Montana needs to rise above party lines

When I was growing up in the Flathead Valley, I can't remember being assigned a red or blue desk in school. In fact, I don't recall ever hearing about people or states being referred to as blue or red along political party lines.

The first time I became aware of anything remotely political was when I was about 10 years old, playing in my grandfather's attic. I remember marveling at the discovery of a collection of "Taft for President" campaign buttons stored among the myriad of posters and memorabilia. The dusty Winter Carnival-like buttons were the only evidence of my grandfather's political support for Taft against Eisenhower in 1958.

When I was older and became an avid reader of history, I began to gain an appreciation for the political courage of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and, yes, Dwight Eisenhower (sorry Grandpa).

My attraction to these great leaders was never on the basis of a particular political party, but rather their uncompromising adherence to higher principles. So when I read political rhetoric about stopping the red-versus-blue "bickering" and the need for compromise, it makes me wonder: What exactly I am compromising.

I suppose a fundamental question may be the role of government itself. I believe the primary role of government is to ensure that opportunity and choice exist for all Americans through a fair and transparent form of democracy.

Our forefathers held the uncompromising view that we should be free to shape our own destiny, based on our hard work, self sacrifice, frugality, accountability and responsibility. In other words, they gave us our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; whether or not that pursuit succeeds is determined by our deeds and actions.

The principle of self-determination is a cornerstone of American values and not the exclusive domain of any political party. This belief in a "self-made person" is in sharp contrast to the position that the government is responsible for providing our happiness through entitlement programs.

The consequence of such policies is government dependence, loss of the freedom to choose our own destiny and a growing debt that will be left to our children. A government by the people is a government paid for by the people.

Unfortunately, in fiscal year 2007, Montana's government spending increased at more than five times the national average with a whopping 28.4 percent. To pay for the government excess, working Montanans pay one of the highest personal tax rates, small businesses are being driven out-of-state, and people are forced to sell their homes because they cannot afford to pay the property taxes.

In 1776, Jefferson would have called that form of government a tyrant. Quite simply, the entitlement-hungry ethos is digging at the foundation of our great nation.

Yes, government oversight is necessary to ensure clean air and water and a healthy forest, as Teddy Roosevelt (National Park System) and Richard Nixon (1970 Clean Air Act) championed.

Yes, the more money you make, the greater the tax obligation you have to the system that created the opportunity for you to prosper (Benjamin Franklin and Teddy Roosevelt).

And yes, both sides of the political aisle need to rise above petty differences to find reasonable solutions to complex problems.

But a government that compromises values, rewards mediocrity and penalizes incentive is a government unworthy of the American spirit. Montana has a history of not compromising her principles despite the pressure to do so.

One might recall Montana Congresswoman Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the sole vote against America entering the First World War. Regardless of whether one agrees with her position, her courage to stand her ground against intimidation is worthy of admiration.

The challenges Montana faces today are no less daunting and require the same courage and leadership to protect our freedom to chose our destiny. Property taxes, decent-paying jobs and water rights are among the issues that demand uncompromising leadership to protect our unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Reducing taxes, creating opportunity for all and checking out-of-control government spending are essential in ensuring our children can work, live and play in Montana. Like Jeanette Rankin, we have to have the courage not to compromise our principles for the sake of convenience.

Ryan Zinke, Whitefish, Republican candidate for Senate District 2.