Liberal Blogger Attacks Semitool Founder

Aaron Flint posted on October 28, 2010 13:53 :: 5553 Views

The liberal blog “Mother Jones” is launching a full scale attack against the founder of a successful Kalispell, Montana company. 

Check out this blog post, where liberal blogger Stephanie Mencimer attempts to play “gotcha” with Semitool founder Ray Thompson.   

Here’s part of what she had to say:

Movement leaders are jetting across the country in a donated plane to rally the tea party troops. Meet the deep-pocketed GOP donor who owns “Patriot One.”

Mencimer of course is talking about Semitool Founder Ray Thompson.  Well, sister…er-I mean “Mother Jones.”  Let me tell you a little bit about Ray Thompson. 

Ray Thompson built the company from the ground up out of what amounts to be his garage.  Over the years that company has brought in over $3 billion to Montana’s Flathead Valley. 

I first heard Ray Thompson speak to The Montana Chamber of Commerce.  I had no clue he was a big GOP donor at that point, but the story he told of his company is an incredible one.  His speech at the Chamber of Commerce dinner came shortly after the sale of Semitool to Applied Materials.  Thompson spoke of the rollercoaster business that Semitool came to know while working in the global semi-conductor industry.  He explained that as part of why he decided to sell Semitool to a much larger company in Applied Materials.  He wanted a more stable job market for his employees and the people of Kalispell- currently facing double digit unemployment.

I don’t think “Mother Jones” realized who they were talking about when they decided to launch an attack on Thompson.  You see, Ray Thompson is one of those kinds of guys that we need more of in America.  When Ray realized that a number of his employees were facing the dangerous drive between Libby, MT and Kalispell every day to show up for work- he didn’t say “deal with it.” He opened up a shop in Libby so the workers didn’t have to commute.    

And, “Mother Jones” bloggers must not have read this article in The Flathead Beacon.

Larry Murphy, corporate vice president for Applied Materials, told the crowd he was pleased with the progress the company’s Flathead and Libby branches have made since Applied purchased Semitool, Inc. last December.

Semitool wanted to ensure that the company that bought it would maintain a Flathead workforce, Murphy said, and Applied Materals was the only one to offer to do so.

So far, the relationship has been fruitful. In the past year, the Semitool branch of Applied Materials raked in $250 million in sales, and is projected to hit $300 million next year. The previous record was around $240 million, Murphy said.

“We’re actually going off the charts,” Murphy told the MWED crowd. “We’ve added about 200 heads, 200 employees, since the acquisition.”

Bottom line: Thompson is one of the private sector employers who is actually working to add jobs in this economy.  “Mother Jones” is simply mad that he opposes the very big-government programs that are destroying jobs. 

Aside from her apparent “gotcha” style attacks on Ray Thompson, Mencimer continues to spread outright lies against a legislative candidate in Kalispell. 

Mother Jones wonders whether this is the Tea Party’s own “massive airlift of Pelosi proportions.”  Well, its not.  Taxpayers are funding Speaker Pelosi’s Air Force jet, and how much are the taxpayers shovelling out for the Presidents Air Force One flyovers?  You and I were both forced to pay for Pelosi’s flyover.  This flight, appears to be donated by Tea Party members, and Montana’s own Ray Thompson.  You may not like his trips, but at least you’re not forced to pay for it. 

Video from one of the Tea Party events.   

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