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Do You Think Montana Needs More Good-Paying Jobs? Read up…
On December 21, 2009, the Montana Land Board (Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Secretary of State, and Superintendent of Public Instruction) will decide whether to allow the state to move forward in the leasing of the Otter Creek coal tracts in eastern Montana.
Opening up this area to responsible coal development will bring numerous benefits to regular Montanans and our state:
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Good-Paying Careers for Montanans.
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This development will create good-paying careers and make Montana's economy stronger. It is estimated that $1.8 billion dollars in labor costs will be spent to develop the coal. In addition, entry-level jobs will pay an average of $44 per hour, plus benefits. At a time when our state and national economies are suffering, this would be a huge boost to Montanans' pocketbooks.
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New Money for Montana Schools and Local Governments.
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The project will also bring in huge amounts of money for schools, state government and local governments. In a study conducted by Norwest Corporation, almost $132 million dollars would be coming to the state government every year in royalty payments, severance taxes, gross receipt taxes, and bonus payments. That means new schools, higher salaries for teachers and more money for the classroom.
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Economic Development for Eastern Montana.
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This project is located in a part of the state that desperately needs economic development. Located in southeastern Montana, and bordering the Northern Cheyenne reservation, this project will ensure great opportunities for residents in those areas. Strong majorities of the locals support moving forward with the development.
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Energy Independence for America.
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Development of the Otter Creek coal tracts also moves our country closer to energy independence. Too often we rely on foreign governments for our energy needs, and those are not always friendly countries. We become a stronger nation when we rely on the energy sources we have here, such as coal, oil, natural gas, wind, hydro, solar, biodiesel and more.
According to polling done by the Montana Chamber of Commerce, Montanans are very supportive of new coal development. 71% said the state should encourage more coal development while only 22% are unsupportive. In addition, 62% specifically said the state should develop the Otter Creek coal tract while only 18% the state should not.
As you can imagine, there is a vocal and well-organized opposition from extreme environmental groups. These are the same groups that have helped shut down other mining, timber, wind, oil and natural gas projects, along with the jobs and revenues for schools that come with those industries. Don't let them be the only ones heard on this important issue.
Take a minute right now to send this letter to the Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Secretary of State and Superintendent of Public Instruction. It's quick and it's effective!
P.S. After you’ve sent in your own email, please forward this message on to your employees, co-workers, and friends!
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