These guys don't like you

New York City multimillionaire Howie Rich doesn't like you. He doesn't like any public employees. He doesn't respect the important work public employees do. And he has the money to undo government, state by state.

MEA-MFT and AARP Montana teamed up to stop him. But he'll be back. And he'll probably be working with the same Montana front group that participated in pervasive fraud and deception in their attempt to pass CI-98, CI-97, and I-154.

Howie Rich's front group, Montanans In Action
The movers and shakers in Howie's front group don't like you either. Here's who they are:

Trevis Butcher: Winifred, MT. Home-school activist. Director and key spokesperson for Montanans In Action, the front group for Howie Rich's three bad initiatives.

Butcher travels the state with a giant pink pig, which to him represents Montana public employees.

Butcher's Rolling Hills Band (Butcher, his wife, and his kids) was paid $7,500 for gathering signatures on CI-97, CI-98, and I-154.

When MEA-MFT President Eric Feaver asked in a public debate who the initiatives' "grassroots" supporters are, Butcher said, "You're looking at him."

Scott Mendenhall: Clancy, MT. Chair of Montanans In Action. Montana legislator running for reelection.

Mendenhall is trying to distance himself from the three bad initiatives, CI-97, CI-98, and I-154. But he is a key mover and shaker in the effort to pass them. He proclaimed in a letter to the editor that he "birthed" CI-97, (but he didn't sign the petition to put it on the ballot). He was paid $77.25 for getting signatures on I-154.

Sheila Hogan is running against Mendenhall for the legislature. MEA-MFT has recommended her.

Joe Balyeat: Belgrade, MT. Vice chair of the committee for CI-97, chair of the committee for I-154.

Balyeat is a state senator and longtime right-wing activist. In 1998 he was the chief promoter of CI-75, an initiative similar to this year's CI-97.

Balyeat's son, Dan, was paid $5,855.15 for gathering signatures on CI-97, CI-98, and I-154. Another relative, Bob Balyeat, was paid $3,722.13.

Balyeat finally admitted in a public debate that Howie Rich is the main funder of Montanans In Action. He later tried to retract his statement.