Session a major disappointment to this voter

I am sending this letter to every Montana senator and representative elected to the 64th legislative session.

I take issue with you all on the accomplishments of this session, especially as they relate to the passage of the Salish and Kootenai water compact, which will destroy everyone’s water rights and hike the price of water for everyone as well as allow a sovereign government to be in charge of all our water rights that does not have to follow (and has a history of not following) state, local or federal government laws and regulations because they are sovereign, thus independent of all other laws and regulations.  

This is the single worst thing that the Legislature has “accomplished” in the history of Montana, and any of you who voted for the water compact should be ashamed of yourselves for taking away water rights of hard-working property owners in Montana. I thank the few Republicans that stood up against the water compact. Any Republican or Democrat that voted for the Salish and Kootenai water compact violated the Montana Constitution.

Secondly, I take issue with the 64th Legislature for expanding Medicaid so that Montana taxpayers have to pay more in taxes to fund services that the taxpayers never will see for themselves or their family if they are gainfully employed. Republicans and Democrats alike bragged about the “accomplishment” they achieved in socking the over-taxed Montana taxpayer with more taxes with their joyful expansion of Medicaid. If anything, I would like to see the removal of Medicaid benefits and tie any benefits to recipients working on state projects such as highway cleanup in order to receive such generous medical benefits that I do not have as a small business owner. Again, I thank the few Republicans in both Montana houses that voted against Medicaid expansion.

Thirdly, I take issue with your pride in the passage of “campaign finance reform.” In America, anyone who wishes to waste his or her money on any political campaign or any issue should be allowed to waste their money. And, yes, I mean waste, because none of those donations to causes or politicians are tax-deductible. Except for the likes of George Soros, Charles and David Koch, Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet and anyone that contributes billions to various causes and/or politicians, most of us can only contribute a few dollars for politicians and causes we support and those few dollars have little impact. 

The Soroses, Kochs, Gates, and Buffets of the world should be allowed to spend their money any way they like, and I think it is un-American for politicians to proudly brag that you stopped such wealthy people from spending their own money. I personally think spending that kind of money on politicians is a true waste of money but, hey, that’s their money. I think any organization or individual that donates to any politician or cause should be named as donors, but I don’t think anyone or any organization or foundation should be limited in how much money they waste. Again, I thank a few Republicans that stood up against “campaign finance reform” that limits free speech. They stood up for the U.S. Constitution.

I do believe that politicians should be limited in their pay, and I also believe that most state and federal agencies need to have their wings trimmed, starting with the salary of U.S. senators and representatives and U.S. presidents. Somehow, politicians that are elected from both the Democrats and Republicans suddenly become millionaires when they are elected. Could it be they receive inside information? I know that most of our budget problems relate to entitlements so I favor the serious trimming, not expansion, of such programs as Medicaid, Medicare, and welfare. The only entitlement programs I think should remain untouched and expanded are to the men and women of the military that sacrifice their lives so that we may be free, but within the limits of a balanced state and federal budget.

I am also very disappointed in Montana Republican politicians that continually attack Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks with bills that have nothing to do with sensible wildlife management or hunter or fishermen rights. Hunters and fishermen pay for the purchase of land through FWP and ranchers and farmers that need to sell their property receive fair market value, so why do Republicans that claim to love farmers, ranchers and small business owners deny those same people from selling their land to the highest bidder. If that purchaser happens to be FWP to give all Montana citizens and visitors more land to enjoy, why do Republicans fight to allow FWP to purchase such property? It makes no sense.  

Only in America do we have public land, state and federal, that gives ALL Americans and ALL visitors to America open access to vast amounts of land. If such land is ever turned over to private developers or special interest groups to “manage,” that land no longer is open to the majority of citizens or visitors and turns its back on the very people who buy hunting and fishing licenses. 

I am constantly amazed at the hatred shown towards Republican President Theodore Roosevelt by modern Republicans. A Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, coined the word “conservation” and was a hunter, not any Democrat, yet modern Republicans hate Theodore Roosevelt when the majority of hunters and fishermen (a vast majority of people living and visiting Montana) admire Theodore Roosevelt, who, by the way, hated to be called Teddy.

 Furthermore, I am disappointed that for the most part, Gov. Steve Bullock vetoed most Second Amendment bills that passed both the Montana Senate and House but approved a bill that allows silencers to be placed on rifles for hunting. As a hunter, my first thought (and that of many of my friends that hunt) is that anyone wishing to use a silencer intends to poach wildlife or murder a human, so I simply see no value to allowing silencers to be used.

I am disgusted that this legislative session did not pass infrastructure legislation to repair roads, bridges and other structures that should be a primary purchase of a state government that collects millions of dollars in taxes and not the funding and expansion of social welfare programs.

Rest assured, I would never run for any political office because I’m not electable simply because I am not willing to compromise my beliefs, but, unfortunately, too many Republicans that were elected to act like Republicans act like Democrats. 

Let’s not hear any more about the “accomplishments” of the Republicans and Democrats that joined forces to damage the hard-working Montana citizens that pay taxes and foot the bill for all state and federal government programs. Republicans that proudly sided with all Democrats on the water compact, Medicaid expansion and “campaign finance reform” really need to be honest with the voters and just register as Democrats because that’s what you are.

Susan Campbell Reneau is a resident of Blue Mountain, Montana.