Search Articles:

 

Breaking News......... BREAKING NEWS: Missoula woman pleads guilty to embezzling $800,000-plus from First National Bank of Montana......... BORDER WAR: Senators from Montana, Arizona tussle over Homeland Security dollars for Whitefish police station......... Corvallis, Loyola coaches honored......... BLM office issues fewer permits for Wyoming drilling......... Local News......... BNSF comes clean in Whitefish, but residents skeptical about contamination........Wilderness bill: Tester criticized for being secretive........Judge says Bush-era bull trout plan ‘illogical'........UM's Main Hall undergoes upgrades........Lyle Bagnell: A powerful voice - More than 1,000 pay tribute to longtime announcer of Broncs........Forest fire season likely ‘average'........

Like a lot of NorthWestern Energy customers in Montana, I've paid close attention to the proposed sale of the company, knowing that I had a vested economic interest in the outcome. As a resident of Butte, administrator of St. James Healthcare and a friend of many NorthWestern employees, I feel a vested personal interest in this sale as well.

Through this process, I have looked for and hoped for a buyer that would make commitments to the state of Montana; to the employees who work here, and to its customers.

On Tuesday, the state Public Service Commission will decide whether to consider a revised proposal by Babcock & Brown Infrastructure. This is a company that has made the kinds of commitments I was looking for and that Montanans deserve.

I urge commissioners to agree to give this proposal a full and fair hearing.

When the PSC voted down an earlier offer by BBI, the company took the unusual step of reviewing and responding to every concern raised by commissioners and others who initially opposed the deal. Many of those opponents have since asked the PSC to give the revised offer a hearing.

BBI has committed to establishing a Montana-based utility with a headquarters in Butte. The company has nominated a good friend of mine, David Gates of Butte, to serve as its CEO. David sits on the board of directors of St. James and is a valued, trusted member of our community.

Additionally, BBI also has committed to a long-term presence in Montana and it has committed to retaining its Montana work force and honor all existing collective bargaining agreements.

It also has agreed to provide a $20 million rate credit to customers here and has committed to invest at least $380 million in new capital over the next five years.

These benefits and investments are real. They are a true indication of the kind of company BBI is and an indication of its level of commitment to the state.

The company could have simply walked away when the PSC originally said it would not support the proposed sale. Instead, BBI took the time to review why its original offer failed, then sat down with critics to draft a better one.

We don't see that kind of commitment every day. We should honor it and give this company a fair chance to prove itself. Montana as a whole, and my community of Butte in particular, stand to gain a long-term sense of security and commitment that simply shouldn't be dismissed without a complete, fair hearing.

James Kiser is president and CEO of St. James Healthcare in Butte.

---

---

Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)

---