Issue Position: Government Spending

Issue Position

Like most Montanans, I was raised not to spend outside my budget. I want to see to it that Helena does the same, because Helena, like Washington D.C., has a spending problem. The state fund comes from taxes paid by hard working Montana citizens and businesses, and it is not a piggy bank to be broken into for progressive pipedreams and increased bureaucracy. I can't run my house or a business spending this way, and neither should the legislature. Just because Montana receives X in taxes does not mean it must spend X in appropriations. Essential state appropriations must occur, but the legislature has a responsibility to save tax revenue in case of hard times or better yet, return unspent tax dollars to the taxpayers because it is their money in the first place. Montana is currently facing a budget crisis. At last estimate, Montana is facing a $366 million budget shortfall as a result of increased spending. This shortfall will have to be made up with either budget cuts, tax increases, or both. With some fiscal restraint, we can ensure this does not happen again. I will work to ensure that the Montana Legislature exercises true fiscal responsibility and restraint.

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