Where are our Democrat Representatives?

Every Wednesday since the Legislature convened some of our legislators have went the extra mile and made themselves available at noon on Wednesdays to sit through a “Video Conference” with the folks back home to not only keep us informed but also to provide local constituents with the opportunity to voice their concerns or support for what is going on in Helena. Everyone and anyone are invited to just show up at the Robins school building to participate. Judging from the Havre Daily “News” reports each Thursday it is apparent that a few of our local Democrats have seized on this opportunity to just have a bitch session with the Republican legislators hoping the Award winning Havre Daily reporters will write less than glamorous stories about what is happening in Helena.

What I find most interesting is the fact that out of our 5 local representatives only the Republicans show up to answer questions and hear what the people back home have to say. Senator Hutton, Representative Warburton and Representative Hansen show up each and every week but the Democrats Senator Jonathan Windy Boy and Representative Tony Belcourt have never even attended once to my knowledge. Also according to the Montana Legislative Guide which I picked up at the Hill County Electric Cooperative Republicans Hutton, Warburton and Hansen have published their cell phone numbers so the people back home can leave them messages and call with concerns. Democrats Windy Boy and Belcourt both list their contact numbers as the Legislative Information operator (406) 444-4800 where you have to leave a message and hope that they actually will get it at some point.

My question to Hutton Warburton and Hansen is; Why do you even bother to waste your time coming to the Wednesday video conference when you know the deck is being purposely stacked against you?

To Windy Boy and Belcourt; Where in the hell have you been?

hutton4senate@yahoo.com



krishansen33@gmail.com





wendywarburton@gmail.com



THANKS TO THE THREE THAT TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE HILL COUNTY VOTERS

All this time I have been thinking this video conference was some sort of Republican sponsored event and today I find out that the school provides this service to all of our representatives and the Democrats have just failed to participate.  It is time to give them a call at their special Montana State answering service number and ask them to participate. (406) 444-4800

windyboy_j@yahoo.com

tbelcourt@hotmail.com

A few "Facts" about Northern's Biodiesel Funding

Any one read the article in last night’s HDN written by “Award Winning” senior “Journalist” Timmie Leeds under the headline Montana budget still without Northern Biodiesel.  This article, like several over the past couple of weeks, praised Senator Jonathan Windy Boy for “fighting for Northern’s Biodiesel program. While I am sure that Senator Windy Boy does indeed support the program I am having a hard time grasping why the HDN ran the story about him when the Senate wasn’t even the place where the bill was being heard. The bill in question was HB2 which is the funding bill for all state government expenditures. With regards to Northern’s Biodiesel program what really happened was that Representative Wendy Warburton brought forth an amendment to restore approximately $400,000 in funding to the program. Senator Windy Boy had absolutely NOTHING to do with yesterday’s hearing. After I had my WTH moment I decided to watch the hearing on the legislative website to ascertain the facts for myself. Imagine my surprise when I saw a marvelous performance by Representative Warburton pleading for the program’s funding and introducing her amendment to help Northern. Democrat Representative Tony Belcourt from Box Elder also is seen speaking in favor of Warburton’s amendment.


Why does the HDN, an alleged “professional” news organization, allow reporter Timmie Leeds to publish such obviously skewed “news” stories? I have posted the full amendment hearing below so you can judge for yourself. Video 1 shows Warburton making the amendment and pleading for Northern. Video 2 is the remainder of the testimony and video 3 is Warburton’s closing to the question. The Northern amendment failed on a 46-53 vote and HB-2 passed without the funds for Northern by a vote of 66 -32. See the votes here.

What really gets to me is the fact that “professional” reporter Leeds hates Ms Warburton and has said so to numerous people around town and then tries to portray that his articles are fair, balanced, factual and unbiased. That is just plain BS - his articles are nothing more than opinionated editorial pieces such as you would find on any biased opinion political blogs such as the Corrector that unashamedly slants their articles to portray our personal opinions.

As a side note to Thackeray, Jergeson, Peck and the gaggle of people that wrote letters to the editor during Warburton’s re-election campaign saying she voted against funds for Northern because she voted No to the passage of last sessions HB 2. I am wondering if you also will be writing letters against Representative Tony Belcourt because he voted against passage of HB 2 this go around even though he spoke in favor of Northern just minutes before the vote?

Read the HDN article – watch the hearing – tell me what you see!

Video 1

Video 2 - second part of hearing

Video 3 - Warburton's closing arguments

House Passes Lean Budget

The following is an editorial we just received from Representative Wendy Warburton.  Thanks for keeping us updated Ms Warburton

This week the Montana House passed our budget bill, House Bill 2. This forms
the basis for Montana's budget for the next two years. Passing a balanced
budget is the one constitutional duty of the Legislature, and one that I take seriously.

The initial budget, proposed by the Governor before the legislative session, was not balanced. It would have spent more money than nonpartisan projections say that our state will take in. Growing government and raiding our savings account is not responsible, particularly when our economy is still not robust. State government needs to tighten its belt, just like Montana families.

Unfortunately, passing a lean, balanced budget out of the House has been a battle. House Democrats tried to increase government spending during the House floor budget debates through proposed amendments of more than $200,000,000 in additional spending. (That's an astonishing amount when you consider the fact that Montana has less than one million residents!) House Republicans fought off that additional spending. I want to emphasize that is not an easy thing to do. It's hard to say "no" to programs that sound very good and do good things, but I felt strongly committed to not raising taxes on Montana families to balance a budget that has grow significantly in very recent years -- while Montanans' income has not.

I voted for amendments that would have further reduced government spending by $122,716,859. As a whole, Republicans managed to find and pass $33 million in additional savings during floor debate. In the end, the budget that passed the House is more than $136 million below the Governor's proposal and six percent less than the one which passed in 2009.

Don't get me wrong - I support spending that is necessary to efficiently run our state and to build JOBS. With great bipartisan support from our local delegation, I carried an amendment to support MSU-Northern's biodeisel research. I'd like to thank Representatives Hansen, Stahl, and Belcourt for the great teamwork on that effort.

While it didn't pass the House, the vote was very close, and so I feel confident that amendment will be supported in the Senate. House Bill 2 now moves to the Senate where I trust that Republicans will continue to look for ways to make government more efficient and effective. There is still much work to be done and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on ways to make state government more accountable to taxpayers.

Sincerely,
Rep. Wendy Warburton

Left proposes the Government take over "management" of your IRA

The government already does such a wonderful job with all their many programs so what would you think about President Obama proposing to let the government take over all of the private IRA’s and retirement accounts?  At least they would have the ability to be able to “redistribute” the wealth to those that forgot to take the initiative to put aside a few bucks for retirement.

Medical Marijuana Shops Raided

The Feds had a busy day raiding Medical Marijuana shops around Montana this morning in what the growers are calling retaliatory action after the Senate Bill to repeal legal Medical Marijuana failed to advance out of the Senate Committee.  Raids occurred in 10 -12 locations throughout Montana.

News report of raids in Billing from KULR TV

Latest News is posted at Helena's Independent Record

Medical Marijuana Hits the Fan Tomorrow

Medical Marijuana is heading for front stage again as the legislature starts hearing testimony on several bills aimed at either controlling or outright banning of medical marijuana beginning at 8 am tomorrow (Friday 3/11/11)  in the Capital. The “biggie” is HB 161 which would totally eliminate the legality of the marijuana business. (kind of reminds me of what the Democrat controlled bunch did a few years ago to the elk “farmers”) Also on the docket for tomorrow are several other drug and alcohol bills to “clarify” complaint processes or revise regulations or lack thereof. The group called Montana Safe Community Safe Kids has been rallying their troops to have a big turnout at tomorrow’s hearings. Likewise, the people (and lobbyists) representing medical marijuana growers/patients are also notifying those concerned to be on hand to protect the so called medical marijuana “Industry”

Safe Community Safe Kids has been airing the following commercial in opposition to medical marijuana.



Now for the other sides story.  Can the medical marijuana business be beneficial to Montana?  Thanks to Shawn for sending this link to a story in the New York Times called In Montana, an Economic Boon Faces Repeal Effort. The rather lengthy article talks about the down turn in the Montana economy and how the medical marijuana businesses has provided a source of income for hundreds of formerly unemployed Montanans. The article brings out some of the positive aspects of this new and thriving business.  Be sure and click above for the New York Times article.



Obviously there are two sides to this question. What would be a reasonable compromise?

Tougher DUI Laws - Price tag 2 Million

Representative Kris Hansen’s HB 299 which would cause a person receiving a third DUI be charged with a felony passed the house on a vote of 57-47. Currently a person cannot be charged with a felony for driving impaired until the fourth offense. I have no problem with getting drunks off the road but I am a little taken back by the fact that the legislative fiscal note is setting the cost to this bill at an additional 2 million dollars. What do our readers think? Will this make a difference? Are you willing to spend an additional 2 million bucks to tighten up the DUI enforcement?

Also in the following KRTV News video is a report of a bi-partisan bill to place a referendum on the ballot to shorten the number of days the legislature meets to 80 days but allow convening every year. Read the text for SB 261 here and tell us what you think of this proposal

KRTV News Link
Related Billings Gazette Annual Session story

A "Little" Mistake in Hill County Tax Levies

The e-mails have been piling up at the Corrector from people that just received their new “improved” additional tax notice  with following scrap of paper telling us all that a itsy little “mistake” in mill levy calculations has been made.  Nearly every e-mail we received wanted to know who was responsible for this “mistake” and who will be held “accountable”?  The second highest comment related to what a pain in the rear it was going to be to get their bank escrows to pay this additional tax on time.

Ok now for the “Who Done It?”  From what we can find out the Treasurer’s office failed to include the new recently passed school mill levy as well as some of the other school tax.  In addition to the Havre Schools all Hill County Schools were short changed.  Of course blame is being cast on the “old” Treasurer Carrie Dickson that was defeated by Sandy Brown this last November.  That stands to reason because she is no longer here to defend herself and the “recently departed” usually gets the blame for all problems in most all work situations.

Funny part is that no one from the county, either the current Treasurer or the County Commissioners, had any idea there was even a mistake until someone from the school noticed that their school account had some severe deficiencies in what should have been an adequate fund balance and went to the courthouse to find out what was going on. As far as our readers enquiries as to whose heads are going to roll for this blatant mistake I would guess NO ONES would be the correct answer. The thing “suggested” or should I say the next bit of “gossip” was the Dickson purposely sent the mistake ridden tax notices to make the lady that took her out in the election look bad. It is all speculation at this point but I would be amazed if we ever know the whole truth.

In short we are being told to “Pay Up and Shut Up”

Real Cost of K-12 Education

Thanks to Dave Budge over at Electric City Weblog for pointing out the following chart to us.  Be sure and click on the article over at Reason. com for the full story.

2nd Amendment Legislation - What's it Really About?

Thanks to Redneck Joe for sending us this video clip of a testimony in the Texas Legislature a couple of years ago about carrying concealed weapons.  In light of the news coverage of all the controversial gun bills that have been coming before the Montana Legislature it really makes you think.

Suzanna Gratia-Hupp’s closing statement about what the 2^nd amendment is really for was a powerful ending to this testimony.  I hope it makes you logically think about the bills that have come up in this legislative session.

Thanks again Joe