Montana Main Street Blog

Test Your Knowledge: Good Government Reforms

Test your knowledge on good government/sunshine issues that are likely to come up this session. The questions are in true/false format. The answers are in the comment section:

1. All local and state government officials who lobby at the legislature are required to report those expenses to the Office of Political Practices.

2. A person may serve in the state house for eight years, then in the state senate for eight years, and then come back and do it all over again under the current laws on term limits.

3. A judicial candidate can benefit from an unlimited amount of money from an individual and then preside over a case involving that individual.

4. A legislator is limited to 25 bill draft requests per session.

5. In most states, a state agency must consider the impacts of a new rule or law on small businesses before being implemented.

Test Your Knowledge on Trade

Try out this latest "Test Your Knowledge" quiz on international trade. The answers (located in the comment section) may surprise you:

1. What percentage of exporting businesses are small and medium-sized businesses?: (a) 43%; (b) 62%; (c) 79%; or (d) 97%.

2. How much higher are the wages for jobs supported by goods exports?: (a) the wages aren't higher; (b) about 5% higher; (c) about 15% higher; or (d) about 25% higher.

3. How many acres of agricultural production are exported from the U.S.? (a) one in eight; (b) one in five; (c) one in four; or (d) one in three.

4. After Canada, who is Montana's next largest trading partner?: (a) Japan; (b) Mexico; (c) Taiwan; or (d) China.

5. How much do Montana manufacturers export annually?: (a) $1 billion; (b) $710 million; (c) $423 million; or (d) $291 million.

6. Since 2002, manufactured Montana-produced exports have: (a) more than doubled; (b) increased by 79%; (c) increased by 51%; or (d) not increased.

7. How much does Montana export in non-manufactured goods annually?: (a) $1.2 billion; (b) $952 million; (c) $587 million; or (d) $261 million.

8. How many jobs in Montana were generated in 2005 through Montana-produced manufactured goods?: (a) 1,216; (b) 2,560; (c) 3,180; or (d) 5,100.

9. What percent of the Montana exporting business are small businesses?: (a) around 89%; (b) around 83%; (c) around 72%; or (d) around 55%.

10. Who is the largest trading partner for the U.S.?: (a) Japan; (b) China; (c) Germany; or (d) Canada.

Test Your Knowledge: Taxes

"Test Your Knowledge" is back, and you have a new opportunity to find out how much you know on an important subject - taxes. The first two "tests" were on energy and health care. Write down your responses and then compare them to the answers posted in the comment section.

1. How much on-going tax relief was given out of the $1.4 billion surplus in 2007?: (a) 0%; (b) 6%; (c) 9%; (d) 11%.

2. How much one-time tax relief was given out of the $1.4 billion surplus in 2007?: (a) 10% or less; (b) 18% or less; (c) 25% or less; (d) 25% or more.

3. How much property tax relief went to business out of the $1.4 billion surplus in 2007?: (a) 0%; (b) 2%; (c) 4%; (d) 5%.

4. What is the national average of state taxes paid by business?: (a) less than 10%; (b) around 22%; (c) around 40%; (d) more than 60%.

5. What is the percent of state taxes paid by business in Montana?: (a) less than 10%; (b) around 39%; (c) around 45%; (d) more than 60%.

6. What is the national average of local taxes paid by business?: (a) less than 25%; (b) around 39%; (c) around 50%; (d) around 58%.

7. What is the percent of local taxes paid by business in Montana?: (a) less than 40%; (b) around 58%; (c) around 66%; (d) around 75%.

8. What is the current rate of taxation on business equipment in Montana?: (a) 0%; (b) 1%; (c) 2%; (d) 3%.

9. What would the current rate of taxation on business equipment in Montana be if lawmakers had not removed the statutory trigger in 2005?: (a) 0%; (b) 1%; (c) 2%; (d) 3%.

10. If Montana adopted a statewide sales tax, what is the state constitutional limit on that tax?: (a) there is no limit; (b) 2%; (c) 4%; (d) 7%. 

Test Your Knowledge: Health Care

It's time for another round of "Test Your Knowledge," a fun and informative quiz on a variety of topics that are important to the business community and Montana families.

The last quiz we did two weeks ago focused on energy issues, which is the top financial concern right now for just about everyone. This quiz will focus on health care, which ranks as the number one or two pocketbook concern (depending on the poll) for people around the country.

Mark down your answers to these questions and then go into the comment section to find the answers. I have posted them there so you can check how you did.

1. What percentage of Montanans have no health insurance coverage?: (a) 33%; (b) 28%; (c) 22%; or (d) 17%.

2. How much do federal and state health insurance mandates add to the yearly cost for one insurance policy?: (a) $403; (b) $336; (c) $214; or (d) $91.

3. For a family of four, how much would these mandates cost per year?: (a) $1612; (b) $1344; (c) $856; or (d) $364.

4. In total dollars spent on health care, how does the U.S. rank compared to other nations?: (a) 1st; (b) 2nd; (c) 3rd; or (d) 4th.

5. Out of the 20 largest employers in Montana, how many of them are in the health care industry?: (a) 13; (b) 10; (c) 8; or (d) 3.

6. Out of every 100 Montanans, how many work in health care industries?: (a) 19; (b) 16; (c) 13; or (d) 10.

7. In U.S. rankings of population numbers for people over the age of 65 (per capita), Montana is approximately:  (a) 1st; (b) 10th; (c) 20th; or (d) 32nd.

8. How many people are covered under the Montana Chamber's "Chamber Choices" health insurance?:   (a) over 20,000 lives; (b) 16,000 lives; (c) 10,000 lives; or (d) 5,500 lives.

9. How many people under those plans previously had no health insurance?: (a) more than half; (b) more than a third; (c) 20%; or (d) 6%.

10. How much public funding is used to run "Chamber Choices": (a) $526,329 in the last biennium; (b) $175,979 last year; (c) $79,522 over the last three years; or (d) $0.

Test Your Knowledge: Energy in Montana

We're doing a new series here called "Test Your Knowledge" that will quiz readers on their knowledge of certain subjects. More than anything, these are supposed to be fun and informative, so don't sweat it. And no, there is no prize if you get them all right - just the satisfaction that you are an informed citizen.

This first one will focus on energy in Montana. See if you can answer then without looking up the information on the internet. We'll post the answers tomorrow in an update. Good luck!

1. When it comes to total coal reserves in the 50 states, Montana is: (a) first; (b) second; (c) fourth; or (d) ninth.

2. When it comes to total coal production in the 50 states, Montana is: (a) first; (b) third; (c) sixth; or (d) thirteenth.

3. How many ethanol plants are located in Montana?: (a) more than 25; (b) 19; (c) 3; or (d) 1 or less.

4. At the end of 2007, how many megawatts of wind power was generated in Montana?: (a) 1,373 MW; (b) 145 MW; (c) 88 MW; or (d) 26 MW.

5. When it comes to wind energy potential in the 50 states, Montana is: (a) first; (b) second; (c) fourth; or (d) fifth.

6. How much recoverable oil is estimated to be in the Bakken formation under Montana and North Dakota: (a) around 4 billion barrels; (b) around 1.1 billion barrels; (c) around 842 million barrels; or (d) around 151 million barrels.

7. What is the high estimate for recoverable coal-bed methane in Montana's Powder River Basin?: (a) 43.8 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF); (b) 22.4 TCF; (c) 12.4 TCF; or (d) 8.2 TCF.

8. How many Megawatts of electricity are produced by the Hungry Horse hydropower dam?: (a) 629 MW; (b) 554 MW; (c) 428 MW; or (d) 301 MW.