ICYMI: Montana Political Reads for July 11, 2016

Hillary or The Donald: Lack of Integrity Disqualifies Who????? – “He was for abortion, now against it. Women that have one should be punished, but no, not anymore.  We should tax the rich, but maybe not. He’s self-funded, until now as he rapidly expands his fund-raising apparatus. We’re going to keep out all Muslims, until we’ll only keep the ones from “terrorist countries” out. He donates millions to charity, but none of them show confirmatory records, and he refuses to show his tax returns that would prove his claim’s credibility. He’s a great business man, but again, no tax returns to prove it. His golf courses are worth hundreds of millions on his personal worth statements, but mere 10’s of thousands on older tax returns. Just yesterday he pulled two about faces:  The Star of David tweet was a mistake 2 days ago; then he said he’d rather that it had been left up so he could defend it.  He was against the North Carolina bathroom bill a month ago or so.  But yesterday, when he came out in its favor.” Logicosity

Many of state’s tech leaders supporting Bullock – “A growing number of technology industry leaders regard Greg Gianforte as a potential threat to the industry because of his weak support for diversity, public lands, and public schools. A group of them have come together to make their concerns public and to create a forum where others can join them in sending a message to Montana voters that Bullock is the better choice for their businesses.” Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Cheap labor Democrats weaken $15/hr minimum wage plank – “The phrase “over time” reminds me of the phrase “with all deliberate speed” from Brown v. Board of Education. It accepts a $15 per hour minimum wage in principle, but weakens the urgency of getting to $15 per hour. The phrase translates as “no hurry; take your own sweet time.” Why Clinton is being so refractory on this escapes me. Walking into Walmart in Kalispell last week I encountered a sign announcing that the store was hiring at a starting wage of $11–13 per hour. If market pressures already are forcing the big box stores to that wage range, $15 per hour is far from a whopping big increase. And the dogma of trickle-down economics notwithstanding, there’s no credible evidence that increasing the minimum wage is a zero-sum game that reduces the number of jobs.” Flathead Memo

Busted: Right-wing “environmental research” group uses falsified data to justify state land grab – “There is no objective data to back up their claims that states are better land managers. There is, however, plenty of data that show states would be on the hook for billions of dollars in firefighting and mine cleanup costs if they took over national land. The Center for Western Priorities calls on the Sutherland Institute and PERC to fully retract its “Divided Access” reports. This attempt, witting or unwitting, to mislead the people of Utah should give reporters and the public pause the next time these groups try to justify their land seizure agenda.” Center for Western Priorities

Darkness Descends on Montana | – “A 2012 documentary Big Sky, Big Money on PBS’ Frontline won kudos and awards for documenting the influence of dark money operations in Montana following the Supreme Court, Citizen’s United decision. Has anything changed? These corrupt groups continue to have undue influence on our elections, local and statewide, as well as who we seat on our high court. When we out one group, the money just shifts to another with a patriotic-sounding name that, always includes terms like “Freedom”, “American”, “Patriot”, “Liberty”, “Montana”, or “Family” in it’s title. As one group dies, or is banned, the next just steps up to assume the same mantle. Lawsuits, or even new laws can’t completely stop billionaires who seek advantage in controlling our Montana government.” The Button Valley Bugle

Tester right on GMO labeling | – “Being the only farmer in the U.S. Senate, one might think it worth listening to Montana’s Sen. Jon Tester when it comes to issues involving food production and the use of genetically modified organisms, better known as GMOs, in the American food chain. But while Montana’s other senator, Steve Daines, went along with the wishes of herbicide maker Monsanto to keep Americans in the dark about GMOs, Tester stood up for consumers, clean food and our right to know what’s in the food that comes off the fields of agricultural producers” Missoulian

Gianforte’s facts, debate stalling and an apology – Greg Gianforte is a personable candidate with enough vim and vigor to give Republicans a shot at regaining Montana’s governorship. We’re disappointed, however, in Gianforte’s tendency to talk without having the facts to back him up. Great Falls Tribune

Court candidate Kristen Juras backed by conservatives – “One can not overestimate the importance of electing a person of Sandefur’s standing who, according to Dave Taylor, chairman of Montana Conservation Voters, “believes in the rule of law, evidenced by the way he approaches his work and decisions,” as opposed to the danger of electing extremist candidates such as Juras to this all-important Supreme Court seat.” Great Falls Tribune

First, They Came for the Experts | – “Similarly, the Republican Party has spent years carving the path down that Donald Trump is now careening by telling voters that America’s borders are being overrun, a national default would bring no lasting harm, global warming is a hoax, and so on and so on. It wasn’t only Trump, but Ted Cruz and others, who campaigned on the need for massive increases in border security. Republican primary voters ate up this rhetoric — even though net immigration from Mexico is now flat. America has had enough of experts.” Foreign Policy

Fox’s transgender lawsuit doesn’t speak for all of us – – “While Fox labels the entire lawsuit as an attempt to stop Obama’s “overreach,” even this is tiring and full of hypocrisy. Last year from his Helena office, Fox attempted to stop the Missoula City Council from passing a local ordinance requiring background checks on gun sales and transfers.He joined U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke on that issue, and while they all said they believed in local control, the gun ordinance presented a “rare occasion” for them to express their opposition to local legislation.” Missoula Current

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