Max Baucus: “the job of a news photographer is not an easy one. For every picture of a child enjoying building a snow man with her…”

“the job of a news photographer is not an easy one. For every picture of a child enjoying building a snow man with her parents--there is a picture of a crime scene or a picture of a car wreck. Only the photographers themselves truly understand how tough this job is, with the long hours and never knowing when or where they will have to go to do their job. I rise today to honor one of the best news photographers our country has--Gene Fischer of the Helena Independent-Record--who retires today after 35 years to the day of chronicling the lives of Helenans and Montanans on the front page and sports pages of our newspapers. My home town is Helena. Gene is the type of hard-working Montanan I have in mind when I say that we in public service need to focus on every day folks who work hard to make a living and serve their community. From his first job stuffing papers for the Billings Gazette in 1951, to his promotion to chief photographer for the Independent Record in 1974--Gene has kept his nose to the grind stone and worked hard. He has achieved goals and worked hard to become the best he can be. His career and his drive are excellent examples for our children and students as they search for their mission and role in their lives.”