Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 6.3.15

28 | JUNE 3, 2015
LIKE I WAS SAYIN’ Kellyn Brown
OPINION FLATHEADBEACON.COM
TWO FOR THOUGHT
Local Topics, Opposing Views
By Tim Baldwin
Graduations are upon us. It is a bittersweet ex- perience for parents who are realizing that their children are becoming adults, many of who will be leaving home for other endeavors. Graduates, con- gratulations! Consider a few thoughts as you ex- pand your lives from here.
Work hard and smart. There will always be someone smarter, but hardly anything replaces a good work ethic. Success follows this ethic. Never be content with your knowledge. Do not assume your conclusions are correct. There is always more to learn and better ways of learning. Inspire the de- sire to learn in yourself and others. Human expe- rience improves, individually and collectively, this way.
Treat others the way you want to be treated. Unfortunately, making money is the driving force for many people. They will do anything to get ahead even at the sacrifice of others. Personal gratifica- tion takes you only so far. Having a clear conscience with others carries much greater worth. You will have better relationships, of which life is made.
Think for yourself. Formal education (as well as familial upbringing) carries a certain amount of indoctrination. Question everything and seek answers based in sound reasoning and science. Be brave by being you. Individuals can be influenced heavily by society and family. Being who you are brings greater happiness. Others should appreciate your individual qualities.
Life is short. Make the best and most of it. Con- gratulations!
By Joe Carbonari
In sport, rules outline the boundaries of acceptable play, so too, in life. They are our code of conduct, our rules of life. Who breaks these rules, in what way, and to what purpose can mean life or death. The ability to “read” people, to predict their actions and reactions, has immense value. We all do it intuitively. We ought to do it consciously. We should work at it. It should be taught.
People are fascinating. Watch for the un- expected, and then work out the “why” of it.
With time, similarities of look, sound and action emerge. There are patterns. They guide us in our daily lives. They are critical to trust.
We learn first the signs of love on our mothers’ faces. We next learn to watch the faces of others. They are full of signs. We watch for smiles, turn from frowns.
Most of us learn the basic signs; catch the obvious fakes. They tell us when, and who, not to trust. We also need to learn the signs of wisdom, whose judgment to seek out, in whom to place our trust.
Be wary of bombast, stridency, and the absolute. Wisdom comes more quietly. It re- quires a weighing of the known and the un- known. It is unsure. It solicits dissent. It is humble.
Immerse yourself in life. Seek wisdom, and read the faces along the way.
Graduation Advice
GUESTCOLUMN | WebbBrown
Measuring
Montana
SEVERAL STATISTICS MEASURING MONTANA were released last week, and the one getting the most press was the state’s jobless rate. Rightfully so, April’s number of 4 percent is the lowest since September 2007. It’s the 10th-best rate in the country, and two sur- rounding states (North Dakota and Idaho) also cracked the top 10. The regional economy appears healthy head- ing into summer.
Flathead County’s unemployment rate was a bit higher at 5.5 percent in April, but I’m guessing that number was lower in May, and will be lower still this month. “Help Wanted” signs are popping up across the valley.
Also released last week as part of Gallup’s annual Well- Being Index, and also garnering press, were obesity rates for every state, which nationwide have risen to 27.7 per- cent. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Montana is among the least obese in the country, ranking third. And drilling down into the Index shows Montanans are rela- tively healthy and happy.
Overall, among states, we ranked fifth in well-being. Gallup measures five elements to reach its conclusions: purpose, social, financial, community and physical. Mon- tana ranked highest (second overall) in community, which is “liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community.” This isn’t surprising, given the number of locals who wear the outline of their state, or area code “406,” on their respective T-shirts.
In fact, the top five overall performers on the Well-Be- ing Index all ranked in the top five for their view of com- munity. It turns out pride in the place you live affects just about everything else.
Montana ranked in the top 10 for purpose (“liking what you do each day ...”) and physical (“having good health ...”) and financial (“managing your economic life to reduce stress ...”). That last element is a bit of surprise.
In our state, and others like it, the workforce often “pays for the view.” That is, employees may settle for low- er wages and pay more for housing in attractive environ- ments than other states with similar economies. But the issue of affordable housing is actually widespread. Anoth- er report released last week by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) made this clear.
Rents for apartments across the country “have risen nationally for 23 straight quarters” as wages have failed to keep pace, the report states, and “there is no state in the U.S. where a minimum wage worker working full time can afford” an apartment at fair market value.
Montana’s minimum wage, $8.05, is 80 cents higher than the federal minimum, but for someone to rent a two- bedroom apartment without paying more than 30 percent of their income on that house, they need to make $13.92 per hour. Meanwhile, the average renter wage in the state is $10.91.
Flathead County is among the most expensive places to live in the state and, according to NLIHC, under this same scenario, a local resident must make $15.90 an hour for a two-bedroom apartment. On the bright side, that’s much lower than Hawaii, where you need to make $31.61 to get by.
Still, compared to other states, Montana is relatively affordable. This region also may be at a tipping point. Rents and home prices keep rising, but as the economy improves more workers can be more particular about the “Help Wanted” signs to which they respond. And employers, in turn, may have to raise wages a bit.
If that happens, Montana may rate a little higher on the one element it tanked in the Gallup index. For the social category, which measures “supportive relationships and love in your life,” our state ranked a relatively sad 33rd.
Trade Promotion Authority Promotes Level Playing Field, Job Creation
We’ve made great strides in “Taking Montana to the World” the last few years. Exports of Montana goods and services last year reached over $3 bil- lion. But that progress could be slowed or stopped if Congress doesn’t renew Trade Promotion Author- ity (TPA).
TPA is vital to Big Sky Country because eco- nomic growth and job creation at home depend on our ability to sell Montana goods and services to the 95 percent of the world’s customers living outside the U.S. borders.
Nationally, one in four manufacturing jobs de- pends on exports, and one in three acres on Ameri- can farms is planted for consumers overseas. In Montana, trade supports over 137,000 jobs.
Trade is especially important for Montana’s small businesses, more than 1,300 of which are ex- porters. Our top export markets are Canada, South Korea, China, and Mexico.
We believe our small businesses can compete against anyone, anywhere – on a level playing field. Unfortunately, the international playing field is of- ten unfairly tilted against us. While the U.S. market is generally open to importers, our exporters face double-digit foreign tariffs and multiple nontariff barriers in many countries.
Trade agreements help tear down these barri- ers. For example, while our 20 existing trade agree- ment partners are home to just 10 percent of the
world’s economy, they buy nearly half of all U.S. ex- ports.
And if you’re worried about the trade deficit, trade agreements aren’t the problem – they’re the solution. The U.S. currently has a trade surplus, not deficit, with those partners.
TPA allows us to open more markets and op- portunities. Under TPA, Congress sets negotiat- ing objectives and requires the executive branch to consult extensively with legislators during negotia- tions.
Congress can and should still approve every specific trade deal - after it’s negotiated. Every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has had TPA to negotiate those deals; we think every president should have it. We appreciate that Montana’s U.S. Sen. Steve Daines agrees with us and voted to move it forward.
Without TPA, the U.S. cannot effectively nego- tiate new trade agreements to open foreign mar- kets, spur economic growth, and create Montana jobs. For our own prosperity, urge Congress to re- new TPA and let’s continue taking Montana to the world.
Webb Brown is the president and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce.