Tester deserves our thanks

by Carlotta Grandstaff, Hamilton

Sen. Jon Tester deserves a huge thank you from his constituents for successfully practicing the hard work of democracy and getting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act negotiated, adopted and signed into law.

As a former Ravalli County commissioner, I know how extraordinary difficult it is to find the money to complete the simplest of repair work on our bridges and maintenance of our roads. Our county road and bridge taxes are simply inadequate to keep our roads and bridges in sound repair as everyone who drives Ravalli County roads knows all too well. This bill will go a long way to repairing our aging infrastructure. As Sen. Tester said, our infrastructure was built by our parents and grandparents, and to that I can add that it’s now our responsibility to honor our parents’ and grandparents’ belief in the future of this country, by building on their success and bringing our infrastructure into the 21st century.

Broadband internet, also a part of the bill, is critical infrastructure in and of itself and will boost local business, just as the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 brought such a necessary utility as electricity to rural America in the 20th century. Can anyone these days make an argument that the 1936 REA bill was a bad idea? That was 85 years ago. Isn’t it our time and our job to lay the necessary groundwork for continued business success as Congress did for us in 1936?

It’s a terrible shame that our Republican representatives, Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Matt Rosendale, opted to vote against a bill that will bring jobs to Montana, as well, of course, as safer roads, tunnels, bridges, water mains, sewage systems and everything else we rely on to live comfortably and productively. Instead, they chose to take their marching orders from Republican Party leaders whose sole political interest lies not in getting things done for their constituents, but in hanging on to their fragile grip on power. But count on both Daines and Rosendale to show up and take the credit at the first road or bridge or rural internet project ribbon-cutting ceremony in Montana. And when they do let’s remember they voted against the bill and let’s ask them why.

Thankfully, we have a representative in Jon Tester who’s willing to work with both Democrats and Republicans to do what’s best for his constituents, for Montana and for the country, and not for his party.