Page 30 - Flathead Beacon // 5.14.14

30 | MAY 14, 2014
OPINION FLATHEADBEACON.COM

LIKE I WAS SAYIN’ Kellyn Brown
TWO THOUGHT
FOR Local Topics,
Opposing Views
Here’s to Moms
Montana’s U.S. House Primary

A
NOTHER MOTHER’S DAY PASSED AND I WAS By Joe Carbonari
By Tim Baldwin
unable to spend it with mine. Mom, however, vis-

ited a week prior and we went out to dinner and Voting is open for this year’s primary and Republican candidates for U.S. House are in
laughed and danced and celebrated. Life when Mom is closes in about three weeks. Prime on the Repub- a serious primary battle. Like the last Repub-
around is always like that, a little busier and lot more fun.
lican ballot is the U.S. House seat. Ryan Zinke lican primary for governor, this race has many
I’ve spent ample time over the years writing about seems to have the lead, and he seems to deserve competitors: Ryan Zinke, Corey Stapleton, Matt
my mother, who is equally thoughtful and hilarious, so it. He’s obviously smart, tough and rooted in Rosendale, Elsie Arntzen and Drew Turiano. This
I won’t repeat those stories. Instead, I wanted to piece Montana. As to whether he’s pure enough for a means one can win with far less than a majority
together a column about my coworkers’ moms, many plurality of his primary’s voters, it remains to be vote, but is this a Democratic result?

of whom I’ve met and admired at how invested they are seen.
Some Montana political analysts predict that
in there sons’ and daughters’ lives. And like mine, they Matt Rosendale appears to have a chip on his if Republicans do not focus on electing Stapleton
make you laugh like only moms can.
shoulder and a predilection to cover it with a gun. and instead vote for the Tea Party type, Rosen-
A few weeks ago I was on the phone with my art direc- As portrayed in his ads, he is neither convincing dale, then the most liberal candidate, Zinke, will
tor’s mom. Steve wasn’t here. He was in Mexico on vaca- nor comforting. I would not put him in charge of win the primary. This will be too disappointing
tion and hadn’t checked in for a few days (roaming charg- anyone’s militia. I don’t know him personally, but for many conservatives, thus excusing them to
es in foreign countries can be steep). So, Steve’s mom did Corey Stapleton is a diferent matter. He is a Na- vote third party in the general election and help-
what any mom who loves her son would: She called the val Academy graduate and a two-term state sena- ing another Democrat win federal oice.

Beacon newsroom and asked for the editor.
tor. He appears to be neither a fool nor foolish. It appears true that people who prefer Rosen-
I spent some time reassuring her that Steve was OK. His momentum, however, seems to be diminish- dale would much rather Stapleton win than Zin-
He probably just had his phone of and was enjoying the ing, and a recent TV ad, his own, had him look- ke. The question becomes, can Rosendale realis-
sunshine, which he was. But you could tell she was con- ing almost apologetic, as if his ship had just gone tically get more votes than Zinke when Stapleton
cerned, and while I teased her son about it after the fact, down. Not promising.
(who came second in the 2012 governor primary)
his is the kind of mom you want – one who is ready to Elsie Arntzen is interesting; I like her enthu- is likely to get a large portion of votes? In many
travel south of the border to ind you when you make her siasm and energy, but I’m afraid we’d ind our- conservative circles, the answer is no.

worry.
selves far apart on many of today’s issues. I sus- This result is disappointing and even unac-
Another mom, staf writer Justin Franz’s, actually pect that she’s a good debater, but to me her lead- ceptable for some. The solution to this undemo-
sent me a thank you email for hiring her son. Perhaps ership potential seems untested.
cratic problem, however, rests less in party poli-
that shouldn’t have been a surprise. Franz was our lon- I expect we’ll see Zinke on the Republican tics than in election laws. If the top two vote-get-
gest-serving intern ever at eight months, and she may side and John Lewis from the Democrats. Two ters in the primary (who do not get over 50 per-
have been concerned that was his chosen career path. worthy candidates.
cent of the vote) had to face of, people could vote
Justin’s mom also thinks her son and I look a lot alike their conscience without fear of the “greater evil”
and once commented on a Facebook photo: “Great photo going to the general election.

of my son. Our son has been cloned!” It simply conirmed
that moms are the best.
GUESTCOLUMN
Staf writer Molly Priddy’s mom often visits our of- | JenniferFielder
ice. She also thanked me for hiring her daughter. And Transfer of Public Lands Would Beneit Montana
she also called the oice when Molly hadn’t returned her
calls for about a week.
Media Director Greg Lindstrom’s mom calls herself It’s a big idea and it’s rightfully reaping big de- undoubtedly under pressure by foreign debt holders
“his biggest fan” and emails him after each issue of the bate nationwide: Can and should states assume con- to do so. That’s a big concern.

Beacon arrives in her Washington state mailbox.
trol of federally held public lands within our bor- On the bright side, a multitude of studies reveal
Senior writer Tristan Scott’s mom visits him every ders?
legal standing and economic advantages favoring
year. Once I teased him that he had to work Christmas Many colleagues and experts throughout the state based public land management. Nevada’s most
Day and he responded latly, “My mother will kill me. West have studied the issue intensively, and we now recent analysis shows a net gain up to $1.5 billion
Seriously.” She loves him so much that, as a child, when believe there’s no reason why we can’t. The chal- per year if they take over management of Bureau of
Tristan was obsessed with the “Back to the Future” lenge is to get the facts on the table, put protections Land Management (BLM) properties in their state,
ilms, his mom went to the local Ben Franklin to see if in place consistent with Montana values, and pre- even while maintaining existing uses such as rec-

they carried any Hoverboards. In his words: “Her query pare our state agencies for an orderly transition.
reational access, grazing, mineral, and other use
was met by the slack-jawed stare of a dumbfounded store Montana’s study of public lands shows Mon- rights.
clerk.”
tanans want more multiple use access, reduction of With states implementing a responsible balance
We also have a number of amazing moms who work wildire fuels, and more economic production. But of protection, use, and economic production on for-
here. You can often ind their kids roaming our hallways, federal agencies systematically continue to do the est and rangelands, we could keep public access
visiting each oice along the way. They vary from infants opposite of what we want.
routes and recreation facilities open for all visitors,
to teenagers. Like many of yours, these moms hold down Shifting to state-based public land ownership reduce wildire fuels, and enhance wildlife habitat.
two full-time jobs – one at work and one raising children.
would mean Montanans – not Congress, the Presi- Keeping resource revenues in state could result in

Along with those heavy commitments, these moms dent, or any other state - would decide how much ac- millions of new dollars available for local roads,
serve on various volunteer boards and booster clubs. cess, use, protection, and production we would want schools, law enforcement, emergency services, util-
Advertising Executive Kelly Siblerud, a proud graduate to see. I cannot imagine any collection of people ities, state and local wild land ireighting depart-
of Flathead High and mother of current and future stu- who care about Montana’s communities, environ- ments, and other services.
dents there, likes to remind me that her child will one ment and economy more than Montanans do. There Shifting to state-based management would re-
day be featured in our Best of Preps section, in which we is no question that 25 million acres of federally con- sult in priorities consistent with Montana values.
highlight some of the best local athletes in the valley.
trolled public lands in our state directly impact our Better access, more jobs, increased funding for pub-

These moms bring baked goods to the oice dur- land, water, air, wildlife, economy and people in a lic services, protection of our environment, and ac-
ing the week. They share their lunches when you forget number of ways. The same cannot be said of states tive prevention of catastrophic wildires could be-
yours. Moms are thoughtful that way. And we’re lucky to like New York, New Jersey or Florida.
come the rule rather than the exception.
have them around.
With the national government facing insur- As chair of Montana’s study of federal land man-
mountable debt, the threat of the federal govern- agement, I continue to assess available information
ment selling our public lands to the highest bidder and consider a variety of solutions to correct prob-
is imminent. In fact HR 2657, which authorizes the lems with federal land management. I welcome your
sale of hundreds of thousands of acres, passed out of comments and questions at www.jenniferielder.us

a congressional committee earlier this year. They Jennifer Fielder is a Republican state senator
can sell public lands without our input, and they are
from Thompson Falls