Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

As I was listening to the Montana Senate Debate last night My Darling Wife made a very good observation.

MDW: You know hon, you can't change your vote so why are you listening.

She was right, as usual. My Absentee Ballot is all ready turned in so even if something major happened, I can't change anything, I have to live with my decision.

I guess I just had to listen though. The Montana Lefty Blogs had built up the other Debates for Senate but they have been very quiet about this one. I wanted to listen to see if I could figure out the Lefties silence on this debate as compared to the others.

I didn't figure out the reason for the silence but it was interesting to watch and listen and see the demeanor of the candidates. Burns was having his usual proplem of staying on topic but I think any politician that has been around as long as he has suffers from this problem. Burns's stage presence was better than Tester for sure. Testers lacks some panache that Burns has, but it is something he will gain if he wins. Being a professional politician, which he will be if he wins, will give him the experience he is so painfully lacking at the moment. He will learn to dodge questions too.

No winners, no losers, just an interesting debate.

The vote is a trust more delicate than any other, for it involves not just the interests of the voter, but his life, honor and future as well. Jose Marti

Boy, don't disagree with our Governor. He gets a might testy.

Schweitzer pans professors' business ideas

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has criticized two University of Montana professors for suggesting that Montanans debate some controversial changes in law to make the state more attractive to business.

Among the issues raised by business professors Jack Morton and Michael Harrington are whether Montana ought to enact a right-to-work law and weaken its strong constitutional guarantee of a clean environment. They also questioned Montana's high workers' compensation premiums and the lack of an at-will employment law, making it harder to fire an employee.

Without naming the professors, Schweitzer last week blasted them for trotting out "the same worn-out, tired" solutions Montanans heard when their economy lagged in the 1990s.

Try to bring some points out for discussion and Schweitzer can't stand it. I am not saying I agree with what these guys are saying but what is so wrong with bringing the point up that they did?

"Whenever we compare Montana's business sector to surrounding states, we are envious," the professors wrote. "We often wonder why Montana hasn't grown more of the types of firms that we see in our neighboring states of Idaho and South Dakota."

They cited the presence of Hewlett-Packard, Micron Technology and J.R. Simplot, among others, in Idaho. South Dakota attracted Citibank and grew Daktronics and Gateway Computers.

"We'd love to have our students get jobs in Montana instead of going to Boise, Idaho," Morton said in an interview.

Wanting Montanans to get jobs in Montana, seems like an idea to me.

In an article in the booklet distributed at the seminar, the UM professors suggest Montana's business climate suffers compared to that of Idaho and South Dakota. They suggest Montanans at least ought to debate whether to change their laws and constitution to make them more business friendly.

"Montanans at least ought to debate whether to change their laws and constitution to make them more business friendly." This seems reasonable to me, a "friendly" debate on the issue would air the issues out. I don't see anything that was said that needs such a virulent attack. Name calling, "pointy headed people and not listening to the issues brought forward is a sign that the Governor is being a little close minded on the issues.

One other thing to bring to the front here on business in Montana. The Governor has been busy flying all over creation looking to woo some company to build a coal to fuel plant to Montana to expand our business opportunities. Instead of flying all over at government expense trying g to woo them look what Wyoming is doing.

Breaks for coal plants considered

With some of the nation's largest energy companies already eyeing Wyoming as a possible site for construction of coal gasification and liquefaction plants, some people question the need for proposed legislation that would give firms massive tax breaks on plant construction.

No such plants have been built in Wyoming, but the state is competing with Montana and other states in the effort to lure some here.

Now I've never been a big fan of tax breaks to bring businesses in but if Wyoming does this the chance that Montana will be able to compete for a coal to fuel plant is slim to none. Companies just love these tax breaks, I can't blame them, and will go where the best deal can be offered. A sweet talking Governor in Montana is not going to trump these kinds of deals found in Wyoming. Discussing how to make Montana more business friendly might be the right thing to look at.

Do I want Montana to follow Wyoming's lead when it comes to energy development? No. I feel the damage they are doing to the environment is too great for Montana but to debate business issues in Montana might be the right thing to do at this point. Relying on the same old formula we've used for years isn't bringing in the boom of business that other states are seeing so looking things over is a wise idea. A debate on the issues never hurt anyone, unless they are afraid they are going to lose the debate.

You win some, lose some, and wreck some. Dale Earnhardt