Farmers market to the world’s biggest bucket: it’s all about business
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Maybe you’ve seen my little giveaway lint rollers printed with: “Keeping Montana’s Economy Rolling!” It’s a silly pun, but my thought behind it is serious. I am proud that the Montana Chamber of Commerce honored my pro-business Senate voting record.
I’ve never had better sweet corn than what I bought at Polson’s Farmer’s Market. Tonya Truman tells me marketers will be there Fridays through September, and if frost permits, until the second week of October. But don’t put off your next trip through the booths of breads, pastries, gourmet spices, jewelry, crafts and local produce – just some of the wonderful things your neighbors bring to sell.
I jumped at the chance to join several legislators in Billings for Arch Coal’s field trip in August. We boarded our bus early for a full day of economic education. We observed Montana’s Otter Creek proposed coal tract, with the potential to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and several hundred Montana jobs. Looking over the beautiful country, I asked Senator Jim Peterson, “How would you feel if Arch came to your ranch and told you they were going to displace you and your neighbors for up to 20 years so they could gouge out the coal beneath your land?”
He said, “I could temporarily relocate and they’d leave the land as good or better than they found it, or I’d take the buy-out money and go elsewhere to ranch.”
We continued south of Gillette to the Black Thunder mine, the largest surface coal mine in North America. We entered the control house of the huge drag line, mesmerized by the garage-sized bucket, colossal pulleys and cables the diameter of fence posts. Our guides explained their approach to responsible resource development. The mine produces roughly 81 million tons of coal per year and employs more than 1,600 people. Average wage is more than $77,000. In 2009 the coal industry provided over $1 billion to Wyoming’s state and local governments. After development, the disturbed land is reclaimed, which we saw as wildlife and cattle grazed.
The pride the men and women take in these jobs was obvious. Arch has an admirable safety record, and they have no problem finding good people to fill positions.
Montana stands to gain greatly by responsible coal development.
With a healthy economy, more folks are likely to stroll through their local farmers markets, stimulating trade with businesses small and large.
