Well, 85% of you folks put Mr. Daines into the House of Representatives under the same old tune that most politicians use: “More jobs, better, smaller government.”
Let’s start with jobs. Let’s say we live near a factory that builds things for the military (hot dog). This plant, let’s say, will put 1,000 or 10,000 to work. Here’s the downside: they hire an out of state outfit to build it. Then, they bring most of their most important help with them. The locals get a few minimum pay jobs. The worst is corning. These plant workers need a place to live. We build houses and further clutter the valley. This will bring in more people to build houses and the local carpenters will be in worse shape than before.
Now we have more cars on the road, also trucks hauling materials to the plant and trucks hauling away the finished product. Now, we may need to hit the taxpayer for more money to build these roads. Now we need more cops, etc.
Just assume that said plant has got a contract with the military. After a few years, maybe less, the government doesn’t renew their contract for building a high priced piece of junk they had no use for in the first place. Yes, they have been doing this since they have had a military.
Now the nameless outfit skips town leaving us holding the sack; house foreclosures, people out of work, etc.
This is just a scenario to show you can’t pick jobs out of the air. Oh yes,
a lot of this work force are drawn here to recreate like the people that have been flocking in here for many years for hunting and fishing and just tromping in the mountains. By sheer volume even the ones that are careful are loving the Bitterroot to death.
Mr. Daines says to reduce government. I suppose he means cutting out a bunch of bureaucrats. Not going to happen. Everytime they pass another law it takes another bunch of people and offices to handle whatever this law entails.
Mr. Daines has made noises that he wants the County to take over the National Forests. Wouldn’t the timber industry rub their hands together with glee? The Forest Service is already selling timber cheaper than what it costs to do the paperwork.
Could the County afford to fight the fires, could the County afford to plant trees in the burned and logged over areas? Could the County maintain the hundreds of miles or more of roads? I think not to all of the above.
Mr. Daines is pushing to throw up enough roadblocks with laws, rules and whatnot to stop the public from appealing timber sales and to stop anyone or groups from interfering with what the USFS does.
Oh yes, one little thing about jobs and flocks of people A thing called sewage disposal. Don’t forget water and contamination of ground, river, streams and air pollution.
You folks have the next four years to think about how you voted and when some of his chickens come to roost at your place you may think hard about backing up to a butt kicking machine and pushing the start button.
Floyd Wood
Corvallis