One of my opponents in House District 3 has taken a stand that draws a clear line between his political philosophy and mine. He believes in subsidizing private industry and I don’t.

I recently wrote a letter to the editor expressing my inability to reaffirm my “no new tax pledge.” My inability is because Americans for Tax Reform, the initiators of the pledge, consider a vote to reduce or eliminate present subsidies, deductions, loopholes and tax incentives, such as for ethanol, wind mills and gray water systems, to be a vote for raising taxes.

I view most subsidies, deductions, loopholes and tax incentives to be corporate welfare, whereby government chooses which industries will succeed and which will fail.

Their operation is similar to an armored car with the back door ajar and the money falling out on the street. Since this government money is from us, it only makes sense we rush onto the street and grab all we can before someone else makes off with our money.

As a legislator, it is not my job to impede the public from getting their share of these subsidies, deductions, loopholes and tax incentives that were previously granted. Instead, as a legislator, it is my job to lock the door of the armored car to protect the people’s money from being wasted in the future.

I am proud of my consistent record of voting against the government giving our tax dollars to special interests for such things as the production of ethanol, biodiesel, nuclear power or wind power.

If these items are worth doing and desired by the public, I encourage private industry to provide them for a profit. (We certainly need profitable businesses to bolster Montana’s underfunded public employees and teachers retirement system investment portfolios with their dividends.)

My opponent states my inability to see the benefits of giving your tax dollars to subsidize private industry’s production of renewable energy displays “a lack of both leadership and foresight.” I don’t know what limits my opponent has in his desire to spend your tax dollars, but he has publicly chided me for my philosophy that businesses should not count on public money for their profits.

Jerry O’Neil, of Columbia Falls, is the Republican representative for House District 3.