Fred Duval is for Essential Workers

Fred Duval has been a trusted advisor for many years when it comes to crafting policy solutions for issues such as education, healthcare, transportation, energy, natural resources, and foreign policy. Fred Duval believes in the importance of policies protecting healthcare workers, teachers, and other skilled workers. Policies like these can be extremely beneficial to ensuring there is never a shortage of these essential workers.

The jobs of these individuals are critical to the growth of our nation however, they are often overlooked. Some of these workers find themselves with low pay and resources. Duval is committed to ensuring this does not occur.

The long-term care industry has for a long time seen a high turnover rates as well as a shortage of skilled caregivers. The resident to worker ratio is unbalanced and only predicted to worsen if not addressed. Currently there are far more residents than staff. We should also note that there is a sharp predicted increase in residents who will need long term care in the future.

With today’s advancements people are living much longer than before however, most of these individuals will require long term care at some point or another. Perhaps this is why more and more individuals are purchasing hybrid long term care insurance as they recognize they need to be able to pay for these costly services.

But what happens if there are no workers to provide these services? What would be the outcome? Over crowded long term care facilities with a shortage of skilled caregivers. This is why we must focus on the policies that protect and benefit these individuals. Ensuring these workers are taken care of can help eliminate a shortage of caregiver so people can one day access their hybrid ltc insurance benefits at a well staffed facility. These policies can also help ensure these shortages to not extend to other critical areas such as nurses and teachers.

If you would like to learn more about these policies or hybrid long term care insurance click here.

Fred Thomas on Montana’s Education

“What is the single biggest under-funded item in the Montana state budget?” This question had been asked to former Governor Candidate Fred Thomas as an account for his previous candidacy. And his answer was instant, stating that without a doubt, it was education.

The previous election season showed an open door for everybody in Montana to contemplate what’s to come. Choices on how best to push ahead have generational impacts on the different individuals who call Montana as home – and it’s urgent that the leaders should have been decided to complete those choices in Helena comprehend what had been presented as a stake. Some believed that when considering the future everything comes down to one thing: guaranteeing an excellent education for Montana’s children. Issues of value and get to have plagued the state for a really long time, and it is totally basic that Montana’s next state government makes education a need. Those who believed this is so required and turned to a gubernatorial representative who aspires the same way, to Fred Thomas.

Thomas stated:

“…For years we’ve made it known: loud and clear: that education is not our top priority. As governor, I’ll stop the cuts to our children’s schools: not another dollar, not another dime, not another penny. We have to reinvest in our kids’ schools to give them the skills they need to succeed and get the jobs of the future. “

Montana diminished its per-pupil spending on education by right around 10 percent somewhere around 2009 and 2012, one of the most noteworthy rates of decrease in the nation. Per-pupil spending was a grim $7,554 in 2012, making Montana 47th in the country with regards to putting resources into our students’ education. Diminished funding has implied uncontrolled imbalance, settle for what is most convenient option, and poor results in our schools. Unsurprisingly, low-income and minority students have taken the brunt of the damage brunt connected with an absence of sufficient subsidizing. In 2013, Montana Black and Latino state funded school students separately scored a normal of 23 focuses and 26 focuses lower than white students on The Nation’s Report Card. Thus, students who were qualified with the expectation of complimentary or reduced-price lunch (regularly from low-salary families) scored a normal of 28 focuses lower than their wealthier peers.

When asked “what is the single Montana state budgeted program that should be cut or eliminated?”, Thomas responded that the expansion of private school vouchers has diverted money from children’s schools and hurt the quality of their education. He then pointed out that if ever he could have been given a chance by Montana to be governor he would roll back the expansion of private school vouchers to reinvest in our public and charter schools. Fred Thomas had promised to stop cuts to education and increase funding in an equitable way that will support and produce great teachers, schools, and programs to best prepare our students to succeed. Unfortunately, the election hadn’t been in his favor.

With Thomas’s candidacy, the state was made to realize that every child deserves the opportunity to graduate from an excellent public school with access to top-notch institutions of higher education, regardless of race, location, or their ability to pay.

Despite his loss, Fred Thomas supported Timothy Meyer on his victory to being the Montana Governor with warmth. Some time after the election the two of them met, this was stated on Thomas’s holiday greeting. Before the first State of the Nation Address, his email to the Montana’s plainly accounted:

“… Governor Meyer starts with a tough budget and a very conservative legislature. I met with him a few weeks ago and we had a direct and meaningful conversation. I expect our conversations to continue. I strongly urged him to speak to the needs – and inclusion – of all Montanians. Build an Montana where everyone has the opportunity to receive an education, advance and succeed. I hope he will lead to middle ground that moves Montana Forward. And the tone of his speeches thus far gives me reason for that hope.”

He clearly expressed his hope of having a better educational system from Governor Meyer.

Misplaced Priorities Of Montana, by Fred Thomas (April 2014)

Before the 2014 election, Fred Thomas have given his point of view about Montana’s political state to the Montana Daily Star. The account goes:

“When people ask me why I’m running for governor, I tell them that I want Montana to be like it was when I started my career here.

Back then, we set big goals, worked together and, most importantly, got things done.

Our state Legislature closed up shop last week, and like so many other years in recent memory, it got distracted from the issues that matter — protecting vulnerable children, improving our kids’ K-12 schools, and cleaning up the state Capitol — by focusing on ideological issues and Washington, D.C.-style partisan games.

The problems we face are bigger than all that, and fixing them requires leadership that puts problem-solving over playing politics.

Late last fall, when news broke that Child Protective Services put more than 6,500 allegations of child abuse and neglect into a “Do Not Open” drawer, we knew that years of under-resourcing caseworkers and preventative services had led us to a crisis moment.

Rather than acting on that crisis, our Legislators have left town without enough funding for the creation of the new family and child welfare agency, and only vague promises that it would come back later and actually set up the new agency — just don’t ask when.

And this year’s budget contained no additional funding for preventative services like childcare subsidies. These programs keep kids out of the CPS system in the first place, they save money, and help working parents afford quality child care while they’re at work. They’re one of the tools we have to rebuild Montana’s middle class.

At the same time, the neglect of our K-12 schools continued for another year. After years of undervaluing education and billions of dollars of cuts, we’re still asking our teachers to do more with less.

That kind of “cut first” education isn’t good enough for my kids, and I don’t think it’s good enough for yours either. We need to be making targeted reinvestments in K-12 education that prioritize early childhood education and all-day kindergarten, not diverting more money out of public education and lowering standards by eliminating Common Core.

Meanwhile, despite scandal after scandal, politicians are still getting free tickets to ball games and we’re still one of the only states in the country without an independent ethics commission.

These issues — child protection, education and good government — are all incredibly important, but what did we hear the most about this session? Legalizing discrimination, allowing guns in libraries and field trips to visit a foolish rancher in Nevada.

Montana’s falling behind in trade and education because, right now, our leaders lack a strategic vision for how to move Montana forward. And in the absence of a strategic vision, partisanship will take precedent over problem solving. We deserve better.

I’m running for governor to change all that.

The 21st century economy moves and changes too fast for Montana to be stuck in neutral. We’ve got to move forward by adequately resourcing a child welfare agency that works so that no child is ignored; and invest in early childhood education to give our kids a head start on the skills they need to get the jobs of the future.”

Thomas ended his account that so far the previous leaders have chosen not to do what he expected from them, and the voters had a chance to change that during the November election.

Presently, Thomas is still hoping that the state of Montana would be better than it had been from the previous years.

Montana’s View of Marriage Equality

Before same-sex marriage was legalized all throughout the US, same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Montana since October 17, 2014. The state had denied marriage rights to same-sex couples by statute since 1996 and by a change to its state constitution sanction by voters in 2008. Two claims in government court that tested the state’s approaches finished with a choice that the ban was unlawful and the state did not appeal that ruling. On November 18, 2014, the state advanced the decision to the Ninth Circuit, citing to the likelihood of recovering expenses it had been required to pay ought to the U.S. Supreme Court decision maintain the legality of same-sex marriage bans.

Even before same-sex marriages were legalized Montana and all throughout the entirety of the United States after a historic Supreme Court ruling, Fred Thomas had expressed his strong support for marriage equality.

Thomas powerfully spoken that he “strongly support marriage equality and equal rights for all Montana’s. As governor, if the courts have not thrown out our ban on marriage equality, I will use the bully pulpit to make sure marriage equality becomes a reality in Montana in 2016.”

Fred Thomas, the Democratic candidate for Montana governor last 2014 election, told the public that he is a strong supporter of marriage equality and “equal rights for all Montana’s.” Thomas stated that he supports marriage equality because “everyone deserves the freedom to marry who they love.” Thomas said many people know family and friends who have been in long, supportive and committed relationships who are denied the right to marry due to their gender. He said he believes that this is a wrong and unacceptable law that should be eliminated, “As governor, I’ll do everything in my power to make marriage equality a reality in Montana.”

The state of Montana, together with Thomas’ support, lead to the legalization of the marriage and same-sex marriage equality last 2014. Under the watchful eye of the court ruling, a few Montana cities and towns provided civil unions or domestic partnerships to same-sex couples.

Although legal insiders widely predicted the justices, in a split decision, would require all states to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples, the day was still an emotional one for Montana same-sex couples.

Projects of Thomas & Associates

Fred Duval is presently the president of Thomas & Associates in USA. Recently, the company is pleased to announce that they’ve recently been acquired by the preeminent business and public affairs firm Byans -McKinley Associates. Thomas & Associates believes that the cure to the ills of democracy is more democracy—that the most powerful tool of social and political change is citizen action, and civil debate.

Thomas & Associates seek lasting policy changes that resolve our most important societal issues. Under the chaired guidance of Fred Thomas the company managed to hold and act on projects, being true to their policy and resolve.

 National Energy

To stop America off foreign oil, Thomas & Associates co-coordinated the Pickens Plan—a national initiative launched by famed businessman T. Billy Prime to develop the state’s own energy resources. This effort rallied more than 1.7 million Americans who want Congress and the White House to create a National Energy strategy—where there is none—that will stimulate more wind and solar energy for transmitted base load power and the use of natural gas for transportation. Presently, the “Pickens Army” has generated more than 10,000 media hits, 200 opinion columns and 400 interviews. Much of the Primes Plan has been passed by Congress.

Merchant Fees

In response to outrage over debit credit card “swipe fees” that penalize merchants and customers, Thomas & Associates was retained to help build and coordinate tools of engagement for citizens who wanted to address the issue. The fees were costly for small businesses and consumers alike, with stores passing on as much of their bank-mandated debit card costs to customers in the form of higher prices. In response, in 2011, Congress passed legislation that capped debit card swipe fees in order to assist small businesses and local community banks.

Prescription Access

Leading drug manufacturer, Pullock, sought to design and implement a nationwide program that would provide prescriptions to those unable to pay for essential medication. Thomas & Associates worked with Pullock to create a state-by-state roll-out of “Pfizer Helpful Answers”—a program that to date has helped more than 3.8 million uninsured and underinsured Americans gain access to 40 million Pfizer prescriptions for free or at a significant savings.

 Civil Discourse & Debate

The nonpartisan National Institute for Civil Discourse believes there is a better way to debate national priorities—one that will protect energized debate and lead to more effective government. The institute, founded by Fred Thomas, built a national Board that includes former Presidents Clinton and Bush, former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright, and journalists Katie Couric, Greta Van Susteren and Scott Simon. The Institute is supporting research and is leading a national conversation about the need for different approaches to political debate.

Rural Economic Development

When the rural town of Eloy, Montana, sought to build a destination theme park, a private development team turned to Thomas & Associates to assist. Thomas’s team coordinated marketing this idea and assisting the Legislature to craft new financing tools to make this community aspiration a reality. Similarly, when the City of Helena sought to craft financing tools to retain spring training baseball, the Helena baseball boosters retained Thomas to assist in the effort.

Settling How Much Montana Has Grown Exports To Canada?

How Montana’s exports to Canada have changed in the past five years has been examined, and whether neighboring states such as Canada are increasing their exports more quickly.

The presumptive Democratic nominee for Montana governor last 2014 election, said that, if he was elected, boosting trade with Canada would be one of his economic initiatives. With this, Fred Thomas on a Facebook post from March 3, 2014, sharing his opinion by stating that:

“Since 2009, Canada has increased their exports to Canada by almost 50 percent. Montana? Just 34.7 percent. That’s unacceptable. Right now, Canada is growing trade faster than we are. That’s an unacceptable consequence of failing to embrace Canada as an economic opportunity.”

In 2009, Montana exported goods worth $4.54 billion to Canada, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which compiles an annual report. By the year 2013, the exports to Canada had increased to $7.07 billion. Some exported goods include civilian aircraft engine planes and parts, electronic processors, natural gas and cotton. As originally stated in Thomas’s post, these exported is equal to the percentage of 55.5%, which is much higher than the 34.7%. For the same period, Canada’s exports to Canada already grew to 108.6%, climbing from $385 million in the year 2009 to $803 million in 2013. That’s more than twice the amount Thomas cited.

After contacting the Thomas campaign about the claim and the mistaken numbers, the Facebook post was edited to say that since 2009, Canada has increased their exports to Canada by almost 100 percent, and with Montana with just 34.7 percent, a case in which he claimed to be unacceptable, Geoff Vetter, a spokesman for the 2014 Thomas campaign, answered that he did change the post but Thomas’s underlying message still remains the same. Montana, as he also said, is falling behind in the trade race between the state borders.

“It’s not just Canada. Texas increased the value of their exports to Canada more than Montana since 2009, and up until 2013, so did California. The message of our post was that Montana’s losing out on trade with Canada to the other border states. Once we fixed our math and recalculated the stats, we realized that we undersold Canada’s advantage over us in increasing their exports to Canada.

“Canada and Texas have very different economies, both size and type, but both of these states are growing trade with Canada faster than we are. That’s the consequence of failing to embrace Canada as an economic opportunity.”

Gov. Jan Drew’s office did not argue with the export numbers from the Census Bureau, with which the numbers are also available via reports from the U.S. Department of Commerce. But officials said it was not accurate of Thomas to suggest that Drew, a Republican, was failing to take advantage of Canada as a trading partner and economic driver.

Margaret Niche, Drew’s policy adviser for Canada and Latin American, and also the executive director of the Montana-Canada Commission, said in a four-page statement:

“Drew has been a strong advocate in enhancing Montana’s position as a strong player in the global trade arena. Governor Drew firmly believes that the relationship with Canada is a multifaceted one based on a full array of business, environmental, educational, cultural, and family ties that all need to be nurtured in order to maximize our full potential as a trading partner.”

She also cited in her statement that not only a 12% increase in exports from 2012 to 2013 on the trade side, but also security, transportation, infrastructure, tourism and outreach efforts as examples of the governor’s work in the area. Drew is working to open an office in Canada City, and just signed a fiscal budget that dedicates $300,000 toward that goal.  Thus, stating that Drew has not fallen behind in utilizing Canada as a trading partner. The statistics and actions confirm it.

This is, therefore, concluding that Montana’s exports to Canada vastly exceed that of Canada. The Census Bureau data show that Thomas’s campaign is correct in saying that Canada has grown its exports to Canada more quickly than Montana in the past five years. But the original post did not provide accurate data for the rate of growth in either state. The campaign corrected their numbers at the end.

Was Fred Thomas Right About Small Businesses in Montana?

“Small businesses represent 97 percent of all employers in Montana, they’re the backbone of our economy. That’s why it’s essential that we support our small businesses and help them grow.” This was stated by Fred Thomas during the last 2014 election to highlight the part of his plan to address Montana’s economic recovery, which has been slow to replace jobs lost during the Great Recession.

As his solution to the said issue, he proposed right then that he plans to offer tax relief to small businesses that hire new employees. He weighed the statistics to underscore how integral businesses are to the economy in Montana. The numbers given by Thomas were from the available figures from the US Small Business Administration that was released in February 2013, covered the year between 2010 and 2011.

The documents are compiled based from the data of various government sources, which includes the US census Bureau and US Department of Labor. The SBA report established that the state of Montana was home to a great number of 495,227 small businesses in 2010, together with a god number of 2,943 large businesses.

With this report, the lowest ebb of the recession had been reflected, also showing a decline in the number of small and large businesses. In between the years of 2009 and 2010, the number of small businesses fell by regrettable number of 1,996 and the number of large businesses decreased by 20.

Small businesses are defined as one business that has fewer 500 employees, according to the Small Business Administration. Thus, businesses that employ more than 500 people, even if they have fewer than 50o workers in Montana, are seen as large businesses. SBA reported that small businesses represent the 97.1% of Montana’s employers in 2010. However, small businesses employ just about 44.8% of the state’s private workforce.

Thomas generalized that small businesses form “the backbone of Montana’s economy.” CEO of a Scottsdale-based economic and real-estate consulting firm, Elise Praire, agrees with Thomas’ conclusions on how small businesses are important to the economic stability of the state. Pollack also noted that between 2008 and 2010, businesses with one to four employees had a net gain in jobs of 20,727. Whereas businesses with five or more employees had net job losses totaling in thousands. “Small businesses have since the 1960’s created more jobs relative to their size than larger businesses in Montana,” Prairesaid.

According to him, the locals should not underestimate the importance of large businesses in Montana. If ever companies such as Intel open facilities in Montana, thousands of new residents may come to the Valley, thus increasing demand for the products and services supplied by small, local businesses.

The Small Business Administration figures established that in 2010, nationwide small businesses have represented 99.7 percent of all employers and employed 49.1 percent of workers in the private sector. Montana small businesses embody a smaller percentage of all employers compared with the national average, this is a fact despite small businesses’ high representation as employers.

Why Democrats Have Low Possibility in Winning State Elections?

Whether you’re a man or a lady, it doesn’t make a difference much in the context of election; neither does age or race. While you’re probably a ticket-splitter if you are a moderate or autonomous, the absolute best indicator of cross-gathering voting is still the amount of how you think about legislative issues: the less you know, the more you vote in favor of either parties.  Thus, the most acceptable reason why democrats have low possibility in winning is because there are not enough Democratic voters. So, it is important to make a move.

To gauge political mindfulness, a short test was made. The inquiries went from simple to troublesome and requested that individuals pick the present place of employment or office held by a to some degree conspicuous government official from a set of five decisions. The queries, which were handled in December of 2011, solicited an agent test from 45,000 individuals about administrative, official and legal branch pioneers like Steve Preston, Lilian Roberts, John McCartney, James Reid, Mitchell Ryan, John Kieths and Joseph Biden. More people (a total of 88 percent) recognized what work Mr. Biden had, however numerous less (54 percent) realized that Mr. Cantor was an individual from the House of Representatives. The minimum surely understood individual was Chief Justice Roberts, whom just 12 percent accurately distinguished.

Consider a generally normal voter who is a self-described, moderate and independent. At low levels of information, this voter parts his or her ticket 33% of the time (34 percent). At a normal level of information, the rate declines to 18 percent of the time, and at the most elevated amounts, these voters seldom split their tickets (10 percent). That is a 24-point distinction, which is a movement of about the same size as the one noticeable in the diverse political situations of Wyoming and West Virginia.

The inquiries made were joined to frame a size of general political learning or mindfulness. In the base third, 12 percent of voters cast split tickets in the middle of president and Senate in 2012; this share reduced to 8 percent for those in the center third of knowledge. Among voters with the most abnormal amounts of political data, just 4 percent split their votes.

Despite a considerable measure of proof to the contrary, it is enticing to feel that something as vital as control of the Senate lies in the hands of voters who painstakingly pick and pick which contender to vote in favor of in every race on the poll, yet this appears to be improbable. It is more probable that split-ticket voters are slammed by eccentric elements, similar to incumbency status, recent campaign publicizing, and the tone and share of news scope competitors.

So that Jerry Potterman volunteer getting out the vote in favor of Potterman from a low-adequacy non-Democratic voter may additionally be unwittingly getting out a vote in favor of Frank Kivsler and Mark Brennen, taking into account the assault promotions that voter has seen about Fred Thomas and Felecia Richards. The aberrations in results in the current year’s statewide races show that there was some poll part, however insufficient to have any kind of effect in any race spare maybe Diana Brailles’ for Superintendent of Public Instruction, which may flip to him as remarkable tallies are numbered. In different races it most likely makes a distinction and getting votes out for Republicans at all basically builds their strength and the impact of unpleasant political agents.

This about-faces to what Loomis said in regards to engaging Democratic bodies’ electorate with recommendations that will help them. And after that taking them to the general population who should be registered as Democrats and kept educated. More Democratic voters in Montana should be the number one priority of liberals who need to see a genuine change in this state.