Here’s a little-known fact about Montana: it is the only state in the USA with a constitution that guarantees state citizens the right to a “clean and healthful” environment.
In 1972, when Montana’s current constitution was written, the state was (for that matter, still is) recovering from ongoing plutocratic rule. In particular, the captains of the mining industry had run wild, poisoning entire communities, using extra-legal violence to break unions, and leaving little wealth behind but what they put in the pockets of their bought-and-paid-for officials. The clean and healthful environment provision was one those put into the constitution to prevent this from ever happening again.
Unfortunately, right now poisoned communities, violent thugs, and an oligarchy of the rich seem to be politically popular in certain circles. And Montana has a call for a new constitutional convention on the ballot, with backers who explicitly wish to see the state made more ‘business-friendly’, even friendly to those businesses who wish to physically harm the citizens of the state.
That’s why I’m going to vote on Tuesday. No matter what state you’re in, there’s probably at least one issue out that that should prompt you to do the same.
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October 30, 2010 at 2:34 am
We have a competitive general election on the local level for the first time in a while. Usually the Democratic primary determines all of the local offices. This year, though, my Congressional representative (a good one!) is fending off a Republican challenge, and a group of “Independent Democrats” (who are actually former party bosses) are trying to recapture my town’s offices from the Democrats that booted them out a few years ago. Not surprisingly, the people who favor the Republican challenger for federal office tend to favor the former party bosses as well – at least that’s what the lawn signs indicate.
Both the federal representative and the local officials have been good on environmental issues, so I’m hoping that they win their respective elections.
November 3, 2010 at 8:32 am
The results are a challenge to my belief in democracy.