Montana Public Radio is gathering information on all statewide general election candidates to publish as a resource for our audience. We asked all the statewide candidates to respond to the following questions via email, limiting their answers to 150 words per question. These are their unedited responses.
Roger Roots is the 2020 Libertarian candidate for state auditor.
What makes you the best candidate for state auditor and how do you stand out from your opponent(s)?
Both my opponents are committed to big government and government control of Montanans’ lives. I am a committed libertarian who will always keep the freedom of Montanans as my highest priority.
What experience do you have in regulating, or being a part of, the insurance and securities industries?
I have worked on corporate legal cases and studied the way that insurance and financial markets impact and improve (or not) the prosperity of different regions and societies . In general, governments which impose the highest taxes and regulations on investors and insurance consumers preside over the poorest societies.
What are your three top goals to accomplish as state auditor and how would you achieve them?
- I will focus the powers of the State Auditor’s office on investigating corruption, cost inflation, and overspending by the State government.
- I will downsize the office by laying off staff and renting the facilities of the Auditor’s office to provide more goods and services to consumers.
- I will regularly update Montanans regarding the true (and often hidden) costs of overregulation.
State Auditor is one of five statewide elected officials that sits on the state Land Board, which manages state trust lands. What are your priorities for managing these lands?
My highest priority will be to lease and/or dispose these lands in the most productive and market-friendly ways possible. I will invite input by the public and consider all options for such leases and dispositions.
Do you have ideas of specific policies you want to bring to the 2021 legislative session that would play a role in the regulation of insurance and securities in the state? Please provide specifics on those policies.
I am a constant advocate for more individual-driven insurance and health choices. Montanans should always be able to opt out of stupid government programs and to self-insure in every way. Montanans should be able to bypass the insurance industry by paying into self-owned investment accounts and self-covering. I will work with the 2021 Legislative Session to make this possible.
What authorities as state auditor do you believe need to be used more or less than previous administrations in this role?
I will use my offices subpoena powers to force State officials to produce records and testify regarding their financial doings and manipulations.
What other issues are important to your campaign? (300 word limit)
My opponents run on fake campaigns claiming they will be “tough” on the insurance industry or financial markets. But the toughest thing that can be done to such industries is to relieve them of their unconstitutional monopolies which allow them to demand that Montanans support them. Everything I do in the State Auditor’s office will be aimed at downsizing government and lifting burdens of government control from the shoulders of long-suffering Montanans.
