Fwd: Highway Bill Spells Jobs for Montana

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Linda Tracy

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Jul 17, 2012, 9:56:02 PM7/17/12

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Hi,

I hope Senator Baucus continues to hear from people concerned about the way the transportation bill devolved into a highway bill and how 27 months from now Montanans expect all of our needs to travel to be supported in transportation legislation.

Best, Linda

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Max Baucus" <m...@baucus.senate.gov>
Date: July 17, 2012 2:39:10 PM MDT
To: ltr...@montana.com
Subject: Highway Bill Spells Jobs for Montana

July 17, 2012
Dear Friends,
Highways are our lifeblood in Montana, which is why I was more determined than ever to make sure we passed a strong highway bill last month. The two-year bill will bring Montana nearly $400 million annually to support about 13,500 jobs.
In case you missed it, a group of Montanans from a wide range of backgrounds came together to capture just how important the highway bill is for our state. Read the story in the Billings Gazette below or online by clicking HERE.
I'm going to keep looking for opportunities like the highway bill to support good-paying jobs for Montana families. I'd like to hear your ideas on how we can move our economy forward--please drop me a line or call anytime.
All the best,
Guest opinion: Montana wins with Baucus leadership on transportation
July 13, 2012
Legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."
Our civilization - especially in Montana - simply cannot function without a strong transportation infrastructure. Our Sen. Max Baucus knows this. With a deadline of June 30, he was one of a handful of lawmakers given the job of coming up with a compromise before the transportation bill expired. Given all the headlines highlighting extreme partisanship in Congress, the odds seemed to be working against him and the highway bill conference committee.
Yet, in a hopeful demonstration of teamwork, they hammered out a deal and Congress passed a two-year highway bill. This is the kind of teamwork we need for our civilization, for our society, and for working Montana families.
Baucus cut through partisanship to pass a strong transportation bill that is good for Montana and good for the nation.
223% return to Montana
He used his seniority to make sure Montana had a seat at the table. For every dollar that Montanans contribute to the Highway Trust Fund, we'll get back $2.23. Thanks to Baucus, the highway bill will bring nearly $400 million to Montana annually and support roughly 13,500 good Montana highway jobs. The highway bill will support important infrastructure investments in our roads, highways and bridges while improving freight movements on the interstates and Indian reservation roads. Investing in transportation is an investment in construction jobs right away while supporting commerce and the needs of business for the long haul.
The new Highway Bill outlines a plan for two years, which means certainty for our businesses and communities as they plan major projects on our roads and bridges. The last Highway Bill expired more than two years ago and since then, the nation's infrastructure has been paid for by a series of short-term stopgaps. Each time these short-term extensions expire, it creates uncertainty as to whether the Highway Trust Fund (which pays for infrastructure projects) will collapse. This is not a wise way to steer our nation's transportation policy - especially in light of our already fragile economy.
Economic ripple
The Highway Bill will undoubtedly create important ripple effects across Montana's economy - not just through highway jobs, but through the purchase of equipment, fuel, tires, insurance and bonding while contractors and crews stay in hotels and purchase meals in local cafes. The net result will be an improved transportation infrastructure to better get our manufactured goods, grains and cattle to market while allowing tourists improved access to all of the places that make Montana so unique.
In the spirit of teamwork, we applaud Baucus' work to pass a new two-year Highway Bill. We call on Congress to continue to look for opportunities like the Highway Bill to focus on jobs and to be the kind of team that not only Coach Lombardi would be proud of - but that all Montanans can support.
-Cary Hegreberg, executive director of the Montana Contractors Association collaborated on this guest opinion with Webb Brown, Montana Chamber of Commerce president; Kim Rickard, Montana Laborers Union Local 1686 business manager; Public Works administrator Tim Rosette Sr. of the Chippewa-Cree Tribe of Montana's Rocky Boy's Reservation; and John Roeber, Montana State Building and Construction Trades Council president.

Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/guest/article_15dd6234-82ee-57a7-93af-12edea424e2b.html#ixzz20o7MZuYR
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		July 17, 2012 Dear Friends, Highways are our lifeblood in Montana, which is why I was more determined than ever to make sure we passed a strong highway bill last month. The two-year bill will bring Montana nearly $400 million annually to support about 13,500 jobs. In case you missed it, a group of Montanans from a wide range of backgrounds came together to capture just how important the highway bill is for our state. Read the story in the Billings Gazette below or online by clicking HERE. I'm going to keep looking for opportunities like the highway bill to support good-paying jobs for Montana families. I'd like to hear your ideas on how we can move our economy forward--please drop me a line or call anytime. All the best, Guest opinion: Montana wins with Baucus leadership on transportation July 13, 2012 Legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." Our civilization - especially in Montana - simply cannot function without a strong transportation infrastructure. Our Sen. Max Baucus knows this. With a deadline of June 30, he was one of a handful of lawmakers given the job of coming up with a compromise before the transportation bill expired. Given all the headlines highlighting extreme partisanship in Congress, the odds seemed to be working against him and the highway bill conference committee. Yet, in a hopeful demonstration of teamwork, they hammered out a deal and Congress passed a two-year highway bill. This is the kind of teamwork we need for our civilization, for our society, and for working Montana families. Baucus cut through partisanship to pass a strong transportation bill that is good for Montana and good for the nation. 223% return to Montana He used his seniority to make sure Montana had a seat at the table. For every dollar that Montanans contribute to the Highway Trust Fund, we'll get back $2.23. Thanks to Baucus, the highway bill will bring nearly $400 million to Montana annually and support roughly 13,500 good Montana highway jobs. The highway bill will support important infrastructure investments in our roads, highways and bridges while improving freight movements on the interstates and Indian reservation roads. Investing in transportation is an investment in construction jobs right away while supporting commerce and the needs of business for the long haul. The new Highway Bill outlines a plan for two years, which means certainty for our businesses and communities as they plan major projects on our roads and bridges. The last Highway Bill expired more than two years ago and since then, the nation's infrastructure has been paid for by a series of short-term stopgaps. Each time these short-term extensions expire, it creates uncertainty as to whether the Highway Trust Fund (which pays for infrastructure projects) will collapse. This is not a wise way to steer our nation's transportation policy - especially in light of our already fragile economy. Economic ripple The Highway Bill will undoubtedly create important ripple effects across Montana's economy - not just through highway jobs, but through the purchase of equipment, fuel, tires, insurance and bonding while contractors and crews stay in hotels and purchase meals in local cafes. The net result will be an improved transportation infrastructure to better get our manufactured goods, grains and cattle to market while allowing tourists improved access to all of the places that make Montana so unique. In the spirit of teamwork, we applaud Baucus' work to pass a new two-year Highway Bill. We call on Congress to continue to look for opportunities like the Highway Bill to focus on jobs and to be the kind of team that not only Coach Lombardi would be proud of - but that all Montanans can support. -Cary Hegreberg, executive director of the Montana Contractors Association collaborated on this guest opinion with Webb Brown, Montana Chamber of Commerce president; Kim Rickard, Montana Laborers Union Local 1686 business manager; Public Works administrator Tim Rosette Sr. of the Chippewa-Cree Tribe of Montana's Rocky Boy's Reservation; and John Roeber, Montana State Building and Construction Trades Council president. Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/guest/article_15dd6234-82ee-57a7-93af-12edea424e2b.html#ixzz20o7MZuYR --

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