Missoula Dems...Please Stay Away

Today I received yet another candidate questionnaire via email.

This time it came from the Missoula County Democrats.

I went ahead and filled it out, which is a requirement if you want to go to their candidate forum on July 11 at 7 PM in the Missoula City Council Chambers.

I'm not sure I'll go to that.

I went in 2014 but skipped it in 2016.

​Here's a video of me talking in 2014...16 minutes in and again 23:30 and 31 minutes in.
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89 people have watched that video on YouTube.

​I just don't see the point in talking to an empty room or a camera that'll replay the forum weeks later (when people still don't want to watch) or my fellow candidates. 

Mostly we're talking to ourselves. 

For some, that's great.

For me, it's a complete and utter waste of time.

Kinda how I feel about any 'support' coming my way from Dems.

We see how good they are at supporting candidates in Montana. 

So that's about the last thing I want - Democratic support. I think it'd actually hurt me.

Hence my train of thought on this questionnaire.

Have fun reading it!

You know I had a blast writing it.

​1. The Central Committee is empowered to vote to support candidates in nonpartisan elections. Do you want the support of Missoula County Democrats?
                   ___Yes               _X__No                 ___Neutral       
 
2. In what type of assistance would you be interested? (check all that apply)
 
    ___Public Endorsement       ___Financial Contributions
 ___Assisting Contacting Voters     ___Other (______)
 
3. Do you currently hold or do you expect to seek any other endorsements in this election, if yes, from whom? 
 
No, voters in my ward don’t care about this. They care about the fact that their taxes have gone up 95% over the past 12 years.
 
4. Why do you want to be a member of the Missoula City Council?

We need to decrease taxes from the 95% increases we’ve seen since 2005.
 
5. What is your short term goals, and long-term vision for the City of Missoula.  What top three objectives would pursue to advance your vision? Please ensure at least one is focused on your ward. 

Decrease taxes
End our love affair with bonding
Fix our roads and keep them plowed
 
6. How has your work and/or community service in Missoula prepared you to positively contribute as a City Council Member? If you have a resume of your work or community service activities, which might apply to Council work, include if you wish, as that will help us get to know you better as to your experiences that have prepared you to be on the Council.


I write Big Sky Words to inform people of the corruption and incompetence going on in Missoula.
  
7. To what extent, and by what means, should the City of Missoula shape business and residential growth using regulations on private development?

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Lower taxes, end the love affair with bonding.
 
8. Does the City of Missoula offer good value for the cost, quality and quantity of services it offers? Please explain your approach to budgeting in light of your answer.
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No. For instance, the Missoula Parking Commission has $622,000 in miscellaneous expenses that they can’t account for. That after they raised parking meter rates from $0.25 to $1.00 minimum.
 
9. What would you do to support issues important to Native Americans in Missoula, and other minorities, as well as the LGBTIQ Community? Would you be in support of expanding the local hate crime/anti-discrimination ordinance and, if so, how?

Nothing. Those are minority issues that the majority of voters in my ward do not care about. They care about seeing their taxes lowered from the 95% increases we’ve seen over the past 12 years.
 
10. What is your view on Missoula accepting refugees from abroad? Have you been involved in that process, either by supporting or opposing it?

Terrible idea.
 
11. Housing and living wage issues: An analysis of Missoula’s house cost and income by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research shows that Missoula is more expensive that 96% of all U.S. counties.  How do you think the city should tackle the issue of affordable housing and living wages?  A good resource is this article (http://www.missoulacurrent.com/business/2017/01/missoula-economy-wages/)

Lower taxes, end the love affair with bonding.
 
A. Please describe specific policies you would support to encourage living-wage job creation and retention in the city?

Lower taxes, end the love affair with bonding. Maybe then employers will have more money to pay workers. We know they don’t under the city’s current policy of increasing taxes every year and bonding us to $250 million in debt.
 
B. One of the consequences of growth is a lack of affordable housing. How do you think the city should tackle the issue?

The city has failed so abysmally in this area that it’s best they do nothing more at all.
 
12. What role does the City of Missoula play in large scale environmental issues, like climate change, waste management, water quality, and habitat preservation?

None, though they often like to think they do.
 
13. In 2015, Missoula developed a “10-year Plan to End Homelessness”. What specifically would you do to ensure support for the Missoula Homeless community, and improve the safety net/ community approaches to local transient and permanent homeless populations?

Yeah, and since 2012 when that policy came out we’ve seen our homeless population go up by 265%. I firmly believe that if the Pov wasn’t allowing drunks to stay there and eat 3 squares a day for 45 days (and up to 65) then we wouldn’t have such a problem.
 
14. Is there an issue the Missoula City Council has failed to address? How would you address it?

Reducing the tax burden on hardworking Missoula families.
I’d address this by lowering  taxes, ending the love affair with bonding.