Editor:
It was disappointing to hear about Sen. Jon Tester's about-face on President Barack Obama's $447 billion plan to promote job growth. Tester and a blue-dog Democrat from Nebraska voted with the Republicans to end a final passage of the jobs bill. However, there is a chance the measure will move piece by piece where 64 percent of Americans still support the job plan.
From an engineer's perspective this plan was designed to provide jobs that included voters who are returning from overseas. The employment outlook still looks bleak since Republicans don't have a real jobs plan. Of course, the minority have a working definition of a job plan, but it lacks theory and practice.
In defining Obama's jobs bill, emphasis was placed on millionaires and billionaires paying their fair share of taxes. Ultimately, the Republicans blocked or simply filibustered a measure to tax the rich or even to carry their fair share. The fact remains that Republicans are well-funded by the wealthy.
Preliminary analysis tells me this jobs bill will put my fellow tribal members to work on projects such as rebuilding roads and bridges and the need to repair the buildings that have functional problems.
The era of horse and buggy days is nearly gone. I don't see tribal people ride horseback to Havre. What I see is automobiles going full-speed ahead to Walmart and other business locations. They spur the Havre economy all year long.
The tribal council needs to be fired up on jobs instead of junkets that drain the funds to improve economic conditions on the rez. It's not enough that they show up for work two to four hours a day. For private industry, you do "a day's work for a day's pay." What I see is that we are the only tribe that pays a $90,000 to our representatives.
Another matter of interest is that the tribe has hired staff members who are sharp and intelligent and appreciate good management. But the knowledge the young college graduates bring to help the tribe is what matters the most.
In final, we can count on Sen. Max Baucus to help us shape a better world for all who care. To support the Obama bill was meaningful to many of us and for our country's future.
John Demontiney
Albuquerque, N.M.
Formerly of Rocky Boy
