"While the culture wars steal all the attention, from my perspective the Montana Legislature is quietly delivering on serious conservative policies of fiscal responsibility, economic freedom and red tape relief."
"Rather than trying to get ‘just a little more’ from taxpayers, local governments need to follow Montanans’ lead and cut excess spending."
"This excess in spending means taxpayers will have to pick up the difference."
"Montana’s state government is showing how to make tax relief successful. Local governments need to follow that example. Permanent, long-term tax relief is made possible only through a commitment to spending restraint."
"Not one penny of taxpayer dollars should go toward funding university programs that don’t yield positive returns on investment for Montana students."
"Aside from doing nothing to address what the bill's name says it will address, the bill actually does do some things – spend more and raise taxes."
"Local government leaders should be laser focused right now on keeping the growth of spending within the bounds of what average taxpayers can reasonably afford, but often instead they are focused on spending every last dime from taxpayers they can get their hands on."
"Property tax relief is possible, but only if local governments engage in fiscal responsibility."
"Placing fiscally conservative spending limits on state and local government spending is one way to protect taxpayers and start to undo the damage done by out-of-control government growth."
"It’s time for local governments to place firm limits on the growth of new spending, keeping budgets within the bounds of economic growth and what taxpayers can reasonably afford."
By focusing on enabling citizens to control their lives, governments will provide the maximum freedom for innovators, disruptors and entrepreneurs to do what they do best and solve society’s problems.
Washington, D.C., could learn a lot about responsible budgeting from Montana.