Think before you Vote

Local elections hold immense meaning, especially now with the ideologies and philosophies on the proper role of government in our everyday lives polarized between a) obedient compliance and resigned dependency on one hand, and b) personal responsibility and self reliance on the other. I like to think of it as: a) is the left hand, and b) the right hand.

I believe that Americans are ingrained with a sense of independence; they believe they are free to act and do as they please with their own lives and personal property. We are all indebted to those fine fellows who, in the mid to late 1770’s and 1780’s codified those precepts, in the documents that established this unique constitutional republic [which some now misidentify as a democracy] – the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and ultimately the U.S. Constitution and the First Ten Amendments [Bill of Rights] - without which they would not have established unanimous support for Federalism. These documents CLEARLY spelled out our inalienable rights to liberty and freedom, and specified narrow limits that make ‘any’ government ‘good’, Federal or state. The U.S. Constitution protects the rights of all the States’ citizens from the tyranny of oppressive government.

Today, government and its agencies are everywhere in our lives, injected into our communities, our backyards, our homes, and how we raise our children. These policies come not from our founding principles, but from foreign concepts promulgated as ‘progressive’ and ‘for the common good’ and ‘globally beneficial’ – feel good collectivist jargon to help make the propaganda easier to swallow. I for one think this far out of line with the philosophy of freedom, liberty, personal responsibility and self reliance which I hold as my guide; that’s me, on the right hand.

The purpose of this letter is to encourage voters in our area to reflect seriously, think deeply on what they expect of and from government, and how much latitude, power, and intrusion into their personal lives they are willing to grant to government. Big government and an electorate ignorant of what model limited good government is seem to be the problems we need to correct. We need to elect people who understand and hold dear the principles of liberty and freedom; people who abide by the contents and intent of the principles of liberty outlined in the U.S. Declaration and codified in the U.S. Constitution.

That is why; on my ballot, I am filling in the ovals next to names I know and trust to be honest, and true to the right principles, who hold respect for their neighbors and community, who have shown by words and their actions their dedication to the success and prosperity for all in Sanders County, Montana, and U.S.A.

Voter Guide:

Vote Freedom 

Federal

President - Mitt Romney

Vice President - Paul Ryan

U.S. Senate - Denny Rehberg

U.S. House of Representatives - Steve Daines

Montana State Offices

Governor - Rick Hill

Lieutenant Governor - Jon Sonju

Attorney General - Tim Fox

State Auditor - Derek Skees

Secretary of State - Brad Johnson

Superintendent of Public Instruction - Sandy Welch

Public Service Commission Dist 4 - Bob Lake

Supreme Court Justice #5 - Laurie McKinnon

Supreme Court Justice #6 DO NOT RETAIN Brian Morris

Clerk of the Supreme Court - Mike Fellows

District Court Judge Dist 20 Dept 2 - ‘Kim’ Christopher

Senate District 07 - Jennifer Fielder

State Representative HD13 - Pat Ingraham

State Representative HD14 - Nicholas Schwaderer

Sanders County Offices

Commissioner Dist. 1 - Greg Hinkle

County Public Administrator - Ron Olfert

Clerk of District Court - Diane Rummel

Montana Legislative Referendums

I 120—Vote FOR requiring parental notification prior to abortion for a minor, providing for judicial waiver of notification, repealing prior statutes and providing penalties.

I 121—Vote FOR denying certain state services to illegal aliens.

I 122—Vote FOR prohibiting the state or federal government from mandating the purchase of health insurance or imposing penalties for decisions related to purchasing health insurance.

I 124—Vote FOR Senate Bill 423, a bill which repeals I-148 and enacts a new medical marijuana program.

I 166—Vote AGAINST charging Montana elected and appointed officials, state and federal, with implementing a policy that corporations are not human beings with constitutional rights*.
*I-166 seeks to impair numerous US Supreme Court decisions that collectively span nearly 200 years. In each case, the Court has consistently, and emphatically, recognized that a corporation has many of the same rights as a natural person. Corporations can buy-sell property, have contracts, be sued and exercise free speech, just like an individual. Therefore, how can we restrict those rights on corporations? Granted some out there do not work in our best interests (Monsanto) but there are those that do. Taking away their "rights" just does not fit within the confines of the Constitution.