By MICHELLE LOVATO

Lake County Leader

Montana gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte met with a select group of Lake County business leaders at an invitation-only breakfast June 3 to introduce himself and his running mate, Lesley Robinson.

“This is the year of the outsider,” Gianforte said when he stood to speak to those in attendance of the private-invitation only breakfast.

Robinson, a former Phillips County Commissioner, stood by his side, completing the team Gianforte calls a “diversified ticket.”

Robinson is a rancher and long-time political activist, and is well-connected to the agriculture industry through service on a variety of stock and agriculture industry oversight boards.

Gianforte believes his experience as a business professional helps him focus on issues Montanans care about.

Robinson called herself a person who does not like to sit still. Robinson said she agreed to retire from all her board positions when Gianforte asked her to run along his side, but

she does not want to be a silent second partner to Gianforte. Robinson believes her administrative and personal agriculture experience will bring an important voice to the “governmental” table.

Gianforte’s message centered around business and how strong business results in a strong economy.

A proponent of higher wages for working Montanans, Gianforte said that his overall message is to eliminate inefficient methods of business.  

Gianforte said he wants to unclog the bottleneck of municipality money Helena holds.

The gubernatorial candidate said that he knows that community leaders send money to Helena that often does not come back, a frustration that is bottle-necking commerce, wages and growth in the state.

Gianforte said that bottleneck is holding local municipalities back from vital foundational progress on what he calls “essential infrastructure” that “coal-trust funding” is intended to support.

Coal-trust funding, first introduced by Sen. Rick Ripley (R), takes a portion of the coal tax money and creates a permanent trust to fund infrastructure projects — something Gianforte said is bottlenecked in a political quagmire. 

The candidate said his four “essential” infrastructure goals focus on water, sewer, bridges and roads. Once those items are in place, growth and commerce will follow.

Gianforte and Robinson held an informal question-and-answer session with audience members. 

Lake County philanthropists Chuck and Penny Jarecki hosted the event for 30 community and business leaders.