Cooney, Schreiner bring governor campaign to Havre

Democratic gubernatorial Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney and his running mate Rep. Casey Schreiner. D-Great Falls, campaigned in Havre Friday in the start of their "Montana Not For Sale" campaign tour.

"The tour really is to talk about Montana not being for sale and what we are going to talk about is our elections aren't for sale in Montana," Cooney said in an interview. "We believe that our elections should be decided by Montanans and that is really important, whereas there are a lot of very wealthy out-of-state people who look at this and say hey, this is their opportunity, and we have a multimillionaire running against us for governor from New Jersey originally."

"And comes to Montana and thinks he is going to buy the governor's office in 2016, he buys an office in the U.S House ... and now he's coming back to trying to buy the governor's office one more time, and we're not going to let that happen," he added. "Our elections are not for sale."

Cooney gave the interview before holding a private fundraiser at Triple Dog Brewing Co.

Cooney faces U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., who is not running for re-election to his seat in the U.S. House, Libertarian candidate Lyman Bishop and Green Party candidate Robert Barb in the gubernatorial election in November.

Cooney also said during the interview that state lands are not for sale, but there are a lot of people that look at state lands as ripe for the picking, who believe state lands should be sold to the highest bidder.

He said Gianforte sued Montana to keep people off the East Gallatin River near his home because he didn't feel Montanans should have the right to access that river and a legitimate fishing site.

"Casey and I are going to continue to fight to save our state lands and our public lands," Cooney said. "We're going to make sure that we're always out there looking at ways to increase access, for Montanans and that's going to be a big priority."

Gianforte filed a lawsuit against Fish, Wildlife and Parks over the access but the issue was resolved before the agency ever was served on the lawsuit.

The education system is not for sale, Cooney said.

He said he and Schreiner want to continue to make an investment in education, adding that to make children have the best quality education ever.

"We're going to continue to do that whereas my opponent says, ' education is a monopoly' and that he wants siphon money away from public money, away from our public education system and he wants to put it toward private education," Cooney said. 

He said Montanans have always fought against a sales tax, they don't like a sales tax.

His opponent, he said, a sales tax is a great solution for the people of Montana.

"(Gianforte) has also said the fairest tax that you pay and that he didn't," Cooney said. "Casey and I have always throughout our careers been opposed to a general sales tax in the state of Montana. We will continue to be that and we, in fact, have a plan where we think we can stop a general sales tax from ever being a reality and we're going to continue to do that."

Long before he was a candidate, in 2002 at a Governor's Income Tax Advisory Council meeting, Gianforte proposed using a sales tax and lowering other taxes in the state. Since then, he has said he opposes a sales tax.

Gianforte also at one point made the comment that the fairest tax is one others pay and he doesn't, apparently as a joke, laughing as he made the comment.

Cooney said a major difference between him and Gianforte is their basic values.

"This is the sort of thing we are talking about on this 'Montana is Not for Sale' campaign, that we're going to be talking about over the next several days because again these are a reflection of Montana values, these are important for us to be speaking out on and we're going to continue to do that," he added. "We're going to take this into the office once we are elected."

He said he is a lifelong Montanan, his wife and he are raising their three children here, he has spent his adult life in positions in public service where he and others fought hard to serve the people of Montana, and to bring results for the people for Montana whether as serving in the Legislature, as secretary of state or lieutenant governor.

He said he thinks the background that he has, the experiences he has had and the successes blend itself very well to take it to the next level, and take that service to the people of Montana as governor.

"We want to take the opportunity to have a better Montana for future generations than what was even given to us," he said. "And I believe that we have those values that will allow us to do that things such as our support for health care in the state, making sure people have access to affordable health care, access to affordable prescription drugs, making sure that there is health care in rural Montana - those are important things."

Other values he and Schreiner bring into this campaign, he said, is supporting public education, protecting public lands and increasing access for hunting, fishing, clean air, clean water and more.

He said he thinks the biggest issues going into next year are how the state is going to be coming out of COVID-19, making sure the state continues to protect the health and safety of Montanans as it is coming out of the pandemic and making sure the state continues to protect the health and longevity of the economy. 

Congress recently adjourned without a new coronavirus bill.

"I'm not a member of  Congress, there's one man running for governor right now who's a member of Congress, who's a part of all of this and I just think the country - we know there are a lot of people in Montana right now who are really hurting, there a lot of people throughout this country who are really hurting and I think Congress is really turning their backs," Cooney said. "When I say Congress I know the Democrats in the House have passed a coronavirus package, the Senate has walked away from that, they've done nothing about it. I know my opponent has very different views about coronavirus than I have. I mean he believes in herd immunity, which under the last study I saw would take probably about over 10,000 Montana lives to get herd immunity. I don't believe in that. I believe in science."

He thinks Congress has not been particularly responsive in the way they should be, he said, adding that he is proud of the work he and Gov. Steve Bullock have tried to get done in Montana.

On attack ads that have lately been shown, Cooney said, Gianforte is desperate.

Some are about Cooney's long time in public service.

"I just think he also is been denigrating in his attack on people who serve in public service," Cooney said.  "The people of Montana, I haven't counted, but they've elected me to the State Legislature, I've been re-elected to all of those offices, I was elected three times as secretary of state and I've been elected one time running with Gov. Bullock as a lieutenant governor.

"So first of all, it is Montanans I've responded to and they've responded to me," he added. "If he thinks that's something I should be ashamed of I'm not. I'm delighted that I've been given the opportunity to work side-by-side with Montanans throughout most of my life. I don't care what he says."

Editor's note: The Havre Daily News did not have access to a photogtraph of gubernatorial cancdidates Robert Barb.