Watching the money flow

We were glad to see Gov. Brian Schweitzer release several million dollars in stimulus grants for projects around the state, including several in the Flathead Valley, but there’s no reason to celebrate.

Although the governor cited improved tax collections in March compared to the previous year, that was just a fluke. According to the Montana Policy Institute, the state’s principal fiscal analyst, Terry Johnson, said while the March tax payments were higher than usual, that was because one large corporate taxpayer paid four back payments from the previous and current fiscal year.

Likewise the $86 million in revenue from a coal deal is appropriately considered a one-time windfall, not something that can justify new spending in a time of economic worry.

More significant than either of these was the governor’s announcement that $40 million in state budget cuts had been finalized. It is becoming more and more clear that government has gotten too big, at all levels, and it’s time to get realistic about what we as taxpayers can afford.

On the other hand, the rules can’t be changed in mid-game, and it’s appropriate that Flathead County and Columbia Falls receive promised payments for local road projects. The governor’s complaint that local legislators didn’t support the stimulus funding originally is irrelevant.

Gov. Schweitzer asked local communities around the state to acknowledge support for stimulus money as well as for the sale of the Otter Creek coal leases as part of their request for the newly released funding.

Although Schweitzer was criticized for playing politics with the money, he told the Inter Lake that he was just tired of other politicians bad-mouthing coal while accepting money that was available only because of the state’s large coal resources.

The governor never shies away from making a point forcefully, and in this case it might well have been overdue to point out the hypocrisy of some politicians who like to have it both ways.

WITH ALL the other troubles besetting Americans — a still-recovering economy, a hotly contentious health-care law and wars overseas — it’s somewhat reassuring that we can still set aside our troubles and revert to a good old-fashioned consumer frenzy.

We’re speaking of the latest must-have tech gadget, the iPad.

Apple’s latest creation, the tablet computer debuted Saturday after months of hype. And Apple fanatics across the country promptly snatched up 300,000 iPads (at a mere $499 each).

The interest in the iPad extended even into the Flathead Valley, where the initial shipment to the only local Apple outlet sold out the first day.

It remains to be seen whether the iPad will be the next big thing that will change life as we know it or just another tech development that founders down the road.