Page 23 - Flathead Beacon // 10.5.16

ELECTIONS 2016
HOUSE DISTRICT 7
NAME: Lynn Stanley RESIDENCE: Kalispell POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat
FAMILY: 1 daughter, 1 granddaughter
OCCUPATION: Retired from a 40-year career in the publishing business; all 40 years spent at Oxford University Press USA
EDUCATION: B.A. 1970 from Rocky Mountain College, Billings
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Chairperson, Flathead Democratic Party WEBSITE: www.LynnStanleyHD7.com and on Facebook
HOUSE DISTRICT 7
NAME: Frank Garner RESIDENCE: Kila POLITICAL PARTY: Republican
FAMILY: Married 36 years, three grown children
OCCUPATION: Chief of Security, Kalispell Regional Healthcare
EDUCATION: Flathead High School, Flathead Valley Community College graduate POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Montana House of Representatives, 2015 to present WEBSITE: frankgarner.org
1. The Legislature de nitely needs to make infrastructure a priority in the next session. Infrastructure needs are important to everybody who lives here, and good infrastructure is also a draw for companies that want to relocate to Montana. Maintaining infrastructure is an ongoing need, and the further behind we get, the more expensive it
is to catch up. With interest rates at a historic low, and with a projected reve- nue shortfall, I would support funding this with a combination of bonding and cash, perhaps adding more bonding to the mix.
2. Even as clean and renewable energy sources come into play, fossil fuels are not going to disappear from the mix. Already, surface coal min-
ing operates with fewer people than
in decades past. This transition will take place over several decades, and there will be time for workers to make the adjustment. The state’s role will
be to support our community colleges in o ering retraining programs rele- vant to community needs; to help those counties a ected by this transition as they experience the impacts; and to make sure that workers’ pensions and bene ts are protected.
3. I think the Legislature ought to keep an open mind and watch care- fully what the next few months bring in terms of revenues. I will not be looking for excuses to make cuts, and I would be skeptical of proposals to increase taxes. However, the state is required
by our constitution to live within its means, so if necessary, we may be mak- ing di cult decisions about ways to
tighten the belt. But I think Montana’s economy and the management of gov- ernment spending has been healthy
— Governor Bullock has been doing a good job. For me, the issue will be nd- ing a balance, and supporting scally responsible solutions.
4. I do not believe we have anything to gain in Montana from transferring management of federal lands to the state. This would require a much bigger land management bureaucracy than we have now, plus bearing the cost of res, oods and other mishaps. I believe we would end up with an added burden for taxpayers and the prospect of having to sell o some of these lands to pay the bill for caring for the rest. Montanans overwhelmingly want to keep public lands in public hands, and expect their representatives to protect that access, which would be jeopardized by privat- ization and development.
5. Montana needs to respond vig- orously to e orts to commodify our water. This is, after all, water that belongs to all of us, and we need more scrutiny of proposals to withdraw and privatize it. We could put a cap on yearly extraction from a given well. We could add a resource severance tax as we do with other resources.
We could make sure developers take responsibility for road and transporta- tion impacts. And we could tighten up DNRC and DEQ regulations, providing these agencies the resources to probe impacts more deeply. We should also look at what other states are doing as they face the same challenge.
1. Yes. Infrastructure continues to be a major area of concern. Montana has failed to produce a major infra- structure bill for the past few sessions when the state enjoyed large sur- pluses. The failure of the Legislature and the governor to agree on a bill has not helped improve our aging roads, bridges or water systems. Last session, a compromise bill failed by one vote
in the House. Bonding and the types
of projects continue to be roadblocks. We must nd common ground in a year where budgets will be much tighter.
2. I would continue to pursue responsible development and use of our current coal, oil and natural gas supplies. The bene ts of using our own carbon-based energy resources far out- weigh importing them from foreign sources. I would use a percentage of the state revenues from those resources
to pursue development of alternate energy resources and to pay for train- ing and educating the workforce needed for alternate energy develop- ment. We should be adding jobs, not subtracting them.
3. We will need to make respon- sible projections for the ending fund balance and budget towards what we know we will have. We need to get the cart in front of the horse. We should not produce a budget that feels good and then look for more money to ll in the blanks. We will need to look for ways
to diversify funding in the future as
income tax has become an increasingly large part of the overall budget pie.
4. I would much rather talk to some- one in our local grocery store about the use of our lands than someone from another state who can’t nd the Flat- head on a map. Before we could assume that responsibility at a state level, I would need to have the assurance that they would always remain public lands and that we closely study the actual costs and bene ts.
5. There are many pressing issues. The budget, infrastructure, public safety, education, jobs and the needs
of our aging population are among the many. Also among the most pressing issues is the strain on our resources and the human costs that are associ- ated with drug abuse and related crime. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that the cost to our country in loss productivity, crime and health care is nearly $200 billion. Right now, methamphetamine and heroin are destroying many families and stealing resources we need to educate our kids and make our communities livable and supportive for a growing senior pop- ulation. We must nd alternatives to incarceration and provide adequate treatment and consequences for those who engage in drug abuse. Drug courts, treatment alternatives and even added jail space must be considered. If we continue on our same path, we should not expect a di erent result.
THE ELECTION DEPARTMENT HAS MOVED!
Visit our new o ce on the 2nd oor of the Flathead County South
Campus Building, located at the corner of First Avenue W and 11th Street W in Kalispell.
Regular Voter Registration closes October 11, 2016 Update your voter registration by submitting a voter registration form found on our website: http:// athead.mt.gov/election Questions? Call the Election O ce at:
406-758-5535
40-11th St W, #230, Kalispell. Open M-F, 8 AM to 5 PM.
OCTOBER 5, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
23