Lack of media scrutiny skews local races

One thing that dramatically differentiates local political races from national campaigns is the virtual absence of media inquiry into the backgrounds and records of office seekers.

There is little or no basic fact-checking to see if a candidate's public statements reconcile with their deeds. Candidates with deep pockets have a significant advantage; they can pump as much money as they wish into their own campaigns to shape the public's perception of them and their positions.

Such is the case in the State Senate District 3 race. With relatively little effort, as the Whitefish Pilot commendably did, one can find verifiable information that my opponent, Republican Bruce Tutvedt, has personally benefited in recent years to the tune of more than half a million dollars from a government giveaway program that is so wasteful that Ronald Reagan opposed it and John McCain says it should be eliminated.

This agriculture-subsidy program adds extra expense to the food we all buy and flies in the face of the kind of free-market economic policies my opponent claims he favors. He says he wants smaller government and lower taxes, yet he prospers from a program that's a symbol for big government and higher taxes.

Some conservatives even call it a form of socialism. If my opponent believes what's good for the goose is good for the gander, one can only wonder what kind of wasteful programs he would promote in Helena if elected.

My record of public service is an open book. Speak with anyone with whom I've served on a local board and ask them if I've tried to push a personal agenda. The answer will be "no". Ask them if I have always strived in a non-partisan way to seek consensus on important issues. The answer will be "yes".

My family's lifestyle is a model of living within our means and balancing our budget with the financial resources we have at hand. That's the kind of prudent philosophy that will guide me if elected. I don't have the deep pockets to create an image of myself that is inconsistent with the facts, but I don't have to.

Mark Holston is the Democratic candidate for State Senate District 3.