Yes, I’m talking about Ken Toole, and the drubbing he gave the GOP leadership today in the Helena Independent Record. Since I’m fairly certain this letter won’t get much play elsewhere, I’ll give it some help.
It all starts with a definition of hypocrisy, which Toole lays out for the legislators that may be reading, but may be unsure of the term. Toole gets into the idea that Republicans around the country used the issue of healthcare to really drive their message home, and thus win.
“Election posturing aside,” Toole says, “it is hard to take politicians seriously who rant about something while benefiting from the exact thing they claim to despise.”
Holy hell, what is he talking about here? He’s not…he’s not really gonna take the Montana GOP to task…is he? I thought Democrats in Montana weren’t allowed to do that.
Whoa, stop right there, bub – no one’s gonna tell me that my red, white and blue GOP legislator and Obama hater through and through is sucking off the federal teat, are you?
First Toole points out that legislators get paid $82.64 a day, plus the $110 a day per diem.
Why he feels the need to point out that 2015 Montana legislators get paid $192.64 a day is beyond me.
Maybe it’s because that would equal $963.20 a week, or $11,558.40 for a 3-month session.
It’s probably right to point out that that’s before taxes, and that they might only get $10,000 or $9,000 even. That tells you the business acumen of some of our western Montana legislators, at least if you look at what they paid for the job. And that might tell you a bit about those eastern Montana legislators, the ones that paid $15 and then sat on their ass for 10 months until being swept into office, ‘don’t ask me for a plan because I don’t got one’ style.
They ain’t worth much, a vote here and there, the assurance that they’ll do what you say and think what you think, but that’s about it. Well, maybe that is valuable…to viper snakes, money whores, and charlatans.
Even though they only work part time, legislators are eligible for the same benefits as full-time state employees. It’s a really good deal ... at taxpayers’ expense. Each legislator receives a little over $10,000 a year for health insurance no matter how much they actually work. In addition, if they don’t want join the state plan, they can take that monthly amount and have it applied to an insurance policy of their choice.
It’s too late for the Strandberg family – the deadline to sign-up for Obamacare and be covered by January 1 passed us by a couple days ago. I’m sorry if that offends some of you Democrats reading, but gosh darn, I somehow misplaced the magic carpet that the extra $250 a month I was expected to pay was going to come from.
And some taking it? They include our GOP favorites Madame Sell Out, Barn Door, Runner Up, even old Ding-Dong Wittich.
Talk about an ass-whooping. Toole really knows how to kick ‘em in the ass and he did so today. Boy oh boy, I’m having a good chuckle and shaking my head.
But I’m also getting worried. Because this GOP leadership is like the junkyard dog that’s been kicked too much, and now it’ll growl and bite even if you’re trying to help it.
We’ll see if Mr. Fabulous can backtrack on this like he did on that dress code tomfoolery. While I disagree with making a mess and then wasting time cleaning it up, it does appear that is the modus operandi for the Montana GOP for the 2015 Montana Legislature.
Thankfully people like Ken Toole will continue to tell them they’re like the emperor with no clothes.