Love Trumps Fear

everybodyneedsavoice — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:30:37 +0000

Beacon Questionaire

everybodyneedsavoice — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:26:09 +0000

1. I do not support this. We already have a tax to capture income from the millions of visitors who come to Montana each year; it is called the bed tax. The bed tax creates a few good marketing jobs in Montana, but businesses are increasingly feeling the need to turn to HB-1 foreign nationals to fill their employment needs because too many local people cannot afford to live in the area when the employment season is so short. It is time to use some of that money to help maintain critical infrastructure.

2. It is the duty of the state to set the standards in regard to public safety, water quality and other environmental concerns, then to see to it that those standards are adhered to. That means fixing the DEQ so that it can function the way it is supposed to without standing in the way of progress.

3. Keeping our public goods and services public. That means that I would have voted for the streamside access bill, and/or done a lot of negotiating with any parties who would prevent it from coming to the floor. Also, there is a current proposal to privatize workman’s comp, a budding public relations effort to privatize public education as well as the eternal effort to get more of our resources into fewer pockets. I remember how disastrous it was to “save money” by privatizing our mental health services.

4. I am a Democrat so I think for myself; the other party is the one that repeats Heritage Foundation lines so often that everybody starts believing they must be true because they heard them so often. By
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Beacon Staff, 10-29-08 |

The questions and other candidates are here.

West Shore News Questions

everybodyneedsavoice — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:12:34 +0000

Jake Doran and the Alex Strickland came up with these great questions for the local candidates; here are my answers to the original questions complete with errors and omissions although I vow to work for increased access to ALL Montana’s waterways including Flathead Lake.

.What do you consider the three key issues to be addressed in the next
term?

1. School funding needs to be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.

2. The high risk insurance fund is running out of money.

3. We need to secure our own energy and invest in more green energy.

2. For challengers: How have your prepared to run for this office? For
incumbents: Whry at have been your contributions to your office during
your last term.

I subscribed to the West Shore News, I have talked to a lot of different people about their needs and desires for the future, I watched the legislature in action one day in 2007 then enjoyed a very nice and informative tour of the Capitol building from my legislator and past and present opponent in this race, Rep. Mark Blasdell. I joined Toastmasters to work on my communication skills, and I have consulted various groups to learn what they believe needs to be done in Helena.

I have also attended the following events

FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Advisory) meeting March 2008

Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit summer 2008

Kalispell Area Chamber of Commerce: Trade Roots - Expansion through Trade to New Markets (August 2008)

2007 Kalispell Job Fair

Montana Tourism board luncheon 2006

Teacher’s Union pension forum (2006)

Flathead Electric legislative forum 2006

Renewable Energy forum at Flathead Electric 2008

Flathead Electric annual meeting 2008

I gathered signatures to get I-155 (an expansion of the children’s health insurance program) on the ballot

Suicide Prevention forum 2008

Montana Healthcare Association briefing 2006, on schedule for 2008 also

Blue Cross Blue Shield briefing 2006, and 2008

Senator Baucus” Faith Impact Summit 2007 (I attended groups on hunger and on disaster and emergency response)

Montanan’s for Multiple Use forum 2006

Smart growth forum 2006

FWP legislative briefing 2006

Lakeside Parks Advisory Committee meeting last May

Stream side setback meeting 2008

Family Forestry Expo 2007

Lone Pine clean up 2007

Trout Unlimited presentation on climate change 2007

Trout Unlimited presentation (Bonnie Ellis) on the health of Flathead Lake 2008

Flathead Lakers 50th anniversary and report on the health of the lake 2008

Cline mine meeting 2008

Crown of the Continent Forum 2007

Verdell Jackson’s water Rights Forum

Steve Running’s lecture on global warming and water

2007 Step it Up (climate change day)

3. How will you encourage smart growth in the area around Flathead Lake?

Ask everyone to vote for Steve Qunell, and to start requiring all new development in the area to be ready to hook into municipal water and sewer.

4. Where do you stand on the issue of property rights and should those

rights be protected through growth policy, neighborhood plans and zoning?

I think that most issues are better handled locally and that growth policy, neighborhood plans and zoning are agreements between peoples as to how they wish to live and grow together.

5. What are your views on water rights, in light of current negotiations?

I do agree with Senator Jackson that this is too important to get wrong so I would like to hear what the other viewpoints on this issue are before making any decisions there.

6. In the wake of an April accident on the East Shore, truck traffic
along highway 35 has been a big concern for residents along both sides
of the lake. What is your proposed solution to this issue?

Prohibiting the transportation of hazardous materials on the East side until we find a better solution.

7. Constituents see Flathead Lake as among the greatest assets shared

by Flathead residents. Is the Lake a priority to you and how would you.

1. Work to protect water quality in the lake?
2. Work to promote better lake access for all residents?

Prohibit the transportation of hazardous materials on the East side, adopt streamside setbacks, working with the county to phase in municipal sewer systems and to keep in touch with the biologists and land planners.

8. What are your views on energy policy and how would you balance

the need to both protect and utilize Montana’s natural resources?

The situation is what it is and it won’t change overnight. The first thing that needs to happen is for all Montanan’s to become aware of the reality that we are already pumping as much as we have the equipment to do. The United States simply does not have the equipment to pump and move more than we do. Period. More permits or loosening of environmental or safety restrictions will not change that basic fact.

Now that we have that understood, let us begin to invest green in the search for more solutions. We are all partners in this, you. me, the government, Montana’s energy producers, the University system and individual entrepreneurs. Nothing good will ever happen without cooperation.

9.What, if any, mass transportation projects do you favor?

That’s so cute, I wish that we were at that level of progressive discussion but we are not there yet.

10. What do you feel the state’s contribution to primary and secondary
education should be and what would you do to change current policies to
accommodate that view?

We need to fund it or to change the law to reflect the fact that we don’t place a very high value on education or our children’s future. Actions speak louder than words.

11. High cost of living precludes many younger and lower-income people
from living in Flathead and Lake Counties. What would you propose to
make home ownership in this area more viable for people who live and
work here?

I think that voting for I-155 could help people use more of their own money for housing, but that the state is not in a position to do more than that at this time.

12. Are there some solutions to the need to continually utilize property

taxes as a source of funding, and is there a way to provide relief to

homeowners who are overburdened by property taxes?

We can change the tax law that allows big business to do millions of dollars worth of business in Montana to pay as little as $50.00 income taxes, and we can start using a portion of the state bed tax to help maintain vital infrastructure.

13. In *House District 10*, there are a number of unincorporated communities.
Would you support a proposal-like the one being floated by Flathead
County Commissioner Joe Brenneman-to create a middle ground of
government such as a township to give places like Bigfork more local
control over decisions?

Absolutely! Why should a few people without a stake in the game be allowed to force
whole neighborhoods to live in circumstances they have no say in?

14. If elected, what would be your highest priority when you arrive in
Helena?

First thing I would do is move to change the seating arrangement as a reminder that we all work for the people of Montana, not to beat each other down with petty partisan agendas.

What I Am For

everybodyneedsavoice — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:10:17 +0000

Better Energy

Safe and Healthy Families

Fair Taxation

Clean and Healthy Environment

Privacy

Protecting access to public lands and water

Fair Lending Standards

Funding Education

Fair Taxation

everybodyneedsavoice — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:55:18 +0000

78 out-of-state corporations with Montana sales between $5 million and $900 million paid $50 in tax five years in a row.

It is time to make the tax system more fair to the people who live and work in Montana.

Energy

everybodyneedsavoice — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:16:55 +0000

Better Energy:

A great place to start would be to seat the Legislators in alphabetical order or by height rather than opposing camps of Democrats and Republicans. I believe that would be a very effective reminder that lawmakers work for the people of Montana.

The promotion of home grown green energy can create good jobs for Montanan’s and help build our economy.

Guns

everybodyneedsavoice — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:11:49 +0000

My theory is “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”. I haven’t seen any evidence that it’s broke, so let’s move on and work on things that will benefit the people who live here in the great state of Montana. What would make your lives better?

Yes, We Can Do This

everybodyneedsavoice — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:14:13 +0000

I attended the renewable energy forum that Flathead Electric hosted last month for a cooperative information sharing session between the regional suppliers, timber companies, Flathead County Public Works people and Governor Schweitzer

The concensus is that we do need to change the way we do things and that we all have a part to play in this. Nobody is saying that it will be quick or easy, but we can work together to make the transition as beneficial as it can be for all of us

Yes, some people do say that it is too hard or that it can’t be done.

Consider the plight of all those engineers every time Henry Ford told them he didn’t care if it was impossible to build an eight cylinder engine in one piece; he wanted it done. And so it was.

It is said that Thomas Edison experienced a thousand failures before he got the light bulb to work.I promise you that I will be that persisent about working for new and better energy solutions for all of us

We can solve this dilemma with our climate, energy, security and money. Are you with me here?

Dr Seuss’s birthday party March 1, 2008 Flathead County Library

everybodyneedsavoice — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:49:24 +0000

I couldn’t resist showing up for this party on March 1, 2008 although I decided not to maintain my seven year membership with the Friends of the Library because I had so many new things to do and Marylane and the ladies truly had everything in tip top shape.

This great picture of Stuart Harvey dressed as The Cat In The Hat sneaking behind the unsuspecting punch server was taken during the Annual Dr. Seuss birthday party on March 1, 2008 by children’s librarian Lynn Kelly and taken from her Flickr site with her permission.

Did you know that our library provided a monetary value of eleven million dollars to our community last year?