Here's a portion of a letter from Don Killian in Sunday's Feb 11th. Bozeman Chronicle: Apparently some Republicans decided that this bill does not merit debate. I believe this is one of the single most cost-effective ways of improving our security, comfort levels and conserving scarce and precious natural resources. I sincerely hope we can have a show of statesmanship from both sides of the aisle in Helena. Good bills need to be debated and something as obvious as insulation and solar panels should allowed to move to the House floor for debate.
Here's what the Bozeman Chronicle had to say:
But killing the other party's proposals without discussion is an abuse of that power.
The people of Montana elected the legislators, all 150 of them. And if either Republicans or Democrats use their majority to essentially disenfranchise the constituents of the opposing party by denying their bills a hearing, they do the people of this state a grave disservice.
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Posted by admin at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)
Is integrity enough of a reason to elect a candidate? I would certainly think it is the base upon which stands the remainder of one's political platform. I cannot think of any candidate that I have known over my many years for whom this more broadly defines than Franke Wilmer.
It has been my pleasure to have worked with Franke for the past two years on the state Human Rights Commission. As the governor's appointed chairman, Franke has led our commission with a well-informed evenhandedness. Preparation requires hours of readings of transcripts and case study. I find that Franke not only is completely familiar with even the broad base of the case but also has explored its width and depth.
Beyond all, is her deep and abiding concern for the humanity of those before our commission. Her integrity would permit no other approach.
Does this translate into a good legislator? I haven't a moment's doubt. Any action on her part will be well reasoned and well studied. Most of all though, her vote will be determined by its effect on both the populace in general and the individual in particular.
Integrity matters. Integrity counts and most of all it is defined in the person of Franke Wilmer.
Allen Secher
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 07:37 AM | Comments (0)
One of strengths of the American political process is its transparency. Because law requires that candidates who run for public office disclose the sources of their donations, we can get an accurate picture of who's giving the money to support a candidate's campaign. Since neither candidate has a voting record, this may be a valuable way to understanding what (and whom) the candidate represents.
In the case of the race for House District 64 (Franke Wilmer-D and Jim Klug-R), the contributors to these campaigns paint very different pictures.
Jim Klug received 65 cash contributors (as of May 25) for his election campaign for a total of $8,245. Half of the people who made these donations are contractors, realtors, developers, their employees and families. And 65 percent of the people in this group who gave money to the Klug campaign are from out of state, most of whom gave the maximum amount allowed by law.
Franke Wilmer received 98 cash contributions (as of May 25) for her election campaign for a total of $5,986. Half of all the people who made these donations are people in K-12 and higher education. Less than 6 percent of the people in this group who gave money to the Wilmer campaign are from out of state.
The obvious question for voters in House District 64 is "Which person reflects the values I care about?" People who donate to campaigns expect that their candidates will vote in ways that favor their interests. Do we, the people of House District 64, want to be represented by the interests of contractors, realtors and developers, many of whom are from out of state? Or do we want to be represented by people in education, the overwhelming majority of which are local?
Ada Giusti
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)
When I read Cort Felts' letter to the editor on Saturday, May 27, accusing Franke Wilmer of political hackery, I had to laugh. Cort used to be my next door neighbor and when he married Twila Saylor (whose letter to the editor also appeared on May 27) and moved to Wyoming, I despaired because Bozeman was losing a great activist and I was losing a wonderful neighbor.
About Franke … she brings out the best in people and is an inspiration to many. I've had several classes with Franke at MSU. As an older student, Franke became a mentor for me. She understands the challenges of working families trying to put food on the table and pay for their children's education. And she knows that our decisions on energy now will have an impact on our economy and the environment later. As the former head of the political science department at MSU, she had to consider a variety of interests, from the viewpoints of students, to the students' parents, the faculty, the university, and finally the taxpayer. To work toward the good of the whole, she had to balance these diverse interests.
While Franke has a core set of principles, she realizes that people with the same core values can have legitimate differences of opinion. She won't let heartfelt differences on issues create an untenable "either/or" situation. She'll reach across the aisle in Helena to listen to good ideas too. Franke is that rare individual who can look at all sides of an issue.
By the way, I've had classes with Jerry Calvert also. Because of his research he's followed candidates and elections throughout his career. Believe me, no one tells Jerry what to say. And Jack Jelinski … well, he's published many articles, chapters in books, and writes poetry. I don't think he needs coaching either.
Franke Wilmer will be a great legislator in Helena for House District 64. And one more thing, Jon Testor will be a great senator for Montana.
Get out and vote on June 6.
Drusha Mayhue
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
When considering candidates next Tuesday, you should know something about the events that shaped their character as well as where they stand on issues.
I became involved in civil rights in high school, graduated the year Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated, and spent the following year studying journalism in college. Over the next 12 years I became a wife, mother, and single parent, and worked as a secretary, carpenter, and waitress before completing my undergraduate degree. In graduate school I worked as a substitute teacher and an auditor for General Motors. I worked for minimum wage, for tips, to put food on the table, and a roof overhead. I could not afford health insurance.
Hard work made my dream of becoming a college teacher come true. I have lived in Bozeman for 15 years now, where my husband (also a teacher) and daughter both own small businesses. My commitment to environmental protection, economic security, and responsible government spans 30 years. I tutored students in coal mining towns and opposed strip-mining in the 1970s, and started a neighborhood-recycling program in the 1980s.
I seek elected office now for the same reason I teach politics. As a young woman I fell in love with the idea of America, its promise of progressive justice, and continuous self-improvement as a democracy. I believe in individual responsibility, that wise use of public resources can make our society better and eliminate deprivation, and that productive debates and finding the best course of action require the participation of both parties.
The 2007 legislature will consider many critical issues involving education, economy, environment, and energy. These issues have long been important to me and, listening to the people of North Bozeman, I’ve learned that the voters in HD 64 care about these issues, too. If elected, I’ll work hard to support public education, small business, jobs at pay wages that meet our basic needs, statewide accessible health care, affordable energy, and to fulfill our state constitution’s promise of a clean and healthful environment. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to talk with me, and to support my candidacy for a seat in the Montana state legislature.
Franke Wilmer, Democrat
Legislative Candidate for HD 64
Posted by admin at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)
When I first heard that we voters in HD 64 would be able to choose between Steve Kelly and Franke Wilmer in the Democratic primary I thought, "Finally, we have tough choice between candidates... How often does that happen?" That is until I read the side-by-side letters from Mssrs. Jelinski and Calvert in the May 19 Chronicle.
I certainly agree with Ms. Wilmer's views on human rights and international relations and have great respect for her scholarship, but her political practices amount to nothing more than political hackery. To have her campaign treasurer and "poli-sci" colleague attack her opponent, Steve Kelly, as "not being Democrat enough" demonstrates a great disdain for the intelligence and values of north Bozeman residents.
Kelly is the only candidate for HD 64 who as both a small business owner and, before that, a true working stiff, understands the plight of the working poor as we well as the working middle class in north Bozeman. He is the only candidate to support a minimum wage greater than the current ballot initiative calls for. Kelly is the only candidate with proposals to address the increasing difficulties Montana residents face in attending and paying for a university education.
Kelly is the only true environmental activist among the three candidates seeking the HD 64 seat-meaning he done much more than simply write checks to big environmental institutions - he has actually worked to protect our watersheds and wildlife. No matter how Kelly has ran for office in the past, his message and beliefs have been consistent.
I urge my fellow north Bozeman voters to vote for the only progressive candidate in the race with a track record of activism and service. The political hacks are assuming you won't step up on June 6.
Cort Felts
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 07:48 AM | Comments (0)
When you read a FREE column like the one on May 17, bemoaning the minimum wage increase, don't be afraid of a common sense response. FREE does a good job of throwing out all sorts of statistics that muddy the water and make it hard to respond. Trust your gut though, FREE doesn't make sense.
The latest nonsense from FREE is that increasing the minimum wage will cause more kids to drop out of high school. This "hypothesis" is based on the DHHS study (from 1999) that found only 30 percent of minimum wage earners live in families near or below the poverty-line, the implication being teens with difficulties in school will be tempted to drop out with an increase in the minimum wage. Of course. no evidence exists for this theory, and FREE fails to understand the numbers of folks working part-time minimum wage jobs as second or third jobs who maintain that just-abovepoverty existence. Does this sound familiar to anyone living and working in Bozeman?
It sounds familiar to Steve Kelly. He is the only candidate for HD 64 (the north side of Main Street) who supports not only an increase in the state minimum wage, but would prefer a minimum wage of $8 or above. Steve is also honest and consistent and when asked about the FREE article he said he couldn't stand the way FREE abuses the public forum. Steve hasn’t and won’t abuse the public forum; and he'll always be looking out for working students or multiple job workers on Bozeman's north side. I urge my fellow residents of HD 64 to vote for Steve Kelly on June 6. With Steve we'll have no nonsense.
Twila Saylor
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
Franke Wilmer is the real deal. She has always been a Democrat, committed to Democratic principles. I agreed to become her campaign treasurer because I believe she is the most qualified candidate running for the Legislature, and she is, consistently, what she appears to be.
Her opponent, Steve Kelly, ran as an Independent against Pat Williams, one of Montana’s most distinguished Democratic statesmen; and he ran as a Democrat against Denny Rehberg. He ran as a Republican for Gallatin County commissioner, and now he has morphed as a Democrat to run in the primary against Wilmer.
Call me an old-fashioned guy, but I think we should support a candidate who is an authentic Democrat today as she was yesterday and will continue to be tomorrow.
Jack Jelinski
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 07:57 AM | Comments (0)
Bozeman's North Side (House District 64) has always been a solidly Democratic district. HD 64 needs to nominate a solid Democrat to represent it in the 2007 Legislature and that is Franke Wilmer. I have known Franke as a colleague and friend for the last 15 years. She is open-minded, listens to all points of view, and has the personality to work with legislators of both parties. That is probably why Gov. Schweitzer appointed her to chair the Montana Human Rights Commission.
Good legislators know that the job is about making tough choices in an imperfect world and that legislative service is about doing the public's business efficiently and at the lowest cost to the taxpayer. Poor legislators use the office to stump for their pet issues and feed their egos. The voters also need to know where a candidate stands and have confidence that the person they elect can be depended upon to represent them in a manner consistent with the party label they ran on.
That is why I have a problem with Steve Kelly, her opponent in the June 6 primary. Since arriving in Bozeman in 1986 Steve ran as an independent in 1994 against Montana's Democratic Congressman Pat Williams, in 1998 as a Republican for Gallatin County Commission, and in 2000 he voted for Ralph Nader. Then in 2002 he changed again and ran as a Democrat against Denny Rehberg when the state party failed to field a viable candidate. Now he seeks your votes once again as a Democrat in a Democrat-leaning district. But in 1998 in running for the GOP nomination for the County Commission race, he told the Billings Outpost in 2002: "Kelly says he ran as a Republican because that's what he needed to do to get elected in Gallatin County."
I would be pretty wary of voting for a candidate who treats the GOP and Democratic party labels as mere flags of convenience under which he sails. I wish I still lived on the north side so I could vote for Franke, the real Democrat in this primary.
Jerry W. Calvert
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 07:55 AM
I am strongly urging the voters of House District 64 to vote for Steve Kelly in the primary election.
Steve Kelly, I know, is a smart, savvy, thoroughly knowledgeable and independent-thinking man who thoroughly understands the real issues. He has traveled across the entire state, talking with and listening to the people he meets in the small towns, reservations and ranches, gaining the knowledge and awareness of the diverse issues that will help him serve HD 64 and Montana well.
He has a demonstrated record of effective public service as a conservation and community activist, who is not afraid to take tough stands but who also works with people and gets things done without making the kinds of compromises that do more harm than good, including to the wildlands and wildlife he is trying to protect.
He has been a leader on water issues and other land-use issues within his own neighborhood, a salient point given that water use will become the most critical issue facing us as our valley confronts unrestrained growth.
Steve Kelly's primary election opponent is a worthy enough candidate, but Steve Kelly is a principled man with the heart and mind for honest political leadership where it counts, leadership that will serve the actual land and people of Montana rather than special interests or a narrow ideological agenda.
We need Steve Kelly more than we need his opponent, especially if we care about small independent businesses owners, small farmers and ranchers, the health of local economies, sustainable resource use, alternative energy, social and economic justice, fiscal responsibility, including fair taxation, environmental quality and conservation.
Carl D. Esbjornson
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 07:48 AM | Comments (0)
Dear Editor:
I am writing to express my support for Steve Kelly, Democrat for House District 64. Steve offers the voters of north Bozeman a unique opportunity to select a lawmaker that has the courage to confront big business lobbyists and indifferent agency bureaucrats when they’re wrong. Steve listens to all sides, but is not afraid to stand up for what he believes.
Steve’s political activism is rooted in the rights and principles of the Montana Constitution. He will defend the fundamental rights of every Montanan, and is a strong advocate for open public participation and the public’s right to know what government is doing. He volunteers his time and energy, and shares his decades of grassroots experience and knowledge to help neighbors, colleagues and virtually anyone who asks.
Steve works hard to raise the minimum wage above the poverty line, to provide consumers with affordable energy, to protect and restore public forests, clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, and support contemporary art and artists.
I’ve lived in Bozeman since 1956. In my opinion, no candidate in this race is better prepared to defend the commons against the spread of deregulation and privatization.
Vote for Steve Kelly in the June 6 primary election. He would make a wonderful state lawmaker.
Sincerely,
Clarice Dreyer
Posted by admin at 07:47 AM | Comments (0)
...When I picture the ideal legislator, I see someone who listens, works hard, and does what’s right. That defines Franke Wilmer. I've known Franke for more than 15 years, as an educator, a champion for human rights, and a friend. And in each role she's proven herself.
As a professor, Franke invites deep discussion, encourages careful analysis, and speaks with authority. Which are some of the reasons she is a distinguished and decorated educator. ...
Posted by admin at 07:23 AM
As a grassroots prospective lawmaker for House District 64, I hope to serve and empower the people living and working in the neighborhoods of northeast and northwest Bozeman.
I am co-owner and operator of Botanica Fine Arts and Flowers, a family run micro-business established in 1997. Skyrocketing power bills and health care costs and state and federal income tax codes are squeezing the life out of many Montana small businesses. We need to eliminate big business subsidies and tax loopholes so small business can compete on a fair and level playing field.
In the late 1960s I attended the University of Denver School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Since relocating in Montana in 1974, I have worked as an artist, tree planter, chef, restaurant manager, waiter, builder, railroad worker, and laborer in the "oil patch." I know firsthand how difficult it is for everyday Montanans to support their families. I retrained as an artist, graduating from Montana State University in 1992.
After 25 years of volunteer experience representing the public interest, I am well prepared to fight the specialinterest lobbyists who have dominated Montana politics since statehood.
Based upon what I am hearing from voters, here are a few top priorities I hope to address in the Legislature:
Strengthen laws to protect Montana’s water quality, wetlands, and fish and wildlife habitat.
Reduce or freeze college tuition and fees and increase state university funding.
Protect homeowners from eminent domain abuses. Close the loophole allowing private taking for private profit.
Fight poverty. Raise the minimum wage to at least $8 per hour.
Across the board, fight against deregulation and privatization of public trust assets.
Today we're faced with nothing less than a fight to defend the fundamental principles of our democracy. With your help, we can find common sense solutions to the issues facing District 64 and Montana. I would appreciate and honor your vote on Tuesday, June 6.
Steve Kelly, candidate for HD 64
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 06:54 AM | Comments (0)
...Franke sees some of the issues confronting us as, economic security - that is, enough jobs with adequate wages and health care; the environment - maintaining water quality, open space that supports habitat; energy - the development of short-term renewable energy policies that can lead to rational long-term investment.
In the past, these issues have been structured as conflicts. She prefers to focus on the common ground that all parties bring to the table. And to that end she will look closely to the details and consequences of the proposals. For example, it's one thing to support alternative energy, quite another to bring to the table the broad picture. And it is imperative that the big picture be considered if we are to find solutions.
The real beauty in this teambuilding woman is her wonderfully disarming ability to address a charged audience, and when she’s done the lion is lying down with the lamb.
I urge you to give her your vote.
Diane Elliott
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)
With the primary elections around the corner, I'd like to support the candidacy Franke Wilmer for House District 64. If you’ve ever met Franke, you can't help but be impressed by her genuineness, her intelligence, and most of all, her passion and her commitment to people.
Franke's mother (who was from Terry) was a nurse, and her father was a bricklayer. She put herself through college,,raised a daughter as a single mother, and still made time to fight for causes she felt were just. No doubt you've seen her at the rallies and at the demonstrations, either calling for better health care or calling for fairness in the way people are paid and taxed.
Because Franke genuinely cares about people, Gov. Brian Schweitzer appointed her as the chair of the Montana Human Rights Commission. Franke understands the right of a citizen to express a grievance and the right to expect to be heard and receive a fair and impartial hearing. Her professional expertise in conflict resolution has taught her how to listen to others and how to build bridges where none existed before.
When I first met Franke she was going back and forth to Bosnia to talk to people who were being brutalized by the war. She brought back heartwrenching stories about people at their best and at their worst. Her research wasn’t about the political causes of war so much as it was about how ordinary people cope with war. She was always about people. That's why I married her.
Please vote for Franke Wilmer in the primary election on June 6 because she is dedicated to making a difference in all our lives.
Ronald Tobias
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 06:43 AM | Comments (0)
When four Republican lawmakers staged a tax protest and proposed a state-spending cap I wondered, are Montanans overtaxed? Should we cut public services and how would cuts affect our quality of life in Montana?
The Tax Foundation-a taxpayer education nonprofit -- ranks Montana's state and local tax burden 42nd nationally. According to one study, compared to the national average our effective property tax rate in Montana is lower.
So how are our hard-earned taxes spent? Eighty-eight and a half percent goes to education, corrections and human services. Education accounts for half the budget, yet Montana's investment in the cost of higher education per-student is the lowest of seven peer states. K-12 teacher salaries rank 47th, yet student achievement indicators make Montana the 10th "Smartest State." We already get more than we pay for, and cuts in higher education are passed on to students and parents as increased tuition.
We also get our money's worth from Public Health and Human Services, which is responsible for adoption, foster care, CHIP, vocational rehabilitation, disability services, child-support enforcement, energy assistance, and public health (communicable and chronic disease prevention). Half the budget goes to Medicaid, matched by 70 cents from the federal government for every 30 cents we pay into it.
So why do we feel overtaxed? Maybe the issue is tax fairness. Are the highest income earners paying their fair share compared to middle and lower income earners? Are the wages of Montana workers adequate to meet basic human needs? Could we put more money into the pockets of the wage-earners by raising the minimum wage and implementing childcare tax deductions for families with working parents? Should property taxes be tied to income? The middle class does feel overtaxed, and promises to hold spending or cut taxes play directly into those feelings. But this is an oversimplification that diverts attention from issues like tax and wage fairness that may be the real source of this perception.
Franke Wilmer, candidate for
House District 64
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 07:37 AM | Comments (0)
I have known Steve Kelly for 20 years. We have worked together on public policy issues, and not always on the same side. We have always agreed, however, on the need to have as many people as possible involved in public affairs.
Steve is very thorough in his research on any subject. He listens to everyone and talks to everyone. He is known for his environmental activism, but like all of us, Steve is multidimensional. In the true sense of the word conservation, Steve is conservative.
Steve has been around the block more than a few times, and he has grown wiser and deeper with every turn. Steve Kelly is a man of his word. I respect Steve’s opinions and always welcome his advice. Steve Kelly deserves to advance from the Democratic primary for state House District 64 on June 6.
The general election will be all the more substantive with Steve Kelly as the Democratic candidate for HD 64 on Nov. 7.
Bob Garner
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 12:15 PM | Comments (0)
I am writing in support of Steve Kelly's candidacy as a Democrat for House District 64 in the June 6 primary election.
Steve has a long history of political activism, especially in support of environmental issues. I have worked directly with him on a variety of other progressive programs. He was a leader in collecting signatures on an initiative to put the Martz/Montana Power Company energy deregulation bill, passed the last day of the 2001 Legislature, before the public for a vote. His committee collected nearly 10,000 signatures in the successful drive to put the initiative on the ballot. The bill, which would have virtually eliminated the Public Service Commission's role in regulating energy prices, was defeated in the November 2001 election.
Steve was locally active in placing an initiative before the voters to buy back the dams from PP&L so that these inexpensive sources of energy could be put back in the rate base at cost for Montana ratepayers. Unfortunately, PP&L poured more than $2 million into a misleading TV blitz that defeated the initiative in the 2003 election.
Steve helped draft, lined up legislators to sponsor, and testified before the 2005 Legislature in support of increasing the minimum wage over three years to $8 an hour from the present $5.15. His bill would have indexed the minimum wage annually for increases in the cost of living.
While $8 an hour by 2009 will be significantly below what the minimum wage was in 1968 (more than $9 an hour adjusted for inflation in 2006) it would have enabled the working poor — the majority of whom are women with children — to be much less dependent upon government assistance for basic survival. Unfortunately Republicans in the House were able to prevent any increase in the minimum wage from passing.
Steve Kelly brings years of experience and hard work on progressive issues to the Montana state Legislature. He would be available to constituents and listen to their concerns. He would be a terrific asset to HD 64 and the Bozeman legislative team in Helena.
Phyllis A. Bock
Bozeman
Posted by admin at 07:00 AM | Comments (0)