Schweitzer on Republican Fundraising Letter:They want someone who can actually balance a budget

by: Matt Singer

Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 10:35:15 AM MST

Efficiency in Government Competition

by: Matt Singer

Mon Jan 25, 2010 at 10:29:26 AM MST

Mike Jopek is proposing moving a lot of state money into local banks in order to free up capital for Montana small businesses. This is less of a savings idea and more of a combination of economic development/fuck you to Wall Street.

What else can the state do? What should they consider?

Montana Budget & Policy Center: State Only Needs $15 Million in Budget Cuts

by: Matt Singer

Fri Jan 22, 2010 at 09:49:41 AM MST

MBPC has some other suggestions, including warnings that excessive cuts may cause negative ripple effects as well as some guidance as to where to target initial cuts.

Game, Set and Match

by: Montana Cowgirl

Thu Jan 14, 2010 at 16:46:27 PM MST

Then, a new chapter in Tennisgate.  You'll recall Republican Bozeman Mayor Jeff Krauss got into trouble recently when he chose to spend stimulus money on a new rubber-tiled tennis court.  Schweitzer publicly chided this expenditure, and the Mayor ended up having to defend himself on Fox 'News'.  This past Monday the volume was amplified when Schweitzer decided to attend, as a citizen, the weekly City Commission meeting in Bozeman.

According to several observers, Schweitzer was first accosted outside of the meeting room by Commissioner Chris Mehl, who cursed at him, saying:

"what you are doing is bullsh**, Governor."

(Mehl obviously takes his tennis very seriously).  

When the meeting came to order, Schweitzer waited in the back of the room as six or seven proponents of the tennis court project gave their testimony.   Then it was Schweitzer's turn to speak.  The only opponent present, Schweitzer said that he, as a property owner in Bozeman and a tennis player, supported fixing the courts, but believed such a project was inappropriate use of federal stimulus funds. The house was packed mostly with Krauss partisans, and there was some hooting and hollering as Krauss and Mehl tried to razz the Governor, questioning him from their perches.   Whatever you think of Schweitzer, this much can be said:  not many gunfighters would walk into a saloon like this one.  

Krauss and Mehl, in what a number of people saw as disrespectful behavior toward a Governor, started interrupting Schweitzer and attempting to pepper him him with spicy one-liners.  But Schweitzer, who did not interrupt the commissioners, hushed the crowd when he said:

"Just because somebody puts a chocolate cake in front of you, doesn't mean you have to eat the whole thing,"

Personally I think Krauss has picked a stupid fight.  The Governor's position on this issue is very popular, even in Bozeman where the Chronicle online poll of over 900 respondents shows a 74-26% vote against the tennis project.  Plus, it turns out that the tennis court contract was awarded to a Minnesota firm, meaning no Montana jobs would be created.  

Finally, if Krauss has aspirations beyond city council, he is going to have a tough time. As of now, the notable items on his resume are 1) spending stimulus money on tennis,  and 2) a city policy that required all job applicants to hand over their passwords to their e-mail and facebook accounts.  

That resume won't get you very far in a Republican primary.  

Why Hasn't the Montana GOP Renounced the Anti-Indian Comments of GOP Chair Michael Steele?

by: Montana Cowgirl

Sat Jan 09, 2010 at 10:27:09 AM MST

I said look you want o come after me, you want to do this job then take it from me. But until then, shut up and get in line.... This is why are at 22 percent approval in the polls, why no one wants to identify with us because we spend more time tearing each other down as opposed to talking about those principles that have defined us for generations.

What kind of "principles that have defined us for generations" is he talking about?  

Here in Montana, American Indians are our state's first residents and among our most honored leaders and elders.  Governor Schweitzer has worked hard to rebuild the relationships between our state and the sovereign nations within its borders.  And for the first time, Montana voters elected our first American Indian woman, Denise Juneau, to statewide office.  

We want leaders who will end racism, not promote it.  So we want to know: Will the Montana GOP renounce the bigotry and ignorance of their national leader or will they continue to lend him their silent support?

We're waiting.  

I write more letters, some to a certain Montana governor

by: Livingston, I Presume

Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 15:00:38 PM MST

Dear Governor Schweitzer:

Normally, I'm a big fan. I voted for you and was very pleased when you won. I have in the past defended you vigorously from spurious claims that you go in big for pot, porn, and perversion, and I would still stand up to those kinds of slanderous whack-jobs. However, and I'm only saying this because I care, I really wish you would stop talking about the death spiral of the Montana economy while simultaneously giving your employees handsome raises. The timing is probably coincidental, but it doesn't look good and it certainly doesn't engender good feelings among ordinary Montanans, some of whom had been hoping to find jobs at some point in this young decade.

Latest from the Genius who Tried To Require Job Applicants to Turn Over Facebook, Email Passwords

by: Montana Cowgirl

Wed Jan 06, 2010 at 21:57:49 PM MST

The Bozeman mayor is now touting an appearance on Fox and Friends in defense of a fancier tennis court in Bozeman.   I guess this guy would rather see the state cut Meals-on-Wheels? Bozeman Republicans are too much!

He attempts a "defense" of his actions on 4 & 20 Blackbirds.  However, his defence fails to explain how an out-of-state contractor building a tennis court in Bozeman will stimulate Montana's economy.

Krauss writes:

Bozeman's general fund budget dedicates an average of about 9% each year to parks and recreation. We have two swimming pools, many parks, baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts, ice skating and hockey rinks and miles of trails and bike lanes.

***UPDATE: Wulfgar pointed out that Krauss is now the mayor of Bozeman and that he did appear of Fox News.  Wulfgar also says this guy was vehement about correcting the fiasco after it happened, and if so that's good at least, though it would have been better to prevent it from happening in the first place.  You can see his apology here from the article I linked to above:

"I'm sorry that we couldn't get in front of this quicker. When Thursday came around and we tried to answer the questions from the national press, before we started defending it on Thursday night, I'm sorry we missed that opportunity to apologize and by Friday much of the damage had been done. What really is needed now from us to the community and the state is that we apologize for wandering down a road that violated basic rights of our citizens and we will do all we can to restore that public trust," Deputy Mayor Jeff Krauss said.

Basic Good Financial Management

by: Matt Singer

Sat Jan 02, 2010 at 10:46:09 AM MST

Sound financial management isn't everything, but accomplishing other outcomes without it is really, really hard. Different management in this state in recent years would have put us in a place where we'd either be raising taxes right now or cutting truly core education, corrections, or health care functions (what's the old saw, state government educates, incarcerates, and medicates?). We're not being forced to do that right now. Good news for all of us.

And something worth keeping in mind as people battle it out for the state house. Ask them about how they want to manage the state's finances. If tax cuts is the whole answer, ask for more detail.

Wheat to Montana Supreme Court

by: Jay Stevens

Sat Dec 26, 2009 at 12:45:11 PM MST

Gov. Brian Schweitzer is picking a Bozeman lawyer and former state senator to fill a vacancy on the Montana Supreme Court.

Schweitzer announced the selection of Mike Wheat on Wednesday. Current Supreme Court Justice John Warner is retiring at the end of the year.

Wheat is an excellent choice for the position. During the state attorney general's race, I got a chance to sit down with Mike for nearly an hour and pick his brain, and I found an incredibly principled lawyer deeply committed to the law and to the state of Montana.

Wheat was George Ochenski's pick for attorney general, and you can read his thoughts on Mike's candidacy and stance on the death penalty in a pre-primary election column.

Congratulations, Mike.

Litigious terms, fat contentions, and flowing fees

by: Yellowstone Kelly

Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 08:38:37 AM MST

For the uninitiated, the Board of Regents is the autonomous governing body of the Montana University System (MUS), which includes community colleges and the colleges of technology.

The legislature appropriates money to MUS, but it is the Board and Presidents who, through a convoluted and arcane process, set policy for the system and decide who gets what and how much. Under the cloak of academic freedom and constitutional license, the "Board" strenuously safeguards its independence from the grubby clutches of the legislature.

These folks also determine how much more students pay in fees and tuition for the privilege of partaking of the enterprise. Not enough dough? Raise tuition. Or,  freeze faculty salaries. Or, lay off staff.

So, just who are these 'Regents' and how do they earn the assignment? The Governor appoints the seven regents, six to seven-year overlapping terms. And this pretty much Schweitzer's crew. (Believe it or not, he re-appointed one Racicot appointee and the term of one Judy Martz (remember her?) appointee ends next year.):

Stephen Barrett (Bozeman) - Chair
Clayton Christian (Missoula) - Vice-Chair
Lila Taylor (Busby)
Lynn Morrison-Hamilton (Havre)
Todd Buchanan (Billings)
Janine Pease (Poplar), seventh member is
Robert Barnosky (Billings), the student regent who serves a one-year term.

Ever heard of 'em?

We are all geniuses when we dream

by: Yellowstone Kelly

Wed Oct 14, 2009 at 06:03:53 AM MST

This column is must reading. It even includes a laid-back picture of the Governor.

Americans don't east horsemeat, you see. So, Ed argued during the deliberations on his bill that the meat would be exported to Europe. The problem is that the European Union is about to require extensive documentation (really a life history) of each horse. Kinda concerned about the industrial-strength medications horses are pumped full of and their effects on humans.

With that venture on the ropes, he found another potential market: Mainland China. That's right: Communist China. Given his outlandish views, one might conclude that Ed would be a bit cautious when dealing with the menacing Red Hoard, the people of the real People' Republic.

But, no.

Here is what he had to say recently in a Mike Dennison story:

Yet Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred, acknowledged that any such plans are a long way off, even if he can help arrange a visit by Chinese business interests.

"You have to work on their timeframe, and they're very cautious," Butcher said. "These people are good businessmen. You have to be able to present a very logical business proposal."

Ed says communists are good capitalists. . . ? ? ? ! ! !

OMG: This Globalism thing has gone too far!

And, as Nick D wrote in the comments of the Missoulian piece, "if logic is what the Chinese investors are looking for, none of the Butcher guys should be anywhere near the conversation."

Markos Moulitsas writes posts

by: Jay Stevens

Tue Oct 06, 2009 at 10:48:08 AM MST

Unfortunately for anyone hoping for some accountability today, Sen. Max Baucus doesn't face reelection until 2014. Give a senator that much job security, and you're not going to get much responsiveness. He's accountable to his voters just every six years. He checks in with his lobbyist pals every day.

But one thing is for sure, despite our era of short-attention span politics, I have no intention on forgetting these health care votes. While I've long been tolerant of Democrats' needs to represent their districts, even if it occasionally contradicts party orthodoxy, health care cuts to the very core of what it means to be a Democrat. And those Democrats who are more concerned with insurance company profits than they are about regular people have fundamentally betrayed what it means to be a Democrat. There is no justification whatsoever for abandoning people in need for monied interests. None.

2012 is all about Lieberman. It'll be the end of his political career. But 2014, I'm seeing that as the year of the Baucus. The year that we rid the Senate of his useless carcass, and finish what we started when we got rid of Conrad Burns in 2006. And we can turn that delegation from one of the worst in the nation, to one of the best. We're halfway there with Jon Tester, who hopefully won't disappoint on this issue (he's currently doing great work on FISA and the Patriot Act). We could finish the job by replacing Baucus with current Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

Good luck there, Markos. I can't imagine that would happen, I just don't see Brian Schweitzer taking on Max Baucus.

Still, it's good to see that Moulitsas has his eyes on the 2014 Montana Senate race. He was instrumental in nudging Jon Tester towards his 2006 primary win; there's no doubt the right candidate would be well funded and helped. And with Baucus' high-profile fail on healthcare reform, I suspect there will plenty of Montana Democrats and erstwhile Baucus supporters who'd vote for someone else in the primary, not to mention roll their sleeves up and do the grunt work to elect someone more representative of the state.

Discuss.

Horse Slaughterhouse bill becomes law, but questions remain

by: Jay Stevens

Tue May 05, 2009 at 08:54:02 AM MST

In its opinion page today, the Gazette editorial board reiterates its objections to the bill for the usual reasons: it basically gives one particularly lax industry a free pass on health and environmental regulations. But there's also these two items:

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says such slaughterhouses could compromise the state's efforts to adhere to clean-water and air quality regulations....

• U.S. Department of Agriculture approval is needed to ship horse meat overseas and Congress has blocked that approval process.

As a result -- as the editorial notes -- there are still a lot of questions about this law. Is it constitutional? Will Butcher et al. find an investor to build -- especially without the USDA participating in inspections? After all, one assumes investors will only build a slaughterhouse if they can sell the meat overseas...

I still can't believe the legislature rubber-stamped this dog. What were they thinking? Until proven otherwise, I'm assuming Ed Butcher has a stash of Polaroids tucked away somewhere of legislators in compromising positions...

Schweitzer Makes a Good Move on Punishing Minors

by: Matt Singer

Tue Apr 21, 2009 at 17:26:03 PM MST

The whole move to treat good kids as kids and bad kids as adults offers some odd perverse incentives (or perhaps I should say, enhances some of the same perverse incentives that currently tie adulthood in the U.S. to drinking, smoking, and gambling). At the end of the day, no one wants to commit vehicular manslaughter. It is an act perpetrated through ignorance or recklessness, both of which are more understandable among 16-year-olds than among older individuals.

To the extent that we alter the statutes for minors, it seems to me that the smarter way to do it is to be more paternalistic and offer things like graduated driver's licenses.

Still, as with so many other small issues, making any move away from the "shoot any criminal we can" side of the justice spectrum is considered to be politically unpopular (although this is an area where I think the public is ahead of the politicians). So, kudos to the Governor for this move.

The one-point-four-billion-dollar headache

by: Jay Stevens

Tue Apr 21, 2009 at 06:04:54 AM MST

A new appraisal of vast state-owned coal reserves in southeastern Montana finds the state would reap $1.4 billion in royalty payments over the next four decades if it leases the property for mining.

Development of the Otter Creek tracts - more than a billion tons of coal co-owned by the state and Great Northern Properties - could open the door to a dramatic expansion of the region's coal industry. It also could facilitate construction of a long-delayed rail line, the Tongue River Railroad.

Ochenski has the history of the coal tracts, and you should read it to see how Montana ended up owning land with the coal. But the important detail is this: the state and Great Northern own "checkerboard" sections of land where the coal is. And it's Great Northern that's pushing development. And the report released on the potential revenue for the state was issued by Northwest Corp, a consultant to the mining and energy industry. That's really all you need to know to figure out that this latest round of news is probably orchestrated propaganda to pressure the state land board to lease the land for coal development.

And, of course, there's the ugly little detail that a rail line will have be put through the Tongue River valley. And Tongue River Valley ranchers don't want a rail line. And the Northern Cheyenne would essentially have to agree to development, too. Both of which means that a lot of political and financial capital will likely have to be spent to get this project going.

PPV opines that development of the Otter Creek tracts will happen, and under Democratic watch:

...It's not about if they get developed, or even where, or how, they get developed, but when. Ideally, these developments occur at a time that's late enough to capitalize on spiking energy prices and peaked demand in the market. One also needs to secure the Montana State Land Board, comprised of the state's top five elected officials who make most of the decisions on these things; the Democrats have done that. They also need a democratic operative running the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which oversees oil and gas leases on state lands... someone like Director Democrat Mary Sexton... Check.

It's also about squeezing-out potential enviros or certain GOP legislators from gaining major leadership positions in the state legislature that could spearhead legislative efforts to curb or stall this growth... Check.

[Roy Brown (R-Billings) and Michele Reinhart (D-Missoula) nod bitterly in agreement as author types. Squeeze-out indeed.]

The when question also gets to Schweitzer's last term in office at sky-high approval ratings following a major splash performance at the DNC's national convention along with key political insiders being positioned in places like the White House and the U.S. Senate. Messina. Baucus. Tester... Check.

With all the checks lined-up, the political capital from this will be huge. Tapping those reserves at the right time allows Schweitzer, as well as the other Demo Land Board members-A.G. Steve Bullock, O.P.I. head Denise Juneau, Auditor Monica Lindeen, and S.O.S. Linda McCullough-to claim billions supporting public education, landmark energy development, and a vital piece of their political resume.
For Schweitzer, it's the final piece of everything he needs to go national-a shining emblematic example of the kind of domestic energy development national policy-makers and the industrial interests behind them want to see.

We will miss Jag.

I'm not as...optimistic?...as PPV. The Otter Creek tracts seem more politically useful undeveloped. State Democrats can blame "radical" enviros for blocking development, earning their "moderate" and "centrist" reputations, state Republicans can hold the tracts up as evidence that they need to be in office to develop that coal. Meanwhile, the Otter Creek coal is suspended like a pinata stuffed with one-point-four billion dollar bills over the heads of the eager, blindfolded electorate.

Agree to develop the tracts? You've got years of litigation featuring the trampled-on property rights of Montana ranchers to look forward to, as well as a future of diminishing returns on the coal as (hopefully) the nation greens and requires less of the filthy fuel. That ain't sexy. Tho' to be fair to the Good Guv, he'll be long gone when the sh*t hits the fan. Not so the Land Board members, tho...

Public comment kicked off on the issue.

The Good Guv's quote of the day...

by: Jay Stevens

Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 11:16:35 AM MST

Montana Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer ribbed Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin Friday for announcing at the last minute that she will not be attending a Sunday discussion of energy policy that the two governors were scheduled to lead at this weekend's meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA) in Washington.

"I don't know where she's going to be. You'll be stuck with me," Schweitzer told ABC News. "There will be no glamour, certainly no snappy dressing. I brought my best two pairs of jeans. There's a little bit of a horse s**t stain by the knee. But I've been washing that stuff out."

Bill to require at least one American Indian on the Board of Pardons and Parole

by: Jamee Greer

Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 11:24:43 AM MST

This problem exists outside Montana's borders. Nationwide, a much higher percentage of American Indians are imprisoned, per capita, than any other ethnicity besides African Americans. In Montana, where American Indians comprise about six percent of the population, the numbers show a dangerously wide gap:

-In 2008, 19.5 percent of males and 27.1 percent of females in Montana correctional facilities were American Indians.?

-Those numbers are slightly down from 2007, but higher than 2006, 2005 and 2004.

-These numbers do not reflect the number of American Indians imprisoned outside of Montana, nor the number finishing sentencing outside of prisons and on parole or probation.

It must be made clear that the Network and our allies do not want to insinuate or draw the assumption that our current Governor, nor the leadership of the Board on Pardons and Parole or Montana Department of Corrections, are ignorant of the disparity or unwilling to work on remedying the great divide within our corrections system. In fact, current board membership includes three American Indians, or about 42% of the board. It should be duly noted that Governor Schweitzer's office stood in support of HB 591, and Indian Affairs Coordinator Jennifer Perez Cole spoke on its behalf.  Our greater concern, and the concern of Indian leaders who have fought hard for this bill for many sessions, is with who will make these appointments after our current leaders are gone.

Montana code (MCA 2-15-108) requires racial and gender parity on "all appointive boards, commissions, committees, and councils of state government." But parity is parity: there is no requirement that on a board of seven, any member is required to represent one of the state's largest minorities.

Perhaps in the 2009 Session this will finally happen.

Jamee Greer, a not-so-regular contributor at Left in the West, lobbies for the Montana Human Rights Network during the 2009 Legislative Session.

Good Guv reverses course on fuel efficiency standards

by: Jay Stevens

Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 12:30:39 PM MST

As California goes, so goes the country -- and even the world. According to the state Air Resources Board, 71% of the world's population lives in countries with vehicle emissions standards modeled on California's. If the new EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson, grants California's latest waiver, 40% of the country will be driving cars that emit fewer greenhouse gases from their tailpipes, and other states are likely to follow the lead.

Letting California set tighter mileage standards for cars is verboten for an Oil Man.

And following Obama's decision was this nice surprise!

A Democratic legislator and the governor's office say Montana should follow in California's footsteps by adopting stricter fuel efficiency standards for some cars and trucks.

"We ought to be concerned in Montana for Montana, and we also ought to be concerned for the planet as a whole," Democratic Sen. Ron Erickson of Missoula told a Senate committee Friday.

The measure would make Montana one of more than a dozen states to take on the more stringent California system.

Representatives of Gov. Brian Schweitzer's office testified in support of the change.

The last sentence is the kicker. It's a complete reversal for the Good Guv from his stance last May, in which he rejected the notion that states regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

And if Montana doesn't follow California's lead, the state will become a dumping ground for the auto industry's leftover low-efficiency autos, something Montanans, living in a small town with very long streets, can't afford...

Local Economies Take Hits, Schweitzer Calls for Rapid Response

by: Matt Singer

Thu Jan 08, 2009 at 21:31:57 PM MST

The governor's office has announced a coordinated response. His memo is reprinted in full here:

January 6, 2009

TO:    Department Directors
FROM:    Governor
RE:    Rapid Response Coordination

Montana's economy has shown great resilience, but the impacts of the national downturn are now being felt in our Montana communities.  In the last several weeks, hundreds of Montanans received lay-off notices from their jobs.  Most projections indicate that this trend will continue through the first half of 2009 and very possibly longer with unemployment levels rising to near double digit levels nationally.

At a minimum, the U.S. Department of Labor funds States to provide Rapid Response services that connect laid off workers to unemployment insurance, career counseling, and job search assistance.  

I know that we can do better for Montana workers.

Montana's Rapid Response activities must be elevated to the level of a critical service.  Our Rapid Response program must work closely with business and industry and labor organizations to coordinate the design of a range of proactive strategies- including economic development - for addressing dislocation.  

Rapid Response activities that should be completed within the month:

• Commitment from DLI, DPHHS, OPI, OCHE, DOA and Commerce to ongoing participation in the design and implementation of the State's Rapid Response program to ensure timeliness, quality and consistency in state services.
• The compilation and dissemination to all state agencies of a comprehensive list of existing services available to assist dislocated workers and their families.
• Creation/maintenance of a master database listing all state jobs available to dislocated workers.

At my request, the Department of Labor and Industry will be the lead agency in collecting this information and making it available on-line as well through its One Stop Centers statewide.  

I know that you and your agency will continue to work with my office and the Department of Labor and Industry to create a well-defined role for the State that will ensure timely, consistent and effective services are provided to every Montanan who needs our help. I look forward to a report on your progress.

Interior goes to...Colorado's Ken Salazar

by: Jay Stevens

Mon Dec 15, 2008 at 20:30:37 PM MST

More importantly, it's not Brian Schweitzer!

Grist:

Salazar has served in the Senate since 2005, and where he has been a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee as well as the Agriculture Committee. Salazar has been active on a number of Western resource issues, and has been an outspoken opponent of Bush administration moves to open up land in Colorado and other Western states to oil-shale development.

Salazar was raised on a ranch in Colorado, and farmed for 30 years. He and his wife also owned several small businesses, including a Dairy Queen and radio stations. Before entering politics, he was a private-sector attorney focusing on water and environmental law, and from 1987 to 1994 he was chief legal counsel to Colorado Gov. Roy Romer (D) and executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. From 1999 to 2005, Salazar was the attorney general of Colorado. His predecessor as state AG, Gale Norton, was Bush's first secretary of the interior.

Salazar got an 85 percent score from the League of Conservation Voters for his voting during the 110th Congress, and has an 81 percent lifetime score.

Not too many are speculating about how Salazar might do as Secretary of the Interior -- Kossak McJoan, for example, responds with a lukewarm "meh" -- but many observers note that it might be good to get Salazar out of the Senate, where he was a force for Democratic capitulation on key issues and a strong supporter of Joe Lieberman.

Does anybody have thoughts on how Salazar might do as Sec. of the Interior?