| There was this op-ed in the Ravalii Republic from Anthony Preite and Mary Sexton, directors of the Montana Department of Commerce and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, respectively, who decry the lack of federal funds available for local projects. Why? Bush administration cuts.
There's Missoula's Iraq war referendum, which reminds us our city's contributed over $40 million in taxes to the Iraq, and that federal funding for affordable housing has been cut.
In fact, budget cuts across the board to Medicare, SCHIP, Department of Veteran Affairs, crime fighting programs, etc & co. will negatively impact Montana seniors, children, veterans, middle- and working-class families, and neighborhood safety, thanks to the administration's skewed spending - massive subsidies to the oil and gas industries, low tax rates for billionaire hedge fund managers, and Bush's quixotic quest for his legacy in Iraq.
And voting right along with Bush and against Montana every step of the way was, and is, our Representative, Dennis Rehberg.
Shane points out that Rehberg's talk on "free markets" is really cover for the handouts he gives to the richest among us. And let's not forget that, even as the Iraq war was raging and sucking up our federal, state, and local tax dollars, Rehberg advocated a personal tax cut. Ask yourself, who's going to pay the difference in Rehberg's tax return?
And who called funding CHIP - which would help tens of thousands of Montana children and seniors -- "extremist political ideology"?
Compare that to Bill Kennedy, who's constantly working at the local level as Yellowstone County Commissioner and should know, who said about Rehberg's CHIP vote that "in all my years advocating for children, families, seniors and the mentally ill, I have never seen so much disregard for the well-being of average Montanans." And this from a guy who's responsible for the ordinary, everyday needs of his constituents - like streets and roads, aid for seniors, firefighting, food banks, and law enforcement.
Kennedy's known to his constituents as someone who actually cares about them, which is reflected by the fact that he was reelected to his commission seat by a large margin - impressive for a Democrat, to say the least. Billings native, former educator, strong advocate of rural health care and mental health issues, Kennedy has got all the experience and tools to be a good representative for Montana.
This is the time to oust Dennis, folks. It's pretty obvious he's gearing up for a run against Tester in 2012. Better to get him out now. A 2008 loss for Dennis will pretty much ensure that we won't be hearing from him anytime soon. He can go back to his ranch and apply supply side economics to his goats. Maybe they'll be able to live off the scraps from his table.
All that's the long way of saying that Bill Kennedy needs your help. Donate on ActBlue. Kennedy needs money, early, to show the powers that be he's a serious candidate. The more we give now, the more it returns later.
So stop in, and give.
And - let's make a pact! Every time Rehberg says or does something stupid or heinous, let's all drop $10 into Kennedy's coffers. That should keep Kennedy flush... |
