“Western Montana deserves a representative who will do the job” by Ray Curtis | Lee Newspapers
Western Montana deserves a representative who will do the job | Ray Curtis
Published in Lee Newspapers
A few days ago, our soon-to-be former Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke composed a list the many "lies" made by one of the candidates for his job, seemingly to bolster the candidacy of the person he handpicked, at the last moment. Mr. Zinke also took a shot at the current Montana Secretary of State, who is also running for his position. In a few weeks, when you get your ballot in the mail, you will see my name amongst those folks. I have not received much attention yet because I am not a politician and refuse to engage in the "big money, what's in it for me" campaign style that permeates today's politics. I would like to explain why I have applied for this job. It has everything to do with the dismal job performance of Mr. Zinke.
Frankly, I never imagined I would apply to be a member of the United States Congress. I was very happy working, playing, and living in this place I know and love, and also using my knowledge as a James Madison Fellow to teach about the making of the U.S. Constitution and its principles, at the high school and college level here in western Montana. Ten years ago, I asked Mr. Zinke to co-sponsor a bill, HR 5404. He did! His office was easy to engage with (back then he had an office in Missoula). He has changed since then. American politics have drastically changed since 2016.
But because of the events of this past year and the action, or rather inaction, of our current representative, I put my name out there as a DIFFERENT option for the people of western Montana.
Over the course of the first year of his second term, the Chief Executive aggressively encroached upon the powers of Congress. The world has witnessed Americans’ basic constitutional rights being tread upon. It's not our imagination that freedom of press, speech, assembly, protection from unreasonable searches, the right to an attorney, a trial, protection from cruel and unusual punishment, and habeas corpus have all been encroached upon (we all see it happening, but groups that measure these issues, such as Freedom House and The Economist Democracy Index, quantify it). We have watched people shot down in our streets with our own eyes. People who are not “the worst” have died in detention. Last week an 85-year-old woman from France was inhumanely detained. And there is little Liam. Where is our humanity? Our morals? It seems many folks have forgotten what patriots 250 years ago fought, suffered, and died for. My representative and this strange new Republican party responded by doing nothing and looking away. The Framers in Federalist #51 clearly stated the purpose of the U.S. Constitution was to control the governed, but also to govern itself. Political power was not to be abused; it had to be limited. The branches of government were designed to check the abuses of the others. Supposedly.
I did everything I could to get my congressperson’s attention. I used multiple methods I taught my students to use to keep their democracy. I used reliable, professional media sources to stay informed. I read and reread our history. I wrote letters. I made phone calls. I visited the office that Zinke soon closed. I would have attended a town hall had there been one, but there was not, despite many calls for one. If an unelected multibillionaire who hails from another country hadn’t usurped congressional power, without any resistance, and cut funding, I would have been giving presentations across the state about the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The only other thing I could think of doing was to give voters a better option this election; one who will work as diligently as a congressman as I did to get our current congressman’s attention. I pledge to be an actual public servant. I understand who my bosses are, the people who hire me, even if they don’t vote for me, rather than a president, a political party, or a billionaire. I believe the best life is one lived for others, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, gender, or age.
Forty years of teaching American government gives me a distaste for modern campaigns. The length, the nastiness, the misleading ads, and most of all the increasingly tremendous amount of money thrown at leveraging votes. I have studied and taught about American elections throughout my career and observed that campaign money mostly seems to benefit billionaires and the candidates, rather than the voters. Therefore, I cannot, in good conscience, take money from anyone to get elected. I will owe donors nothing and voters everything.
Additionally, much like George Washington and James Madison, I do not have a fondness for political parties. Nonetheless, I had to pick one (or collect signatures like Seth Bodnar). Because I don't have the political money machine, I opted for the party of Lincoln whose Republican party wanted to unite us rather than divide us. Over and over again Lincoln implored us to remember that we are all created equal. Like the Republican Teddy Roosevelt, I am devoted to conservation for this and future generations. I like Ike because he understood that a military complex, three times the size of China, would take away from such things as public schools, highways, safety, and the health and welfare of our fellow man, which all “promote the general welfare.” Furthermore, if we believed, as Reagan did, that “if we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost,” America would not have had the atrocious year we just did.
I will adhere to my Oath of Office to protect and defend the Constitution. I will act as the Framers intended and use the powers of Article I to represent the people, as well as provide the constitutionally-mandated check on the executive and judicial branches. I want to bring integrity back to this office and restore faith in our democratic form of government. As John Adams said, democracy is one of the worst forms of government, but it's better than anything that has yet been created.
Finally, teaching young people is an endeavor that is forward looking, which is why, unlike present officeholders, the future will be foremost in my mind. I believe we have made life more difficult for our young people. We will be handing off a $39 TRILLION debt (which is growing at a rate of $1 TRILLION every five months) due to irresponsible fiscal policy, including spending on war and defense. Our tax system is the opposite of what Adam Smith, the “father of Capitalism,” said we should have. Whereas I could work through college and pay for expenses each term, students today just can’t. Young people face a nearly impossible housing situation. While China and European nations are embracing more clean and renewable energy, the U.S. is moving away. America should have the world’s best health care system yet we don’t by most measures. We can look to Germany to learn how to make voting fair and secure. For America, we need to mend relationships with our democratic allies and stop embracing dictators. Zinke has embraced leadership that has eroded trust in our government. I want your votes so I may vote for you to turn this around. We are after all, as Washington begged us to be, more American than anything else. And, as many of us often pledge, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
I am challenging voters to look at their options, take up the responsibility of deciding who will best represent them, and use their vote to hire that person. I believe I am more like you than any other candidate.