There has been a lot of information in the news recently regarding the upgrades to the ports of entry in Montana.

Last year, Montana Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus were proud to announce that Montana was getting about $77 million for five border projects.

After the public got wind of the excessive amount of money being spent, plus some national news attention, the projects were scaled back to about $24 million.

One of those ports is Whitetail, which could be called the “Port to Nowhere.” Recently, we’ve found out that Canada is closing their side of the Whitetail Port where the United States is spending about $8.5 million for an upgrade. Whitetail Port sees about five vehicles a day. Currently, the United States has no plans to close their port, although Congressman Denny Rehberg has asked the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a review to see if the project boondoggle needs to be completed. Rehberg also held listening sessions in the area and could not find too many people who supported the wasteful spending.

What has been most funny about this whole mess is watching Senator Jon Tester.

Tester campaigned about Washington spending money like drunken sailors. He said he would change the way Washington worked and that he would “fight to restore fiscal responsibility to Washington.”

He’s been a failure at that, for sure. We’re in a lot more debt now since Tester raised his right hand.

Political observers will remember that Tester told voters during his 2006 campaign that he would like to do away with earmarks. Now that he is in office, he places a little “disclaimer” at the end of his earmark press releases basically saying that earmarks are A-OK with him now that he has been elected.

Montanans have to be wondering if Tester has even fought for any fiscal discipline in Washington.