Page 39 - Flathead Beacon // 5.28.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM BUSINESS MONTHLY
MAY 28, 2014 | 39

BUSINESS IS PERSONAL Mark Rifey FUNGAL TOENAILS?

Choose Your
New Easy Treatment
Legislature Carefully
with Proven Technology
PinPointe Footlaser
D
URING SOME EXTENDED Would we expect our representatives
time away from my oice, my to legislate against such acquisitions?

thoughts tend to wander to big- Would we want to legislatively control
ger picture items that involve business their aftermath as we pretend to do in
while reaching beyond it.
telecom, for example?
This time around was no diferent What do we expect of them?
and was provoked by transportation ERIK PLOOT, D.P.M.
Certiied by the
drama introduced into the family’s re- WHAT ARE YOUR LEGISLATIVE American Board of
cent trip to Oregon.
EXPECTATIONS?
Podiatric Physician and Surgeon
Podiatric Surgery

As I waited for family members While I was in Oregon, the biggest 95 INDIAN TRAIL RD. KALISPELL
to arrive at Portland’s Union Station legislative news was not that they’d
via the four-hour late Empire Builder found a balance between timber and 755-1300 • www.glacierfootandankle.com
(which would be six hours late making green interests, that they’d found a less-
the scheduled 15-hour return journey), burdensome way to fund schools, or that Party Planning?
I found myself thinking about politics they’d eliminated legislative tensions
and infrastructure decisions made de- between the representatives of Portland
cades ago.
and those of the state’s rural areas.

Infrastructure helps make civiliza- No, the big news was that the legis-
tions possible, when running late.
lature and the governor had agreed to CHECK OUT BUFFALO HILL FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT!
make the jumping jack Oregon’s oicial
FUNDING INFRASTRUCTURE
state exercise.
When Amtrak funding is discussed Meanwhile, South Carolina’s legisla- Anniversary & Birthday Parties • Class Reunions • Christmas Parties
in Washington, the talk banters back tors were doing the people’s work lately Serving breakfast
and forth between Amtrak’s critical by focusing on the latest infrastructure
and lunch daily!
support for rural communities, its qual- issue: naming an oicial state fossil.
Mon - Fri 9am – 3pm
ity problems and the fact that it doesn’t It’s diicult not to wonder if this is Sat & Sun 8am – 3pm
turn a proit. These three issues make it the only thing they can agree on without
an easy target for funding cuts (or shut- resorting to party-line votes, so it’s the
down), particularly by oicials who don’t only thing they do. But I have higher ex-
hail from towns whose economy rides pectations and I hope you do too.
For Reservations Call 756-4551
the rails with Amtrak.
The obvious Amtrak problem is that LEGISLATION ENABLES
www.golfbuffalohill.com

you can’t depend on its on-time perfor- When Helena developed the need
mance, as covered in the Beacon over the for “big city” internet services (speed/
last six months. If these problems inten- bandwidth-wise), it didn’t come from
sify, ridership declines are likely even the legislative initiatives or established
on the Seattle/Portland-Chicago route cable/telephone irms granted limited
that carried more than 536,000 riders in local market protection by Federal regu-
2013, making it easier to defund.
lations.
Stir into that mixture the political Instead, it took a small business like

machinations in Washington, where Treasure State Internet to bring “big urf addle
Amtrak can become a bargaining chip city” internet speeds at reasonable pric- S& P
rather than a project with focused efort es to the town of 30,000. Legislation al-
to a speciic outcome.
lowed it to happen rather than prevent- $140
ing it (or attempting to do it).
BUY AND CLOSE
My point? Primary season is upon
Those negotiations somehow re- us. It’s time to pick someone to serve the

minded me about a collusion case involv- people’s needs, collectively and individ- OFF
ing General Motors, Firestone, Standard ually.
Oil and others that took place over 50 What does “serve the people” really
years ago. The story goes that these com- mean?
panies bought up a number of local peo- • Does it mean creating an environ-
ple mover rail systems in order to close ment to encourage business creation?
them down, forcing Americans to drive • Does it mean building pyramids?
Custom
in areas previously served by rail.
• Does it mean serving the entire

I’m not sure how much this mattered constituency of a district or serving only Paddle Boards
in the long run, as many local streetcar those whose views match what the rep-
systems were already struggling due to resentative believes?
market and regulatory forces. Regard- • Does it mean setting aside personal
less, the damage was done and these lo- agendas to serve a constituency?
- first 10 -
cal rail systems never returned to most • Does it mean pursuing the repre-
cities.
sentative’s personal agenda to the exclu-
Order
Imagine the outrage we’d hear to- sion of their district’s needs?
day if a national fast food chain quietly • Who will they place irst? Their yours today!
bought all the locally owned restaurants party or their district?
in the valley and then closed each of Food for thought.
them.
406-291-4526

Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or
88 North Main in Kalispell
marketing problem? See Mark’s site, rescuemarketing.com, or contact him via email
at [email protected].