Candidates share their views at forum

Last Thursday, candidates from area House Districts and candidates in the county commissioner race met at Glacier Discovery Square to share their views with voters.

Moderated by Columbia Falls High School teacher Michael Christensen, the question-and-answer style forum gave candidates for office a chance to answer questions about taxes, education funding, job generation and even the state's sodomy law, which has been ruled unconstitutional by the Montana Supreme Court. The House District 3 candidates were in the hot seat for about an hour.

To start the session, Christensen led off with a question about the difficult economic situation Montana finds itself in and what candidates intend to about it. Unemployment in Flathead County has hovered consistently above 10 percent for months.

"When I'm out knocking on doors, the primary concern is the economy and jobs," said Democratic candidate Zac Perry. "We need to create quality jobs. Small business is very important to this district. Industry is important as well. How do we get those businesses here?"

Perry suggested a business equipment tax exemption for the first three years while a business is establishing itself.

Republican candidate Jerry O'Neil did not agree with Perry's point of view.

"It's not the state government's choice which businesses win or lose," O'Neil said. "We should treat all businesses the same and get out of their way as much as possible so they can make a profit."

Besides reducing business regulations, O'Neil said the state must improve the quality of its jobs and businesses must pay their employees more before tackling unemployment.

Shawn Guymon, running as an independent, feels the state is unfair in its regulation of businesses.

"If 'regulations' are not doing any good, they're hindering business," he said. "We have lost 50 percent of our industry in this state. How much more can we lose?"

Guymon said Montana is No. 2 in the nation in worker's compensation claims, something that must be reduced.

To reduce or slow property taxes, Guymon suggested reinstated tax caps.

O'Neil said that the most recent property tax reappraisal should be reassessed to factor in the housing bubble burst. He also said the biggest line item on property taxes is the cost of education. O'Neil advocates for allowing school administrators to hire people not professionally trained as teachers but who may be extremely knowledgeable in certain areas, such as business, to teach a class or two.

Perry said he's in favor of a 3 percent cap on property taxes for primary residents. He said he's in favor of more frequent property tax reappraisals.

When asked about education funding, Perry replied, "Education is a priority. We need to address the crisis in education funding and make sure uncollected taxes go back to education instead of the 'state's' general fund where it's up for grabs. That wouldn't raise property taxes."

Jerry O'Neil suggested that Montana allow faster development of coal and petroleum deposits while taxing that development and provide Montana residents with a better way of life.

"The education fund must be taken out of he general fund," Guymon said. "There are too many sticky fingers."

Guymon would like to see education supported through gambling revenue and by the public. He said if wages increase in the state, more people will sponsor education.

On the subject of medical marijuana, all three candidates agreed that the current system is a mess.

"Certain people wanted to make it a mess," Guymon said. "Every bill that goes forward gets fine-tooth combed by the legal beagles in Helena. We need to do a better job of putting this together this time around."

O'Neil said he'd like to sponsor a bill restricting consumption to one's personal residence. In a convoluted explanation, he also said the state should require that no children be present during consumption of medical marijuana.

"The people of Montana voted for medical marijuana," Perry said. "We need to regulate the heck out it, know who's growing it, keep it out of schools and reform the legislation as its written to make is so not everyone who's coughing can get a card."

When the topic of the GOP's stance on homosexuality came up, the candidates shifted uncomfortably in their seats. While Montana's sodomy law has been ruled unconstitutional by the state's Supreme Court, the legislature has refused to remove the law from the books.

"Are we going to spend money going around arresting gays and lesbians," Perry asked. He's firmly against making homosexuality illegal.

"The biggest reason (lawmakers' left they law on the books is they didn't want teachers teaching that homosexuality is a preferred lifestyle," O'Neil said. "I personally don't want my grandchildren taught that."

Guymon rightly proclaimed the topic the 800-pound gorilla in the room.

"The (gay) community is asking for more rights than they actually have," Guymon said. "They have the same inalienable rights that all Americans enjoy. Not more, not less. We should not as a society judge them for their choice in lifestyle any more than they should judge us."

To end the questioning, Christensen read a question from the audience: What do you really believe in?

"I believe in our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence, our Bill of Rights, what our Founding Fathers fought for, even died for," Guymon said. "These truths must be upheld."

"I believe in liberty and freedom," O'Neil said. "I'd like to get down to three branches of government instead of five. We should have the right to engage in the business of our choice and make a profit."

"I believe in the community that makes up this district," Perry said. "I will make the concerns of House District 3 are addressed. I will focus on quality job creation, insure quality education and give homeowners and businesses a fair shake."

Joe Brenneman and Pam Holmquist were present to answer questions about their bids for the county commissioner seat. Brenneman, a Democrat, is the incumbent.

Brenneman said that during his time as commissioner, the county, for the first time since the Great Depression, has a good budget. He touted the commissioners' recent successes with the new 911 call center, preservation of rivers and handling the stormwater run-off situation in Bigfork.

Republican candidate Pam Holmquist said there are more problems than solutions. She drew on her own experience as a business owner.

"I know what it means to treat people with respect and maintain a budget," she said.

She cited 10 percent unemployment, an "exploding" budget, deteriorating roads and a lack of leadership as problems Flathead County faces.

When asked about the county's crippled real estate and construction industries, the candidates provided very different answers.

"Our economy needs three legs to it," Brenneman said. "We need to promote this area as a regional trade center. We need to promote it as an area full of good health care. We need to enhance the local industries of agriculture and logging."

Holmquist said the Port Authority should use the two mills it receives to offer discounted tickets to tourists and business people flying in. She would like to see the county feature a business on its website monthly.

Christensen ended the commissioner session with the same question he posed to the House District 3 candidates: What do you really believe in?

"I ran for county commissioner because this is my family's home," Brenneman said. "If we work together, we can keep this area what it's been. We need some common sense, practical growth plans, transportation plans."

Holmquist replied, "I have the wherewithal to listen and to follow laws. I don't disenfranchise voters in a doughnut area. I won't let the county budget balloon in six years."