by Helen Sabin, Corvallis
At the March 24 Hamilton Republican Women’s Club debate, voters in Senate District 43 – Corvallis, Hamilton, Darby, Conner, and Sula, saw a clear contrast in how two candidates approach serious decisions.
Both Kathy Love and David Bedey are running for the SD43 senate seat. When asked about their votes on HB 7 and HB 8 that are bills funding repair and maintenance of infrastructure across Montana, including Painted Rocks Dam, the difference between them was significant and shocking.
Rep. Bedey voted yes on the bills. Rep. Love voted no. She explained that she believed the bills would pass regardless of her vote and that she did so to oppose the financing method, suggesting the legislature use the state’s rainy-day reserve to fund repairs instead of long-term bonds.
That distinction deserves careful attention and common sense to be applied.
Infrastructure like dams, roads, and bridges lasts decades. Because of that, it is typically financed over time using long-term bonds. This spreads costs across the generations who benefit from the project rather than placing the entire cost burden on taxpayers today.
HB 8 follows that model, using long-term financing at relatively low interest rates – up to 30 yrs @ 3% interest.
Bedey’s approach matches “cost with useful life,” avoids large upfront financial strain on taxpayers today and preserves financial stability. This is widely accepted budgeting practice and many states use it.
Montana’s rainy-day fund or as it’s called the “Budget Stabilization Reserve,” exists for a different purpose. It is used to offset revenue shortfalls, have money to respond to emergencies, such as the Painted Rocks Dam overflowing, and be able to maintain essential services during downturns in the economy.
Love ignores or doesn’t know that using those rainy-day funds for planned, “long-term infrastructure projects” does not eliminate cost but instead it reduces the state’s financial cushion and limits flexibility when an actual emergency occurs. In plain words she doesn’t understand fiscal management.
Love is not only ignorant of budgeting and investing principles, but Montana history. The Blackfeet reservation experienced the consequences of infrastructure failure big time in 1964 when the Swift and Two Medicine dams failed. Both like Painted Rocks were “earthen dams” built a long time ago.
Thirty lives were lost. Damages exceeded $60 million or roughly $600 million today.
Painted Rocks is a HIGH HAZARD dam! Thus, budgeting must be grounded in results and research, not slogans like when Love suggested we follow the “Kansas experiment” (2012–2017).
Their action to cut taxes by reducing government spending that is Love’s campaign slogan, led to such significant fiscal stress on the state that in 2018, the state instituted the largest tax hike in history. And she wants us to follow what they did? Seriously?
This race comes down to judgment and choice. You decide.
Should Montana finance long-term infrastructure in a way that spreads cost fairly across time and keeps reserves safe, or spend funds intended for emergencies?
On June 2, voters in SD43 will decide which approach better protects the Bitterroot Valley both today, and in the years ahead.
Common sense states that you choose the best way to finance the needed repairs at Painted Rocks and do it efficiently. You protect Montanans by good financial planning not emptying the very fund meant for emergencies.
Montanans deserve leaders who know about financing and act like it. Choose carefully June 2!
Love has voted twenty-two times to hurt her own constituents. This is just act one. Act two -coming up and voters will NOT be happy to see what she did to make them pay more taxes.
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