While President Trump, through his Republican controlled Congress, is doing his very best to turn our country into a sh*thole nation, the Republicans in Montana are also doing a pretty good job of turning Montana into a sh*thole state.

In the recent Special Session of the legislature, the Republican controlled House and Senate rebuffed Governor's Bullock's many ideas and ways to raise more revenue for Montana. Instead, your Republican legislators (locally, Rep. Ken Holmlund and Senator Eric Moore) preferred to not raise taxes or revenue, thereby, forcing Governor Bullock to make cuts to many existing Montana government programs that help people.

Currently in Montana, the most vulnerable of citizens, namely, the developmentally disabled and young pre-school children, are feeling the brutal brunt of the mandated budget cuts. However, there will most likely be more cuts that affect more people in the relatively near future if expenses outpace revenue -- which could happen in another bad fire season.

Here are a few news articles that report what is happening today, January 17, 2018. I'm sure the families of developmentally disabled children and pre-school children affected by these cuts in Montana's programs will verify that it is not fake news.

http://mtpr.org/post/budg...-six-times

http://www.greatfallstrib...038220001/

http://www.greatfallstrib...035464001/

Can you give us an example of a sh*thole country to compare this to? Can you give us an example of a sh*thole state to compare all of the to?

Is this how to Make America or Montana Great Again -- by cutting taxes to the point that government programs that help the most vulnerable citizens are no longer funded?

Take a look at what programs are being cut in Kentucky -- be sure to take special note of the education programs being cut!

https://kypolicy.org/gove...-programs/

In Montana in 2003, when Judy Martz was Governor, the state legislature cut taxes and it has taken awhile, but now the state is effectively broke. Without those tax cuts, Montana would be a billion dollars to the good right now. (See article/analysis below.)

http://www.montanabudget....t-release/

I don't call that Making Montana Great Again! Do you?

And, given the big tax cuts that Trump, and his Republican controlled Congress recently gave their crony billionaire corporate buddies (and donors), it will take some time -- but unless this tax policy (with its 1.5 trillion of added debt over ten years) is reversed, America will most definitely not be great again.

Can you answer a very simple question MCD? Just give us an example of the sh*thole country or countries you speak of and the sh*thole state(s) that you refer to.
This is a couple of extremely simple questions that personally I would like an answer to from you as you posted the your references and then you seem reluctant or refuse to clairify.
A young child can let you know when their diaper is dirty,this is just about as simple MCD. Name the country/countries you refer to and name the state or states you refer to in your post.

I'm pretty sure the answer is "Alabama"

RR01 wrote:

Can you answer a very simple question MCD? Just give us an example of the sh*thole country or countries you speak of and the sh*thole state(s) that you refer to.

I've read her post a couple of times and I don't see her referring to any other countries or states. She simply stated that current policies are going to turn the U.S. into a shithole country and Montana into a shithole state.

I wasn't referring to any particular country or state. In fact, I now regret using Trump's infamous word to describe what will happen to our nation and state as a result of really, really, bad Trump and GOP policies. As noted previously, currently, the most vulnerable here in Montana are feeling the brutal brunt of the program cuts -- namely, the developmentally disabled and pre-school children.

I know you don't like my imitating Trump's infamous word to describe these policies -- but what I'd love to know is how you feel about the developmentally disabled and pre-school children not getting the help they deserve and need?

I think the most vulnerable deserve better and they got better under tax policies and budgets passed by previous legislatures in Montana.

I'm sure the words of American Jesus will give great comfort to those losing funding:

"Procreate the poor, I got mine"

Cuts need to be made to balance a budget. Your right more cuts will be and should be made. Most of America feels we need to stop spending and printing money because we are broke. It's simple math. Government shut downs will continue. You can't throw your sucker in the dirt, every time you don't get your way. What gives the Dreamers or Ilegals the right to benefits that we as tax payers have built up for Our Citizens? There some programs that are great, but more waste than good, so they should die a natural death.

This discussion brings to mind several questions:
1. Should government (local, state, federal) develop and operate under a balanced budget? *Feel free to answer this question in regards to each of the three levels of government.

2. How should the officials in power achieve a balanced budget – IF you believe government should operate under a balanced budget.

3. IF you DON'T believe government should operate under a balanced budget, where should government obtain the operating funds?

*NOTE – Looking for some honest and achievable dialog here.

Yes,we should have balanced budgets at all levels of government.

It’s easy to accomplish. America needs to give up its colonizing ways and stop spending 2 billion dollars on airplanes that drop two million dollar bombs on two dollar pup-tents in the middle of a fukcing foreign desert. We’d have all the funds we need.

It seems President Trump did not even use the word sh!thole according to many who were at the meeting and questioned under oath.The news media certainly did not have any problem using the word though.Always trust the news media.They are your shepherd and expect you to be sheep.

I will respond.

1. I agree that state and local governments should balance their budgets, as they are already required to do. I believe that the federal government should strive towards a balanced budget. But in times of great calamity, such as world wars and great depressions/recessions, the federal government should not be hamstrung by some balance budget requirement. We needed deficit spending to win World War II, otherwise we would all be speaking German right now. Likewise, government spending was needed to stimulate the economy in the 1930s and 2008-2012. Keynesian economics works, as the real world examples show time and time again. The Democrats' stimulus package shaved off several years of recession, whereas the Germans' austerity program kept the EU in recession until just recently.

2. In more normal times, balancing the budget should be relatively trivial as it was up until 1996 (coincidentally, the year Fox News was founded) by our representatives coming to bipartisan agreements to fund each other's priorities, while making sacrifices of their own. It isn't that hard. AA good example of this is Chuck Schumer's offer of funding a wall* at the Mexican border in exchange for making the DACA program permanent. It is ideologues who insist all or nothing that ruin this country. Unfortunately, I see far more of them on the Republican side than I do on the left.

3. Where should the government obtain funds? In time of great calamity, borrowing it. In normal times, RAISE taxes. We don't pay nearly enough taxes for the government services that we enjoy.

RR01 wrote:

It seems President Trump did not even use the word sh!thole according to many who were at the meeting and questioned under oath.The news media certainly did not have any problem using the word though.Always trust the news media.They are your shepherd and expect you to be sheep.

This is fake news. Who has been "questioned under oath", pray tell?

The excuse Republicans are using is that the Big Cheeto said "Sh!thouse" not "Sh!thole." Which is incredibly lame. Sad.

Did President Trump say "sh!thole" or not. Pretty simple question.I really doubt if you were there gunner but would gladly say that she HE SAID SH!THOLE ep if given the chance lol.

Richard Bonine

Yes,we should have balanced budgets at all levels of government.

It’s easy to accomplish. America needs to give up its colonizing ways and stop spending 2 billion dollars on airplanes that drop two million dollar bombs on two dollar pup-tents in the middle of a fukcing foreign desert. We’d have all the funds we need.

Are you suggesting the USA should not have any war planes?

RR01 wrote:

Did President Trump say "sh!thole" or not. Pretty simple question.I really doubt if you were there gunner but would gladly say that she HE SAID SH!THOLE ep if given the chance lol.

I think this cartoon says it all.

RA wrote:

Richard Bonine

Yes,we should have balanced budgets at all levels of government.

It’s easy to accomplish. America needs to give up its colonizing ways and stop spending 2 billion dollars on airplanes that drop two million dollar bombs on two dollar pup-tents in the middle of a fukcing foreign desert. We’d have all the funds we need.

Are you suggesting the USA should not have any war planes?

I am suggesting a country that has been at war with somebody 222 of 239 years or 93% of its existence has a fundamental problem. If we decided to get along with the rest of the world and stop trying to colonize everything and everybody we and the rest of the world could have nice stuff.