For the most part I like and support our Governor Steve Bullock and I’ve heard in his reelection rhetoric him talking about new business starts and the ease of doing business in Montana. I can’t speak about the business starts but I can speak about the ease of doing business here, and sorry, Gov, but it ain’t so. It’s a bureaucratic nightmare.
Five years ago my wife and I started a restaurant here in Stevensville. It took six months and at least four returns and requests for more information to purchase our beer & wine license which cost almost $5,000. When we started all the documents were in my name, and now after five years I want to make my wife officially my 50/50 partner, including the beer & wine license (which, technically, I own). When I informed the Department of Justice Gambling Control Division of my intention I was told I had to start the application process all over again. This go around only cost $427 plus the $25 fee for finger printing. Several weeks later I’m on my third return letter requesting more information and small changes in the application form. Remember, this is only a modification to an existing active license that already passed Justice Department and Revenue Department reviews.
I’m not saying the employees of the Justice Department Gambling Control Division and the Department of Revenue are doing anything wrong, after all, they’re just following a set of overly complicated, redundant, expensive, intimidating, bureaucratic rules. Part of the problem is these departments aren’t even in the same building and apparently don’t share information very well. Another part of the problem is that we (the citizens) have allowed our government (both Republican and Democrat officials) to create a self-serving juggernaut of a state bureaucracy.
When an unscrupulous contractor takes advantage of an elderly person, the Department of Justice will tell you, ‘You made a bad business decision’ and there aren’t any significant ‘white collar crime’ laws to protect you, but when you go to change your license, the magnifying glasses and microscopes come out in force.
I hope when Governor Bullock leaves public office he and his family buy a small bar & grill somewhere requiring a liquor license and then let’s see if he still feels it’s easy to do business in Montana.
Rich Marcus
Stevensville