Do you hate this guy? (Deer Lodge, Clinton: construction, safety, budget)

[LHS79]

Anyone ever hear the name Rudy Stanko?

In 1998 he got a ticket and sued the state and they got rid of the unlimited speed limits in MT.

Great guy huh? I think his friends call him Stinko (!).

[Montguy]

I haven't heard his name thrown out in many years, and I'm sure most Montanans wouldn't know the name if they heard it.

Everyone seems to know that Montana once did not have a set daytime speed limit on the interstates, but they likely have no idea why that changed. They probably blame the feds as opposed to blaming an elected judicial body that sided with some idiot who believed driving in excess of 120 mph was "reasonable and prudent" because of his history as a professional race car driver (or something like that). The MT Supreme Court decision forced the legislature to act.

[brb going fishing]

Our supreme court blows. Montanans keep voting for more of the same on the bench; oh well.

[Montguy]

Originally Posted by brb going fishing

Our supreme court blows. Montanans keep voting for more of the same on the bench; oh well.

Horrible, isn't it? The overwhelming majority of Montanans are too complacent to change it, of course we know that, but for my own part I never, ever vote for an incumbent justice against their opponent, nor do I ever vote to retain a justice.

What else can you do, really?

[mrwumpus]

Why is it in my and my family's interest that teenagers, drunks and angry drivers should be allowed to drive at speeds much more likely to endanger my health and safety?

[historyfan]

The Feds did say no more matching funds for highway construction to MT unless enacted the 55 mph energy conservation limit. I would have to look up old newspapers to give you specific reference.

[snowave]

nothing wrong with reasonable speed limits. Nobody needs to go over 80 on the interstate... and in many cases, 75 is too high from ID line to west of Deer Lodge. I don't like the Govt regulating everything, but too many stupid people out there that don't know how to drive safely as it is.

[oldtrader]

Originally Posted by historyfan

The Feds did say no more matching funds for highway construction to MT unless enacted the 55 mph energy conservation limit. I would have to look up old newspapers to give you specific reference.

You are right. The feds are the ones, that caused Montana to have speed limits. And they used no federal money for roads and highways, unless Montana limited the speed limits within the state. Montana responded by setting speed limits on roads and highways. The state highway budget could not do otherwise.

[Brian_M]

FWIW, it hit Wyoming too (damn tyrants).

I remember getting a $5 "waste of natural resources" ticket for 182 in a 55. We had a couple mile section of road blocked off with a LEO buddy running radar. My roommate hit 198, just couldn't hit 2-tons. Ahh... wasted youth

[Montguy]

Originally Posted by historyfan

The Feds did say no more matching funds for highway construction to MT unless enacted the 55 mph energy conservation limit. I would have to look up old newspapers to give you specific reference.

Originally Posted by oldtrader

You are right. The feds are the ones, that caused Montana to have speed limits. And they used no federal money for roads and highways, unless Montana limited the speed limits within the state. Montana responded by setting speed limits on roads and highways. The state highway budget could not do otherwise.

Well, 55 mph was the speed limit imposed on all 50 states under federal legislation that set a national maximum speed limit in the mid-70s. The rule was eliminated during the Clinton administration, and the Montana legislature gave us the “reasonable and prudent” standard in 95’, which was repealed in 99’ after the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of Rudy Stanko.

So the feds weren’t mandating our speed limit in 1999, guys.

And I’m not saying that a non-numerical speed limit was a great idea, not in retrospect, and I think it would’ve been replaced with a numerical speed limit by now anyway.

Just saying, for those who might think that our way of life (or whatever) was assaulted by this change, don’t point fingers at D.C.