HomeMy WebLinkAboutConrad Burns Montana eNewslette September 8, 2000 eNewsletter Pagel of 3
Senator Conrad Burns
Montana eNewsletter
Montana's Link to News and Events in the Nation's Capital
A weekly newsletter on news and issues important to Montanans
September 8, 2000
Unfortunately, this is the last eNewsletter I will be able to send you until after the November
election. The rules of the Senate prohibit me from sending electronic newsletters during the 60 days
preceding an election. I have enjoyed this opportunity to communicate with you in this new forum and
you'll receive the next edition after November 7.
In This Edition: ® �S n
Fire and Drought Assistance 11 E
Fire Meetings in Hamilton and Helena D
Senior Forums SEp 2
High-Tech Jobs for Montana 9 2GG0
My State Offices Are Here To Help G 1 TY
OF LAUREL
FIRE AND DROUGHT ASSISTANCE
We Montanans have always taken great pride in our reputation for self-sufficiency, and we're
always quick to offer a neighbor a helping hand. But, sometimes a situation moves beyond our ability to
deal with it on our own and we must ask for outside assistance.
The fires and drought that have devastated Montana this summer are a perfect case in point. Our
physical, financial, and emotional resources have been stretched to the limit and Governor Racicot has
wisely asked the president to declare Montana a disaster area and I am pleased the administration
granted that request.
Throughout this fire and drought crisis, I have had only two priorities: first, making sure the men
and women who have done such a tremendous job on the fire lines have the resources they need to fight
the flames safely; and second, getting assistance to the victims of these dual disasters.
I am working to make certain that Montanans who have suffered losses as result of these dual
disasters will be aided by the federal resources that become available with a disaster declaration.
Attached to this eNewsletter is a list of contacts at federal and state agencies that have programs
designed to help Montana.
For this information: Federal and State Disaster Relief Resources or
http://bums.senate.gov/fire_page.htmi
FIRE MEETINGS IN HAMILTON AND HELENA
http://bums.senate.gov/enewsletter.htm 9/12/2000
September 8, 2000 eNewsletter Page 2 of 3
We need to get a handle on what the fires have cost Montanans in terms of lost paychecks and
lost profits. We can determine firefighting costs, and we've asked federal and state land managers to let
us know what they need for environmental stabilization, but we also need people to tell us how the fires
have affected them and their families.
Governor Racicot and I will be hosting two"town hall" meetings this weekend so that we can
hear from Montanans about the problems they are experiencing as a result of the fires. This information
will be critical to our efforts to get more emergency aid and economic assistance for Montanans affected
by the disaster. Also joining us will be representatives from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, the federal Small Business Administration, the Forest Service, the USDA, the Montana
Department of commerce, the state's Disaster and Emergency Servic ts, and the Montana Department of
Natural Resources.
I hope you and your neighbors can join us on:
Saturday, September 9, 10:00 a.m. at the Hamilton High School Commons
or
Monday, September I I, 9:30 a.m. at the Department of Highways' auditorium
in Helena.
SENIOR FORUMS
I was pleased that so many Montanans turned out for the five senior forums I held in August.
Those forums reinforced my belief that we need a comprehensive plan to lower the cost of medicine and
make it more accessible, especially for seniors. Far too many seniors spend too much of their often
fixed income to buy medicine. I am working on legislation that would address these concerns by:
• guaranteeing seniors access to lower prices on prescription drugs;
• shielding most seniors against catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses;
• not requiring seniors to pay additional Medicare premiums; and
• not forcing seniors to give up existing prescription drug coverage.
For more information on making prescription drugs more affordable and accessible:
http://burns senate aov/p000714a.hun
HIGH-TECH JOBS FOR MONTANA'S FUTURE
Montanans need the tools and resources necessary to create and obtain good-paying jobs for our
families and compete for our share of today's global economy. I'm proud that Montana has one of the
highest rates of Internet access- one out of two Montanans are connected to the Internet either at home
or at work. As chairman of the Communications Subcommittee,I am working to increase high-tech job
opportunities in Montana through a comprehensive legislative agenda,which I call the "Digital Dozen."
These twelve bills will help close the "digital divide" between urban and rural areas and provide
Montana with the communications infrastructure necessary for high-speed Internet access -the engine of
tomorrow's economy.
http://bums.senate.gov/enewsletter.htm 9/12/2000
September 8, 2000 eNewsletter Page 3 of 3
For more information about the Digital Dozen and my vision for Montana's high-tech future:
http://burns.senate.gov/digital dozen.htm
I'M HERE TO HELP
My staff and I are available in my eight state offices in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Glendive,
Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula, as well as my Washington, D.C. office to help you with any
problems you are having with the government. I hope to hear from you.
Questions, Comments
For more information on these and other issues, please visit Senator Burns' web site at
http://burns.senate gov. E-Mail:
eNewsletter(.@ bums senate gov. Phone: (202) 224-2644.
Subscription Information
To subscribe to the weekly eNewsletter, send an e-mail message to the address
subscriben.burns.seiiate.gov, with the term "subscribe" in the subject line. To unsubscribe, send an e-
mail message to the address subscribea.burns.senate.gov, with the term "unsubscribe" in the subject
line.
U.S. SENATOR CONRAD BURNS
9 ep
� m
•BAN P'S4'♦
Enclosed you will find a new packet of information I thought would be of interest to you.
i
In addition to the last copy of my e-newsletter until after the November elections,I'm also including copies of
recent newsletters dealing with senior's and women's issues and the fires that have devastated Montana this
summer. I would also encourage you to visit my website at http.•Ihurns.senate.gov for more information on these
and many other issues, including progress on this year's appropriations for Montana-related projects.
Thanks again for your ongoing commitment to our great state of Montana and the people
_who
q call it home.
http://bums.senate.gov/enewsletter.htm 0