LETTER: Don't believe smears against Gianforte

The crazy season for attack ads has arrived in Montana with the biggest money being spent attacking entrepreneur Greg Gianforte, who is running for governor. His signature campaign plank is to provide new ideas for good paying jobs to Montana’s young, who face a state ranked 38th in median average income.

Instead of political sound bites, he founded “ACE Scholarships Montana” a program that helps low- and moderate-income students attend schools of their choice, and also “Gianforte Manufacturing Scholarships,” providing 50 percent scholarships to low-income Montanans and veterans.  

Do we want change through economic growth in this state, or to follow the path of the same old interest groups that fund the current governor? While the media reports that Gov. Bullock raised $1.8 million in 2012 and is well ahead of Gianforte this season as well, did the media bother to identify where the biggest source of the governor’s money ($537,000) came from? It was from “Trial lawyers/Lobbyists.” Look it up at FollowtheMoney.com.

One of Gianforte’s promises is to refuse money from out-of-state PACs and other dark money influence peddlers. If you are watching TV, a big PAC attack is on now against him. By attending college and graduate school in New Jersey, he is branded as “from New Jersey.” By giving a speech on the importance of having a purpose after retirement, he is branded as “anti-retirement and Social Security.” By suggesting greater growth via lower taxes, he is “cutting taxes for the rich,” though his plan reduces taxes for two-thirds of all Montanans.  

And who is the face behind these PAC smears? Why, it is a group run by the teachers’ union boss in Billings! Do we want more of this, or do we want a new governor who has proven he can establish goals and reach them?

—Nick Chickering, Whitefish