The Highway Trust Fund is running out of money, jeopardizing jobs and our economy

The dark donors don’t want their names connected with the negative poison they are paying for

The buck also and most importantly stops with the U.S. Congress

There are a lot of great things happening in Montana.

I’m disappointed by the recent decision by Republicans in Congress to block a bipartisan bill to protect the North Fork.

Ever since the Great Northern Railway laid tracks through Whitefish in 1904, tourism has been the backbone of our local economy, creating good paying jobs and sustaining thousands of families over the years to put their kids through college, start small businesses, buy a home and retire in one of the most beautiful small towns in America.

Hard-working Americans from all over the country come to Whitefish year round. They spend their hard-earned money locally to buy hotel rooms, fill up gas tanks, eat out and support our local businesses – all because they are called to our amazing wild and scenic areas, access to public lands and clean water, and special places such as Glacier National Park and the fresh powder of Whitefish Mountain Resort. In 2013 alone, Whitefish welcomed over 558,000 out-of-state visitors; 65,000 traveled to Whitefish on Amtrak’s Empire Builder. Resort tax and bed tax revenues in Whitefish increased 10 percent and 16 percent respectively that same year.

University of Montana President Royce Engstrom and Flathead Valley Community College President Jane Karas visited with legislators during the winter to discuss future plans for the university system. It was music to my ears to hear there will be a teacher education program at FVCC this fall, which will use our publicly funded system rather than the expensive private school now being used. I’m sure budding teachers will enjoy the lowering of fees with their education similar to what’s been done from the private sector.

It’s a big idea and it’s rightfully reaping big debate nationwide: Can and should states assume control of federally held public lands within our borders?

Many colleagues and experts throughout the West have studied the issue intensively, and we now believe there’s no reason why we can’t. The challenge is to get the facts on the table, put protections in place consistent with Montana values, and prepare our state agencies for an orderly transition.

The Kootenai Forest Stakeholders (KFSC) would like to thank Montana Gov. Steve Bullock for his nomination of the Kootenai National Forest lands we recommended for consideration under the new provisions of the Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill provisions allow for Governors to nominate National Forest priority landscapes in their respective states that are in need of treatment to improve forest health conditions. Projects within these priority landscapes will then be eligible for a streamlined process of project implementation if they have a collaborative group that is actively participating with the Forest Service in identification and design.

Technology plays a large role in many aspects of day-to-day life, and education is no different. Technology is rapidly changing the way students learn and how instructors teach. Computers have replaced chalkboards as the go-to tool in classrooms today. Technology is part of education for children of all ages and it’s also a part of their daily lives. Social media and Internet access have changed the way educators teach, how students learn and the way parents, teacher and students communicate.

If we are serious about tackling climate change, then the solution may be found in building the city of tomorrow to look more like the city of yesterday. As glass and steel towers continue to rise, wood skyscrapers are likely to start sprouting alongside. Multi-story and high-rise wood buildings are already planned or rising in Europe and Canada. They are architecturally distinct, and they are made of the original green building material.

When the president signed the 2014 Farm Bill in February, he directed his administration, working through the White House Rural Council, to lead a new “Made in Rural America” export and investment initiative. This initiative is charged with uniting federal resources to aid rural businesses and leaders to take advantage of new investment opportunities and access new customers and markets.

For more than 60 years, the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association (MOGA) has served as an important voice for the outfitting industry and as a key partner in decisions that effect the management of public land and wildlife resources. We are proud to represent more than 200 member businesses across the state that offer a variety of outfitting and guiding services. Together, these businesses play a vital role in Montana’s tourism economy and help maintain the culture and traditions of ethical sportsmanship.

We see the preservation and protection of critical landscapes and outdoor traditions as extremely important to all user groups. These landscapes and the wildlife habitat they provide are not only critical to our industry but to the very fabric of who we are as Montanans. We recognize that these special places remain with us today because of the hard work and vision of the many people who have come before us.

I wrote an opinion piece published in Montana newspapers nearly nine years ago about a visit I had just returned from to Israel. The topic of that piece is more timely now than it was then.

I was in Israel in 2005 with a delegation invited by the American Israel Friendship League. Our guide was a retired colonel in the Israeli Army with degrees in history and archeology from Hebrew University. We called him Ron. He had performed a similar function a few weeks before for former President Bill Clinton.

President Barack Obama seriously rattled at least one cage with his recent reference to Russia as a “regional power.”

Following the recent Summit on National Security in the Netherlands, the president, responding to a press conference question, said, “Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors, not out of strength but out of weakness.” Although the boldness of that remark seemed out of character for the president, he is correct.

With the departure of Sen. Max Baucus from the Senate, Montana’s longest serving statewide elected official is Ed Smith. Never heard of him? Well, we have elected him clerk of our Supreme Court five times. Ed served as chief clerk of the Montana House of Representatives three legislative sessions and was then appointed by the legendary House Speaker Tip O’Neill to be chief bill clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. He has also served as president of the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks.

His is a remarkable record that speaks for itself. Ed always does a good job. That’s why he is rarely in the news and always reelected.