By HDN Staff
Mark O'Keefe's stance is not one of business as usual, and the Havre Daily News endorses his campaign.
O'Keefe said Tuesday that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and over and expect different results each time. He said that is his opponent's stance in the race for Montana governor, and he thinks it's time for a change.
While the press has repeatedly used a statement out of context that O'Keefe is businesses "worst nightmare," he has a record of dealing with some of the largest businesses in Montana, major insurance companies, firmly but fairly.
O'Keefe wants to attract businesses to Montana, using partnerships with the education system, agriculture, major businesses and other groups. He simply opposes shifting the taxes from the wealthy and the major corporations to the local property owners.
He also supports improving education in the state, which he says will also help with business opportunities. O'Keefe said he wants to increase state funding of k-12 education and the universities back to the levels they were at 10 years ago, which have been drastically reduced over the last decade.
O'Keefe said he will represent the people and interests of Montana instead of special interests. His ability to finance his own campaign, he says, means he won't be obligated to anyone but the voters who elect him.
O'Keefe said the last administrations of tax breaks and trickle down economics have not helped the economy the way his opponent says it will. Instead, he said, Montana's economy has worsened, with most economic indicators and factors dropping to even worse than they were five years ago. He says he wants to build Montana's economy through investment in education and job training instead of tax breaks shifted down to local taxpayers.
It's time for a change in Montana politics, and the Havre Daily News endorses Mark O'Keefe's campaign for governor.
