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The U.S. economy should continue growing at a steady pace just as it has since the fall of 2009, Buffett said, but the Federal Reserve's efforts to stimulate growth are likely to eventually create inflation. "We've encountered far worse problems than we face now," Buffett said. "This is not our toughest hour." Not everyone at the meeting was applauding Buffett. Outside, dozens of Utah coal miners picketed in the hopes of winning a better contract offer. A handful of environmental activists left disappointed after shareholders rejected a proposal to require Berkshire's utilities to adopt goals to reduce emissions. Bernie Morris of Price, Utah, stood in the rain to hand out flyers Saturday morning. The 67-year-old said he's worked for the Deer Creek coal mine for 28 years, but fears he won't be able to afford the monthly health insurance premium the company wants to charge. A spokeswoman for the mine, which is owned by a subsidiary of Berkshire's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., said the company is committed to a fair solution but won't comment on specific proposals. But the protesters didn't deter the thousands of people who came to hear Buffett and Munger. Amaury Fernandez and his best friend Rick Cabrera said they had traveled to the meeting from Miami because Fernandez is interested in investing. "They are two of the most remarkable men I've ever learned about," Fernandez said. "We don't know how much longer these gentlemen are going to be alive." Jim Weber, CEO of Berkshire's Brooks Running company, said he has been reading Buffett's annual letters to shareholders since the 1980s
-- long before Brooks became part of Berkshire. Weber had even attended four Berkshire annual meetings before Brooks was acquired in 2006 along with Russell Athletic. "If you're in the business world, it's a bucket list item. There's no other annual meeting like it," Weber said. ___ Online: Berkshire Hathaway Inc.:
http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/
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