The View From Montana

Neil C. Livingstone January 19th, 2012 Republican Governor Candidate Forum in Bozeman.

Answers (in brief) to the Questions Posed by the Governor Candidate Forum in Bozeman.

We have Pledged to Create an Economic Revolution

Q) Why are you the best candidate for governor?

ANSWER: I believe I’m the best candidate for governor because I represent a departure from the past and an end to business as usual. I’m campaigning on a platform of real change, not incremental change, but revolutionary change aimed at getting our economy moving and creating jobs, not sometime in the future, but NOW. Montana is 47th in per capita GDP, next to Arkansas, West Virginia, and Mississippi, and we need to turn this situation around while there’s still time.

Q) What is your vision for the state of Montana? What would Montana look like if you are successful?

ANSWER: My vision for the state is to try and mirror the success of our neighbors, Wyoming and North Dakota. North Dakota has the lowest unemployment in the country and thousands of new jobs have been created in the state over the past two years. Wyoming has a large state surplus, every road in the state has been resurfaced and every school rebuilt, and their teachers earn almost twice as much as those in Montana. Their prosperity is based on sound natural resource development: especially coal, oil, and gas. Montana, by contrast, suffers from over-regulation, a negative business environment, and taxes, and desperately needs significant tort reform and workers comp reform. Left-wing
environmental extremists, funded by out-of-state elitists, and their judicial a! llies have opposed all economic progress in the state and need to be shown the door. Four years after being elected governor, Montana would be open for business, the judicial dictatorship would have been ended, and we would have created 100,000 new jobs in the state, the kind of jobs that would permit workers to support their families, their churches, and their communities.

Q) What are the top three issues facing Montana government today?

ANSWER:Jobs, jobs, and more jobs. There is no higher priority than creating jobs in Montana today, with the resulting tax revenue and decreased demand for social services. Too often state government is an obstruction to creating good jobs rather than a facilitator and expeditor.

Q)Over 40% of Montana’s government spending is financed with federal funds. Do you believe this is sustainable and in the interest of Montanans? If not, what would you do to reduce our dependence on federal dollars?

ANSWER: Montana gets back $1.47 for every $1 it contributes to the federal government. However, federal dollars generally come with too many strings attached and variety of unfunded mandates, like those in Obama’s health care program, that could bankrupt the state in the future. We should lower our dependence on federal money by increasing our resource development programs, thus offsetting the need for federal dollars. Like Wyoming and North Dakota, if we were managing our resource development programs correctly we would have a substantial surplus and little need of federal money with strings attached.

Q) In many areas of Montana, a significant schism has developed between the traditional GOP base and newly activated grass roots conservatives. If you win the nomination, how would you bridge this gap and unite both groups at the polls in November?

ANSWER: I am a blue collar, working man and woman’s, Republican; not a country club Republican. I embrace my friends in the Tea Party and other grass roots organizations supporting good government, gun owners, veterans, ranchers, loggers and those committed to family values. They are the ones who have energized this election and given it momentum. I believe in jobs and good sound economic management, less government, and lower taxes and I am confident that all Republicans, and I hope our Libertarian and Constitutionalist friends, will rally to our banner when we win the primary. I am the only candidate that can beat the Democrats and draw the support of working men and women across the state, along with Native Americans and others fed up with too much go! vernment and too few opportunities.

Q) What is your position on state land purchases? Would you support transferring more land from private to state ownership, and for what purposes? Or would you support divesting some state lands to the private sector?

ANSWER: With a few minor exceptions, I’m opposed to any further acquisition of priva