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From the President's Desk...
Dear Friend of Freedom,
It's a busy season and we're all busy people so this month's message is short and sweet.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and best wishes from all of us at MPI for freedom and fulfillment in 2011!
Please take a quick look at what we've been up to in the project updates and then get your battery recharged. Defenders of freedom had a good year in 2010 organizing and activating our fellow Montanans. Those successes were necessary but insufficient. This is no time to rest on our laurals. We've got to keep the momentum going and demand results.
MPI will have new tools, new information, and new programs for you in 2011. Keep the fire alive, talk to your neighbors, keep the press on your elected officials, and we'll see you in January.
In Freedom,
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Major Project Updates
- Legislative Forum: Over 150 people - including over a third of the new legislature - met in Helena on November 16th for our second biennial legislative forum. We provided information, networking, and a way forward in dealing with many of the challenges Montana faces in 2011 and beyond. We'll do it again in 2012. See you there. - Pork Report: If you're an MPI member you'll be receiving your Pork Report in the mail. You can also download it from our website here. And finally, if you need more copies just give us a call or drop us an email and we'll get them off to you. - Two New Studies: If you're interested in how Montana got into this fiscal mess and how to fix it you'll want to read our two new studies: - State Spending Growth and Future Deficits explains how exploding budgets over a six year period resulted in unsustainable spending - with agency by agency breakdowns.
- Budgeting for Fiscal Discipline explains the state's structural deficit, how we got it, and how to overhaul our state spending system to fix it in the long term.
- Tweet Montana: Check out our new site! It automatically follows the Twitter feeds of every elected official (and candidates during campaign season) in the state...well, at least those who Tweet. If you're a political junkie or just want to keep track of what they're saying, this is your one-stop website for all of them. - Montana Watchdog: Make Montana Watchdog an everyday stop for the news you won't get from legacy media outlets. Our two investigative reporters go beyond the headlines and give you information you can use. You can also get more perspective and analysis from the blog and Twitter feeds. 
- Health Care Reform: We're continuing to update our health care reform resource page with analyses of the bill and news about initiatives across the country to oppose it. This bill must be repealed and replaced before it begins to create a new dependent class starting in 2014! There are parts to keep and better reforms to put in place, but this one has to go. - Global Warming Resources Page: We're continuing to follow the global warming and cap-and-tax debate and share our findings with you on this links page. It's your one-stop shopping spot for all you need to know to be the informed skeptic on your block. |
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Grow with MPI in 2011
From our founding day, we have been grounded in the belief that accurate information about government finance is the foundation of good policy in a free society. Through our non-partisan, independent research, we educate and advise lawmakers, reporters and citizens about how to improve the fiscal health of Montana for the long-term. None of this work would be possible without the generosity of our supporters and we encourage you to consider supporting MPI with a year-end contribution. By making a tax-deductible investment in MPI, you will be a valuable partner in helping to assure that our research and publications continue to shape sound policy in Montana - for the good of future generations as well as our own. |
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Upcoming Events
See our Google Calendar here for upcoming events. |
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Need a Speaker?
What a coincidence! We like to speak.
Book Carl or let us help find the right person for your free market event.
Contact us here and let's put something together. |
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About MPI
The Montana Policy Institute (MPI) is a free market think tank focused on Montana issues. We provide credible nonpartisan expertise and analysis to help Montanans advocate for policies that are based on a respect for freedom, an expectation of responsibility, and the idea that government intervention should be the last rather than first resort when addressing public policy challenges.
To find out more, visit us at: www.montanapolicy.org
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