I don’t agree with Tea Party politics. But I’m a realist, and I know that a lot of Montanans favor their views.
Well, what are their views? This is what the Tea Party Movement Platform says:
Well, what are their views? This is what the Tea Party Movement Platform says:
- Eliminate Excessive Taxes
- Eliminate the National Debt
- Eliminate Deficit Spending
- Protect Free Markets
- Abide the Constitution of the United States
- Promote Civic Responsibility
- Reduce the Overall Size of Government
- Believe in the People
- Avoid the Pitfalls of Politics
- Maintain Local Independence
Now, a lot of those issues I agree with. I pay taxes to the feds every three months. Yeah, I send a check in, and I don’t like doing so. No one wants to pay more taxes than they should have to.
The federal deficit is a joke, and it means my son will have a worse time in this country than I will. Is that something that needs to be addressed? You bet.
Why are we spending money we don’t have? Thank God the people in Helena from years past had the foresight to say Montana will have a balanced budget – always!
Those I think are the three main points they make. A lot of those other 7 points are just window dressing that every party could claim.
The Tea Party in the 2015 Montana Legislature
Are there going to be Montana legislators in the 2015 legislature that favor these views?
Yes, we know that for a fact. Now the question is, what are we going to do about it?
Kick and scream because we as Democrats can’t always have our way? No, that does nothing.
We know damn-well that that legislature is going to have a lot of people in it that identify with the Tea Party, and also that Republicans will most likely control that legislature.
So what can I as a Democrat do about that? First, I can listen.
There was an article in the Helena Independent Record today about Kelly Flynn, a Republican from Townsend who’s seeking his third term in the legislature. (I have no idea if he supports the Tea Party or not).
Something in the article, however, struck me:
Yes, we know that for a fact. Now the question is, what are we going to do about it?
Kick and scream because we as Democrats can’t always have our way? No, that does nothing.
We know damn-well that that legislature is going to have a lot of people in it that identify with the Tea Party, and also that Republicans will most likely control that legislature.
So what can I as a Democrat do about that? First, I can listen.
There was an article in the Helena Independent Record today about Kelly Flynn, a Republican from Townsend who’s seeking his third term in the legislature. (I have no idea if he supports the Tea Party or not).
Something in the article, however, struck me:
“I’m willing to listen,” he said. “That I’ve found has been very helpful, if you listen to both sides.”
Now, you can see Flynn’s voting record and all the issues he gets high or low marks on. But the main thing is that he wants to listen to both sides.
Boy, that seems like quite a start right there, and I sure hope others in the legislature have that same attitude, people on both sides of the aisle.
Let’s face it, there’s going to be rancor and division in the 2015 Montana legislature. I mean, the 1864-5 legislature was a hell of a mess, and things haven’t changed much since then.
But if people take the time to listen to others, even views they might not agree with, I bet a consensus can be reached and deals can be made that will benefit the majority of the people in the state.
Boy, that seems like quite a start right there, and I sure hope others in the legislature have that same attitude, people on both sides of the aisle.
Let’s face it, there’s going to be rancor and division in the 2015 Montana legislature. I mean, the 1864-5 legislature was a hell of a mess, and things haven’t changed much since then.
But if people take the time to listen to others, even views they might not agree with, I bet a consensus can be reached and deals can be made that will benefit the majority of the people in the state.
