A recent letter to the editor from Keith Hammer in the Flathead Beacon (Dec. 11: “Lack of Objectivity from Forest Service”) chastised the Flathead National Forest. Hammer stated that comments made to the Whitefish Range Partnership (WRP) demonstrated favoritism. The WRP met over the course of a year and a half to develop a collaborative […]

It is truly disappointing to watch the Flathead National Forest make a mockery out of the Whitefish Range Partnership collaborative and its Forest Plan revision public involvement process. In local newspapers the past week, the Forest Service demonstrated its utter lack of objectivity and fairness when it comes to public input. The Flathead National Forest […]

The process that federal regulations go through from proposal to enactment is simply baffling. There are seemingly countless comment periods, public hearings and reviews. Keeping up with the process is simply impossible for any small business in Montana. But with 739 regulations that directly affect small businesses under consideration by various federal agencies, it’s a […]

Although a democracy is the most equitable form of government ever devised, it has an inherent weakness that makes it vulnerable and short lived. This weakness is the realization by voters that they can give themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. This flaw in the design of a democracy results in its being temporary […]

Public school students in Montana under the direction of Denise Juneau, state superintendent of public instruction, are moving forward into the 21st century to implement Common Core Standards. After years of slowly slipping behind in student achievement, compared to other countries, Juneau not only worked with colleagues on this process, she also wanted to make […]

As a former student of Flathead Valley Community College and the University of Montana, and a current student of the University of Great Falls, I was appalled by the decision to limit adjunct facility hours. I personally know the majority of the 25 adjunct teachers who are currently teaching more than 10 credits. These teachers […]

Stop Dark Money is a grassroots effort to change the law and require everyone who spends money on the political process to disclose who they are. I did say change the law. Right now it is perfectly legal to form a 501c(4) organization and spend money on politics without disclosing. Money from one or two […]

The entire state of Montana and the Blackfeet tribal members are well aware of the turmoil in the Blackfeet Nation Trouble has been building for the past three and a half years, and no clear resolution seems to be in sight. Various groups, individuals, the divided Blackfeet Tribal Business Council and newspaper analysts all differ […]

Americans are quite accustomed to the hyperbole and Machiavellian maneuvering employed by politicians to get their way. Over the years, however, we have demonstrated a definite intolerance for being blatantly lied to. Richard Nixon may have been forgiven for his involvement in the Watergate scandal had he admitted to it instead of lying about it. […]

It is the expectation of students, parents and the community that a school district will create a course of instruction where every student can expect to be ready for a career or to enter post secondary education. In order to successfully complete this task, schools must be clearly able to answer four questions. What do […]

Just before the solid Democrat vote for Obamacare, Nancy Pelosi said, “We have to pass it before we know what’s in it.” Well, now we know – they still don’t know! Mitzi Anderson Whitefish

Thank you, Congressman Steve Daines for voting to temporarily reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling. Unfortunately, by the time you finally woke up and stopped supporting the whack job faction that closed the government and brought us to the brink of economic chaos, unnecessary damage had already been done: According to the S&P […]

They say, “70 million French can’t be all wrong!” Not being satisfied with just Americans, President Barack Obama was spying on more than 70 million French phone calls and emails, as well. So, who is left? How do I know they’re don’t have a camera in my toilet bowl? The NSA now has email and […]

I really don’t care what party you claim to belong. Have you seen the latest news as to what has happened because of the government shutdown? If I recall correctly when the Republicans were running for seats in the House, their main cry was jobs, jobs and jobs. I didn’t know they were going to […]

The Democrats need to smell the coffee and change their idiosyncratic philosophy to make it more friendly to the free market and less hostile to it. Since President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Democratic Party has never missed a chance to turn this county from a nation of laws into an administrative state not unlike the […]