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Published on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 Gazette Opinion: State Senate denies voters local
control
Voters don't deserve the power to decide on
what type of local taxes should pay for city public services. That's what
a majority of Montana senators decided when they turned down Senate Bill
320 on Friday.Thirty-one senators voted against legislation that would have allowed local voters to enact a resort tax on nonessential purchases of things that tourists use, such as lodging, restaurant meals and vehicle rentals. Keep in mind, these senators didn't vote against imposing a tax; they voted against allowing Montana citizens to enact a resort tax in their city as an alternative to property taxation. Sixteen senators joined Sen. Kim Gillan, D-Billings, chief sponsor of SB320, in supporting local control. The SB320 supporters included Sens. Roy Brown, Jeff Essmann and Lynda Moss of Billings, as well as Sen. Bob Story of Park City and Sen. Sam Kitzenberg of Glasgow. Other yes votes came from Great Falls and Western Montana legislators. Three Republicans, 14 Democrats, city dwellers and rural residents. Bipartisan support, opposition Those 17 senators are to be commended. They voted for legislation that had been endorsed by cities across this state - cities struggling to pay for essential public services with lean local budgets while the Legislature ponders how to spend an unprecedented state revenue surplus. Those 17 senators supported legislation backed by the Billings City Council, Yellowstone County Commission, Big Sky Economic Development Authority and the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce. Yet even among Yellowstone County senators, half voted against SB320: Sens. Dan McGee, Lane Larson, Corey Stapleton and Kelly Gebhardt. Three Republicans, one Democrat. The "no" majority's reasons were the same old songs about wanting comprehensive tax reform and preventing city voters from enacting a tax that would apply to people outside the city. So cities are left with property tax as the primary means for paying for all services that growing communities and increasing numbers of visitors demand. Citizens who want municipal services and improvements should remember which senators have once again affirmed that property taxes are the way city dwellers will have to pay. For the past 20 years, spending on public services in Montana's largest cities has declined as a percentage of personal income, according to analysis by economist Larry Swanson of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West. Investment in city, county and school district infrastructure hasn't kept pace with growth. Swanson has noted a systematic disinvestment in city public services, even as the cities provide more jobs for people who commute from outlying regions. Eighty percent of Montanans live within 50 miles of the state's seven largest cities. Unprecedented collaboration If there is a silver lining to the demise of SB320, it is in the unusual collaboration between Billings-area organizations to develop legislation and the unified stand that cities including Billings, Livingston, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula and Kalispell took in promoting this legislation. City leaders and residents are recognizing the importance of investing in Montana's cities - the places where many of us live and most of us work. Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. Talk Back!Post your
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Thats why wrote on February 28, 2007 1:40 AM
we elected them, to keep the big cities fingers off any more of our money.   steve wrote on February 28, 2007 5:32 AM
Once again the Gazette comes out for another layer of taxes on the people of Montana (and every one else who shops in Montana). The local option sales tax would have been just another cash cow to use to bloat the salaries of an ever increasing number of government workers. Of The People wrote on February 28, 2007 7:17 AM
So what I'm hearing you say is that you, as an editorial board, are dissapointed that the citizens of Billings won't be allowed to vote to stick rural Montanans with a sales tax that will ultimately hurt Billings buisnesses. People don't have to come to Billings. They don't have to shop here, they don't have to visit here. Send the message to rural Montanans that you don't want them here and they'll be more than happy to oblige, by going elsewhere. And make no mistake, that's just the message SB320 would have encouraged Billings to send. Eric R. wrote on February 28, 2007 7:23 AM
Look, the MEA knows you fought hard for this but for Christ's sake already let it go! We don't want the tax, the our representatives won't force the tax so they've just have to suck it up and earn the money through better teaching and less striking. Billings Gazette Hypocrites wrote on February 28, 2007 7:52 AM
The liberal Billings Gazette editors are so phony! Just a few months ago they wrote to encourage our supreme court judges to DENY the voters of Montana the right the vote on a couple of conservative ballot measures. After the liberal judges DENIED the voters of Montana this opportunity to VOTE on these ballot measures the Billings Gazette wrote another editorial congratulating and kindly stroking the liberal judges on their decision to DENY the voters an opportunity to vote on these measures. Remember people, like the mainstream media, the Billings Gazette is LIBERAL and they are pushing their LIBERAL AGENDA. Count the daily Gazette editorial and Guest Editorials over a few month period of time -- they're mostly pushing the left-wing agenda and the Democrat talking points. Fire Kim Gillan! wrote on February 28, 2007 8:14 AM
I hope someone runs against Kim Gillan so that people in the district have a choice and can vote this tax and spend liberal out of office. WE HAVE A $1 BILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS AND KIM GILLAN CAN ONLY THINK OF ADDING MORE TAXES ON THE BACKS OF THE PEOPLE IN HER DISTRICT AND IN BILLINGS. I think Kim Gillan should be ashamed of her outrageous attempt to allow ANOTHER pipeline into her constituents bank accounts. It doesn't surprise me that the Billings Gazette is trying to prop up these tax and spend liberals. Lord knows the Billings Gazette isn't exactly a standard bearer when it comes to unbiased newspaper reporting and equal representation. The Billings Gazette is liberal and are promoting liberal causes (ie, more spending, more taxes). Tax & Spend Liberals wrote on February 28, 2007 9:13 AM
Why would any caring politician even consider adding another tax when the state has overcharged Montana taxpayers and is now sitting on a $1billion dollar SURPLUS? It just goes to show you, it doesn't matter how rich our government is, some uncaring politicians and the special interest groups they fight for will always try and get more! I think KIM GILLAN needs to go! forrest wrote on February 28, 2007 10:11 AM
Montana lives in the "dark ages".Local control has worked wonders in Whitefish. What Montana really needs is a state wide sales tax. The state is fifty years behind the times. |
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