Its now how I usually like to spend a Saturday morning. I prefer to sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, maybe go for a run. This past Saturday though, I found myself at the North Central Transit bus barn in Havre, MT. Some representatives from HUD and the EPA were there to talk about sustainable communities. There was also discussion about the need for transportation options, the need for better job opportunities. This is a scenario that is likely played out across America. Jobs are needed, opportunities are needed.

One of the things that was said struck me. I believe it was the representative from the EPA who said (paraphrasing) that oftentimes "green communities" and "sustainable living" are often thought to run counter to economic development, but they consider it to be the opposite. Undergoing these changes is good for the environment, can create jobs, and be good for communities.

The way I interpret the conservative approach to green building is that it has never been done, so we don't know it will work, so we won't invest in it. This is resulting in an America, and especially a rural America that is being left behind, doing things the old way in an ever changing world.

Now, when I say rural America, I mean RURAL America. I'm sure most Montanans have heard from their Congressional Delegation that to folks in D.C., Billings (population 104,000) is rural. Havre has just over 9,000 residents, nearby Blaine County has a population of 7,000 (its county seat, Chinook has just over 1,3000 residents). Some places along the Hi-Line here are considered "Frontier" based on population density.

Our Congressman, Denny Rehberg has said on multiple occasions that the main difference in Washington is not Democrat vs Republican, its urban vs rural. (He also points out that the Speaker being from Ohio means that Republicans get rural America. Ohio's 8th is listed as being 77.95% urban. Its two biggest cities have a combined population of 111,141 otherwise known as just about a Havre larger than Billings. To those of us who live in truly rural, I doubt Mr. Boehner's district is "rural".) Yet, I don't see what Republicans are doing to benefit rural America. They cut programs that help the poor (Blaine County has a median family income of $30,616) and seem more interested in rolling back restrictions on Wall Street than creating jobs in places where Main Street may not have a traffic light.

This is where I believe that progressive policies can benefit rural America. Investing in sustainable communities, investing in better transportation can help create jobs here. The issues that face rural America may not be that much different from the issues facing urban America. But, instead of light speed rail, we may need an extra shuttle for our transit system that helps connects smaller communities with one another.

I live in a town where the economic development center talks about bringing in $4.1 million and saving 36 jobs. These numbers aren't huge, but the impact is big here. Its important for Congress to not forget about rural America, and this may be a place where Democrats can make a difference. It will take investment to bring jobs to rural America. These small towns can no longer afford to wait for the failed policies of trickle down economics to come to them.People are leaving small towns because of a lack of jobs. Its time to help reverse that trend, stop the bleeding, and make an investment in the nation's rural towns.

Small town America is a great place to live, and it may be up to Democrats to help preserve it.