Senator Jon Tester visits Two Eagle River School

By B.L. Azure

Student from Rodney Bird's Tribal history and government class met with Senator Jon Tester and asked him questions related to his position and politics. (Alyssa Kelly photo)

PABLO - Senator Jon Tester pulled off U.S. Highway 93 Tuesday to pay a visit to Two Eagle River School. The Democratic Senator, in the midst of a two-week Easter break, will be covering a lot of Montana blacktop - and gravel top - as he touches bases with the citizens of the state.

While at Tester Two Eagle Tester addressed Rodney Bird's Tribal History and Government class for about a half hour and sat down with Char-Koosta News for a spell after. Students peppered him with many very relevant questions related to his job.

When asked about what it takes to become a U.S. Senator, Tester stated the obvious: money. "You have to raise lots of money," he said. The 2006 three-way race pitting Democrats Tester and John Morrison for their party's nomination and incumbent Republican Senator Conrad Burns' reelection bid, cost more than $25 million, the most ever spent in a Montana campaign for a U.S. Congressional office seat. "That's a ton of money. But it's the key. If you don't have money you can't get your message out there to the people... Politics is a difficult business."

Tester's foray into the difficult business of politics began in north-central Montana in the Big Sandy area where his family owned a farm.

Upon graduation from Big Sandy High School Tester attended the College of Great Falls and graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in music. He returned to Big Sandy to teach music halftime and to manage the family farm that his grandparents homesteaded nearly 100 years ago. By then he was married to wife Sharla, and the agricultural business, including management of a custom butcher shop, became his sole occupation.

The 51-year-old Tester served as chair of the Big Sandy District School Board and on the local Soil Conservation Service Committee before running for the Montana Senate. He was first elected to the Montana Senate in 1997 but was prohibited from running for reelection after serving two four-year terms because of term limits. He then ran for the U.S. Senate and narrowly defeated Sen. Burns.

Following the class presentation Tester said the Indian vote was critical in his election. "The winning margin was 3,562 votes," he said. "The Indian vote made a huge difference as did the women's and students' vote."

Senator Tester insists on keeping Montanans informed about the what's happening in Washington D.C. and often returns to Montana to meet with citizens. (Alyssa Kelly photo)

A few of the issues weighing heavily on Tester's and his constituents' minds are the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the present state of the nation's economy and healthcare. His front-burner goals are to make health care affordable and accessible, and to improve America's tarnished image abroad.

"The economy in the last year has been going downhill and I don't know if government can rescue it," Tester said. He added that it is critical that people are confident in the economic health of the nation since they are so tightly tethered to it. The recent $150 billion economic stimulus package that will give nearly every taxpayer $600 is a band-aid, a very tiny and thin one. And it seems there is more dire economic news each day now. "Will it ($600) save people from mortgage foreclosure? No. Will it stave off a recession? No, it will only postpone it. It is a bit scary out there economically."

Tester said America has to find a way to disengage itself from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said that wouldn't happen while President George W. Bush is still in office and it won't happen if Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) is elected. McCain has indicated that America could have a military presence in the area for generations to come. And the rhetorical and literal costs of that involvement are astronomical.

He said repeated deployments of America's depleted military personnel are taking a heavy toll physically and emotionally. Up to 40 percent of returning troops are saddled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. "It (PTSD) is a real problem that is increased with multiple tours," he said. "Things are going a bit better over there but it is not good or wonderful by any stretch of the imagination. People are coming back with problems and issues we need to help them deal with."

Tester said that the Iraqi government has in excess of $70 billion in its coffers that it won't spend because America is funding the war. That money could be used to help wounded military personnel heal and would help the ailing economy. "There are a lot better things to spend that money on domestically," he said.

Tester told the students that Indian land and water rights are big issues to Indians and non-Indians alike. He said that Indian sovereignty is critical to preservation of tribal lands, water, culture and self-determination as well as addressing the multitude of challenges that Indian people face. He told the students that they could become part of the answer to the problems that exist in Indian Country by pursuing a quality education and becoming involved in the political, social and economic arenas.

Tester said later that there are many educational and training options available for young people to enhance their employment marketability. "There are plenty of educational opportunities out there. Students can be whatever they want," he said. "The key is making them affordable. Many students enter the job market with a heavy educational debt load. Having thousands and thousands of dollars of education debt puts them at an economical disadvantage from the start. It's an ongoing issue."

Tester said he and others are working hard to address the crisis of inadequate health care in Indian Country. "It is a critical issue," he said. "People are dying because of the lack of quality and affordable healthcare." He added that it is a national problem where millions of people of all ages don't have access to healthcare for a multitude of reasons with the lack of affordable health insurance topping the list.

Tester said the Indian Health Care Improvement Act recently passed in the U.S. Congress and it included a $1billion increase in funding. "The money allocated for Indian health care needs to get to the people and not be ate up by administration," he said.

"There are a lot of challenges in Indian Country. You need to address them, you need to prioritize them and address them," Tester told the students. "Education is the most important thing you will do in your lives. Get a good one and get involved in the process. Don't just complain get involved. You can make a difference in your lives and others."