Tagged: economy

Posted: March 31, 2012 at 6:54 am

Rick Hill Dumps on Montana

Congressman Rick Hill is dumping on Montana’s economy again because he think it will help him politically. If Hill and his insurance industry pals were serious about bringing jobs to Montana, they’d be promoting the state, not trashing it. The Helena IR recently criticized the Republican candidates for making false economic claims.

That didn’t stop Hill from writing on his blog:

“While the pundits like to point to the occasional economic bright spot as an indication that the economy is strengthening, most people on Main Street aren’t so optimistic.”

In the real world, however, the Bozeman Chronicle reports that:

“Montana’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.2 percent in February, extending a decline that begin in August, when the rate hit a high of 7 percent, according to state labor figures. The Montana Research & Analysis Bureau reported that the state’s unemployment rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points in February. The state has the 13th lowest unemployment rate in the country.”

Posted: January 27, 2012 at 6:59 am

Truth v. Lies: Economic Facts About Montana

(A 2012 Montana election primer for Democrats)

A while back I posted some talking points for Democrats. A few commenters asked for some elaboration. These points are very important for candidates and citizens alike, and I will reiterate them today.

It must first be understood that the GOP imbeciles in Montana (meaning most candidates, operatives, party leaders, heads of conservative groups, legislators and so on), have been in a state of perpetual anger and rage for the last six years or so. Why? Because they controlled Montana for 20 years, virtually ran it into the ground, and then have since been forced look on, helplessly, as Democrats took over the reins, went to work, and helped Montana make great strides.

Republicans cannot abide the fact that Dems have gotten the state in strong shape after decades of GOP neglect. Thus they have resorted to a rather sad strategy: they denigrate, deride and degrade (trash, in essence) the state of Montana, the Montana economy, and state government, even though we have one of the best economies and most efficient state governments in America.

Facts

1. Under Democrats, Montana has developed more energy (wind, coal, oil, gas) than at any time in history. (http://www.innovatemontana.com/economic-development/economic-development-report/)

2. For the last several years Montana has been ranked consistently among the top ten states in America for our tax climate and our business climate. We are one of the best places in America to start a business, across the board. Just this week, we were rated 8th best in the nation. (http://helenair.com/news/local/state-and-regional/study-ranks-montana-eighth-in-business-tax-climate/article_ad5e20da-47ec-11e1-8152-0019bb2963f4.html)

3. We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. This week, it went down again, to below 7%. (http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c068f307265449a18d8af20db28f23d1/MT–Montana-Unemployment/)

4. This has not gone unnoticed by Montana voters, for when asked, 55% of them recently said in a survey that the state economy is on the right track as opposed to the wrong track. In only three other states in America did voters respond so positively to that question. In most states, voters think their state economy sucks. (http://www.publicsectorinc.com/map/pdf/mi_ss_mt.pdf)

5. Finally, Montana was recently rated as the best fiscally managed state in America. Eighty-three percent of Montanans think that state government is managing taxpayer money wisely. No other state came even close. (http://mtcowgirl.com/2011/09/22/stunning-poll-results-from-a-ten-state-survey/)

(http://www.publicsectorinc.com/map/pdf/mi_ss_mt.pdf)

6. And why shouldn’t they feel this way? Montana has a $400 million surplus. In fact, for the last five years Montana has had a record sized surplus. And only a handful of states have surpluses right now. Most are in financial crisis. And Dems have cut more taxes than Republicans ever did. (http://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-budget-looking-at-million-surplus/article_a8764bcb-2076-5c99-a128-e54fbb473922.html)

7. Don’t just take my (liberal) word for it. Ask FoxNews or the Wall Street Journal, both of whom recently editorialized about the spectacular fiscal shape the state is in. For that matter, so did Denny Rehberg and Newt Gingrich. And so has every major newspaper in Montana.

(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704130904574644510559988716.html)

(http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/IndyBlog/archives/2011/10/18/fox-news-contributor-suggests-dems-follow-montanas-lead)

8. The extra dough that Democrats have saved taxpayers has been (1) returned in the form of a rebate (the largst taxpayer rebate ever in Montana) and (2) spent on education, a historic investment in schools. (http://www.governor.mt.gov/boed/docs/GovernorsPresentationToBoardOfEducation_Jan_2008.pdf) see page 5

These are important points that, too often, are not internalized by Democratic candidates. But they are crucial. They are a dagger in the heart of Republicans. The message is very clear: In Montana, Democrats are a special breed, who are good with money, run government efficiently, and know how to create jobs and a strong business climate. It’s why Schweitzer has become one of the most popular Governors in America; it’s why Democrats won big in 2008; and it’s probably why Tester is leading Rehberg.

Why are these points, as opposed to other things that Democrats like to talk about, the ones that must be emphasized? Because they rebut the false story told by Republicans which is that Montana is strangling business with too much regulation, too many taxes, too much spending, etc.

This is what they are saying right now. Rick Hill, GOP candidate for Governor, was on the radio for a half hour the other day, and all he could do was trash Montana. The irony, of course, is the Rick Hill is a teat-sucker of major proportions. He sucked large at the government teat, earning almost a million bucks in taxpayer dollars as a landlord who rented property to the government. All while his wife was working in the governor’s office. And he’s complaining about “too much spending”?

Aside from being ineffective politically (because the polls show us that voters side with Democrats and like what they are seeing out of state government), it’s very unpatriotic and a truly awful dereliction of one’s civic duty, to throw your state under the bus, tell lies about it, in order to win an election. Democrats like Schweitzer try to recruit businesses and market the state’s assets, and the GOP undercuts the whole effort by telling the whole world how bad Montana is for business, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Finally, I got an interesting comment from a blogger who said that these talking points I’ve provided for Dems “sound like Republican talking points.” Trust me, there is nothing Republican about balancing the government checkbook and running a surplus, or using government in an active way to attract business to the state. Republicans know how to create deficits, cut taxes while fighting trillion dollar wars, and promote Federal Identification cards, and fight for Spear Hunting rights. What Montana needs is strong management of an effective state government, and Dems have provided it. Adopting the Gold Standard is not a credible economic policy. Again, the facts are in: Democrats know how to manage money; republicans do not.

And remember, there is a reason you hear the GOP gubernatorial candidates talk so much about Obama. It’s because they need to present voters with a Democratic boogeyman, and they can’t find one in in Montana.

The good news is, Democratic candidates are now on the offense talking about jobs, as you can see from the articles below. Armed with the facts, we can all help them win.

KTVM: http://www.nbcmontana.com/ktvm/30300689/detail.html
MT Standard: http://mtstandard.com/news/local/democrats-listening-tour-stops-in-butte/article_1ef30e62-47df-11e1-ac06-001871e3ce6c.html
KXLH: http://www.kxlh.com/videos/democrats-host-jobs-tour-in-helena/
KFBB: http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/Democrats-Bring-Jobs-Tour-to-Capitol-City-138167454.html
Beartooth NBC: http://www.beartoothnbc.com/news/helena/17861-jobs-tour.html
MT Standard: http://mtstandard.com/news/local/business-jobs-listening-tour-coming-to-butte-wed/article_ed5c4092-45e7-11e1-a43d-001871e3ce6c.html
KFBB: http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/Democratic-Representatives-Meet-with-Residents-137630223.html

Posted: January 24, 2012 at 8:10 pm

Rehberg Twitter Account Hacked with Hilarious Results

Yes, someone pretending to be Congressman Rehberg appears to have hacked into his Twitter account to make it appear as if the Congressman is seriously asking the President to reverse his “purely political” opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline. I guess they got his website too.

The hack is a real burn, since Congressman Dennis Rehberg was actually the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation who, in a purely political move, voted against the Keystone XL pipeline. Just last month, Congressman Rehberg followed orders from his party bosses in voting against the pipeline and against a payroll tax holiday extension—a vote so unpopular Rep. Rehberg was forced to change his mind two days later.

Given Rehberg’s actual record, he could not possibly have really tweeted this, right? It would make him look like a complete fraud.

Rep. Rehberg’s actual vote can be seen here.

Rehberg is an easy target for this kind of prank. After adding trillions to the national deficit, giving himself five pay raises, and securing tax breaks for millionaires and corporations that ship jobs overseas, who would be suspicious that he would try to point his finger at someone else after voting against Montana jobs.

Thankfully, Congressman Rehberg’s account seems to have been reclaimed immediately, so it appears that the only damage the hackers were able to do involves this one item.

Posted: December 22, 2011 at 5:02 pm

Short on Economic Sense

This is shaping up to be a banner week for GOP-ers revealing how clueless they really are when it comes to the economy.

Intelligent Discontent posts this week about the surprising Facebook ad put up by Republican Gubernatorial primary candidate Corey Stapleton. In the ad, Stapleton comes out in favor of restricting the market for Montana’s natural resources It’s a strange agreement for a candidate who wants to be taken seriously to make in an election cycle where economic policy is front and center. Perhaps Stapleton should ask Washington Corp, which sells most of its copper in Asian markets, to explain it to him using small words. He should contact the Stillwater Mine about where we would be in terms of jobs if the state tried to prohibit it from selling palladium in Asia. (Probably out of business…)

What Stapleton (and several other gubernatorial candidates) don’t understand is that Schweitzer is helping Montana businesses find markets for their products, so that they can get top price. Republican officials rarely bother with such active governance, because they view government as “bad” and less government as “good.”

Posted: December 6, 2011 at 8:59 pm

The Economy’s Stumbling Block(head)

Montana TEA Party Congressman Dennis Rehberg is the stumbling block that is threatening to sink another budget and risk a government shutdown–putting the entire U.S. economy on uncertain ground.

The Hill is reporting on the latest efforts in Congress to pass the year’s funding bills and avoid a government shutdown. But Congressman Dennis Rehberg can’t even be counted on to sit at the negotiating table:

“One aide said Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), the lead GOP Labor bill negotiator, is running for a Senate seat and cannot be seen as compromising with Democrats.”

Recall that he has already failed to pass the labor bill he is responsible for as a subcommittee chairman. Instead, Congressman Rehberg only managed to piece together a controversial “draft” proposal in secret.

That Rehberg is saying he can’t even be “seen” as compromising is just the beginning. Rehberg’s “draft” has numerous other problems. As The Hill reported last week, one aide said that, “The bill has so many cultural issues packed into it” that it is bogging down the whole budget.

Rehberg isn’t just larding his draft budget proposal with this crap–he’s gone culture warrior all over the place. As the head of NARAL Pro-Choice Montana explains in a guest editorial in the Missoulian:

“After the 2010 elections, the new wave of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives pledged to focus on our country’s critical challenge: creating jobs. Instead of living up to this promise, the House has launched a War on Women, passing seven bills attacking women’s reproductive rights. In fact, the House has held the highest number of votes on choice-related issues since 2000.

…

“Rehberg also injected anti-abortion politics into an agriculture bill by supporting an amendment that could bar discussion of abortion over the Internet and through videoconferencing. This ban would apply even if a woman’s health is at risk and if this kind of communication with her doctor is her best option to receive care. Rehberg is calling for an abortion-only version of Skype. This restriction is impractical, ridiculous and, most importantly, would take away the ability of some women in rural or remote areas to discuss the full set of options with their doctor.”

If he hasn’t figured out by now that he’s supposed to be working on jobs, not some backwoods culture war (and its obvious he hasn’t) Rehberg is no use to Montana in Congress. He’s proven to be more of a hindrance than anything else.

Posted: September 22, 2011 at 6:36 pm

Stunning Poll Results, From A Ten-State Survey

I received the following chart today, which gives the results of a recently completed survey of voters in ten states. It was commissioned by a consortium of groups, including the Montana Policy Institute, a conservative group based in Bozeman. The poll says that 83% of Montanans believe that state government is being run efficiently, and 55% believe Montana’s economy is on the right track. Montana leads the other states in both categories.

Might I remind everyone that these attitudes about the efficacy of state government are coming at a time when the entire executive branch of Montana is controlled by Democrats?

Two questions were asked: 1) Do you believe that the economy in your state is headed in the right direction or wrong direction? 2) Do you believe your state government is being run efficiently or inefficiently? Here are the ten state results. Montana is highest in both categories, by a mile.


	STATE ECONOMY HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?		STATE GOVT EFFICIENT?
FL	27% YES	63% NO	47% YES	51% NO
IL	23% YES	74% NO	23% YES	76% NO
IN	28% YES	53% NO	77% YES	16% NO
MI	23% YES	56% NO	41% YES	53% NO
NY	26% YES	58% NO	62% YES	37% NO
MT	55% YES	37% NO	83% YES	17% NO
NC	18% YES	70% NO	55% YES	39% NO
OH	20% YES	71% NO	49% YES	42% NO
PA	29% YES	62% NO	45% YES	53% NO
WI	39% YES	51% NO	57% YES	37% NO

Almost nothing in politics ever polls at 83%. If a politician jumped into an icy river to save a grandma from drowning, and voters were asked if they approve or disapprove of her actions, it would probably poll only 80-20. So the 83% percent number is really astounding. Alas, all of this is terrible news for the Montana Tea Party and the GOP. Montana Teabaggers and Republicans spend their days frothing and foaming and ranting and raving, blurting out lies to crowds filled with angry imbeciles, about how state Government is spending too much money, taxing too much, and regulating too much. None of this information appears to be working. These lies are not affecting voters. Voters like what they are seeing. So Montana Democrats must now take these poll results, and stuff them down the throats, and up the asses, of their right-wing critics, to victory in 2012.

Posted: July 26, 2011 at 6:02 pm

Finally, It All Makes Sense

Millionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg has been voting to kill Medicare and Social Security in Washington DC because he’s taking advice from Republicans in the Montana Legislature.

You remember them – the “leaders” who responded to Montana’s economic challenges with theatrics like the spear hunting bill? They just wrote a letter to Congressman Rehberg pushing him to follow their economic policies.

Congressman Rehberg–who has voted to increase the debt ceiling nine times (yes, NINE TIMES) —is more than willing to listen to extremists who had more success embarrassing Montana than actually creating jobs.

Here’s more of what Congressman Rehberg’s council of economic advisors in the state legislature have in store for Montana:

The Gold Standard – Congressman Rehberg can expect to get a letter asking him to replace US dollars with gold any day now. Rep. Bob Wagner (of CNN fame) introduced a bill that could force Montanans to pay their rent with gold.

Cracking Down on DUI Laws – Rep. Alan Hale told Montanans that DUI laws “are not doing small businesses in our state any good.” Congressman Rehberg has had his own brush with drinking-related accidents, so he might be willing to listen if Rep. Hale asked for help in “reigning in” DUI laws.

Tax Breaks for Millionaires – Legislative Republicans voted to protect tax breaks for millionaires, while gutting education and health care for Montanans. Congressman Rehberg has already thought of this one, but as a millionaire, he wouldn’t need much prodding to vote himself another tax cut.

Raising Tuition for College Students – Just like Congressman Rehberg—who thinks Pell Grants are ‘welfare’—Republicans in the state legislature voted to raise tuition on college students.

Posted: January 31, 2011 at 12:42 pm

A Job for Tony Robbins

If you listened to the Montana GOP’s S.O.T.S. response, or spared yourself 20 minutes of head-pounding boredom and read this weekend’s Chuck Johnson article about it instead, you’ll find that Republican legislators are profoundly lacking in confidence.

While Schweitzer and Montana Democrats point to evidence that Montana’s economy is growing, Republicans are pretty down on Montana.

The improving economic outlook Dems are talking about is also the outlook validated by independent sources. As Mr. Johnson reports:

[E]conomists at the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research are more optimistic about the state’s future economy.

“After enduring the broadest, deepest recession seen in the state in 25 years, Montanans can expect to see better growth arrive in the state economy in 2011,” Patrick Barkey and Paul Polzin, the bureau’s director and director emeritus, said in their 2011 Economic Outlook.

So if facts and logic don’t persuade Republicans in the legislature, what’s the deal? Maybe they just need a little motivational self help.

I’m talking about Tony Robbins, the motivational speaker famous for infomercials in which he commands people to “unleash the power within,” (and sometimes use that power to mock him, but that’s a different topic.)

How could Tony Robbins help? First, Robbins would likely try to find out what’s causing the R’s pessimism. After all, the caucus has swollen to the highest number of R’s in recent history. (They also seem to be swelling with self regard, from the head down.)

The pessimism and negative view of the state Republicans appear to share could have negative political consequences. If the leaders of the GOP caucus can’t convince the public that this is a good place to do business, they won’t convince voters that they can they can successfully run the state.

Which means Republicans could be so far gone even Robbins can’t help. He’s got experience motivating millions of people, but GOP legislators and their staff have been successfully unmotivated to step up, make decisions based on facts, science, and research, and do right by Montana for decades.