman Elementary (Lolo Creek) when it was one room, one
teacher and 20 students.
Hellgate Elementary. Graduated in 1960 when it was one
building, two rooms and two teachers.
Missoula County High School. Graduated in 1964, the last
year MCHS was one school.
University of Montana, 1964 to 1966 (interrupted by the U.S.
Army - three years; honorable discharge).
Western Montana Fair history. During the 1950s and 1960s, Gary had many 4-H livestock entries in the WMF and received awards for Grand Champion beef steer, dairy cow, dairy cow/calf pair, beef cow, and beef cow/calf pair. Beginning in the early 1980s, Gary had a booth in the Commercial Building for about 30 years. The model Statue of Liberty on display at the WMF just inside the main entrance is on indefinite loan to the WMF from Gary.
Special
Note: Some people in HD 90 may
want to know where Gary stands concerning marijuana. Here
are some published positions:
Missoulian,
March
16,
2012
Missoulian,
September
28, 2011
Montana
Cannabis Industry Association endorses Marbut for HD 99
Historical Trivia
In the early Fall of 1963, Gary was suspended from Missoula
County High School for a week for writing a (published) letter
to the editor of the Missoulian critical of the school board for
having cancelled a student assembly to hear a speech from
Democrat U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. The school board
thought that young minds couldn't handle whatever Senator
Kennedy might say. Gary pointed out in his letter that
Ted's brother was the President of the United States, his other
brother was the Attorney General of the United States, and Ted
was a sitting U.S. Senator. Gary suggested that these
credentials ought to be sufficient to allow students to hear
what he might say. The school board held firm with the
speech cancellation and Gary got a week vacation from school for
having publicly criticized the school board.
In 1971 Gary testified before a committee of the Montana House
of Representatives AGAINST a bill that would have granted a $50
bounty to any person who provided information leading to the
arrest and conviction of a person who possessed marijuana.
This was called the "Marijuana Bounty Bill." The
Legislature killed the bill. The day after Gary's
committee testimony, the Helena Independent Record ran a story
about his opposing testimony.
Gary reads voraciously, about 70% fiction and the remainder
about the law, the Supreme Court and history. You guessed
right. Gary has bookcases full of books. However,
Gary has gotten hooked on e-books since receiving a Nook for
Christmas almost five years ago. The e-books help relieve
Gary of the need to keep building new bookcases in his
home. Gary's favorite author may be Dean Koontz, although
Gary has read all or nearly all of the works of other prolific
authors such as Robert Heinlein, Michael Chrichton, John
Grisham, Allistar MacLean, Louis L'Amour, John D. McDonald, Tony
Hillerman, Tom Clancy, Stephen Hunter, Robin Cook, Pat McManus,
Stan Lynde, Arthur Clark, Issac Asimov, Matt Bracken, Orson
Scott Card, Brad Thor, Lee Child, Ivan Doig, and others.
Gary rarely watches television, and
gets most of his information Online (it's all true, don't you
know). Gary regularly reads the Missoulian, other Montana
papers, and even foreign news outlets. Gary subscribes to
about 20 different daily or weekly newsletters delivered via
email, such as that from the Electronic Privacy Information
Center (epic.org).
There's more, but that's enough for now.