Gold

There is gold in them there hills and Canyon Resources Corp. wants to get at it and this corporation is willing to spend the money to change Montanans minds to do just that. I have <a href="http://bigskyblog.com/index.php?p=37">talked before</a> how outside money to influence Montana elections bother me and this example ups that, outside forces getting an imitative on the ballot so they can get to their prize. Now this contentious election issues is making the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62434-2004Sep4.html" target="_blank">national spotlight</a> (<a href="http://www.bugmenot.com/" target="_blank">bugmenot</a> for registration) and will only cause more money to flow in to the state to influence the issue.<br />n<!–more–><br />nSupporters of I-147 say its all about jobs and the helping the Montana economy. Opponents say its all about pollution of our states waterways. I'll admit this makes it a very hard decision to make, jobs for one of the lowest wage states in the country and our environment, which is one of the cleanest and most beautiful in the US. I do believe that Montanans are smart enough to decide the issue with out all the money flowing in from outside to influence things. <br />n<br />nWhat really irritates me is Canyon Resources Corp. is acting like it wants to become Montana's new Anaconda Copper Company and control the states laws and politics to suit itself like the old Copper Kings used to. I think Canyon Resources Corp. needs to not use such a heavy hand and let Montanans decide the issue.<br />n<br />n<b>Let no one say that taking action is hard. Action is aided by courage, by the moment, by impulse, and the hardest thing in the world is making a decision. Franz Grillparzer</b><br />n<br />nContinued: The above was cross posted to <a href="http://www.bigskyblog.com/">bigskyblog</a>. I try real hard not to make political comments on that collaborative blog since my opinion might not agree with the other authors. <br />n<br />nI feel our states environment is just as important as jobs but an industry that is almost guaranteed to pollute our environment with toxic chemicals of such stout proportions does not need to be allowed at this time. Technological progress will someday bring along a new way of getting this gold that will pollute the environment less and make getting the resources a more attractive proposition. In this particular place and time I think the environment trumps the jobs, which is unusual for me, and should win the battle.