Need to get this off my chest!

[Griz til I die]

I am VERY terrified for the next 4 years with Gianforte as governor. I realize we all have different political views and different things that are important to us, but as an avid outdoorsmen and fishermen, his view on public lands and stream access horrify me. COVID has me a little bit concerned too, it’s obviously not good right now, but I feel it will be way worse if Gianforte lifts the restrictions. Plus god only knows what his views are on a sales tax. Anybody share my same feelings? Disagreements?

You obviously don't know his views on public lands and steam access.

Gianforte probably hunts and fishes, and hikes and camps, more than you do.

Again, I know him well. Try to prove your point. Happy to listen and respond.

Ya I know he hunts a lot, I’ve seen the pictures. I think a lot of times as governor your views on things seem (at least to me) skewed off of how the legislature feels about certain things. Idk what their exact views are on public lands, but I feel like there’s many of them that are anti-stream access and you look at this project going on on the Madison river (if you’ve been following it), they’re trying to cap the number of guide and outfitter days on the river, while also implementing a citizens day that allows only Montana residents to fish certain parts of the Madison. Similar to what happens on the big hole and beaverhead. So that it gives Montanans an opportunity to fish an extremely busy river that is incredibly packed and hard to get onto and float.

It’s been an extremely slow moving process. The commission voted on Wednesday to approve it, but delayed implementation until 2022, which we still really don’t know why. My question for you PR is, if Gianforte is as big of an outdoorsmen as you claim he is, will he (and his new commission) support this bill moving forward, or will they choose to potentially reverse course on this and fuck over Montana outdoorsmen?

 

[Griz til I die]

You’re trying to say their should only be a sales tax for out of staters? I’ve never heard of that anywhere. I’ve gotten tax exemption in Washington before because Montana doesn’t have it. There’s no way Montana would implement a sales tax for just out of staters. You’d have to check every single persons ID in Montana. That’s way too inconvenient.

With regards to stream access, I’ve never fished the Gallatin, nor been near his property in Bozeman. All I know is his running mate, Kristen Juras, is highly against it. Everybody wants to talk about what happened outside of his house, and who knows who was right about this? That’s my main concern about Gianforte is public lands and stream access!

Juras is terrific, but conservative. I know her well. She will be a very good Lt Gov.

PR let me ask you this as well. I’m not trying to argue with you at all on this. I truly am curious about this and want your thoughts.

You obviously know a lot of people, but what are your thoughts on what Gianforte appointees to the BOR will look like and do? Also, Gianforte has openly said he supports school choice (as do I. I graduated from Butte Central), but because of this, does he plan to cut funding to public education, or how does he plan to get private and charter schools more dollars? We all know UM can’t afford to take anymore losses so I’m curious to know what you know about both of these topics. Again not trying to fight with you on this one, but I just want to know what his plans are for both of these.

 

[PlayerRep]

You obviously don't know his views on public lands and steam access.

Gianforte probably hunts and fishes, and hikes and camps, more than you do.

Again, I know him well. Try to prove your point. Happy to listen and respond.

Ya I know he hunts a lot, I’ve seen the pictures. I think a lot of times as governor your views on things seem (at least to me) skewed off of how the legislature feels about certain things. Idk what their exact views are on public lands, but I feel like there’s many of them that are anti-stream access and you look at this project going on on the Madison river (if you’ve been following it), they’re trying to cap the number of guide and outfitter days on the river, while also implementing a citizens day that allows only Montana residents to fish certain parts of the Madison. Similar to what happens on the big hole and beaverhead. So that it gives Montanans an opportunity to fish an extremely busy river that is incredibly packed and hard to get onto and float.

It’s been an extremely slow moving process. The commission voted on Wednesday to approve it, but delayed implementation until 2022, which we still really don’t know why. My question for you PR is, if Gianforte is as big of an outdoorsmen as you claim he is, will he (and his new commission) support this bill moving forward, or will they choose to potentially reverse course on this and [#]f### over Montana outdoorsmen?

Tell us more about the bill. Cite some articles. Never heard of the bill. Gianforte definitely didn't introduce it.

But remember that you stated that Gianforte would cut off stream access, or something like that. What did you base that on? Where are your sources? Or, were you just parroting Dem talking points, or making up what you said?

 

[PlayerRep]

Juras is terrific, but conservative. I know her well. She will be a very good Lt Gov.

PR let me ask you this as well. I’m not trying to argue with you at all on this. I truly am curious about this and want your thoughts.

You obviously know a lot of people, but what are your thoughts on what Gianforte appointees to the BOR will look like and do? Also, Gianforte has openly said he supports school choice (as do I. I graduated from Butte Central), but because of this, does he plan to cut funding to public education, or how does he plan to get private and charter schools more dollars? We all know UM can’t afford to take anymore losses so I’m curious to know what you know about both of these topics. Again not trying to fight with you on this one, but I just want to know what his plans are for both of these.

Don't know on BOR. I assume they will be good. Better than what we've had, only some of whom were good. I assume if I asked him, I could be appointed. I don't want to be on the BOR.

Gianforte is a huge supporter of public education. Actually of education in general. He has donated alot of money to public education (college). He also supports choice. Can't imagine that he would want to cut funds for public education.

I haven't taken anything you've said as wanting to fight about anything. Happy to have a discussion and try to answer your questions, to the extent I can. However, your initial post was not justified, in my view. And provided no support for it.

 

[Griz til I die]

Ya I know he hunts a lot, I’ve seen the pictures. I think a lot of times as governor your views on things seem (at least to me) skewed off of how the legislature feels about certain things. Idk what their exact views are on public lands, but I feel like there’s many of them that are anti-stream access and you look at this project going on on the Madison river (if you’ve been following it), they’re trying to cap the number of guide and outfitter days on the river, while also implementing a citizens day that allows only Montana residents to fish certain parts of the Madison. Similar to what happens on the big hole and beaverhead. So that it gives Montanans an opportunity to fish an extremely busy river that is incredibly packed and hard to get onto and float.

It’s been an extremely slow moving process. The commission voted on Wednesday to approve it, but delayed implementation until 2022, which we still really don’t know why. My question for you PR is, if Gianforte is as big of an outdoorsmen as you claim he is, will he (and his new commission) support this bill moving forward, or will they choose to potentially reverse course on this and [#]f### over Montana outdoorsmen?

Tell us more about the bill. Cite some articles. Never heard of the bill. Gianforte definitely didn't introduce it.

But remember that you stated that Gianforte would cut off stream access, or something like that. What did you base that on? Where are your sources? Or, were you just parroting Dem talking points, or making up what you said?

I’m a part of the project. Gianforte did not introduce it. It was introduced by a group of people from Montana Skyline Sportsmen (Not Colter :lol: ) and Montana Trout Unlimited in the Butte and Anaconda area.

As far as his views on stream access, it’s mainly been word of mouth from many in the fishing community. I believe it was in one of the debates though that Cooney stated that Juras was anti stream access. I’ll double check to make sure though.

 

[PlayerRep]

Gianforte is not concerned about himself in any respect. I know him well. Feel free to try to prove your point, and I will blow you out of the water every time. Put up or shut up.

Almost everything in that NYT article regarding him is wrong. Happy to debate anyone on the article.

The ball is in your court. So, go ahead and refute the Times article. Please include sources.

Nope. You cited an article that is largely wrong. Why don't you support it. The woman is not from MT. Was the visiting prof for the journalism school. Looks like she has never talked to Gianforte.

Nevertheless, I will point out some things.

Before getting to Gianforte. Do you think MT is now red? We have a Dem senator, Tester. What changed since the last election. Now, there is a Repub Gov. A few more Repub state legislators. All of the offices she mentioned were already Repub. Does she not know this? MT had mainly Repubs before the last election. Does the author not now that only one big office changed hands?

Yes, gianforte spent alot of his own money? Would she rather than out of state Dems and Dem money won the election. Look how much of that fueled Bullock's losing election? Wouldn't you rather have a state politician not being owned by out of state money? I would.

"He has played down the risks of the coronavirus, derided unions and the public sector and based his policymaking on the Bible." Huh?

Bullock/Cooney have completely squandered the good hand that MT was dealt. And they didn't take action in October when the virus started to rise, out of fear of hurting their election chances. How out for themselves is that?

I assume Gianforte is more pro business than pro union, but don't know how he "denied" unions? Did he?

Gianforte doesn't bas his policymaking on the Bible. Name one thing that supports that statement. That comment is total BS.

Gianforte hasn't "brutalized" the media. Where's the support for that? Nor did he "body slam" a reporter. That's just what the reporter tweeted a minute after the incident, and the media adopted. Yes, Gianforte pled to a minor misdemeanor assault. But, sorry, it wasn't body slamming. Yes, Gianforte made a mistake. I think he won more votes than he lost, by the way.

Gianforte is not a "deeply partisan" Republican. He's conservative. The reporter just made that up.

Gianforte is not a "brawler" in any respect. She just made that up.

He's not an "urban newcomer"? He moved to MT 25 years ago from New Jersey. He raised his 4 kids in MT.

"Strongman persona"? He has no such thing. The reporter just made that up.

I don't think his policies "favor the rich". What's the support for that. He wants to increase jobs and have more high-paying jobs in MT. And improve the economy. That hardly favors the rich.

Yes, he made alot of money, but how is he a "tycoon"? He lives in the same normal nice house that he bought when he moved to Bozeman in 1995. He's not a big spender. After he sold RightNow, he and his wife biked the length of Italy, on used bikes. Unsupported. He hikes and camps with his family alot. Granite Peak is a favorite. He hunts and fishes. Does that sound like a tycoon?

He didn't campaign on opening the economy, and virus be damned. He campaigned on more and better jobs, and an improved economy. Did the reporter not understand, or is she an idiot?

Actually, Gianforte does have a significant interest in helping low-wage workers. Is the reporter just making up stuff, or is she an idiot?

Okay, I'm tired. Your turn to support all the incorrect and dumb thing the reporter said.

 

[PlayerRep]

Let's have a nice calm Gianforte discussion. Happy to try to answer questions. I know him well and have known him since 1997. Also, someone needs to post more info on that bill that was introduced previously, which I was not aware of. I'm off the rv road and back in town,

 

[Griz til I die]

Well Gianforte just made his first big mistake as governor today, dropping the mask mandate. I’m not upset about this in the same way that Democrats are. I feel cases are dropping enough and that enough people have been vaccinated or have already gotten COVID, that there’s really not much more need for a mask mandate.

That said, here’s what bothers me about this. With Gianforte lifting the mask mandate, this now gives the counties the power to decide on mask mandates. Let me use a hypothetical to explain why I don’t like this. I work at a resort that’s in a county that I guarantee you will adopt a county mask mandate. Now let’s say somebody from another county or another state comes to the resort and isn’t wearing a mask because there’s no longer a state mandate and their county doesn’t have a mandate. This puts our front line staff in a very uncomfortable situation (as if it wasn’t already uncomfortable). Therefore, I believe it would just be better to take the pressure off of front line employees who already have to deal with so much and just continue the mask mandate until we get pass this, or find a way so that counties can’t have their own mandates!