Canceling Steve Running speech to high school students in Choteau, MT by the Superintendent a close-minded decision. "Who needs that Globul Warming Guy? "

SUMMARY: Halting Steve Running’s http://www.forestry.umt.edu/personnel/faculty/swr/ talk is attracting national attention that’s embarrassing for Choteau http://www.choteaumontana.com/ and Montana http://www.opi.state.mt.us/ .

Thanks to terrorists like Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and extremist groups like the Montana Freemen, our state has a persistent – if unfair – reputation as one of the last best places for close-minded isolationists.

Last week’s decision by Choteau schools Superintendent Kevin St. John http://www.choteauschools.net/ to cancel a speech by Nobel laureate Steve Running sure didn’t help. The cancellation has attracted national attention – and not the good kind. People all over the country are now wondering what kind of ignorant hicks would roll up the welcome mat on an internationally esteemed scientist. A scientist who would have encouraged their kids to pursue science.

Full Opinion: http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/01/22/opinion/opinion3.txt

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Who needs that Globul Warming Guy?

Deer Surs:

Sumbody jist told me about sum no-goods tryin to stick thare nozes in our schuool bisness hear in Chotow (Showtoe – maybe Choteau?). I M glad the Hi Scuool Supperintendunt and Schuool Bored cancelled that there speakch by that Globul Warming Guy. We don’t want no Pullover Prize Weiner’s talkin to hour kids that mite giv them ideaas. He didunt even bring his Biblee. Why, next thing U no, hour childrun will be runnin off and goin to one of them there colliges.

We ar tirred of outsidders tryin to teech our kids abowt things they dew not kneed to no.

Educatune is goode as long as it teeches what we wunt. We don’t wunt no more of yew evile, carrupt peeple contaminatun hour yuthe. Our Supperintendunt and Schuool Bored maid me prowde when theye cansulled that there speeker.

Stoney Burk, Choteau

http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/01/22/letters/letters3.txt

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From: Don Allen, Executive Director

To: Western Environmental Trade Association – WETA Environmental/Regulatory and Water/Land Use Committees http://weta-montana.org/

Subject: EQC to seek Public Comments on Climate Change Recommendations

CC: WETA Board of Directors

The EQC, during its January 14th & 15th meeting agreed to put all 54 recommendations of the Governor’s Climate Change Advisory Committee on its website and ask the public to comment on each of them. The public will be asked to rank each recommendation on a scale of 1-5 from the most important to the least important and to offer comments on each one. The survey should be online from February 1st – February 29th with responses due by March 1st.
http://www.deq.state.mt.us/index.asp.

Staff will compile the results in time for the EQC’s next meeting on March 10th & 11th.

This presents a major challenge for WETA members. It will be vital for all of those affected by the recommendations to respond as to the costs and other issues involved with their implementation.

The EQC and the public need to be made aware of the impacts on their families and businesses if many of the recommendations were to be put into law and/or regulations. We know that the environmental groups will organize to submit large numbers of responses, and I urge member associations, organizations and companies to plan on making sure we respond in large numbers as well.

Regardless of final action taken by the EQC, most of the 54 recommendations are expected to become bill requests in the 2009 Session or as proposed rules before the BER. We are still exploring contracting for a credible third party analysis of the costs of the recommendations. A copy of DEQ’s analysis of which recommendations will require legislation and the cost of implementation is available on DEQ’s website. A meeting to help organize and encourage timely responses from WETA members will be scheduled in a few days, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up regarding what lies ahead. Please let me know if you have suggestions or questions about this issue.

Don

Representing Montana since 1976, the Western Environmental Trade Association provides 21st century representation for farmers, ranchers, labor, business, industry, recreationists and trade associations in Montana.

The Western Environmental Trade Association

* Unites broad interests to promote economic opportunity and employment

* Promotes environmentally responsible economic growth

* Advocates for the protection of individual rights in shaping statutes and regulations to ensure a healthy economic climate for successful businesses and family-wage jobs

* Provides leadership to unify business, industries and labor on important legislative issues and concerns, administrative rules and matters of public policy

* Supports environmentally responsible proposals for new or expanded operations with good family-wage jobs

http://weta-montana.org/