Brown, a state senator from Billings, advocated farm groups continuing to engage in mediation with BNSF. Schweitzer instead touted his effort to get the 2007 Legislature to appropriate $3 million so the state can sue the federal Surface Transportation Board for failing to do its job overseeing railroad freight rates.
Schweitzer and Brown, joined by Libertarian candidate Stan Jones of Bozeman, took part in the fifth and final debate of campaign. This one, sponsored by the Montana Farmers Union and moderated by the Great Falls Tribune, drew several hundred people. A panel of two farmers and a high school student with ties to the agricultural group asked the questions.
On a question about brucellosis, Schweitzer turned to Brown, who previously worked in the oil industry, and said: “You've got to start out knowing the difference between brucellosis and a barrel of oil.”
Schweitzer's campaign and the Montana Democratic Party have often referred to Brown as “Big Oil Roy,” a reference to Brown's career as a petroleum engineer.
Brown returned fire in his closing argument saying he got out of the oil business in 1995 and is proud of his career in that field.
“What about honesty and integrity?” Brown said. “Now he lies about my career in energy development, and that's despicable.”
One questioner asked what the state can do to help “captive shippers” deal with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. Farmers have said it costs more to ship wheat from Montana to the West Coast than it does from some Midwestern states much farther away.
“I think it is criminal what's been going on with the transportation that farmers and ranchers have with this captive market,” said Brown. “I don't think the federal government is going to be the answer. We need to sit down with them (the railroad) and say we are no longer going to put up with them.”
Brown endorsed a mediation approach, which Schweitzer mocked.
“My question is when we stand before BN, should we do it on one knee or both knees?” Schweitzer said, adding later: “If you think that we farmers, individually, can kneel before BNSF, you have never shipped grain.”
He said if farm groups win in mediation with BNSF, it only affects one grain elevator per negotiation.
Instead, Schweitzer said he touted his effort to get the 2007 Legislature to appropriate $3 million for the state attorney general to sue the federal Surface Transportation Board for failing to do its regulatory job.
“Governor, you're a lot cozier with lawyers than I am,” Brown said. “I really don't think more tax dollars for them is the answer. I'd much rather do it without lawyers.”
Jones said he agreed with Schweitzer, saying: “We don't need to kneel down to anybody.”
The candidates were asked about what can be done to help the many farm and ranch families that cannot afford health insurance.
Schweitzer said he had supported legislative efforts in 2007 to increase the number of Montana children covered by the Children's Health Insurance Plan and strongly endorsed Initiative 155 on the Nov. 4 ballot that would expand by 30,000 the number of eligible children. Anticipating its passage, Schweitzer said he already has set aside $20 million for the program in his proposed budget, which will be unveiled next month.
“But it's incremental,” Schweitzer said. “Until this country has universal health care, we will never be competitive. We have the highest cost health care and rank 37th in quality.”
Jones said the state and federal government should not interfere with free markets. They should just eliminate the insurance company middlemen and pay hospital and health care providers directly for health care bills of employees to save money.
“If anyone tells you they have all the answers, they're just lying,” said Brown, who has proposed creating a task force to study the issue. “Government is not always the answer. We have 27 different (insurance) mandates in Montana that drive up costs by $5 per mandate.”
Brown, who opposes I-155, said he believes the best solution is to create better-paying jobs so people can afford insurance and pass laws to “tort-reform laws” so doctors don't have to practice defensive medicine to avoid lawsuits.
Here is where the candidates stood on some other issues:
Upcoming revaluation of agricultural land, for the first time since 1963, for property taxes. Brown said he's sure the Legislature will come up with “fair and reasonable valuations” of agricultural land. Schweitzer said he has committed not to raise property taxes, on average statewide, because of the reappraisal, although there will be some individuals see their property taxes rise and others will see their taxes drop. Jones instead favors eliminating property taxes on businesses and homes and replacing them with a state, county and city sales tax ranging from 12 percent to 15 percent.
Wind energy. Schweitzer criticized Brown for voting against his successful 2005 and 2007 initiatives to push for more alternative energy. Brown said he favors “motivation, not mandates” to attract more alternative energy and favors wind energy when it is lower priced than other forms of energy. The Republican criticized Schweitzer for taking credit for the Judith Gap wind farm, when “about the only thing that was done during the Schweitzer administration was to put the blades on the towers.”
Schweitzer reeled off a number of alternative energy and transmission projects he has promoted.
“Thanks for taking credit for all the wind energy,” Brown said. “Just like the sun rising this morning, you took credit for that. Probably, there's a whole lot of wind energy in this room.”
Schweitzer listed more potential projects and said, “We're going to produce a lot of wind energy. It's going to be a great run for wind power, with or without Roy Brown.”
“Forget wind farms,” Jones said. “Let's build more coal-fired plants.”
Country of original labeling for food products. Schweitzer criticized Brown for voting against his administration's bill to label food grown in Montana. Brown said Montana meat and food products are among the best, but the labeling wasn't workable without a federal program. Jones said the labels should also say if the food was genetically modified.
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