Paul Beck

Paul Beck on the Issues

Washington is Broken. Helena is breaking. Why? Are Republicans protecting the rich at the expense of everyone else? Are Democrats spending us into oblivion? After all, these are the conversations being sold to us by super PAC groups. In reality, most of us from both parties understand we need to spend less while preserving our middle class. The reason our political system is breaking is because legislators can’t work together. And it’s primarily due to Super PACs.

Super PACs are groups that raise unlimited sums of money from secret, often international and unidentified sources. The donors are just a few, they are ultra rich and they give millions of dollars at a time. Super Pacs have but one goal: to destroy a candidate’s reputation to win. We see it every day as Romney, Gingrich and Santorum super PACs tear each other to shreds and we’ll see it soon from Obama’s super PAC. You would think we voters would know better than to believe super PAC negativity. However, studies show negativity works. Even though we might not believe the entire message, some doubt remains.

Campaign finance came about because there was an uneven playing field created by candidates receiving too much money by too few individuals. Recently, because of the US Supreme Court’s decision to allow corporations to give, the ultra-rich found the loophole they needed to give as much as they desired to buy an election.

The results of this system are devastating. Every candidate is angry because of the intensity of the attacks. Every candidate is courting Super PAC operatives so they can compete. The candidate who wins on the backs of the super PACs won’t cross that PAC…ever. There will be no working together, no mutual respect…only contempt and venom…even on the house floor. The average voter has no idea of who the better candidate might be because they are inundated with negativity. Unlike my parents and grandparents generation where politicians were to be respected and compromise was valued, today’s politics, led by Super PAC messaging, is deadly.

The few who are OK with this system are those candidates, and their supporters, who received benefit of a super PAC. However, when this same candidate becomes the target of a Super PAC, and must deal with the spin and lies that accompany it, they’ll rethink their position. In other words, super PAC’s don’t just support one party…both parties must recognize and fix it.

I’m running for Montana State Representative. I don’t know if my opponent or I will be attacked by a super PAC. The odds are that whoever is attacked will likely lose. However, if I win I will sponsor a super PAC reform bill that will severely restrict their influence in Montana. Every winner in November’s election, from state Representative to President of the United States, should do the same. I believe our Democracy depends on it.

This piece was submitted to the Carbon County News.

Paul Beck on Politics

An issue of importance for many citizens in our area is the skyrocketing power rates that Beartooth Electric Cooperative (BEC) Members pay.

A quick review of Montana electric co-ops reveals that their primary function has been to provide infrastructure and bulk purchasing power such that power can be provided to rural Montana at reasonable rates. Although not expressly prohibited, building power plants like Southern Electric’s Highwood Plant has not been a function of co-ops. With the recent bankruptcy of Southern, BEC and other co-op members were left with the burden of owing millions of dollars on a defunct plan causing huge rate increases. So what can be done to protect members from this happening again?

As a past legislator and candidate for state Representative, I am considering what can be done legislatively. One idea is to craft policy mandating that co-ops conduct a popular vote of its members for approval. Such a policy would, at a minimum, inform members of the massive and inherent financial risk they would incur. Another approach would be to have a state committee approve a plan before member’s hard earned dollars were put on the line. However, the last thing we need is another government oversight committee at taxpayer expense. So the obvious committee for such a review is the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC). To date, there has been an arm’s length relationship between Montana’s coops and the PSC. The PSC is highly informed on issues involving electrical generation, rates, usage, peak load and so on. PSC involvement may protect members from risky ventures such as the Southern plant. But the PSC involvement means less flexibility for co-ops.

In this day and age, people are rightfully frustrated with over regulation. Business start ups sometimes move painfully slow as they wait for approval from countless agencies. But we’ve all seen many corporations invest hard-earned citizen dollars on risky investments with no back-up plan or sense of responsibility to those citizens (think Enron; think the housing crisis due to faulty loans that sent our economy into one of the great recessions of a century). In the end, I believe that a balanced approach that considerers the risks as well as reward, is best.

I want to discuss these possibilities with the people of Montana. If co-op members want change, I will listen and respond accordingly. I have suggested two possible legislative policies that could help, but there may be more. I would like to hear from you because I intend to represent you. Please call or email me with your ideas.

This piece was submitted to the Carbon County News.