Category: Montana Politics

Interesting news via E-mail.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE UNDERGOES REORGANIZATION<br />n<br />n The Montana Department of Revenue is reorganizing to provide enhanced service, improved efficiency and greater equity to the citizens of Montana.<br />n <br />n"The new structure will enable us to improve our service to the public. It will be simpler for the public…

I think Montana is a little ahead of the curve on <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&amp;display=rednews/2005/11/08/build/nation/92-voters.inc">making voting process easier</a>. The move made quite a few years ago that allowed for absentee voting for any reason and now the new provision that allows you to permanently sign up for an absentee ballot makes it just like voting by mail,…

Now <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&amp;display=rednews/2005/11/05/build/state/60-eminent-domain.inc">here</a> is one good idea.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>A Republican lawmaker wants to change the Montana Constitution to prohibit government from condemning private property for urban renewal or economic development projects. However, his efforts would leave untouched government's ability to seize private property for railroads, mines or smelter dumping grounds.<br />n<br />nRep. Rick Maedje, of…

<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2005/11/01/build/state/30-corporate-taxes.inc" title="story">Lawmaker's request for tax records in front of Supreme Court</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>A state senator has taken his fight over access to corporate income tax records to the state Supreme Court, arguing that the information should be open to the public under the Montana Constitution.<br />n<br />nSen. Jim Elliott, a Democrat from Trout Creek,…

I see <b>your</b>, I will let you other Montana's have him, [sarcasm]esteemed junior Senator Conrad Burns[\sarcasm] managed to put his <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/10/27/build/state/63-burns-comments.inc">foot in his mouth yet again</a>. Not a hard task for the "man." If nothing else he should get points for speaking his mind, politically correct or not. Doesn't change my opinion of the…

Charles S. Johnson usually has a pretty good take on Montana politics with his Horse Sense column but I think on <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/10/16/build/state/45-missing-chances.inc">today's</a> column he got the conclusion wrong.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>Perhaps they (Republicans) believe school funding and coal-to-liquid-fuels are far more complex to discuss with Montanans than jeans and Jag.</blockquote><br />n<br />nI don't think the…

I'm always for limiting government spending but I am not real sure <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/10/08/build/state/35-spending-cap.inc">this</a> would be a good idea. You never know when an extraordinary situation might occur and the spending limits would unnecessarily limit you. By the same token it would force the Legislature to make the hard decisions on where to spend the…

The Government <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/10/01/build/state/46-mercury-emmisions.inc">wouldn't want to protect the health and welfare</a> of Montanan's young and old with available technology now would it? That must not be its job I guess.<br />n<br />n<b>God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from…