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Equal time for Max Baucus--Democrat Senator from Mt.

Faster horses

Well-known member
March 30, 2011

In Case You Missed It
Helena Independent Record
Sunday, March 27, 2011

Reducing our Debt with Aggressive Cuts and Smart Investments
By Max Baucus

It's time to get serious about our debt. We've cut $10 billion already this year - and we're just getting started. As we continue, we need to be aggressive and smart.

We need to cut spending. But we also need to support investments that reduce our debt by growing our economy.

Last week, I saw firsthand how Montana communities are turning smart investments into big payoffs for Montana jobs.

I visited Miles Community College and learned how tuition assistance is helping train Montana's workforce to land good-paying jobs. MCC has an 89 percent graduation rate - that means nearly all MCC students have jobs right here in Montana when they graduate.

Much of MCC's success is possible because of federal Pell Grants. Ninety percent of MCC students are attending school with federal tuition assistance; nearly half of those are eligible for Pell. One single mother explained to me how a Pell Grant was providing her with the education she needed to get a good-paying job and support her family - ultimately saving taxpayers thousands in food stamps, WIC and other support.

"I agree that program cuts are necessary," she said, "however do these cuts need to be in a place that is helping those that need a hand UP not a hand OUT?"

More folks in Washington need her gift for straight talk and commonsense.

I met with officers at the Laurel Police Department, who have used federal investments to hire officers and keep them safe with bulletproof vests. In the last two years, COPS grants have created 37 police jobs across Montana. That means 37 more paychecks pumping dollars back into our economy and 37 more brave officers helping attract new businesses by keeping our communities safe.

I visited construction at the Livingston Wastewater Treatment Plant. Federal investments helped this project create at least two new jobs and employ nine local contractors with dozens of workers. Last year, similar investments supported 45 projects across Montana, creating jobs and helping Montana attract new businesses with safer, more efficient water infrastructure.

Montana is proud to be one of the few states to remain in the black during this recession. Great credit is due to the Montana businesses and entrepreneurs that drive our economy. We must also remember that nearly half of Montana's budget comes from federal investments.

To keep Montana prosperous, we need to continue smart investments in Montana jobs. But we can't continue business as usual when it comes to federal spending.

Here are 10 ways to reduce the deficit right now:

1. Stop erroneous tax refunds for prisoners

2. Cut aid to Iraq, which is running a budget surplus

3. Cut aid to Pakistan, which hasn't spent last year's aid

4. Limit the number of government employee credit cards

5. Cut unneeded Census funding

6. Carry out the Defense Department's plan to reduce reorganization funding

7. Make NASA deliver on existing projects before funding new programs

8. Cut millions of dollars for rehabilitating lakes in the desert

9. Eliminate the duplicative federal agency that focuses on development for Alaska only

10. Eliminate high-speed rail funding for east coast cities

Times are tough and we hate to make tough choices about spending. There's no doubt it's will take sacrifice.

What we can't do is cut Montana jobs as our economy is recovering. Cutting jobs will shrink our economy and make our debt problem even worse.

So let's work together to tighten the belt on Uncle Sam, before asking working families to stretch their own budgets further than they already have.



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He says Montana is one of the few states to remain in the BLACK?
Wonder where he got that?????????? :?
 

Lonecowboy

Well-known member
Maxi wrote:
I visited Miles Community College and learned how tuition assistance is helping train Montana's workforce to land good-paying jobs. MCC has an 89 percent graduation rate - that means nearly all MCC students have jobs right here in Montana when they graduate.

how does an 89% graduation rate = a job in MT ?
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
That would be a good question to ask Maxi.

He speaks in riddles much of the time, but I'm sure you have
known that for quite awhile now.


I'm still wondering about this comment:
Montana is proud to be one of the few states to remain in the black during this recession.

:???: :???: :???:
 

Lonecowboy

Well-known member
Faster horses said:
That would be a good question to ask Maxi.

He speaks in riddles much of the time, but I'm sure you have
known that for quite awhile now.


I'm still wondering about this comment:
Montana is proud to be one of the few states to remain in the black during this recession.

:???: :???: :???:

well that is if you don't look in the bill pile.
it would be like a household saying we have $1000.00 in the bank so we are in the black- but we have $9500 in bills that are coming due and have already budgeted to spend any income coming in before the bills are due.
that is pretty much the percentages too.

they are moving targets but MT has around $300 MMMMillion "in the bank" -"in the black" but has around $3.4 BBBBBillion in unfunded liabilities(bills)- here's where it gets wierd, most of this money is owed to state employee pension and health care funds- I would think the state employees would be backing the party that wants to spend responsibly so they can fully fund these accounts-(republicans) and be denouncing the party that wants to kick this can down the road and spend all the money now.(dems)
 

Steve

Well-known member
Lonecowboy said:
Maxi wrote:
I visited Miles Community College and learned how tuition assistance is helping train Montana's workforce to land good-paying jobs. MCC has an 89 percent graduation rate - that means nearly all MCC students have jobs right here in Montana when they graduate.

how does an 89% graduation rate = a job in MT ?

if 11% didn't graduate, and 11% didn't get placed, then would the real placement rate be 78% ??? and does 78% count as nearly all?

placement rate would be those who get jobs within a short span after graduation..
 

Lonecowboy

Well-known member
Steve said:
Lonecowboy said:
Maxi wrote:
I visited Miles Community College and learned how tuition assistance is helping train Montana's workforce to land good-paying jobs. MCC has an 89 percent graduation rate - that means nearly all MCC students have jobs right here in Montana when they graduate.

how does an 89% graduation rate = a job in MT ?

if 11% didn't graduate, and 11% didn't get placed, then would the real placement rate be 78% ??? and does 78% count as nearly all?

placement rate would be those who get jobs within a short span after graduation..

I didn't follow your logic on that one Steve??

My question is how does someone graduating from a MT college "create" a job in Montana? Graduating from college might help you land a job, but what says that is a job in MT?
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Lonecowboy said:
Steve said:
Lonecowboy said:
Maxi wrote:


how does an 89% graduation rate = a job in MT ?

if 11% didn't graduate, and 11% didn't get placed, then would the real placement rate be 78% ??? and does 78% count as nearly all?

placement rate would be those who get jobs within a short span after graduation..

I didn't follow your logic on that one Steve??

My question is how does someone graduating from a MT college "create" a job in Montana? Graduating from college might help you land a job, but what says that is a job in MT?



He mis-spoke and meant placement rate, not graduation rate.



As a result of our recent emphasis on institutional research, we have documented our graduation, retention, and placement rates. Our placement rate for our trades students graduating last spring was 89.7%. Our graduation rates are the highest in the state at 69%. Our retention rates are 76% with only Carroll College and Rocky Mountain College higher. After two years, students can then successfully transfer and complete their degree from either institution with $40,000 less in student loan debt.

http://milescc.edu/aboutus/newsrelease/
 
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