In accordance with the power vested in me as Governor by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Montana, I hereby veto House Bill No. 444 (HB 444), "AN ACT CREATING THE MONTANA PUBLIC FINANCE WEBSITE; REQUIRING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WEBSITE FROM WHICH THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN SEARCH, RETRIEVE, AND DOWNLOAD INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATE FINANCES, INCLUDING STATE ENTITY BUDGETS, REVENUE, APPROPRIATIONS, AND EXPENDITURES BY EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE, AND JUDICIAL BRANCH AGENCIES; AND PROVIDING FOR DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION DUTIES AND RULEMAKING AUTHORITY."This veto is just plain WRONG FOR MONTANA taxpayers. The Governor claims the cost operating this website would be over $400,000 per year yet the Republicans counter that it should only realistically cost the state between $50,000 to $100,000. In this bloggers opinion the veto of this bill will continue to cost Montana taxpayers millions of dollars per year. What would drive down the exorbitant cost of government faster than 900,000 taxpayer eyes affixed on a budget laden with wasteful spending who are willing to start screaming for wasteful spending to stop as soon as it is exposed? What is the governor afraid that we are going to see?
THIS VETO IS JUST PLAIN WRONG FOR MONTANA!
We need this transparency in not only state government but also in local and school district budgets as well. Time to call the governor’s office at 406-444-3111 and tell Governor BS that this veto is just plain BS
Read the whole story over at the Montana Watchdog.
Read the full text of HB 444 here and see who else voted to keep you in the dark
We have no transparancy with our school why would we want anyone to to know anything about the state expenditures?
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ReplyDeleteI don't think HDC owes us any transparency. He's a private person stating his opinions. You are free to do the same.
ReplyDeleteI know several things that I would love to expose to the light of day, but can't because of possible retaliaton.
Fitty, this is a blog, not a newspaper and if the author/authors of this blog want to remain anonymous so be it. If you don't like it leave!
ReplyDeleteIf you have lived in Havre for very long you should know that people feed on the negative aspects of their friends and neighbors lives and exploit it for their own reasons and ambitions. Not unique to Havre, but unusually concentrated here.
I for one, appreciate this blog because while it can be over the top sometimes, it covers stuff the newspaper won't. I for one have written several letters to the editor just to be ignored and know several others who have done the same.
Anyway, I digress, this was not the topic here, but you made it so Fitty.
I agree HDC Governor BS sure has lived up to his initials, as usual!
The Governor has always been a pompous puffy-chested phony. Too much transparency would expose him for what he really is.
ReplyDeleteFitty? What kind of mother would name a child Fitty? I have to assume Fitty is a hypocrite and has made up an anonymous name for himself. Practice what you preach itty bitty fitty
Fitty isn't the one complaining about transparency, now is he Jimbo? Or do you simply not understand what constitutes hypocrisy?
ReplyDeleteThis isn't about who writes the this blog or who Fitty really is
ReplyDeleteThis is about our governor thinking Montana voters don't need to know how they spend our tax money. What are they hiding? I would the governor would want this so the democrats could look and see where the republican controlled house wasted money so they had campaign fodder for next election
This governor still thinks he is a conestant on American Idol
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with the people being able to look at how our money is being spent? Everything that is funded by our tax dollars should have an accounting online.
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