Like an AMC Rambler in an ice storm, they’re driving the economy into the ditch, I scoffed to myself. Just look at your retirement. No don’t. It’ll just make you pig-biting-mad.
We need the new Pope’s level of divine faith to keep believing that eggs prices or most real foods will get cheaper anytime soon, particularly with the nations’ import taxes shifting every other week. The chaos is sure to leave store shelves and home cupboards emptier.
Life got outrageously expensive in the past few years. I know you feel it. Though not many in power seems to much care about how much insurance or living costs for old working stiffs like myself. Our politicians remain well paid, have healthcare, and enjoy retirements because the public provides.
Many of the elected seem to have little patience for the farmers who grow garlic, lentils or tomatoes, for the mechanics who change fluids and filters on the rapidly aging and evermore expensive rigs, for the teachers who spend years daily with our kids, or the nurse who just plain saves lives.
Montana politicians seem overly eager to showcase their Copper Collars, to bend a political knee much as Jon Snow, King of the North, did for Daenerys, Mother of Dragons, so they could take down Cersei, Queen of the Andals, with a bipartisan front.
Many Flathead Republicans voted to sell off our state public lands in the last Legislature, something most every local in Montana – and every fictional Game of Thrones’ character – understands is a no-no.
Selling public lands remains a nonstarter for every outdoor enthusiast. We’ve taken notice of what Helena’s been up to and what D.C. is cooking. Thousands of working Montanans who enjoy public lands for hunting, fishing and recreating are suddenly paying more attention. We’re mostly busy, working. But we know what a skunk smells like.
Many may never ever set foot on much of our public lands yet intuitively know that these places remain ours, belong to the people, in common, nationally held in trust, with plenty built into our state Constitution.
I get that many in the state see these special places as owned by some new Copper Kings, the rulers of Montana. They are wrong. These are our public lands, belong to us the people, including newcomers, and the working people, retirees and the great grandkids not even born.
Stephanie Ruhle, host of 11th Hour, asked sportsman Ryan Busse to explain what’s happening nationally with all the sword rattling to sell off some of our public lands. It’s got people worried, organizing.
“When it comes to things that are exceptional in America, public lands is chief among them,” said Busse, “I’m a big advocate of our rights, the words in our governing documents. Those are beautiful. But no place else on the globe do citizens trust themselves to own 640 million acres.”
“If you’re a single mom in Chicago, a farmer in Iowa, or you’re sitting on a set in Washington, D.C. or New York, you own this land right along with everybody else, retired gunmaker Busse told Ruhle on live TV well after a farmer’s bedtime.
An avid outdoorsman, Busse explained that “They have placed these birthrights, our national parks, forest service lands, rivers, canyons, mountains, sea shores – places that we all own together – they’ve placed these lands on the chopping block and they have every intent of selling them. And we gotta push back.”
The boys in power hold all the cards, I fumed to myself. Bend a knee or face the dragon lady. It’s hopefully just another red herring distraction. Yet, sure seems more real suddenly given how state lawmakers behaved.
We know the men of D.C. intend to cut healthcare bigtime for rural states like Montana to pay for income tax cuts for common folks who just want to buy a third home, this time near a nice National Park and close to a good airport.
Long ago, in Helena, I served in three special sessions of the Montana Legislature. Special because they last hopefully only three days. And special because it brings out the worst in lawmakers who aren’t in on the deal and have nothing to do with their paid time in Helena except plot how best to expand the scope of the call.
In a special, we defined “quality” as provided in the state constitution to properly fund public education after the Columbia Falls Elementary School sued Montana and won. Another special passed a balanced budget after House majority Republicans drove their rental car into the ditch in that icy regular session. In my last special, we funded wildfire suppression when it became obvious that normal operating costs wouldn’t work given how big and fast fire become in the dryer, windier and just too damn hot climate.
Gov. Judy Martz called two specials, one by Gov. Steve Bullock. All to rebalance budgets after lawmakers’ revenue projections got flushed down the toilet, months after members left Helena and as national moods soured. Extended legislative sessions are an unpredictable beast, full of strong personalities and short tempers.
Seems the mood, even among members themselves, is that the current cadre of state lawmakers are likely headed back to Helena cutting services if the nation falls into the recession many working people seemingly foresee. If retirement losses or the rising cost of everything is any indication, we’re in for a rough ride and that Rambler had bench seats and lap belts.
Who knows. The current Governor may wield his line-item veto pen – a red Sharpie by the looks of the veto mark inked on his Styrofoam coffee cup. Less red-hot than former Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s veto branding iron, yet equally effective to defund the red meat from legislative fat.
Let’s hope the Governor is kind to the public, to the values Montanans hold in common, with any upcoming red ink or line-item vetoes. We already know lawmakers got no guts to override.