Thanks for starting your week with The Western Word. Here are the topics for today’s column:

• Series of Candidate Forums & Debates
• Schweitzer & Government Shutdown
• Turning Point USA
• One More Thing

SERIES OF CANDIDATE FORUMS & DEBATES:

Unlike Great Falls, Helena is having a series of candidate forums and debates in October for their commission and mayoral candidates. (Source)

As far as I know, Great Falls has held one forum. One candidate did not receive the invite and did not attend. Helena will learn a lot about their candidates; Great Falls? Not so much. 

Great Falls Mayor Cory Reeves responded to a request to debate with the following response:

I want to be clear: my opponent and her supporters are insisting for a one-on-one debate about our credentials and ideologies.

Frankly, I’m not interested.

A little later in the post, he said, “To be honest, I’m already tired of this campaign.” You can read the full response HERE. 

I’m tired of having my taxes, fees, and rates raised by the current commission. 

Great Falls voters deserve to hear from the candidates. 

SCHWEITZER & GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN:

A Schweitzer is providing his opinion about the federal government shutdown, and it’s not former Governor Brian Schweitzer; it’s his brother, Walter. 

Walter Schweitzer is the President of Montana Farmers Union.

Schweitzer writes that the GOP leaders should take responsibility for the shutdown. He focuses on the appropriation bills:

Each year, Congress and the President are required to pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government for the next year by September 30. The current Republican-controlled House only requires a simple majority to pass a bill, yet not one appropriations bill has been agreed upon by both chambers. In fact, only three of the 12 appropriations bills have been passed out of the House. 

If my memory is correct, Congress last passed the 12 appropriations bills on time in 1996 for fiscal year 1997. 

He closes the piece with:

The Republicans control the White House, Senate, and the House.  When the Republicans can’t pass their own appropriation bills out of the House, it is ludicrous to blame anyone but themselves.

Every one of Montana’s Congressional Delegation is Republican.

Ask them to use their power as the majority to do their job.  

After seeing Walter Schweitzer making the rounds with his opinion about the Federal Government shutdown, is there a run for elected office in his future? 

You can read Schweiter’s full opinion HERE. 

TURNING POINT USA:

Turning Point USA will host an event in Bozeman on Tuesday evening at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on the Montana State University campus. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. It is free. 

The event will feature Vivek Ramaswamy and Governor Greg Gianforte, and is hosted by the TPUSA chapter at Montana State University.

Turning Point USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk. The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.

More information about the Bozeman event can be found HERE. 

ONE MORE THING:

 I have a lot of growing up to do. I realized that the other day inside my fort. – Zach Galifianakis

## HAVE A GREAT WEEK ##