Montana needs leadership

Trite but true, an ancient axiom of governing is that the best policy is the best politics. Policies formulated in good faith to foster good government can always be forthrightly defended for what they are.

By Bob Brown
O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West

Full Story: http://www.headwatersnews.org/brown050207.html

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Partisan bickering ruined this session

In the 11th hour of the 2007 Montana Legislature, partisan finger-pointing prevented lawmakers from completing a state budget.

The Legislature didn’t fund public schools, approve any tax reductions or rebates. The session died in a stalemate, and legislators are left to pick up where they left off at a special session at taxpayer expense. Lawmakers failed to complete the task they were assigned despite the fact that they had a $1 million surplus at their disposal.

Political leadership failed to pull it together throughout the session. Both sides of the aisle used cut-throat tactics and failed to get their job done.

Full Opinion: http://www.ravallirepublic.com/articles/2007/05/02/editorials/76staff.txt