Montana governor builds surplus with ranch mentality

[ZombieHorde]

Last edited Mon Jan 2, 2012, 02:57 PM - Edit history (1)

By Christopher Palmeri

~snip~

While other governors commonly say they run their states like a business, Schweitzer, a 56-year-old Democrat, calls his management style “running government like a ranch.” Montana was one of only two states to report surpluses from 2009 to 2011, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The other was North Dakota.

Rising tax collections on individual income, corporate licenses, oil and gas production and insurance will leave $427 million to spare at the end of June 2013, according to a Dec. 5 report by the Legislative Fiscal Division, almost three times what was forecast earlier this year.

~snip~

Schweitzer 2016.

edit to add link (doh!) http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111231/NEWS0107/112310314/0/NEWS01

[tabatha]

1. Good for him.

Possibly I was wrong for thinking he was a DINO at one time.

[yourout]

2. The guy is a great interview and might be a future nationwide figure.

[murielm99]

8. He is a great speaker, too.

He was the featured speaker at Governor's Day in Illinois last year. I loved how he spoke about the history of government health care in Canada. He knows we could do the same thing in the U.S.

Also, he spoke about all the teabaggers he had to put up with after the last election. He got very, very busy with his veto pen.

This guy is no Dino.

[hfojvt]

17. How does building a surplus make him less of a DINO?

Last edited Wed Jan 15, 2014, 11:13 AM - Edit history (2)

DINOs are all about "fiscal conservatism".

The poverty rate in Montana for families in 2009 was 9.93%.

Perhaps some of that surplus should be spent to help the poor.

In 2002, a family of three got $494 a month in TANF in Montana, this fell to $405 in 2005 and rose to $472 in 2008. Still puts Montana behind neighboring SD which pays $539 and ND which pays $477 and Wyoming which pays $506. But way ahead of Idaho which only pays $309. http://www.cbpp.org/pdf/11-24-08tanf.pdf

This note does not sit well with me "Made its personal income tax rate structure less progressive by reducing the number of brackets
and lowering income tax rates"

http://www.itepnet.org/wp2009/mt_whopays_factsheet.pdf

Schweitzer has been Governor since 2005.

In typical DINO fashion, Schweitzer claims he will create jobs by "cutting taxes for businesses".

"Tax cuts for businesses: Schweitzer called for eliminating the property tax on business equipment over three years for companies with up to $1 million worth of equipment. When fully implemented, that would exempt 98.6 percent of Montana businesses - all but the largest 425 companies in the state - from paying the tax.

The amount of equipment exempt from taxation, now $20,000 per business, would rise to $200,000 in 2012, $500,000 in 2013 and $1 million by 2014. The governor's budget allocates $22 million over the next two years to pay for the reduction."

Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_885c48f0-f853-11df-9595-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1iKaknE15

Certainly sounds like a Republican on economic and tax policy.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Before I even clicked on your thread, I knew you were talking about Schweitzer.

I have a lot of respect for him, and I would love to see him become a national figure.

Oh yes.

[JHB]

4. link?

[ZombieHorde]

15. Here, and added to OP.

Sorry, and thanks for the heads up.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111231/NEWS0107/112310314/0/NEWS01

[Cleita]

5. I wish he'd run for President in 2016. n/t

[gateley]

7. I'd love that, but I don't think he wants to put up with all the BS that would

entail.

[gateley]

6. I love Schweitzer! Whenever I meet someone from MT I just GUSH about him!

If we could just disabuse him of his belief in "clean coal".

[jmowreader]

9. Isn't Schweitzer the most popular governor in America?

I can only imagine how he'd do as president. I once called Schweitzer "the George W. Bush they sold us." Think back to all the shit they said about Bush--businessman, rancher, this, that and the other thing--and that's exactly who Schweitzer is. The Bush we got is a drunk who got through Harvard with a record of Gentleman's C's, is afraid of horses and bankrupts oil companies. Schweitzer, OTOH, is successful at all those things.

He also has THE most tolerant wife in the entire world: if you read Schweitzer's history, they spent their honeymoon buying a center-pivot sprinkler system for their farm. No wife considers an ag-equipment dealership a great honeymoon destination, with the exception of Nancy Schweitzer.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

10. I hope he replaces old Max "Pharma Is My God" Baucus someday

Hell, I wish he'd replace him right now.

[Zorra]

11. I like the Guv. But...

He has been skirting the same sex marriage issue.

Before I can support him as candidate for Prez I need to see a clear, succinct, and sincere statement on his positon on same sex marriage.

Like "I definitely support same sex marriage".

We don't need any more weasel speak on any issues.

I want a candidate that says what they mean and means what they say.

[i_sometimes]

14. So Obama is out for you?

You mention weasel speak and a candidate that says what they mean and mean what they say...
And the President, well, you know.....

[ZombieHorde]

16. You're right, he has been playing it "safe" on that issue.

I don't know which way he would go on civil rights.

I would not blame anyone for not supporting a candidate that did not support their basic rights.

[Ptah]

12. Keystone XL pipeline permit OK’d for Montana, Gov. Schweitzer says

Keystone XL pipeline permit OK’d for Montana, Gov. Schweitzer says
By Phil Drake on December 16, 2011

http://montana.watchdog.org/2011/12/16/keystone-xl-pipeline-permit-okd-for-montana-governor-says/

By PHIL DRAKE
HELENA –The Keystone XL pipeline will receive a permit from the state of Montana in the next
few weeks allowing it to work on a project that stretches 1,691 miles from Canada to Texas,
bringing nearly $1 billion in construction to Montana and 1,200 jobs once the project clears
federal hurdles, Gov. Brian Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer said Thursday that Keystone’s owners, TransCanada, have fulfilled their obligations
under Montana’s Major Facility Siting Act (MFSA). He said the Montana Department of Environmental
Quality will issue the company its permit for the $7 billion project.

<snio>

The pipeline has met opposition in some states as well. In November, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman
signed a bill requiring the bill to bypass the state’s Sandhills area.

Schweitzer on Thursday criticized Nebraska for causing delays to the project.

-----------------------------

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. ...