‘Responsible Republicans’ a misnomer
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Editor,
It’s not clear from whence this new, cute, rebranding “Responsible Republicans” cometh, but I find it failing my “smile test.” I can count on one hand (okay, maybe two hands), the number of Responsible Republicans in our current legislature and I’m having difficulty counting my current rep as one of them. You don’t drift on the variable winds of politics as a dandelion seed in the meadow and then get to be counted as a Responsible Republican.
You don’t get to stump hard for and declare three times in 15 minutes that the Flathead Reservation Water Rights Compact is a “done deal,” smugly state that those against will lose and then after realizing that it had no support in the chambers of the legislature, change tactics, not carry it (after voting to forward it on) and offer a backdoor bill to keep it alive — sorry, no sale here. Responsible Republican, I think not.
Waffling is not the sign of a responsible anything, much less Republican. We didn’t need funding for public education – it has led us to Common Core and a dumbed-down education system with No Child Left Behind teaching to the slowest learners, instead of offering and maybe funding an effective tutoring program.
We’re still waiting for Responsible Government to get out of the way and allow some wise use of our natural resources instead of caving in to endless obstructionist demands. You’re funding colleges with 67 percent of my property taxes. If you Responsible Republicans are funding libraries, how come I had to vote on a levy (read dollars from my wallet) for a library in Ronan? What exactly is a “structurally balanced budget”?
All I see (excepting the aforementioned two handfuls of Responsible Republicans) are representatives of the people who either never realized they actually represent about 1 million residents once elected, or have personal agendas that are not copacetic with any positive, rational plans for this state’s realistic future. Why are we running behind the power curve? Why are we anti-business? Why do we allow more and more land closure to the people? Where are these Responsible Republicans?
Michael Gale
Ronan
