Rep. Sales: Too much growth in Montana government

By JOE SOVA

Hungry Horse News

Fresh from the special session of the Montana State Legislature, Speaker of the House Scott Sales visited Columbia Falls for a discussion of the state budget and other important issues.

In speaking of the state budget, Republican Rep. Sales said there is a "tremendous surplus" — $1.4 billion.

"We [Republicans] believe it belongs to the people who paid it in," Sales said.

Homeowners in Montana are getting a one-time property tax rebate, but Sales believes citizens should get more.

"We went toe-to-toe with the Democrats on how the money would be spent," Sales said of the surplus.

Aside from the property tax rebates, Sales said the governor "spent the other $1.2 billion." He said there was a 23 percent increase in spending by the State Legislature. Sales said the Republicans' budget showed only a 6 percent increase.

"We've seen government grow by 40-plus percent under Gov. Schweitzer," Sales said. "It's not responsible, it's not sustainable. Government is growing faster than the private sector."

Sales said that the lion's share of additional legislative allocations went to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). State education received an increase, but substantially smaller than HHS.

"All these agencies need more money," Sales said.

The State Senate is controlled by the Democrats and Republicans are plus-one in the House. Sales said that during the last two legislative sessions, the Democrat-Republican ratio has become much tighter. He said that when districts were "redrawn" in 2004, that made it "extremely competitive."

In speaking of his party, the Republicans, they did not deliver what they promised, according to Sales.

"We've seen government growth under Republican control, too," he said. "President Bush is the biggest spender since Lyndon Johnson.

"We've taken a much more focused approach to that," Sales said of restricting government growth.

Sales said the state education did not get as much funding as he would have liked.

"They (the Legislature) didn't come through as much for education as the rhetoric claimed," he said. "We [Republicans] were going to get rid of those local mils and put more state money in."

Montana ranks near the bottom in the nation in average income.

"We're not a high-payroll state," Sales said. "Most Montanans are underpaid."

The Congressman believes in the need for qualified teachers and a quality education.

"We've put a premium on our students," Sales said, adding that there is $8,000 spent on each student in the state each year, putting Montana "in the middle of pack" on a national level.