Jim Elliott

After all the concern about runaway government spending and the hand wringing about the budget deficit why on earth would Congress want to pass a tax bill that cuts taxes for the 400-plus American billionaires, pays for it by penalizing sick and lower income people and STILL increases the deficit by $3 trillion?

And, why on earth would the administration want to cut the IRS, the people that actually collect the taxes and root out tax fraud?

There’s an easy answer—to cut government by lowering the amount of money available to spend.

And that doesn’t sound like a bad thing until you look at what the American people ask government to do. When I talked to people who decried government spending years ago, I would ask them what government programs that they used would they recommend for elimination. Oh, well, that’s different. Ask your own self that question.

There is, and has been for a long time, a movement that wants to reduce government to the point where they can “drown it in a bathtub”. That’s a cute way to put it, but they are serious and now they are being successful. The reason for doing that is to get government out of the way and let them make as much money as they want.

Billionaires don’t need government like regular people do. They do not need government health care insurance, they do not have to rely on local police, they can pay out of their own vast wealth for all the things that regular people need. They can hire their own security, live in gated communities, keep a doctor on their personal staff. Well, good for them, but why should they make it hard for the rest of us?

It is hard to find a calm analysis of the “Big Beautiful Bill” Most of the Republicans think it is wonderful, for the Democrats it will be the end of the world as we know it. In truth, there will be tax advantages for most people, but there will also be increased hardship for those Americans who are sick and poor. The “deserving” sick or poor, I mean.

There will be work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP (which used to be called food stamps). That’s to lower the cost to the government and to cut down on fraud. Perhaps that’s to make being sick and hungry more attractive. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana has claimed that there is an annual $50 billion in “fraudulent payments” to Medicaid. But that flies in the face of reality because such fraud as is being committed is committed by Medicaid providers, not patients. At the same time the President is cutting the number of Inspectors General who are the people who are supposed to ride herd on fraud. All this from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

So, America’s taxpayers with incomes over a million dollars a year will get a huge tax cut. They already award themselves an estimated $150 billion a year through tax evasion according to the IRS. In 2022 (the last year for which I can find information) the IRS estimated that there was $609 billion lost to tax evaders. Collecting that would offset the projected deficit in the bill in five years.

We will see what we will get, but I will always be amazed at those American billionaires for whom too much is not enough.

Montana Viewpoint has appeared in weekly and online newspapers across Montana for over 30 years. Jim Elliott served sixteen years in the Montana Legislature as a state representative and state senator. He lives on his ranch in Trout Creek.

HELENA — A new Montana law will increase the cost for nonresidents to hunt in Big Sky Country. The revenue generated will help fund public hunter access programs.

(Watch the video to learn more)

New Montana law could see millions for public hunter access funding

House Bill 145, sponsored by Rep. Gary Parry, R-Colstrip, was signed into law last week by Gov. Greg Gianforte.

The bipartisan-backed bill increases the base hunting license fee from $15 to $50 for nonresidents. Resident hunters are charged $10 for their base hunting licenses.

Nonresident hunters make up around one-seventh of the total number of hunting licenses sold yearly. In 2023, they represented around 80% of the revenue from deer and elk licenses sold.

Eighty percent of the funds will go toward funding block management programs, which provide payments to landowners who open their land to public hunters.

According to a fiscal note attached to HB 145, the new law is estimated to generate around $2.9 million in new revenue for the state each year, and would see around $2.5 million go into the state’s hunting access account.

HB 145 will go into effect on October 1, 2025.

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at May 18, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from May 18 drawing

01-03-04-18-30, Lucky Ball: 08

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Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 18 drawing

08-11-21-24, Bonus: 06

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

• Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
• Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
• Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
• Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
• Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
• Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

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