Friday, September 9, 2016

#MTGov Daily Rundown: Economic Development Expert Endorses Greg Gianforte, Bashes "Main Street Montana"

A self-described "pro-choice, liberal leaning woman who typically votes for Democrats" has endorsed Greg Gianforte. Liz Marchi is an angel fund investor from the Flathead Valley with extensive experience in economic development and public policy.

"Gianforte went on to grow Right Now, creating a lot of wealth and hundreds of high-wage jobs for his fellow Montanans along the way. I have gone on to raise two angel investor funds that have operated regionally and deployed $8 million in private capital in Montana and the region. I watched as Gianforte took a different approach. He was always willing to meet with and coach entrepreneurs; he has mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs across Montana.

Over my professional life, I have met few people with better managerial skills, time-management skills, or the ability to build a world-class team than Gianforte. While we don’t agree on some social issues, I am persuaded that Gianforte is running for governor out of a deep sense of purpose to do better for Montana and Montanans. He knows how to create value and get results for every tax dollar! What an opportunity for Montana to have as a leader someone who isn’t looking for their next job as a career politician and understands what customer service, and serving we the people, really means." -Liz Marchi, Great Falls Tribune 9/7/2016


Marchi then hammers the governor over his failed "Main Street Montana" program.

"Contrast that with the current governor and his “Main Street Montana” boondoggle. The current administration has taken three and half years to come up with 'studies and key industry indicators.' No plan, no budget, no accountability and no measurable outcomes. After all that?" -Liz March, Great Falls Tribune, 9/7/2016


Montana's economy is starting to face some major issues under Bullock's failed leadership, with the governor seemingly having no answers.

Montana remains near the bottom of the nation in wages:

In the group’s most recent report on tax return data by state and county, Montana ranked 49th — just above Mississippi and right below New Mexico — for wages and salaries reported in tax returns, with Montanans earning an average of $33,180 annually.
That’s more than $10,000 below the national average and almost $27,000 below the state with the highest average income: Connecticut." -Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 4/12/2015

“A new study featured in Business Insider found millennials in Montana earn a median annual income of $18,000, the lowest in country.” NBC Montana, 12/14/2015


The state economy has actually shrunk for the last two consecutive quarters:

"The Montana economy has shrunk for the second straight quarter as oil and gas, timber, mining, agriculture and transportation all reported losses.


The Billings Gazette reports that according to a Bureau of Economic Analysis report issued this week, drops in industry pulled Montana’s gross domestic product into negative figures for the last three months of 2015 as well as the first quarter of 2016." -Associated Press via the Great Falls Tribune 7/31/2016



For many other Montana workers, there is a great deal of uncertainty as job losses mount in our natural resource industries.

  • Under Governor Bullock, Montana has lost nearly 700 jobs in the timber industry in the last year alone– leaving the industry reeling.
  • Weyerhaeuser has closed timber mills in Columbia Falls
  • Colstrip Units 1 and 2 are now slated for shutdown by 2022
  • Montana mines are laying off workers
  • Dozens of Montana rail workers have been laid off or furloughed
  • Overall Montana has experienced a net loss of 2700 logging and mining jobs during Bullock's tenure, from 9,700 in December of 2012 to 7,000 in June of 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Montana also faces steeply declining revenues and a depleted projected ending fund balance.

"That ending fund balance, which acts as a cushion against revenue shortfalls and unexpected spending over the state's two-year budget cycle, stood at $255 million at the beginning of July. Legislative fiscal analysts said the fund could drop below $120 million by mid-2017." -AP via the Billings Gazette, 9/7/2016


Bullock's Department of Commerce (which administers the Main Street Montana program) is currently facing questions about giving a $7 million marketing contract to an out-of-state firm under questionable circumstances.



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