MT Candidate Positions on Oil/Gas, Growth, etc.

[Tom]

Bridger Canyon's zoning is a delicate balancing act between conserving
natural resources and mitigating negative effects of development on
neighbors, and preserving private owners' enjoyment and use of their
land.

As we have experienced with Huber's attempt to exploit coalbed methane
and the pending DNRC oil/gas leases in Bridger Canyon, zoning doesn't
address every issue. Some rise to the level of Montana agencies and
the legislature. Managing Bridger Canyon well requires good leadership
in Helena.

Therefore I've started this thread for discussion of current MT
election issues.

Some of the key races are:

**** House District 63 - JP Pomnichowski (D incumbent) vs Tom Burnett
(R challenger)

http://jpformontana.com/
http://tom-burnett.com/

Pomnichowski has responded to VoteSmart's "Political Courage Test",
http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=57336
As of today, Burnett has not.

With respect to pending DNRC oil and gas leases, Pomnichowski has been
substantially involved with the Canyon, as here
http://groups.google.com/group/bridger-canyon-forum/browse_thread/thread/a5d5daba8170ba43/bb96e292fee27cf7?lnk=gst&q=pomnichowski#bb96e292fee27cf7
It's not entirely clear, but Burnett's political ads seem to favor
unfettered development; see
http://bridger-canyon-forum.googlegroups.com/web/BurnettHouseAd.pdf?gda=7YhsrUQAAADO76sKG27JF4EaWPWlOU-nFzHAkBwWff8y2rmrBNqYPhH9_IYJxe3LJjxjQOI6nc5V6u9SiETdg0Q2ffAyHU-dzc4BZkLnSFWX59nr5BxGqA&gsc=NUcWRQsAAAD1BAHaI11-NuvK5rKIEnXj

**** Senate District 32

Larry Jent's term runs through 2010.

**** Statewide & Local Officials

Two groups of races are particularly critical:

1. The Land Board overseeing oil and gas leasing consists of the
Governor, the Superintendant, the Secretary of State, the Attorney
General, and the Auditor. Links to the incumbents are here
http://groups.google.com/group/bridger-canyon-forum/web/land-board-and-dnrc-contacts

2. The Planning & Zoning Commission consists of the 3 county
Commissioners (Murdock, Skinner, White), the Clerk/Recorder/Surveyor
(Charlotte Mills), the Treasurer/Assessor (Kim Buchanan), and two
citizens (Horn, Trygstad). In last year's Base Area development
hearings, it was clear that the votes were not stacking up favorably
for the Canyon. As far as I can tell, only Murdock is up for
reelection this term, and he is unopposed, but these are key positions
to watch in the future.

VoteSmart has positions for many candidates here
http://www.votesmart.org/official_state.php?state_id=MT

The Montana Secretary of State oversees the election, with information
here
http://sos.mt.gov/elb/index.asp

The Gallatin County Elections Dept is here
http://www.gallatin.mt.gov/public_Documents/gallatincomt_clerk/elections
I don't see a sample ballot, but there's a list of house, senate, and
local candidates here
http://www.gallatin.mt.gov/public_Documents/gallatincomt_clerk/legislativeFilings(1).xls

**** US Congress

US officials are potentially critical, as they may influence the
decisions of the BLM, Forest Service, and other land and resource
management agencies with a large presence in our region.

Senator Max Baucus is up for reelection this year. John Tester is not.
http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=53315

Representative Denny Rehberg is also up for reelection this year.
http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=404

Opponents for Baucus and Rehberg are here:
http://www.votesmart.org/election_congress_state.php?state_id=MT

[half...@emptymoose.com]

From the Chronicle: http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2008/10/25/news/000vote.txt

Rep. JP Pomnichowski, D-Bozeman, raised more than her Republican
opponent Tom Burnett during the latest reporting period, with $17,541
in contributions, compared to Burnett’s $10,426.

...

Again, HD 63 was a money magnet for PAC contributions. Both candidates
received money from the state and national committees.

Pomnichowski received $1,115 from nine PACs, including the AFL-CIO,
Montana Public Employees Association and Glacier PAC, a Washington,
D.C.-based group that contributes money nationwide, according to her
reports.

Burnett received $1,265 from 10 PACs, including ConocoPhillips, Exxon
Mobile and the Montana Agricultural PAC, according to his most recent
filing.