I reference the Miles City Star January 5. On page 2 the headline article reads "Economic Outlook Seminar heads to nine Montana communities." The seminar is co-sponsored by The University of Montana-Missoula Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the First Interstate Bank. The sponsors have scheduled the seminars in Western and Central Montana. It is as if Eastern MT does not even exist. You could draw a line from Havre through Lewistown to Billings and it would seem that the sponsors do not even place any value on the communities East of the Big Horn River. When was the last time anyone saw any reference by the State or any active economic program that gave any consideration to Eastern Montana. And don't let anyone fool you as Billings is looking out solely for itself and will not represent any interest East of them. It is time our Legislators voiced the voters' discontent with the way the State treats industry and economic development in Eastern Montana. What say you.

You are assuming that voters other than yourself are discontent. Hopefully, that assumption is vaild. I say it is time to form "West Dakota!

Helena thinks Montana is a round state. You put a pin in Helena, draw a circle with a hundred mile radius, and that's Montana. They are vaguely aware of some place called Bilbo that is near the Dakatos but in spite of the huge amount of tax dollars COMING from eastern Montana, Helena is convinced there is nothing out here worth bothering about.

Amorette

I must point out that we HAD two council people who did take the time to go to Helena to represent us from time to time - Ruben Oberlander and Curt Almy. I would expect that current council members will take that initiative as well. Unless we take our voice there, it will stay silenced on the prairie.

Not to mention house and senate seats that represent our area. How do we get more involved with those lawmakers? One of them lives right on Main street!

Good evening Amorette. I truly appreciate your similar observations relative to those of us in Eastern Montana being the forgotten few. I have always enjoyed your journalistic talents and articles in the Miles City Star and I do look forward to your future journalistic endeavors. Thank you for your support with regards to my observations and I hope, in some way, I am able to influence the continued economic growth in Miles City and most specifically with regards to clean and environmentaly safe businesses/industry.

John Uden

John Uden: "I am able to influence the continued economic growth in Miles City"

Miles City is "growing"?

Miles City has hosted these Economic Outlook Seminars every other year, including last year, 2005. I think John Halbert got 2 weeks of stories out of it. In the even year, either Sidney or Glendive had been hosting a seminar.
I, too, was disappointed that the Bureau of Economic Research out of the U of M didn't run one East of Billings this year, as they are very good. I would have planned to drive to Billings to attend, except their timing this year has me already out of town for a continuing education seminar.
I would encourage the entire Economic Development Council and anyone else who is interested to drive to Billings to attend the Economic Outlook Seminar later this month. The information obtained there would be very worthwhile.

Tom Clarke

You people all need to move to western Montana, so that we can turn eastern Montana back over to the bison and the wolves.

I'd rather let the wolves have western MT than move.

The wolves already have western MT... they're just not the 4 legged kind!

Why Glendive? Has Miles City's civic, business, and elected leaders been lobbying for this?

"UM Survey: Eastern Montanans Support Economic Hub Idea"
MISSOULIAN
January 9, 2006
http://www.missoulian.com...387632.txt

They've been to busy arguing over fire department stuff to probably even notice this was being done.

seems to me that Sanjel could be the "anchor company" that he (the person quoted in the Missoulian article) is speaking of, would be nice for once to see an opportunity land here rather than in some other community...
in my opinion (and I heard someone say the other day "thats okay, not everyones opinion counts ) economic development HAS TO BE THE PRIORITY of the council, I would think that some economic development would provide some of the money needed to deal with their other problems (i.e. fire, police, infrastructure, etc.)

Well said Dan. I have heard it said on this site and else where that easteren MT is the Rodney Dangerfield of Montana. We get no respect. It is true alls Westeren Montana wants from us is our coal tax refenue.