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By Westside2 on 06-07-12 @ 12:03 pm
ATP is fighting hard to ensure that corporate and union money can have unlimited influence inelections in Montana and across America. The only thing “traditional” about this is that a
small group of greedy rich folks has always tried to buy their way into our government.
ATP’s agenda is completely against the constitution of Montana and America.
By a on 06-07-12 @ 2:56 pm
I agree with Westside2’s statement, except there is a big difference between small and extremelylarge corporations. And there is a big difference between corporations and unions. Unions are a
group of people who have banned together so they can bargin as a group giving them more power.
Unions are a good thing, something that ATP would love to destroy.
By Mindy on 06-08-12 @ 9:40 am
Folks in Montana should be very concerned. This powerful organization is self serving to the Oil and Gas Industry and the tea party conservative right wing agenda. It’s time for the people of Montana to
stand up and say NO to these outside interests and bottomless pit of corporate $.
It’s time to get involved and make educated decisions about your vote in November.
By Oliver on 06-08-12 @ 10:06 am
The ATP is taking a lot of undeserved credit. What they are calling success is largely due to the fact that most of the Democratic candidates were unopposed, so many democratic voters crossed
over to vote for the Republican candidate that they thought would be easiest to defeat in the general
election. The numbers from the 2008 general election indicates that Flathead County is
approximately 60% Republican and 40% Democratic. In the 2012 Flathead County primary there
were 77% Republican ballots and 23% Democratic ballots. In Senate District 3, it was 83%
Republican and 17% Democratic. If you look through some of the Democratic blogs and talk to
your Democratic friends you will find that a high percentage crossed over. Ask them who they
voted for and why.
By mooseberryinn on 06-08-12 @ 3:29 pm
After the trail of damage done by the festival of idiots Obama. Pelosi, Reid, it would take an idiot to vote for any one of them.
By fiveroosters on 06-09-12 @ 9:16 am
The “LIE” used by ATP: Montanans need to defeat legislators that voted for HB198 because it changed eminent domain law to support out of state interests over private property owners.
This was used to create doubt against business republicans…
The actual “definition” from the Montana Constitution: Section 29: Eminent domain. Private
property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation to the full
extent of the loss having been first made to or paid into court for the owner. In the event of
litigation, just compensation shall include necessary expenses of litigation to be awarded by the
court when the private property owner prevails.
The “Truth”: Montana exports grain, cattle, coal, oil, gas, and electricity on roads, railroads,
powellines and pipelines that would not exist without the eminent domain laws. The
exportation of these Montana products generates the revenue that support Montana jobs and
drive the Montana economy. The Keystone pipeline, (yes it is partially Canadian owned), will
not exist without eminent domain processes and laws, nor will all the jobs it brings. The power
lines from Coal Strip that currently power a significant portion of Western Montana would not
build have been built without eminent domain laws. The water, sewer, gas, and ditches
everyone depends on utilize eminent domain. HB198 changed nothing!!!
Our constitutional framers, just as with every state across the nation, recognized that there
must be a process for building longitudinal projects such as roads, railroads, pipelines, power
lines, etc while protecting and ensuring that the private property holders were justly
compensated if this state and nation to prosper. That is why there is an eminent domain
section in the constitution that is why business orientated legislators support this process and
HB198.
Today we have a group (American Tradition Partnership) claiming to support natural resource
development across Montana while working to prevent the very railroads, pipelines, and power
lines that are required to sell our products. This group is using this issue to deceive the
electorate.
It can’t be oil or coal money supporting these clowns, oil and coal knows they need to build this
type infrastructure. I would suspect that this group allies are very much the “build a fence
around Montana greenies”. How can a group claim to be “Traditional” while working to defeat
Montana’s resource economy?
By Mark Phillips on 06-09-12 @ 11:01 am
If it’s any consolation Hankie, consider the grasp of idiocy necessary to make statements about something being completely idiotic.
By inthemiddle on 06-09-12 @ 2:16 pm
Oliver,As one of those Democrats that crossed over I will agree that there were quite a few of us that did.
But I also know that many of us cancelled each others votes out. I for one voted for those who I
thought were the best candidates for each position. I voted for what I would call the most
reasonable candidate. Lets face it, the Democratic party is all but dead in this valley, there are a
couple of legislative seats we can win but outside of those we are lucky to get 40% of the vote. As
much as I disliked Bruce Tutvedt and his right wing anti labor and enviroment positions he is far
superior to someone like Rollin Roberts. Had the Democrats put up a decent candidate other than
Shannon Hanson, who is so far to left that Castro would call him liberal, I might have voted for
Roberts to try and give us a better chance of winning this seat. Had Roberts beat Tutvedt he would
be assured of being in the state Senate and this is would be a nightmare for our state.
I do know that had us Democrats who voted in the republican primary all coalesced around a single
candidate for the two commisioners seats we would not have the two far right wing property rights
for the rich only fanatics as the nominees on the GOP side. With 5 candidates in district three and
9 in district one the votes by Democrats were pretty spread out. We do have a good shot of winning
District One as Gil Jordan is a good candidate and Cal Scott has a lot of baggage to carry. This
one the republicans can only blame on themselves, as I don’t know of a single Democrat that voted
for Scott.
By JosephineDoody on 06-09-12 @ 5:49 pm
That’s funny Tom, because when property rights are protected ALL property owners are protected.
Typically, R’s don’t depend upon the D’s to get anyone elected so your stunning political analysis
doesn’t hold up in the Scott race.
I suppose there is a chance that you and your fellow D’s could get Gil Jordan into that office… it
would be the same chance you have at holding back the ocean with a broom. I suppose there is a
lot of things you and your fellow D’s could accomplish - the trick is getting all 23 of you to coalesce
around anything.
Maybe you could get Mark “If you didn’t vote for Obama you’re a racist” Holston to spearhead your
efforts. He’s real good at getting the D’s to coalesce.
By Mark W. on 06-09-12 @ 8:27 pm
You think that’s moral to try and mess with the other party’s primary?
By bocephusj57 on 06-10-12 @ 1:11 am
Did you think it was moral when Rush Limbaugh proposed and promoted Operation Chaos during the2008 primaries, which was meant to do exactly that?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rush_Limbaugh_Show#Operation_Chaos
By inthemiddle on 06-10-12 @ 12:04 pm
Mark WUntil Montana requires a person to register as a republican or Democrat we are free to vote in either
primary. There is no law or code of ethics that prevents this. As I stated above I voted in the
republican primary for what I saw as a civic duty to try to elect the best person to the position from
the field offered. I did this as I stated because it would be nearly impossible to elect a Democrat,
no matter who they are in my district.
The question should be, why are Flathead County political offices such as Sheriff and
Commissioner partisan offices?
An open primary for these offices should be run in the spring and the two candidates recieving the
most votes then would be placed on the fall ballot, just like we do for District Judge. This would
help assure that the most qualified candidate is elected. Under the current system the two men
who will probably be elected to commissioner in the fall recieved one quarter of the votes of the
party that represents 55% of the county electorate which is less than 70% of those that are eligible
to vote. So in short about 7 to 8 percent of the adults in Flathead county voted for the men who will
control our county for the next 2 and six years respectively.
By Oliver on 06-10-12 @ 1:09 pm
inthemiddle’Said, “An open primary for these offices should be run in the spring and the two candidates
receiving the most votes then would be placed on the fall ballot, just like we do for District Judge.
This would help assure that the most qualified candidate is elected.”
I do agree with what you have said on this point as well as a good share of the other points.
The party system is largely broken. It works fine when people like yourself are voting for the person
that you feel is the best candidate, but becomes broken when people are more concerned with the
party line than they are for what is good for the country.
By Mark W. on 06-10-12 @ 5:11 pm
No bo, I thought it was stupid. There is no point in winning by cheating and I’d be surprised if many conservatives followed his advice.
Inthmiddle, I didn’t ask if it was legal, which clearly it is, I asked if you thought it was moral, which
it isn’t. If your party can’t get it done here, maybe you ought to move somewhere it can, instead of
being underhanded about trying to change the desires of the local culture.
I hear Rhandi Rhodes bragging all the time about messing with the other party. I figure it’s just
national radio ratings bravado. I’m surprised to hear it so openly embraced at the local level, where
one would hope a bit of grace would let the opposing side take care of its own business. But the
left has never been one to leave their neighbor alone. Shameful.
By Mark W. on 06-10-12 @ 5:24 pm
I mean if you’re not going to let the majority live the way they want to live what’s the point?
By RIGHTOFCENTER on 06-10-12 @ 8:05 pm
Mark W, since when has a modern Democrat done anything that is moral?
inthemiddle thinks he might have a chance to steel Dupont’s old seat with Democrat Gil Jordan.
Remember the last time the Democrats stole a seat? We got Joe Brenneman, who cost us three
million dollars, bloated the county budget by 32 million dollars. Brenneman imported a Las Vegas
planner that launched one attack after another on property owners and disenfranchised thousands
of people around Whitefish. I think once we remind the voters of this and what Democrats do when
they are in power, it will be quite easy to defeat a lefty extremist Democrat like Gil Jordan. What is
really telling is that inthemiddle likes him, that really says it all.
By RussCrowder on 06-11-12 @ 7:32 am
“I don’t know of a single Democrat that voted for Scott”.....inthemiddle…...... I want to thank inthemiddle for this resounding endorsement for Cal Scott for Flathead County Commissioner !
By inthemiddle on 06-11-12 @ 11:14 pm
Russ,It is my hope that the Independents and few remaining moderate republicans who vote in the
fall will also take note of this. With the multitude of candidates in this race only the hard core
right wing voted for Cal Scott, this should open a few eyes, and send shudder’s down their
spines. Maybe they will vote in Gil Jordan just to balance the commision out a little bit,
otherwise its “Katie bar the door”.
By RIGHTOFCENTER on 06-12-12 @ 6:33 am
It’s Katie bar the door if Jordan get in there. We’ll be back to 3 million smackaroos down the tubes, disenfranchising thousands around WF and one attack after another on property owners. The
reason Democrats can’t win in Flathead County is because today’s Democrats are far left extreme
kooks. Gil Jordan is no different, he was the organizer of the Occupy Movement here in Flathead
County, he was in charge at Central School when a holocaust denier was allowed to speak and he
was a big financial supporter of the 3 million dollar man himself, Joe Brenneman. We simply can
not afford another anti-property rights Democrat kook in the Commissioner’s office.
By RussCrowder on 06-12-12 @ 7:46 am
Come on RIGHTOFCENTER, lighten up a little…..It is always fun to watch a Democrat in power…Just think of how entertaining it was when Brenneman was in office and we never knew whose private
property he was coming after next….And have you ever had more kicks and giggles than when you
watch Obama running the show? Besides, Freedom & Liberty are over rated anyway.
By Becket on 06-12-12 @ 10:36 am
Atp is against the people We need to stop them
By inthemiddle on 06-13-12 @ 9:37 am
RofC,I kind of remember seeing a photo of your boy Cal Scott holding up a sign at the Occupy Flathead
demonstration at Depot park, which by the way is one of the very few things I have seen or heard
about him that I like. As far as the Holocaust denier speaking at Central Museum it is a matter of
free speech, just like Ronan not allowing the conservative film producer to give his speech is a
denial of it, which is wrong. The thing about free speech is that you also have the freedom to not
listen to them. And since when is it unethical to donate to the campaign of a person that you
support.
The views expressed in the comments section do not reflect those of the Beacon.