It’s Time To Deal With Global Warming
by: Rep. Betsy Hands
Anymore it is virtually impossible to pick up a newspaper and not read about global warming. The February 2 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been the focus of much recent media attention. This report, which incorporates the efforts of 2,500 scientists from around the world and was approved by the United States and 112 other nations, confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt the existence of human-caused global warming.
We now know that sea levels will rise, precipitation patterns will change, storms and heat waves will be more intense, and global water supplies and agricultural production will be disrupted. Scientists tell us that throughout history there have been other shifts in the earth’s climate. What is different now is that human activities are causing an increasingly rapid and unprecedented buildup of heat-trapping gases, most notably carbon dioxide, prompting the planet to warm more quickly than ever before.
This is a problem of epic proportions because there are now nearly 6.6 billion people living in cities, towns, and villages across the globe who are increasingly connected and dependant on one another. (more…)
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Yes, We Need Affordable Housing
by: Rep. Betsy Hands
Throughout Montana we hear more and more about an affordable housing crisis for working Montanans. Between 1998 and 2003, the average household income rose about 10%, while the average home costs rose as much as 63%.
I am sponsoring HB 516, a bill to fund the Housing Montana Fund. This bill puts $5 million into a revolving loan account that supports down payment assistance and affordable housing development for low and moderate-income households.
In Missoula, where I am from, people are experiencing great cost burden to pay for their housing (paying more than 30% of income for their housing). Over 30% of homeowners and 50% of renters are actually cost burdened. This impacts a household’s ability to pay for other needs and services that support our community’s economy. It also makes it difficult for businesses to recruit new employees when their wages cannot allow employees to easily find affordable homes. One of the primary factors businesses look at when they choose new locations for business expansion is the cost and availability of housing for their employees. (more…)
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