Montana deserves a governor like Mike Cooney
Montana is truly at a crossroads. Our public lands, economy, natural resources, communities, health and healthcare, are all at great risk in the Governor’s race. We all have a responsibility to speak out on behalf of our fellow Montanans.
Montana has thrived under the leadership of Governor Bullock and Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney. According to the state of Montana, our economy added 46,000 jobs since the end of the recession; experienced the sixth fastest wage growth in annual wages in the nation over the past decade; ranked first in the nation for median household income growth from 2016 to 2017; and had the highest rate of business ownership among households. Montana was also ranked top in the nation in startup activity per capita, with 4,932 new firms opening in Montana in the last year. Montana also had the fifth best tax climate in the nation. Exports from Montana reached a record $1.7 billion in 2018, an increase of 19% ($272 million) from its export level in 2008. Montana’s high tech companies generated over $2 billion in revenue last year, growing nine times faster than the state’s overall economy and paying double the median wage. And thanks to the leadership of Mike Cooney, tens of thousands of Montanans including many small businesses now have access to reliable affordable healthcare.
Cooney provides a good plan to recruit new businesses, grow existing businesses, help with business transition, and ensure our workforce training programs work in unison to meet the needs of our economy in 2030. His Hire Montanans First Act will increase the required proportion of Montana workers on state and locally funded contracts to 75 percent, expanding this requirement to all projects; his Buy Made in Montana Act requires the state government to prefer Montana-made products in its purchases. Among other priorities, Cooney will create an Office of Rural Prosperity to prioritize economic development and job creation in rural Montana by streamlining rural policy and creating an inventory of existing resources and initiatives while aiding in rural improvement efforts.
As Lieutenant Governor, Mike Cooney understands that the state must provide a climate where Montana businesses and communities can thrive in the 21st century. That means ensuring we have the necessary foundation for successful sustainable economic and community development including access to affordable and reliable healthcare, social services, good quality education, affordable housing, infrastructure, transportation, and protection of our greatest assets - our public lands and natural resources. Through his dedicated public service, Cooney continues to build this foundation.
Addressing the economic fallout from the pandemic has been a major issue for both Bullock and Cooney. They successfully convened a diverse and bipartisan Covid-19 task force, working hard to keep all Montanans and Montana businesses whole by creating necessary programs with funding available and accessible to all Montanans to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic. This includes childcare grants for working families and funds for businesses to help mitigate the effects of pandemic.
Gianforte is a threat to our state and our well-being. He sued the State to block access to public lands for his own personal benefit. Gianforte’s family foundation gave money to groups trying to privatize our public lands. He drafted two bills to Congress to release almost 690,000 acres of land from wilderness area designations, allowing mining and oil drilling. He has voted to eliminate health insurance and coverage for preexisting conditions under the Affordable Care Act for thousands of Montanans including our small businesses that rely heavily on it. He has called Medicaid expansion which provides services to over 90,000 Montanans a disaster. He has expressed extreme views against Social Security and Medicare, supporting cuts in both. He has not displayed even a broad understanding of our state or a concern for the needs of Montanans. As Governor, Gianforte’s sole “plan” for Montana is to reduce taxes on rich corporations, exploit our natural resources, and sell off our public lands to the highest bidder.
We can’t trust Gianforte to look out for our interests. We need a Governor like Mike Cooney who has shown us already that he can work for all Montanans.
Chuck Tooley if the former mayor of Billings. Renee Coppok lives in Billings. This column was co-signed by an additional 100+ Montana residents from across the state.