By Pat Tucker, Hamilton
Do you enjoy our public lands for hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, snow mobiling, camping, four wheeling or just plain looking? If you do, vote Monica Tranel for Public Service Commissioner. It’s no secret her opponent, Jennifer Fielder, believes federal land should be turned over to the state. But guess what? Our state cannot afford them. Everyone knows that. So does Fielder. Have you ever tried to find wide open expanses of public lands in Ohio or Texas? You know why you can’t? Those states were given the federal lands that belonged to all of us when they became states. Then they sold them to private entities. Fielder knows that. Maybe, with the help of her funders such as the Koch Brothers, she can pay for safaris on private game ranges in Texas. I sure can’t. Monica Tranel is qualified for PSC and won’t be maneuvering the transfer of our public lands to wealthy out-of-staters and corporations. It doesn’t matter what party you align with. If you love Montana and her lands, you’ll vote for Tranel.