The hives stood tall. Workers added supers to the stack as bees produced more honey over a hot summer. Wildfire smoke seemed to have stalled activity, but fresh rains produced a stream of bees headed toward the farm and the puddles left by recent downpours.
Honey works better than vinegar. Kindness and gentle persuasion remain more effective than bullying and hostility when trying to change a mind.
Benjamin Franklin wrote in the Poor Richard’s Almanack that tart words make no friends; a spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar. An adage political consultants ignore.
Republicans, Democrats, Independents and their big-money groups bash one another, spending millions in primary ads and campaign texts. Libertarians mostly watch the show, along with the rest of us.
Few candidates articulate much of a positive message to working people. Many simply imply that they’re not as bad as the other guy. A sure way to disengage an electorate.
The millions spent on harassment politics shock the old-fashioned principles of rural Montanans. Locals know about Montana’s rocky past when rich men gave $1,000 bills on the floor of the Montana Legislature to buy influence.
A hundred years ago, as those $1,000 bills stuffed the pockets of state lawmakers, everyone knew the men handing out the cash. Today, voters know little about the identity or politics of the out-of-state billionaires trying to swing elections by spending a truckful of data-center and artificial-intelligence money within the state.
Montana citizens put a measure on the upcoming ballot to address the hordes of cash influencing the vote. Everyone but the paid consultants seems to agree there’s too much money in politics.
Up at the mailbox sat a post card mailer from Debo Powers of State House District 3 with a clear political message, “say no to data centers” in big, bold letters. There was no ambiguity in her note or any question on where this state representative stands.
Locals would welcome more news from the actual candidates and much less nonsense from the special interest groups with an ax to grind. People care about pocketbook issues and how to fix the mess of past years.
Working locals are concerned about big data sucking up all the power. We’ve seen the price of gas spike due to a long-lasting war. Workers face ever-increasing health insurance premiums. Nothing in Montana costs less. Wages no longer keep up with the ever-increasing bills. Years of political inaction are bleeding workers dry.
The last time Congress acted to increase the federal minimum wage was way back when the iPhone was invented, like in 2007. For nearly two decades, rich politicians kept insisting that a $7.25 an hour wage is enough to live on in modern-day America.
Montana’s current crew in Congress gave billionaires even more tax cuts, this time making the working poor pay the cost by yanking away food stamps and healthcare. Some might say that’s unchristian or cruel, but few find it surprising in modern politics.
Montana remains hungry for change. Voters seek outsider candidates who understand that power serves the people and that living is too expensive for local Montanans.
The Attorney General is notably enforcing a changed view to term limits, stopping Montana lawmakers from jumping between chambers of the state Legislature. Mandatory town halls for elected politicians would clearly help.
It’s a painful time for politics across Montana. There’s plenty of ugliness and much blame to share amongst the political consultant class. Yet even when losing races, there’s plenty of money to be made.
Montana is hungry for more honey from the candidates and less vinegar from their political surrogate money. Campaign proxy groups don’t often care how negative the message – money is made off every mailer and TV ad. The candidates should articulate a positive message for the upcoming years.
Next time you see a candidate on the campaign trail, ask them to name three things they’re gonna do, if elected, to help make living just a little bit better and more affordable for us working stiffs and retirees in the Flathead Valley.
On the farm, the workers maintained a steady beeline to the old Plymouth van whose dented rooftop held an oversized puddle of water from recent rains. A constant hum resonated from the wave of bees hauling honey stomachs full of water back to the hive.