We will leave aside the fact that this has never been our favorite quip by Johnson, since it reportedly was misdirected at one of our heroes, the liberal father of modern conservatism, Edmund Burke. Johnson disliked Burke, in no small part, for the latter's advocacy of allowing the American colonies their independence -- and the fact that Burke was more than a match for Johnson's intelligence probably inspired some reflexive dislike.
Taken in isolation and used in a modern context, Johnson's remark has the effect of reverse psychology: if one expresses patriotic sentiments, one is, by definition, a scoundrel with scoundrelly ideas. Some Republicans, while perhaps not immediately thinking of Boswell and Johnson, may be having that reaction to Governor Schweitzer's comments reported in an AP article in today's Billings Gazette.
To the extent that Republicans are saying that Montana has a bad business climate that should be unattractive to anyone wanting to relocate to Montana, the governor is exactly right. Any Republican who fits this uncomfortable shoe should be made to wear it.
There is a danger, however, that his appeal to a sort of economic patriotism for Montana will sound as though he is saying "if you say that this or that tax or regulatory issue needs revamping, you aren't being a good Montanan" -- and to the extent that he is trying to stifle Republicans through such a comment, he is indeed playing the role of the patriotic scoundrel.
Having followed this legislative session closely, Montana Headlines can say with fairly assured confidence that the overall Republican message has decidedly not been that Montana is a bad place to do business.
The Republican underlying message can rather be summarized in a couple of points:
1. Montana once had a very bad tax and regulatory climate that discouraged business growth -- images like that can linger long after, and we aren't going to allow anything to take us back to those days.
2. Montana's business climate is indeed very good -- just look at the bulging state coffers and the minuscule unemployment rates.
That good business climate is the result of tax and regulatory changes enacted by a series of Republican legislatures and governors -- mostly over the loud protests of Democrats. We don't want to endanger any of the gains made.
3. Montana's business climate, while very good, still needs significant improvement.
Senate Minority leader Corey Stapleton, R-Billings, is quoted extensively in the same article, and in the course of those comments, shows why his colleagues chose him for his current leadership position. Rather than allow himself to be drawn out by the governor's accusations, Stapleton calmly sticks to the facts of history, and points out that Democrats are now embracing (and even claiming credit for -- the ultimate compliment) what they once opposed:
"Now everyone accepts (the tax cut) and says it is a good thing," Stapleton said.
While the governor says that "It's the same tired rhetoric for the past 20 years," Stapleton replies with the obvious:
Stapleton said Republicans need to "make a big squawk" to push tax relief through the Legislature. And each time they do, he said, the business climate improves.
Democrats seem not to notice that by saying that Republicans have been using "the same tired rhetoric for 20 years" (the governor is hardly alone amongst Democrats in saying this, so it would be wrong to single him out for criticism), they are saying that Republicans were wrong in their assessment of Montana's business climate for those 20 years. Yet the fact that they readily embrace the idea that Montana is now booming contradicts that very assertion.
The governor asks us to "please be helpful," and we quite agree. Any "sky is falling" Republican rhetoric about Montana's business climate is misplaced and harmful. We also believe that the Democrats would be wise to take Stapleton's comments to heart.
Don't make us squawk -- we don't enjoy it any more than you do. Just help us cut taxes.
