House District 7

By JOHN STANG/Daily Inter Lake

Jon Sonju and Shannon Hanson both believe state government can be trimmed.

Democrat Hanson sees some places to cut. Republican Sonju has a broader budget-cutting philosophy.

Both are running for Sonju's seat in House District 7, which roughly covers the rural areas along U.S. 93 between Kalispell and Whitefish plus U.S. 2 between Kalispell and Columbia Falls.

Sonju wants to trim both taxes and spending - with essentially an across-the-board approach.

He points to Montana's roughly $400 million surplus - with the caveat that the recent Wall Street meltdown could affect that figure - as the reason the state can trim taxes to boost the economy.

"The best way to stimulate the local economy is to stimulate local businesses," he said.

Sonju wants the Legislature to target the business excise tax again. After cutting it in the last session, Sonju wants to see it eliminated in 2009.

He is conflicted about a local-option sales tax - a measure pushed by many cities, including Kalispell, as an extra revenue source in a time of tight budgets.

Sonju is personally against a local-option tax, contending it could create a hodgepodge of neighboring districts with different sales tax rates. And such an arrangement would favor tourist-friendly towns in Western Montana over isolated hamlets in the state's eastern half, he contended.

However, Sonju said he would consider a local-option tax if the state associations for all of Montana's cities and counties can come up with a universally agreed-upon plan.

Hanson agrees with Sonju's views about a local-option tax.

Sonju resisted setting up a 50-cent phone tax to help pay for local 911 costs in the last session, contending that the huge surplus should have provided that money.

Hanson characterized Sonju's stance is purely obstructionist politics against the Democrats and said he would have supported that 911 tax, which eventually did pass..

Hanson wants the state to pay a greater portion than it currently does to fund schools. Hanson also wants more money budgeted up front for forest firefighting. And he advocates replacing many of the Department of Motor Vehicles offices with Internet access, and he wants to explore privatizing the department.

He also wants to promote conducting more state meetings by videoconference, rather than driving great distances for face-to-face contacts.

"We have to look at things through a different lens," Hanson said.

And Hanson wants Montana to boost environmental restoration efforts, contending that will improve the state environment while also providing jobs.

Sonju contends that state government is too big, saying that it has added 700 employees in the past four years, which he argues is too many.

He said that new responsibilities don't have to translate to more employees. "I don't think the [state's] department directors know how to trim," Sonju said.

Sonju said he believes the state Revenue plus Health and Human Services departments are prime targets for potential cuts.

And he wants a bipartisan legislative committee to examine each state department on its effectiveness and budget.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com