“Cut the
black-baldy steer out of the fat pen. He is
finished,” are perfectly clear instructions to
anyone raised a farm or ranch kid; for city folk,
not so much. Every profession, including politics,
has its own peculiar lexicon. On April 15th, after
four sessions in Montana’s legislature, I discovered
the true definition of a phrase I had misunderstood
since I plunged into public service in 2006. The
words “getting the money out of politics” did not
mean what I thought it did and I feel sheepish
discovering I had been wrong for so long. The debate
on SB175 and SB375 perfectly focused the phrase I
have heard so often. Here is the story.
First some background. SB175 is the big education
bill crafted by Senator Jones. As amended, it spends
50 million dollars, drawn mostly from oil and gas
production taxes, and fully funds the dreaded
national Common Core curriculum. Coupling SB175 with
previous K-12 funding increases asks Montana
taxpayers to cough up and additional $105 million
over the biennium. Do the math; a family of four
will be required to donate an additional $420 in
taxes over two years from now through perpetuity, or
until it is raised yet again. Government never
shrinks. Most all Montana school boards and the
education union screamed “it is for the children”
and SB175 passed the House on a vote of 58 to 41. I
voted with the minority.
The second bill’s similarity to the first is
apparent only after closer scrutiny. SB375,
euphemistically labeled the “dark money bill,” was
spun as legislation to clean up political campaigns
by increasing transparency and getting the money out
of politics. It did neither. This bill was purposely
crafted by liberal Republican senators and Montana’s
governor to make conservative Republicans an
endangered species. Had it passed, progressive
Democrats would have controlled Treasure State
politics for the next 50 years regardless which
party was the majority. Exactly as is happening in
Montana’s House during these closing weeks of this
63rd session, 39 Democrats are joined by 19 liberal
Republicans to crush the efforts of the 41
conservatives. Government is growing at pathological
rates.
SB375 squeezed out of the Senate by a parliamentary
sleight of hand and was sent to the House Judiciary
Committee for an objective assessment. After much
amending and debate, we tabled it. By a twist of
fate, SB175 was discussed on the House floor the
same day two liberal Republicans attempted to blast
SB375 from the Judiciary Committee. Interestingly,
but not atypical, the motion to spend education
money on SB175 was supported by nearly the same
group voting to remove political dark money in
SB375. Because a blast motion requires a 3/5ths
super majority, SB375 remains tabled in committee.
It wasn’t until 4:30 the following day while on my
morning run, did I make the connection regarding the
relationship between these two votes. My epiphanies
are rare, but this one was a dandy. Getting “the
money out of politics” has nothing to do with
diminishing fund raising in campaigns; it refers to
spending—the faster elected officials can spend tax
money the less there is. Supporters of SB175 and
SB375 spent 48 million dollars out of politics with
a simple push of the green button.
So as we enter the final week of the 63rd session,
39 Democrats and 19 liberal Republicans have spent
our budget into structural imbalance just like the
big boys in Washington D.C. Bless their hearts. I
wonder if the generation being saddled with this
debt will blame politicians for overspending or
blame school boards, superintendents, and education
unions for throwing us under the bus if we did not
get the money out of politics and into their general
funds.
The above financial imbalance does not consider this
session’s final Medicaid expansion bill, HB623,
which is projected to cost Montana taxpayers $152
million per year by 2021. With another push of the
green button, the Montana Hospital Association and
the Chamber of Commerce are asking that same family
of four drop an extra $608 into the tax collection
kettle so it too can be spent out of politics. With
Montana’s budget projected to spend more than 9
billion dollars over the next two years, perhaps
getting the money out of politics is not such a good
idea after all.
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