C. Robert "Bob" Miller, best known in the Madison Valley simply as "Miller," announced recently he has filed as a Republican candidate for House District 71, which encompasses parts of Jefferson and Madison counties including Big Sky, Ennis, Virginia City, Harrison, Pony, Cameron, Cardwell and other communities.
Miller and his partner of 24 years, Deborah Gregg, for 15 years have owned and operated the popular Bear Claw Grill, a McAllister licensed restaurant, and reside nearby.
Miller has served on the board of directors of the Montana Tavern Assoc. since 2001 and was vice president from 2005-2007.
As an active member in business associations, Miller has spent considerable time in Helena during the last two legislative sessions working on business related legislation and policy and testifying before committees.
As such, he says he has come to realize that small business and the average Montanan more than ever needs effective representation in the Legislator and before governing agencies.
A primary issue at the forefront in his district, he says, is land use policy.
"I'm for carefully considered land use policies, but we must be vigilant to not trample landowner rights in the process," Miller says. "Subdivision review is proper, but it must be done without confiscatory restrictions. Montanans must retain their right to develop their property to a reasonable degree, which will help pay all our taxes along the way."
"Speaking of taxes," Miller continues, "our tax system needs reform, especially property taxes, but that must be done in conjunction with a long-term reform of education finance. The education system must be more accountable and made more efficient."
Miller says we must also guard sportsmens' rights and that includes public access to public lands and waters. "I'm in favor of preserving Montana's landmark stream access laws," he says, adding, "but we need to educate the recreating public on proper use and etiquette."
He says the clashes and conflicts between conservationists and resource users "needs resolution and compromise. The multiple-use concept needs to be maintained."
Montana's economy, which has been booming in the state's southwest, "will experience some slowing, and we, as well as government, need to be prepared to deal with that. We will see some recessionary trends in some pockets of the economy. We'll have to be more conservative with government spending and economic investment. Budgets will be tighter so we will have to be ready to say 'no' to agency spending requests. Government will have to be streamlined and made more efficient."
Miller graduated Gateway High School in Pittsburgh, Penn. in 1968 where he played football, basketball and ran track. He spent his junior high and high school summers working on the family dairy farm where he says he was an avid student of the strong family work ethic inspired by his father, a metallurgical engineer.
In the early to mid-1970s, he became a 50 percent owner of Sight and Sound, a musical production company centered in Colorado, then worked as a factory representative for 15 major electronics firms covering Montana, Wyoming and northern Colorado. In 1978, he was a 25 percent partner in Decision Brokers, a market research and consulting firm specializing in real estate research.
All during that time Miller was pursuing a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado, which he earned with honors, including the Neel G. Farrion Award for Excellence in Psychology, in 1979.
He pursued advanced course work toward masters and doctorate degrees in Social Psychology specializing in methodology and research design while teaching statistics in the department.
Afterward he was a consultant to a number of organizations and academic textbook authors.
Miller worked as a construction coordinator, lead carpenter and carpenter on a number of movie projects between 1984 and 1992 including "Great Balls of Fire" and "Amazing Grace and Chuck."
From 1988 to 1992 he was also a business consultant to Siobhan Co., a design company specializing in hand-painted silks while he managed various bars and restaurants in the Bozeman and Jackson Hole, Wyo. areas.
In 1993, Miller and a business partner purchased the Bear Claw Bar & Grill in McAllister, between Norris and Ennis along Hwy. 287. He is a citizen member of the Law and Justice Committee for Madison County.
He is a hunting, fishing, golf and purebred dog enthusiast.
He said he encourages any citizens living in House District 71 to contact him anytime at his business at 406-682-4619 or cell phone 406-581-8438, or to e-mail him at <
bearclaw1@3rivers.net>.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, March, 2008, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.