Election mail bag Oct. 1

Elections determine our freedom

Vote to enhance our freedom and make sure our government is fiscally responsible.

Excellenceinvoting.org is a website that provides honest information on candidates. We need a governor and legislators with skill and expertise to deal with the funding deficit we will have as the result of Covid-19. The Democrat solution is to raise taxes and grow government which will not build a strong economy.

Greg Gianforte is a proven Montana job creator. He continued his work in Congress by protecting our freedom and securing federal relief and health care. He gives most of his income away each year. As governor he will have the support of conservative Senate legislators in the Flathead such as Carl Glimm, SD2 who chaired House Appropriations last session; Keith Regier, SD3 who chaired Judiciary; Bob Brown, SD7 who chaired Fish, Wildlife and Parks; and holdover senators Bob Keenan and Mark Blasdel.

Conservative House candidates are Representatives Mark Noland, HD 10; Matt Regier, HD 4; John Fuller, HD8; and Derek Skees, HD11. Their voting records demonstrate that they strongly support the constitutions of Montana and the United States, freedom, jobs, and protection of our water from aquatic invasive species. They opposed the CSKT Compact, which would give the tribe off-reservation water rights to control use of water in Western Montana.

New conservative candidates are Braxton Mitchell, HD3, who is making a huge positive impact on young people in his fight to protect our property rights, 2nd Amendment, public lands and our constitutional Republic. Catherine Owens, HD5, supports lower property taxes by coming up with creative ways to generate revenue, protecting our public lands and water and does not support the CSKT Compact which her opponent supported. Amy Regier, HD6, also does not support the CSKT Compact and will work to lower property taxes, support 2nd Amendment, promotes family values, and access to public lands.

—Verdell Jackson, Kalispell

Endorses Powers for HD3

I wish to express my full support and endorsement of Representative Debo Powers in the upcoming election for House District 3.

Debo is anything but oversimplified talking points and cheap rhetoric. She has and continues to live in a manner that reflects her values. She will be an ardent supporter of public education and has over twenty years of experience as a teacher and administrator. She has always been a champion of our public lands in many forms from volunteering atop lookouts and working with conservation organizations to being endorsed by the Montana Sportsmen Alliance. She understands how important healthcare is to our communities and has committed to building on the work of previous sessions to preserve as well as increase access to this vital need.

As a former legislator, I could always count on receiving correspondence from Debo during the legislative session expressing her viewpoints on a myriad of issues. Debo’s engagement in the legislative process and professional experience are but a few of the many strengths she brings to the table. She also has the ability to thoughtfully and intelligently articulate her positions which will serve her well in committee and on the House floor as she works to pass legislation important to the people of House District 3 and Montana as a whole. I will be voting for Representative Debo Powers this fall and would encourage you to consider doing the same.

—Zac Perry, Martin City

Abell supports law and order

I like Brad Abell, he is the right fit for the Flathead County Commission. With the recent attacks on law enforcement all over the country, it is critical that we have leaders who support police, and law and order.

It seems the new agenda is to tear out the backbone of our society, therefore our safety and stability. We need leaders who aren’t afraid to speak the truth and standup against the lies and misrepresentation of the media. Support law enforcement this election, and vote for Brad Abell.

—Bonnie Leahy, Whitefish

Legalize marijuana

Soon the mail-in ballots will be in our mailboxes with two initiatives on them. They are I-190 to legalize and tax recreational Marijuana and CI-118 to amend the state constitution to make age 21 the legal age to purchase recreational marijuana.

It will not be enough to pass these initiatives without electing statewide officials who will sign and pass the necessary legislation. That means you must elect Democrats. We need Mike Cooney as governor who supports the initiatives, Raph Graybill as attoney general who will fight the legal issues in both state and federal courts, Bryce Bennett for secretary of state to administer the rules and regulations concerning those additional tax dollars that legalized marijuana will bring to the state; Shane Morigeau for state auditor, and all your state legislators.

Remember, law enforcement will be able to spend their time and dollars fighting the problem drugs of heroin and meth, there will be more dollars for treatment of all forms of addiction, and more tax dollars to compensate for the loss of revenue from fossil fuels.

Democrats included these two initiatives in their 2020 platform. Greg Gianforte opposes both initiatives.

—Judy Rosenfeld-Cox, Kalispell

Gianforte a proven leader

Despite not being the candidate, I supported in the primary, Greg Gianforte has my complete support to become our next governor in 2020.

His proven business experience is critical in restarting the Montana economy in the wake of the horrific shutdown imposed by the Bullock-Cooney regime.

Greg’s the only candidate with actual experience in building businesses and creating jobs. His opponent has spent his career on the government dole.

To guide us through the wreckage of the shutdown of the Montana economy, which put 150,000 Montanans out of work, Greg has put forward a detailed plan for Montana’s comeback.

Greg has clearly stated that he will hold state spending at current levels, oppose a sales tax (which his opponent first promoted in 2004), cut income tax rates for all Montana taxpayers and fund those in law enforcement who protect and defend us.

At this critical time in our state, we don’t need more taxes and bigger government – which are the hallmark of Cooney’s policies and proposals. We need the guidance and experience of proven leader and that leader is Greg Gianforte.

Join me in electing the right man at the right time for Montana – vote for Greg Gianforte.

—Brad Tschida, Missoula

Bennett is for public lands

It’s great to live in Montana! Anytime I tell someone from somewhere else where I live, they all say the same thing: “that’s beautiful country.” And they’re right. Our public lands define our beautiful state — how we work, play and put food on the table. Without them, Montana wouldn’t be what it is to so many families, mine included, and it’s easy to take them for granted.

But our public lands are not a given. Many Western states have lost them to privatization and development, and if our current secretary of state has his way, Montana will follow suit. We need someone better, someone who understands the crucial role public lands play in our economy, our school funding, and our way of life.

Bryce Bennett is that person. Bryce has been advocating for public lands long before this election, and as Secretary of State, he’ll protect what makes Montana truly, the last best place. Bryce Bennett for secretary of state.

—Mary Wellemeyer, Columbia Falls

Out-of-state millionaires

All the major Republican candidates are out-of-state multi-millionaires.

Gianforte is a tech entrepreneur from New Jersey who came to low-wage Montana to start a company that he sold for $1.8 billion. Then he wanted to sell off Montana public land to out-of-state billionaires and he was all for a state sales tax. Remember his smirk, “a fair tax is one you pay and I don’t.” Gianforte is the richest member of Congress and a convicted criminal.

Matt Rosendale is a millionaire real-estate developer from Maryland who owns a trophy ranch in Montana. He also wants to sell off Montana public lands.

Troy Downing is a Californian with many serious fish and game violations charged against him. He tried to buy a senate seat in the last election and lost. Now he is setting his sights a little lower. I guess he plans to work his way up.

Steve Daines tries to tell us that he is a fifth-generation Montanan. He was born in California. He isn’t even a first-generation Montanan. He says he was a businessman for 28 years. He was not a businessman, he was an employee of a large corporation. Big difference! Six of those years he was living in China making jobs for the Chinese workers. Now he says he is going to get tough with the Chinese. Daines is also one of the richest members of the Senate, sounds like he has a lot in common with working Montanans. Most Montanans think truthfulness is a Montana value.

Montana is a agricultural state and none of these guys know an angus from an air drill. All four of them will do just what the wall street billionaires tell them to do. None of that will be good for the working people of Montana. So, where are the real Montana Republicans?

—Tom Shaughnessy, Kalispell