Why are $165 million in bonuses being paid to staff at American International Group Financial Products (AIGFP)? As much as I denigrate the “mainstream media,” sometimes they do stellar work. In late December, Washington Post writers Robert O’Harrow, Brady Dennis and Bob Woodward did a wonderful three-part series on AIGFP, starting with “The Beautiful Machine.” […]

In mid-February, news hit that dirt bikes and ATV’s intended for kids under 12 years old were banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Why? They contain lead. Where? Try maybe the crankshaft bearings, battery terminals and control-cable ends. Trust me, no brat clever enough to rip apart the engine before Dad finds out is […]

So far this year, I’ve made a couple of trips to Helena, testifying on bills for the first half of the legislative session. Every Montanan should make the effort to visit the Capitol during the session, even testify on a bill. You are guaranteed to learn something about how our government runs – notice I […]

Last column, I suggested folks need to start paying attention to the fundamentals of our economy. Last week, the Highwood Generating Station coal plant proposal was dropped by Southern Montana Electric. They’re now going for wind towers, and a natural gas boiler that will provide “timing power” to back the “inconsistent” wind power. And just […]

Last Wednesday morning, I scammed a free yuppie breakfast, courtesy of Montana West Economic Development. MWED hosted Jim Kelley from Kelley Appraisal and PhD economist Gregg Davis of FVCC before a jam-packed room. I’m glad we ate before the presentation. Back in the old days, before environmentalism, the Internet, the “new West,” hedge funds and […]

So the animal-rights cranks at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are sending letters to schools with “fish” in their names, asking for a change to “Sea Kitten.” Whitefish isn’t the only town that got a letter from PETA. Spearfish, South Dakota got one, too, from PETA’s “youth outreach” flack. Spearfish principal Steve […]

With the economy tanking, government budgets exploding, global warming (Not!), Israel and Hamas “celebrating” Christmas – all both Wild Bill Schneider and former Congressman Pat Williams can write about is the so-called “wilderness drought,” leading everyone off on the “wilderness” tangent for what seems like the bazillionth time. Don’t be surprised. After all, “Wilderness” is […]

The federal government just announced 573,000 Americans filed initial jobless claims for the first week of December, the worst since 1982. And in the third quarter of 2008 alone, household net worth fell 5 percent – $2.8 TRILLION in stocks and home “value” gone poof. As one economist told the Washington Post, Americans “have to […]

Since Congress passed the first wild-horse-and-burro laws in 1971, national policy on wild horses – which mostly roam land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, with half of the total in Nevada – has gotten crazier and crazier. This year, BLM estimated there are 29,500 wild horses on public lands. Since 2001, BLM has […]

Don’t you wonder who sent you all that election junk mail this year? Groups you’ve never heard of? Will never hear from again? Me too. Until 2006, requesting hard copies of campaign paperwork from the Montana Commission for Political Practices, an expensive pain, was the only option for the curious and annoyed. Now, we can […]

With this historic election, I can’t help thinking back to Martin Luther King’s epic and wonderful “I Have A Dream” speech, where he declared his hope that his kids would “one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” […]

Now is the time when editors and pundits write on the uplifting theme: “Citizens, Do Your Civic Duty This Election Day and Vote.” Well, my theme is: Citizens might best fulfill their civic role by staying the heck home. My friend Robert Struckman over at NewWest.Net wrote an item titled, “Should You Vote?” that featured […]

Congress’s lardy response to the Wall Street mortgage fiasco leaves me wondering about governmental fiscal responsibility – not just inside the Beltway, but here in Flathead County. Both Whitefish and Evergreen passed public-safety bond issues in the past couple of months in special elections. Evergreen’s fire hall is falling down, plus the department has seen […]

Here in Montana, we directly elect our Supreme Court justices, in a “non-partisan” race. Once we do, we’re stuck with them for eight years. Do you know for whom you’ll vote? Justice Pat Cotter is running unopposed for re-election, while Mike McGrath and Ron Waterman are vying for Chief Justice. Who the heck are these […]

There’s been much talk about Sarah Palin, Alaska’s new governor and an even newer candidate for vice president. Here’s some more: Almost 30 years ago, I had the good fortune to score work as a summer employee for the Alaska Railroad. As was usual in the railroad industry back then, I landed the job through […]