Election mail bag Sept. 20

Bullock is the leader Montana needs

The key issue in Montana’s Senate elections this year is leadership. Montana needs leaders who understand the concepts and nuances of strong, well-reasoned leadership. Good leaders are accountable for their area of responsibility. Good leaders make decisions based on quality science-based evidence and the council of reasonable and thoughtful staff, not partisan plat-forms or fear-mongering rhetoric.

I spent 37 years with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, 11 years as sheriff. I worked alongside Attorney General/ Governor Bullock and tackled some of the most difficult and challenging issues of my career. I know first-hand how Steve has consistently shown his concern and support for citizens, crime victims, and Montana’s dedicated peace officers. Any claims otherwise are complete fabrications.

Montanans need leaders who do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason and in the right way. The best leader at this time and place to serve the people of the State of Montana and the citizens of the United States is Steve Bullock.

Please join Diane and I when we vote for Steve Bullock to represent all of us in the United States Senate.

—Jim Cashell, Bozeman

Bullock’s legacy

A bill was being presented to change from “sell by” to “use by” milk dating which would save the school milk program $20 million a year and Montanans a few bucks per gallon. I asked Governor Bullock, a professed champion of child nutrition, to support the bill. He responded that it would be inappropriate to get involved.

An infrastructure bill was vetoed because it didn’t include funding for a museum. It passed two years later with museum funding so we had to wait two years for Deceivin’ Steven’s Folly.

Bullock, as he stated, was enticed to run for the Senate by Obama who is proving daily to be more corrupt than the Clintons or Nixon.

Bullock: a term used by the English to show distain or disgust… covers it well!

I am voting pro-life, pro-guns and pro-freedom… Steve Daines

—Pat Bears, Polson

Endorsement for Williams

It is with great confidence that I endorse Kathleen Williams campaign for Montana’s lone seat in the United States House of Representatives. Having served with Kathleen for two terms in the Montana Legislature, I have seen her in action and witnessed her knowledge, skill, and ability to serve the people of Montana.

Kathleen demonstrated leadership in the Montana House of Representatives. She understands the arcane tax laws and policies related to revenue projections and budgets. She is a recognized expert in natural resource management and agriculture. She’s helped farmers and ranchers conserve resources and understand the implications of obscure water rights laws and regulations.

Beyond her strong technical background, Kathleen is a caring individual. Her consistent support for Medicaid expansion in Montana, her success in preventing insurance companies from denying routine care for cancer patients, and her healthcare plan which would reduce premiums and expand affordable access indicate her determination to improve the health of this nation.

From fighting for rural Montana, strengthening our educational system, honoring veterans, and advocating for Indian country, to protecting our outdoor heritage including our changing climate, Kathleen has a clear vision of what must be done. She has the experience and persistence to work collaboratively, across party lines and with diverse interests to accomplish her plan.

I hope you will join me in giving Kathleen Williams your vote in this very critical election.

—Ed Lieser, Whitefish

Bullock is a puppet for the left

Steve Bullock is a puppet. After months of telling the media that he would not run for senator under any circumstance, he jumped in the race at the last second. Why? Because Chuck Schumer paid him a visit in Montana this winter.

The Democrats want control of Montana and control of the Senate. Ultimately they want control of the entire United States. The Democratic Party’s agenda doesn’t benefit the people - it only serves their big government interests.

Bullock has proved time and time again that he is not on Montana’s side. He has no interest in helping Montana get ahead in the economy or otherwise. Put simply, he is not in this race for us. After clawing for a chance at the presidency, he just wants to stay relevant.

Steve Bullock in the Senate alongside Sen. Jon Tester would threaten our livelihoods and treasured Montana values. All of the hard work that Daines has put in for Montana ranchers and farmers will be undone.

Vote for Daines to make this year Bullock’s last representing Montana in public service.

—Jeff Barber, Bozeman

Bullock’s NRA badge of honor

Steve Daines is bragging about the NRA giving him an A+ rating, when New York Attorney General Letitia James claims in a lawsuit that she found financial misconduct of losses of more than $64 million over a three-year period. The suit alleges that top NRA executives misused charitable funds for personal gain.

National Rifle Association boss Wayne La Pierre rails against the elites trying to take real Americans’ guns. Meanwhile, La Pierre is under investigation for misused charitable funds for personal gain, taking gun-owners donations to fund his ultra-lux lifestyle. That’s the crux of New York Attorney General Tish James’ landmark lawsuit against the NRA.

So Steve Daines, who has received over $123,117 in donations from the NRA, shouldn’t be bragging about his A+ rating. Moreover, is Daines really a hunter? Or does he just borrow a target gun to shoot for his TV ad.

Governor Steve Bullock really is a Montana hunter and he should wear his NRA F-rating as a badge of honor.

—Frank DiNenna, Missoula

Williams best for health care

A few years ago I lost health insurance coverage. With no coverage, I feared like never before the physical and financial devastation that a medical emergency could bring.

Kathleen Williams also knows that fear, having cared for a mother with Alzheimer’s. Kathleen understands on a personal level our concerns about health care. She’ll help bring costs down for everyone by giving those of us aged 55 to 64 the option to buy into Medicare. She’ll also fight the increasing costs of prescription medicine.

In addition, Kathleen will help stabilize the private insurance market so everyone can get the coverage they need at a price that makes sense.

Her opponent promotes insurance plans that will keep health care costs high in the long run because they don’t solve the real issues that impact affordability. It’s time to solve our health care crisis in the U.S. and Kathleen Williams can get it done. Vote for Kathleen Williams for Congress on November 3.

—Brigitta Lee, Missoula

Vote Monica Tranel for PSC

Montana has abundant sunshine and plenty of wind, but we have barely left the starting blocks in development of those resources. One reason: Montana’s Public Service Commission has followed the lead of our state’s largest monopoly utility, NorthWestern Energy, in discouraging the development of renewable energy.

On Aug. 24, Montana’s Supreme Court ruled that the PSC illegally discriminated against renewable energy development when it arbitrarily cut rates paid to small solar developers. One of those developers was represented in court by Monica Tranel, who has many years of experience in appearing before the Commission. Now she is running for the seat on the Commission for District 4, which includes Lincoln, Sanders, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Granite and Ravalli counties.

Monica is a ranch kid from Eastern Montana. She went to Gonzaga Law School and has two decades of experience as a public-affairs-oriented attorney. She has represented the Montana Consumer Council and, in private practice, several clients seeking to expand renewable-energy development in rural Montana.

Monica has seen close up how the Commission has failed to encourage the development of clean, renewable energy and has chosen instead to stifle wind and solar development. She understands the industries that the PSC regulates, and she knows that Montanans will be best protected in the long term by the development of our significant renewable-energy resources.

When she first learned about her recent win at the state’s Supreme Court, Monica made this comment:

“During times of increased uncertainty, we need a predictable environment to ensure businesses, our economy, and our communities can thrive. This ruling is a significant advancement for the renewable energy industry in Montana, allowing more projects to be built that will bolster our local and state economy.”

Please join me in voting for Monica Tranel for the PSC.

­—Kristin ​Newgard, Troy