Election 2024: Senate District 2, Doug Adams
Editor’s note:
The Hungry Horse News sent a questionnaire to the Senate District 2 candidates who are running for election this year. The newly formed district includes Columbia Falls, Whitefish and the Canyon.
Doug Adams, Republican
Personal background: I majored in Landscape Design at Auburn University. I’ve lived in Montana for 24 years. I own a landscape company, Scapes Inc. I live with my wife in Haskill Basin. I have three grown sons, the youngest of which is a sophomore in college. I like to ski and whitewater raft. I enjoy gardening. My wife and I sing with the Glacier Symphony and Chorale. I serve on the Flathead County Libraries Board of Trustees. Please see the bio page on my campaign website, adamsforsd2.com, for additional community involvement
What, in your opinion, makes you qualified to be lawmaker?
I have proven, through past and current positions, that I have the temperament to withstand withering criticisms, the ability to collaborate with those who have different opinions, and the perseverance to accomplish goals. I don’t want to be the kind of lawmaker that tries to see how many bills he can pass into law. I’ll be judicious in that regard, because additional laws are not always the answer. But the most important reason that I’ll be a good senator is that I won’t be an advocate for state government, I’ll be an advocate for the people who live here and pay the government’s bills. It seems to me that most elected officials want to solve problems, but they don’t really know how. They end up making more and more laws and spending more and more money to treat the symptoms instead of addressing the real problems. I will look for the real source of the problems and propose real solutions.
What separates you from your opponent?
Most of this question was answered in 2. above, but let me explain a little more: my goal is not to figure out how to squeeze more blood (money) out of a turnip (the taxpayer) in order to support our government. My goal is to have the government spend less money so you keep more in your pocket. Many lawmakers turn into government advocates instead of advocates for the citizens. It seems to be an innate trait in governments that they think people are too stupid to manage their own lives, so the government will manage our lives for us. Is it true? Are we too stupid, or lazy, or ignorant to manage our own lives? Do you need a government sugar daddy? Do we need the government to force us to give them our retirement savings for safe keeping, to tell us what kind of appliances we can use or what kind of cars we can drive, what kind of light bulbs to use? Do bureaucrats who’ve never held a job in the private sector know more about running a business or paying bills than you do?
Do you have specific goals if elected?
My primary goal is to lower the state budget and lower your taxes. I particularly want to outlaw taxation of Social Security benefits. Not everyone retires as a millionaire. Most retirees need all the money that they paid into Social Security--and have already paid taxes on.
Property taxes have been one of the most important topics in the past few years. How could the state help in lowering them?
The governor’s Tax Task Force made several recommendations that would lower residential tax bills. That’s a step in the right direction. But the only real way to lower property and income taxes is to spend less, which means the state budget has to decrease. I won’t vote for any state budget that isn’t smaller than the previous year. Remember, just because the state Constitution requires a balanced budget, it doesn’t mean that it’s not bloated.
Do you support CI-128 (the Constitutional Initiative on abortion rights)
No. Our state Supreme Court justifies abortion because of our right to privacy. That’s an amazing stretch to connect those dots. Using that argument, I should be allowed to murder someone as long as I do it privately. The only difference between abortion and murder is the age of the victim. The problem here is that many people don’t see an unborn baby as a separate life. Having been faced with the situation myself, I know the dilemma well, and when I had to choose, my eyes were opened. I made a 180 degree change in my belief. I chose life.
Do you support CI-126 (open primaries)?
No! This will guarantee that no one gets the type of candidate that they desire to be elected. Instead, everyone on the left and the right will be dissatisfied. Look at examples like Alaska. Those who are in the middle of the pack are the ones who get elected. Mediocrity at its finest. I understand that everyone is tired of the huge political divide and what some view as extremists. But C-126 is not the solution. People should be very careful when making significant changes to our Constitution. Question the motives, the origins, the funding. If most of the funding for the initiative is from out of state, ask yourself, do I want people from out of state telling me how I should be allowed to elect my government officials?
Do you support C1-127 (majority vote elections)?
No. Though perhaps not as dangerous and regrettable as CI-126, it will cost more of your tax dollars to conduct elections. It will take longer to finalize the results because run-offs will become standard. This means you’ll quite likely have to vote three times (primary, general election, and run-off), and you’ll have to endure a longer campaign season. There will be less time for the winners to attend orientation to learn procedures before taking office. And if CI-126 passes, the problem will just be magnified.
What do you see as the top priorities for the next legislative session?
The top priority has to be lowering taxes. I predict that there will be many, many bills to address this, but very few real solutions. Why? Most legislators will be intent on just moving money around, which means if one sector gets relief, another sector will have to pay for the difference. You know what the real solution is, don’t you?