1 December 2017 — 0859 mdt
Democrats & taxes, and bringing back Bobby
“We promise to raise regressive taxes” will not be a winning issue for Montana Democrats. After the disastrous regular and special 2017 legislative session, Democrats are desperate to raise more revenue. The progressive solution is raising the top rates in the income tax, reversing the 1999 cuts in oil and gas taxes, and shifting the property tax burden away from residential to commercial property. But those solutions are non-starters for Republicans, who control the legislature, and who oppose progressive taxation. Consequently, if they can’t tax the rich, and resigning themselves to being a legislative minority evermore, Democrats are willing to tax the poor more heavily with regressive “solutions” such as local option sales taxes for cities and a $1.50 per pack tax on cigarettes. But Democrats won’t get any tax increases, not even taxes that screw the poor, through a Republican controlled legislature. The solution for Democrats is not embracing regressive taxes: it’s winning control of the legislature.
The University of Montana would be crazy to rehire Bobby Hauck
As UMT’s 2003–2009 football coach, Bobby Hauck teams won 80 games and lost 17. But the price of winning was high:
But the off-field actions of the players he recruited and coached — and of Hauck himself — likely left as much of an impression on Missoula as the winning tradition he brought to the gridiron.
UM football players were charged with crimes ranging from throwing beer bottles at people to felony assault. And Hauck was nicknamed “The Bum” by one national sportswriter for stonewalling student journalists who asked him about assault allegations against two players.
After Hauck left Missoula to coach the University of Nevada at Las Vegas’ football team, some people thought UMT smelled better.
But now he might be back, an unwelcome surprise that has soured people such as football fan Lisa Davey, who started an online petition urging UMT not to rehire Hauck. Her reward for standing up for decency and UMT’s honor? According to the Missoulian, being the victim of a vicious doxxing attack:
…on a Grizzlies fan website that included vile personal comments and publication of her home address.
The posts, on the Griz fan forum maroonblood.com, included a comment from AlphaGriz1 next to a photo of Lisa Davey that said, “Now seriously tell me this face hasn’t (performed a sex act) for food a few times in her life?”
The post went on to disparage Davey’s “receding hairline” and “gigantic teeth,” adding: “Not to mention the ‘man’ in her life check that dude out what a loser.”
The university did not approve of Maroon Blood’s reprehensible conduct, and made that clear.
Now the university should make clear that even thinking about bringing back Hauck was a gross error in judgment. UMT should (a) announce that Hauck will not be the university’s next football coach, and (b) fire the person or persons responsible for thinking Hauck’s return might be a good idea.
Beyond that, the university and the regents should give intercollegiate athletics the heave-ho at all state colleges and universities, and concentrate on developing brains in the classroom instead of rattling them on the gridiron.