We need to hold politicians accountable and look at their track record. They know the buzzwords and use them to get re-elected.
Take Sen. Edie McClafferty, who recently announced her re-election candidacy. Once again she pledged to support veterans, but her record suggests she does not. During the last session, a bill came up to not tax the retirement of military veterans. Per Capita, Montana has one of the highest veteran populations, and well-trained veterans still have 20 or more years to contribute to the state’s economy and be active members of their communities. Yet many veterans who would like to move to Montana choose other states that don’t tax their retirement pay.
Montana veterans were asked to contact their reps for support on this issue. I made repeated calls to McClafferty only to have her ignore them. I explained I had info critical to this bill which would also help Montana fill critical jobs statewide.
I am astounded that McClafferty, a teacher who daily provides our youth info to make better, well informed decisions, chose not to be educated on this issue. Even worse, she voted against the bill.
Military members continue to deploy at high rates, constantly away from their families. We look forward to retiring in areas that support family values and being outdoors. Is McClafferty a rep who supports veterans? No!
When you compare her to Rep. Greg DeVries and his controversial opinions, she appears to be a solid candidate. But we need politicians we can trust. We vote for them to represent us, not their own agendas. – Peter Gardzina, Clancy
