Right, who is managing Montana’s budget?
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Editor,
Hypocritical Hertz repels responsibility as easily as he tells an audience one thing and does another. Montana paid a costly price to avoid having a special election performed as a write in ballot. Our state constitution allowed one in the situation if our legislature voted to have it. The Senate approved the motion to do so and sent it to the House to be voted on. Hertz’s position allowed him to ensure it died in committee and never got to the floor to be approved or rejected by the House, who reportedly favored the less expensive option.
Now prior to that, in Ronan when our schools held an instructive political forum for our elected representative, this issue was presented to the panel. Many gave unwavering support. Hertz weaseled his answer saying he favored having the election by mail - which would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary costs, but, felt there may be some constitutional reasons why we could not do so.
Check our constitution. The only restriction is our legislature has to approve it. But when the bill came to the House, Hertz did not support the bill and his committee duties ensured it would never reach the floor for the expected approval vote. Or maybe it was his inability to make it happen rather than an unwillingness. In either case, we drained our budget needlessly.
Was it a coincidence that prior to the election a Republican state party representative sent out notice that a mail in ballot should be avoided because too many people would vote? I think not. I think it is further evidence Hertz works for his party, not for our or the state’s general welfare.
Hypocritical yes, but with his secured political status his ego allows him to present articles like the one in last week’s Valley Journal, blaming others for budget problems he helps create.
Rich Bell
Polson
