Both major party candidates for governor of Montana making the rounds today to tout their jobs platforms.
Governor Steve Bullock and republican candidate Greg Gianforte stopped by ABC Fox Montana’s Studio “K” to chat with us.
Greg Gianforte: “This is the dream that many Montanans have. They want their kids back around the table on Sunday afternoon. Telecommuting represents a way to do this. And I have committed that when I’m governor we will wage an all-out campaign to bring our kids back home. They may just have to bring jobs with’m. This is a way we can put families back together.”
Gov. Steve Bullock: “Earning money while you’re learning. Apprenticeships. And the cool thing is that there are thousands of different apprentice-able fields out there. Certainly everything from the construction trades, which is helping to build Missoula College, to things like phlebotomists and computer techs.”
Greg Gianforte: “We need to get to a situation where we actually can create high paying jobs. Unfortunately the policies of this current administration have caused the state revenues to fall off a cliff, and for the first time our economy in Montana is actually in retraction for two consecutive quarters.”
Gov. Steve Bullock: “We have growth in every, single sector. I mean nationwide, fifth fastest GDP growth in the nation. We’re among the fastest in personal income growth as well in the nation.”
Greg Gianforte: “Things are not as rosy as the governor wants to portray. We’re 49th in the country in wages, and we’re 50th in the nation for wages for millennials.”
Gov. Steve Bullock: “That looks at just W-2 wages. So, it doesn’t include agriculture. We’re number one in the country, we have been for four years, for entrepreneurs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says we’re number one in the nation for start-ups. It doesn’t include all of those entrepreneurs.”