MT residents thoughts on Steve Bullock

[TheJason]

While the citizens in the private sector are facing huge declines in income, layoffs, and on average significantly lower wages and benefits than those working in the public sector collecting their wages from the private sector? Is this whatyou are talking about?

I wasn't speaking to the private sector. I was speaking to the per capita income as it relates to a certain segment of the population.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I wasn't speaking to the private sector. I was speaking to the per capita income as it relates to a certain segment of the population.

The public sector jobs that are paid for by the private sector should have seen a proportional decrease in wages to what the private sector has suffered. Not just a freeze on cost of living increases.

 

[BigHornRam]

The public sector jobs that are paid for by the private sector should have seen a proportional decrease in wages to what the private sector has suffered. Not just a freeze on cost of living increases.

That's how economics work in the real world.

 

[TheJason]

The public sector jobs that are paid for by the private sector should have seen a proportional decrease in wages to what the private sector has suffered. Not just a freeze on cost of living increases.

This wasn't during a time of economic recession.

 

[375H&H]

Was Bullock for or against I-186?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

This wasn't during a time of economic recession.

Ithought you were talking about recent history from 2008 until about a year ago.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I think MT income per capita compared to the rest of the nation has been on the decline since the early 70's. We were once in the top 10 states. Last I heard we are 49th. Ahead of Alabama.

 

[TheJason]

Ithought you were talking about recent history from 2008 until about a year ago.

Nope.

I'm not an economist, and won't pretend to be one. My point was, partisan affiliation doesn't really seem to have much to do with making wages better in Montana. If you think it does, we'll politely agree to disagree.

I can guarantee you I buy a lot more of your bullets when I'm making a better wage.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

40 years ago we had more license hikers hunting, yet it was easy to go hunting and not see another hunter. Today it is nearly impossible to do so. Far less access to public lands now than then funneling hunters into the same areas. If anybody thinks that Bullock and the rest on his team are helping with land access, you are falling for a lie.

 

[375H&H]

Nope.

I'm not an economist, and won't pretend to be one. My point was, partisan affiliation doesn't really seem to have much to do with making wages better in Montana. If you think it does, we'll politely agree to disagree.

I can guarantee you I buy a lot more of your bullets when I'm making a better wage.

More mining jobs doesn’t equate to better incomes and taxes for the state? Jason, you used to live in Colstrip, you know how nice that town is for its size compared to most others and all the amenities it has. And you know how much the state sucks it’s taxes from there.

Only one side wants to increase coal mining and copper mining in Montana, but I will refrain from getting partisan and not mention which side.

 

[TheJason]

More mining jobs doesn’t equate to better incomes and taxes for the state? Jason, you used to live in Colstrip, you know how nice that town is for its size compared to most others and all the amenities it has. And you know how much the state sucks it’s taxes from there.

Only one side wants to increase coal mining and copper mining in Montana, but I will refrain from getting partisan and not mention which side.

I also watched the impacts the coal mine had on some friends' ranches. There is no free lunch.

Yes, the town was nice, but had little of it's own infrastructure. Folks seemed to prefer investing their income in Billings, rather than local.

Again, I'm not advocating for either party. However, I simply don't see much in the way of foresight and ability to grow the state economically from EITHER party. Just to make you happy, I can rail on Schweitzer if you want? He was absolutely full of shit in terms of economic promises. Better?

 

[BigHornRam]

Mississippi I believe is the state always nursing the hind teat.

Per Capita Personal Income by State

Find out which states have the highest per capita income for the years 1980-present.

www.infoplease.com

 

[RockyMtnMT]

More mining jobs doesn’t equate to better incomes and taxes for the state? Jason, you used to live in Colstrip, you know how nice that town is for its size compared to most others and all the amenities it has. And you know how much the state sucks it’s taxes from there.

Only one side wants to increase coal mining and copper mining in Montana, but I will refrain from getting partisan and not mention which side.

Not to mention that all of our mills are gone. Not just shut down, but gone. Sold to Canada piece by piece to be set up and run there. Meanwhile we burn our forests causing us to live in smoke all summer long while incurring millions of dollars in bills to MANAGE these fires. Simply stupid. I won't mention which side thinks this is sound policy.

 

[BigHornRam]

Ultra modern highly mechanized mill going up in St Regis.

St. Regis Mill - Idaho Forest Group

idfg.com

They will need a lot of federal timber to keep this one running.

One thing about Bullock he has been very pro timber industry.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Good news for st Regis on a mill. Hopefully they'll be able to get logs. Will depend on the next governor. Could keep busy from Idaho logs. Other than private sales I don't see much coming out of MT with current leadership.

 

[BigHornRam]

40 years ago we had more license hikers hunting, yet it was easy to go hunting and not see another hunter. Today it is nearly impossible to do so. Far less access to public lands now than then funneling hunters into the same areas. If anybody thinks that Bullock and the rest on his team are helping with land access, you are falling for a lie.

Bi-partisan effort here to preserve public access

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/fishAndWildlife/nr_1150.html

 

[BigHornRam]

Good news for st Regis on a mill. Hopefully they'll be able to get logs. Will depend on the next governor. Could keep busy from Idaho logs. Other than private sales I don't see much coming out of MT with current leadership.

I sure hope the next Governor (Fox) would be my guess, continues with the current forest conservation work initiated by Bullock.

Governor Bullock Unveils New Forestry Stewardship Partnership — Montana DNRC

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today unveiled a new forestry stewardship partnership to address pressing needs in forest management across ownership boundaries. Governor Bullock, along with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and key supporting partners including...

dnrc.mt.gov

 

[Gerald Martin]

I just returned late last night from a day trip into an area slated to be mined in the near future as soon as those pesky environmentalists stop being so picky about permitting rules like clean water and such and let our impoverished county open up another 60 middle class jobs.
As I passed the cliffs where the goats winter and the paved road is going to be installed to allow for 24/7 truck traffic, I was stopped short by a big pile of white fur on the side of the trail. I followed the scattered piles of goat hair up through the timber and found the scavanged skeleton of a winter killed goat. It's already a fight for survival but I'm sure they can find some other place to winter, since they sure won't tolerate the noise and disturbance. Further up the valley, I saw several nannies. No kids. I don't know if they haven't been born yet this spring or if the winter was hard enough on them they aborted the fetus.
The mining EIS has not adressed or speculated on the impact to grizzlies that heavily utilize this particular drainage during their mating season and spring green up. Out of an estimated 40-50 grizzlies in the entire Cabinet Wilderness, we have seen up to six in one day in the spring.

This mine is where the metal we use in our environmentally friendly bullets will come from. If we open it up, it will open up the possibility for high paying jobs. Jobs, just like were available in the highly exploited, totally settled valley back East that I moved away from. The county I now live in has incredible potential to become just like all those highly exploited economic zones where making a living is easy and where a fellow can make enough money to buy an outfitted hunt in pristine wilderness that is undisturbed by industrial activity.

It's a common tendency for new folks moving into Montana to want to see change so that it can become just like the area they left. Maybe I'm strange, but after nearly twenty years, the last thing I want to see is Montana become like the area I left. Our wildlife and way of life is worth the struggle to make ends meet. The struggle to survive economically is the limiting factor that keeps growth slow in our valley. If making a lot of money was my goal, I'd move somewhere else where jobs are abundant and that fake indicator of wealth called "money" is easily accumulated. Currently, I prefer to watch the mountain goats and hope that their wintering cliffs remained undisturbed for a long long time.

The environment isn't an abstract idea.

As far as how Bullock relates to Montana's values and the current national political climate.... as much as I disagree with him on social issues, I am hopeful that his entry into the race can move the conversation away from the extremes and towards the middle.

Issues that affect me and my family are far more complex than what currently passes for policy as defined strictly from an R or D platform.

 

[TheJason]

Bi-partisan effort here to preserve public access

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/fishAndWildlife/nr_1150.html

This is a great example of the good work that can come from BIPARTISAN efforts. LWCF funded. Good work comes from individual values, not party affiliation.

 

[TheJason]

The public sector jobs that are paid for by the private sector should have seen a proportional decrease in wages to what the private sector has suffered. Not just a freeze on cost of living increases.

And with that would come the expectation I'd see a commensurate benefit from a booming economy. That rarely, if ever happens.
Not complaining or asking for sympathy, just stating reality. Working for the government isn't all rainbows and unicorns.