The story on Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park’s ten-year study of declining moose populations (Feb. 20 Beacon: “What’s Happening to the Moose?”) seems to be a case of “ignoring the elephant in the living room.” Barely mentioned is the wolf factor. If FWP collared 12 cows, how will they record the killing of the calves? […]

Sen. Jim Peterson, R-Buffalo, is gathering bipartisan support for a bill that will close a loophole that adversely impacts Montana politics. Currently PACs calling themselves “educational” need not disclose their source of money. We’ve seen the result: Outside “dark money” influences are undermining the spirit of local representative government. Campaigns are shifting from grassroots efforts […]

The recent guest editorial in the Beacon (Feb. 20: “Whitefish’s Identity Crisis”) accuses Heart of Whitefish of being anti-business. The letter was both inaccurate and false. Many readers are familiar with our organization and the good work that we do, but for those of you who are not, please take a minute to read this […]

I hate the word “poverty.” Does anyone want to be “poor?” I didn’t. The term “poverty level” is used as a marker identifying individuals without sufficient income to sustain their lives. I had hardworking parents and married a man with a good income. But after 12 years as stay-at-home wife/mother, I became a single mom […]

I am writing in response to Mr. Lyle Olsen’s letter (Feb. 6 Beacon: “Assault Weapons a Menace to Society”). Mr. Olsen states that society does not need military pattern rifles (aka “assault weapons”), “…because our shotgun or handgun or pepper spray will stop a criminal in our home…” I agree, however, what will Mr. Olsen […]

A recent editorial made a plea that we must retain “same-day voting/registration,” as it appeals to the dignity of the voter. If the dignity of a voter hinges on their registering and voting on the last day, Election Day, it speaks volumes to me and should to you. I feel many voters didn’t give any […]

Dear Senator Baucus, While I commend you on your effort to help out our returning veterans (I am a veteran myself), I write to share my mixed feelings about adding additional rules and laws to the already existing laws. We have in existence the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), amended […]

I woke up recently to a wonderful new realization. I am one of the top wage earners in our country. No, it’s true. Remember all through the election how Obama kept saying that it was time for the top earners to pay their fair share. When I picked up my paycheck from payroll last Thursday, […]

Yet another year of gridlock has passed. It’s time for our lawmakers to finally come together and pass the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act (FJRA). If implemented, here’s what will happen locally on the Kootenai National Forest (KNF): • The act would mandate that 3,000 acres be mechanically treated annually for a minimum of 10 […]

Who could argue with healthcare that is patient centered? Let’s take the pretty words out and look at what it does and doesn’t do for Montana. To start, let us look at the part of the above title that has been tossed around awhile. Medical home concept, which was originally developed in the 1960s, refers […]

As the work of the 63rd Legislative Assembly proceeds, I want our legislators to remember the dignity of our citizens and their right to vote in our elections. Registering to vote, at a convenient time, is showing that we as a state appreciate citizen participation in our elections. Our current system has honored our citizens […]

We’ve all heard the story of the unfortunate frog slowly boiled in a pot of water. It forgot to jump out. I guess you have to be French to enjoy that. Whenever principles are compromised, there can never be an end to its progressive elimination. In other words, few of us are for carrying semi-automatic […]

I was waiting to hear the National Rifle Association’s response following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School before commenting. To no surprise it was the same old hardline rhetoric. So it was with great interest to me when I read Bob Brown’s recent column on the NRA. Bob’s concern was the direction the NRA […]

The decision of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to institute a closure to the wolf hunting season in areas surrounding Yellowstone National Park was a welcome intervention to what has gained international attention as a tragedy in the making. We applaud their moderate decision as not only the right thing to do, but as a […]

Crazy people have been doing horrible things since the dawn of time and will continue to do so regardless of what anti-gun laws you or lawmakers decide to impose on citizens. More guns do NOT create more murders. Nearly every home in Switzerland has a gun and yet they have one of the world’s lowest […]