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| February 09, 2010 |
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Gov urges legislators to spend less, look forward
CHEYENNE – Gov. Dave Freudenthal kicked off the Wyoming’s Legislature’s Budget Session today, delivering his eighth – and perhaps last – State of the State address and giving lawmakers plenty to think about.
The Democratic governor cautioned the heavily Republican legislature against spending too much in tough economic times and then outlined a comprehensive set of actions they could take to make the state a better place to live.
Freudenthal, who has said he won’t make any decisions about his political future until after the legislative session ends next month, said he doesn’t anticipate big battles over the budget he submitted, partly because of the “reality” that the state simply has less money available to spend than in previous budget periods and partly because of the steps already taken to trim state spending and reduce the number of employees.
“When other states say, ‘Wyoming is so lucky,’ I don’t think it’s so much luck. Hard work makes it look like luck,” he told legislators.
His proposed General Fund budget is $2.9 billion, down from the $3.5 billion for the current biennium, and the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee has not changed it much in the version it will send to legislators.
Non-budget bills require a two-thirds vote for introduction, but the governor suggested a number that should be considered this session, including a proposed tax on wind energy, a tougher drunk driving law and a health pilot project that was narrowly defeated last year. He also voiced support for uniform juvenile detention standards, more transparent property tax information, sales tax exemptions for data centers and workplace safety legislation.
The governor said he never tires of visiting with Wyoming citizens and values their frequent advice to him. He said their efforts to deal with financial adversity during economic hard times should inspire the state’s leaders to deal quickly with the budget issues and then look forward to steps that will help build a better Wyoming.
“If we can manage our budget as well as those citizens are managing their life, in dealing with the downturn of the economy, we will survive this, and we will be stronger and we will leave a better place for future generations,” he said.
Whether it’s handling wind generation issues or drunk driving laws, legislators should take the opportunity to do things to make things better, he said.
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Wyoming soda ash production drops in 2009
GREEN RIVER — A year-end report by the U.S. Geological Survey shows soda ash production dropped in Wyoming in 2009. That's the first drop in five years, which is widely blamed on competition from China and the global recession.
The Cowboy State produced some 10.9 million tons of soda ash last year, down from 11.3 million tons in 2008.
Wyoming produces about a quarter of the world’s total soda ash production.
Soda ash is used in glass, soaps and detergents, as well as for some industrial chemicals.
Dennis Kostick, a soda ash analyst with the U.S. Geological Survey, said Wyoming's biggest problem on the world stage is the cost of transportation, moving the product by rail to coastal ports and then by ship. In contrast, China's state-run soda ash industry has low transportation costs, not to mention lax pollution regulations and cheap labor.
Kostick said the estimated total value of domestic soda ash produced last year was about $1.4 billion.
Two Green River producers, OCI Wyoming and FMC, reduced their work forces in 2009 by about 100 employees, he said. |
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The Shoe Man visits Wyoming
CASPER — One of America’s youngest entrepreneurs spoke to business and political leaders in Casper last week with a message about how his company can give away their product for each unit sold, show a profit and do great good.
Blake Mycoskie owns Toms Shoes. He sells about 400,000 pairs a year and gives away about 400,000 pairs in countries where children need shoes. "The children we give to have foot diseases that can be prevented by wearing shoes; they can go to school where a dress code requires shoes; and they can travel long distances by walking when they are equipped with shoes," Mycoskie said.
He started giving away shoes in Argentina and has expanded his philanthropy to Ethiopia and even New Orleans, Gulfport, Mississippi, and the Appalachian region. The company has about 100 employees with 60-70 located in the Los Angeles area. "We rely on local leaders and non-governmental organizations in the countries where we give away shoes to organize the drops and see that children receive their shoes," he said.
The shoes are made in Asia, Argentina and Ethiopia. Mycoskie said they try to provide jobs in countries where they also donate shoes in order to help local residents "take a step toward a better tomorrow." He was asked how the company maintains profitability when they give away so many shoes. "All the other shoe companies spend millions on marketing and advertising and athlete endorsements. We depend on our customers to spread the word about Toms shoes through word of mouth, the social networking sites such as Face Book, and the money we save on marketing helps us produce and donate the shoes and show a profit," he said.
Mycoskie said about 30 percent of his sales are online but the company has sales in 1,400 stores worldwide. No Wyoming outlets could be found on the company’s web page. Mycoskie said "we’ll have to do something about that."
Mycoskie spoke to the annual dinner of the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance, held at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport. This is his first visit to Wyoming, he said.
On the Web: www.tomsshoes.com |
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