Daily Interlake Photo of Gianforte
Hell’s Bells in a chimney – is everyone asleep at the wheel here?
I saw in a March 22 Daily Interlake article called Gianforte makes his case for state’s top office that Greg Gianforte thinks that capital gains taxes in Montana are too high.
You’ve got to be kidding me!
“I would do something like the tax simplification bill, bring tax rates down, bring [capital] gains down. I would work to eliminate the business equipment tax.”
I saw in a March 22 Daily Interlake article called Gianforte makes his case for state’s top office that Greg Gianforte thinks that capital gains taxes in Montana are too high.
You’ve got to be kidding me!
“I would do something like the tax simplification bill, bring tax rates down, bring [capital] gains down. I would work to eliminate the business equipment tax.”
The Gianforte tax policy?
Yeah, it's bad.
Obviously he hasn’t read my analysis of Montana capital gains taxes, which I profiled when I looked at all the income taxes we pay in Montana.
“The most alarming trend is how we’ve eliminated capital gains taxes, from 22% in 2014 to -2.5% in 2017,” I wrote in February 2015.
“We’re actually giving those rich folks money instead of taxing them. Why isn’t this being discussed in the newspapers?”
How does this help me?
Well, with the terrible state our newspapers are in here in Big Sky Country, we know they’re not looking. Their corporate bosses pay reporters not to look.
I hope someone holds Gianforte’s feet to the fire on this issue.
I mean, the guy wants to give more money to rich people!
That’s what negative capital gains tax rates are – a rebate to the rich!
Sheriff of Nottingham-style shit right there, by gosh.
Montana simply cannot afford to piss away anymore capital gains tax income so the rich can frolic in their gated-communities.
Using Gianforte’s Own Words Against Him
You just saw one example of using Gianforte’s words against him.
When you take facts and mix them with those words, you can actually create deliciously successful recipes for success.
Alas, this is a kooky political season.
Instead of focusing on tried and true ways to derail an opponent’s message while ensuring your victory, we’re slinging mud and talking about things that don’t matter.
I mean, I don’t see anything about this interview he did on Tuesday and I should.
This is a serious economic issue that makes it very difficult to carryout any kind of functional government plan should he get into office.
Folks, the state needs money to run.
Capital gains taxes are a way to bring that in, and a great way to alleviate pressure elsewhere.
And who’s gonna complain about taxin’ the rich? No one but the rich.
It’s a win-win situation!
So we need to focus on hitting Gianforte where it hurts…if that’s indeed the goal.
Hell, I don’t much care if Bullock is reelected, myself.
Nonetheless, I think one of the best of those ‘tried and true’ ways is to take a person’s words and use them against them.
Today we’ll do that with Greg Gianforte.
It’s quite simple, really – the Bozeman Daily Chronicle did a series of video interviews with Gianforte recently and you can see all of those on YouTube.
They cover the following issues:
Those are the short, 2-minute or so videos. There’s a longer 1 hour and 12 minute video…though I suspect only people paid to watch that will do so.
For the others, let’s dig in.
Gianforte on Public Lands
Let’s start with the 1:28 video on public lands, an issue that blue and red voters typically agree on.
He “loves our public lands” but admits that the “state does a better job than the federal government does.”
He doesn’t support transferring federal lands to the state at this time, mainly because he doesn’t “think it’s attainable.”
He does like the idea of “increased state management,” but just on a “pilot basis.”
He likes the proposals up in Lincoln County where “either the county commissioners or some new commission that gets set up” would actually manage those federal lands under contract.
Gianforte wants better land management so we’d reduce forest fires and have better opportunity for jobs.
I’m mainly concerned that he's just giving us campaign BS.
Gianforte on Economic Growth
Gianforte is a big proponent of entrepreneurs starting businesses. He thinks places like Malta will be saved by six families coming back each year to telecommute.
He believes this will fuel new construction jobs, more retail, and a lot of other business job growth.
He wants to “create a business environment that is friendly” to Montana businesses.
Still, we know that many businesses coming here don’t have a problem with the taxes.
Oftentimes they have a problem with the lackluster school funding, the falling-apart-roads, and, again, rich assholes getting a capital gains rebate every April.
Can Montana afford more of that?
I don’t think so. If the alternative is Bullock, however…well….let me think about it some more.
When you take facts and mix them with those words, you can actually create deliciously successful recipes for success.
Alas, this is a kooky political season.
Instead of focusing on tried and true ways to derail an opponent’s message while ensuring your victory, we’re slinging mud and talking about things that don’t matter.
I mean, I don’t see anything about this interview he did on Tuesday and I should.
This is a serious economic issue that makes it very difficult to carryout any kind of functional government plan should he get into office.
Folks, the state needs money to run.
Capital gains taxes are a way to bring that in, and a great way to alleviate pressure elsewhere.
And who’s gonna complain about taxin’ the rich? No one but the rich.
It’s a win-win situation!
So we need to focus on hitting Gianforte where it hurts…if that’s indeed the goal.
Hell, I don’t much care if Bullock is reelected, myself.
Nonetheless, I think one of the best of those ‘tried and true’ ways is to take a person’s words and use them against them.
Today we’ll do that with Greg Gianforte.
It’s quite simple, really – the Bozeman Daily Chronicle did a series of video interviews with Gianforte recently and you can see all of those on YouTube.
They cover the following issues:
- Gianforte on Economic Growth
- Gianforte on Public Lands
- Gianforte on his Faith/Non-Discrimination
- Gianforte on Guns Being on Campus
Those are the short, 2-minute or so videos. There’s a longer 1 hour and 12 minute video…though I suspect only people paid to watch that will do so.
For the others, let’s dig in.
Gianforte on Public Lands
Let’s start with the 1:28 video on public lands, an issue that blue and red voters typically agree on.
He “loves our public lands” but admits that the “state does a better job than the federal government does.”
He doesn’t support transferring federal lands to the state at this time, mainly because he doesn’t “think it’s attainable.”
He does like the idea of “increased state management,” but just on a “pilot basis.”
He likes the proposals up in Lincoln County where “either the county commissioners or some new commission that gets set up” would actually manage those federal lands under contract.
Gianforte wants better land management so we’d reduce forest fires and have better opportunity for jobs.
I’m mainly concerned that he's just giving us campaign BS.
Gianforte on Economic Growth
Gianforte is a big proponent of entrepreneurs starting businesses. He thinks places like Malta will be saved by six families coming back each year to telecommute.
He believes this will fuel new construction jobs, more retail, and a lot of other business job growth.
He wants to “create a business environment that is friendly” to Montana businesses.
Still, we know that many businesses coming here don’t have a problem with the taxes.
Oftentimes they have a problem with the lackluster school funding, the falling-apart-roads, and, again, rich assholes getting a capital gains rebate every April.
Can Montana afford more of that?
I don’t think so. If the alternative is Bullock, however…well….let me think about it some more.
Gianforte on His Faith
When it comes to issues of faith, Gianforte encourages anyone to talk with the hundreds and hundreds of employees he’s had to learn who he is.
He says he “tends to leave his personal things at home.”
He says “his faith is very important” to him and because of his Christianity, you “never have to worry if I’m telling the truth or not.”
He doesn’t agree with the “midnight executive order” of Bullock when it came to non-discrimination.
For Gianforte’s business, promotions and hirings were based on ability and whether they could do the job or not.
I wish the Democrats would realize there's nothing here.
Conclusion
And that’s about it for the videos.
For guns it was 20 seconds of him saying he supports the 2nd Amendment – there’s nothing there.
There’s nothing there over all for the whole damn hour and twelve minute video.
I’m sure Democrats will try to make a big huff out of nothing, but for the most part the guy’s clean.
I am concerned a bit with his answer on public lands, but jeez, shouldn’t we ignore that and just keep attacking his faith or his wealth?
That seems to be modus operandi at the Montana Democratic HQ in Helena.
If it doesn’t change, gosh, a lot of people might be looking for new jobs.
What a pity.
So…where does that leave us?
For guns it was 20 seconds of him saying he supports the 2nd Amendment – there’s nothing there.
There’s nothing there over all for the whole damn hour and twelve minute video.
I’m sure Democrats will try to make a big huff out of nothing, but for the most part the guy’s clean.
I am concerned a bit with his answer on public lands, but jeez, shouldn’t we ignore that and just keep attacking his faith or his wealth?
That seems to be modus operandi at the Montana Democratic HQ in Helena.
If it doesn’t change, gosh, a lot of people might be looking for new jobs.
What a pity.
So…where does that leave us?
Comments, as always, are open
