After four decades of collaborative effort, protection of the watershed of the North Fork of the Flathead River from mineral or energy development is almost a reality. On June 5, 2013, Congressman Steve Daines introduced the North Fork Watershed Protection Act to our nation’s House of Representatives and made a commitment to “lead the charge” […]

The events leading to the cancellation of this year’s Great Northern Beer Barter were unfortunate. In order to meet all of the conditions set forth by the Whitefish City Council for the beer barter’s special event permit, we were required to sign an indemnification provision. As our insurance company stated, had we signed the provision, […]

After reading the various letters from the editors of our local newspapers it is fairly obvious that the editors have missed the point regarding the appointment of Lt. Governor John Walsh to fill the seat left vacant by Sen. Max Baucus. Yes, of course, Gov. Steve Bullock has the obligation and responsibility to appoint a […]

Although not unanticipated, the news of Gov. Steve Bullock’s appointment of John Walsh to the vacated Senate seat of Max Baucus is a glaring example of the self- serving corruption we suffer here in Montana. It confirms partisan politics means more to our governor, senator and senatorial candidate than genuine concern for Montana and our […]

Petitions are circulating to put Initiative 168 on the November ballot. This “Sunshine in Political Spending Act” is “to bring integrity back to Montana politics through transparency and accountability of political contributions and expenditures…” Do we want to be a nation of, by and for secret PACs, or a land of, by and for the […]

Ryan Zinke should curb his tone if he wants to be known as a person who serves the public instead of his own political ends. Zinke, whose middle name appears to be Formernavyseal, spoke vividly at a recent Republican meeting in Bigfork. Zinke is running to be the GOP candidate for the state’s seat in […]

Falsified science and physics have both become useful tools of political strategists seeking power, control and wealth. Claims of “man-caused” disasters calling for drastic, supposedly corrective measures keeps the citizenry beholden to the government. Research has found that unlimited supplies of hydrocarbon fuels are constantly forming within the earth’s deep, hot biosphere. False claims of […]

Now that Sen. Max Baucus has been given the president’s nod to ship off to China as our next ambassador, Montana is in a unique situation and one that does not happen very often. Montana’s soon-to-be placeholder senator will be the 60th senator in history to fill a seat in the upper chamber, without having […]

I empathize with David Tyler’s concerns about the costs of waging war on climate change and the possible impact on low-income earners (Jan. 22 Beacon: “Global Warming: Is It Really That Important?”). However, if we do nothing about climate change and simply kick the can down the road, the costs to us all will be […]

Is it any wonder many of us are losing faith in government? Some of us are old enough to remember when presidents and congressmen in both parties were statesmen and could work together for the welfare of the nation rather than the Party. Our people are being victimized by dirty back-room politics in Washington, where […]

Will the growing dysfunction of America’s two-party political system destroy our collective future? Can we meet the evolving challenges of today’s economic and social landscape with a system that resembles trench warfare? We begin the 2014 election season bitterly divided by party ideology, while frustrated with government’s failure to develop practical solutions for today’s challenges. […]

So what’s happened to the tea party movement some five years after the financial crises of 2008? It seems to me the tea party arose as a grassroots movement after the financial meltdown and subsequent U.S. government bailout. Basically, the American taxpayers had to rescue, in many cases, the very same people who almost brought […]

I have been observing the “back and forth” between the two sides over global warming and I realize that this is more than a “facts fight” – this is an ideological battle between the Left and the Right. I have my own comment and I feel educated enough to speak for the low-income earners who […]

Any news article that mentions or proposes some form of wood harvesting from forests these days tends to draw out many opinions regarding what is good or bad for the forest. Words and concepts such as ecology, biodiversity, sustainability, science, and conservation are often used to oppose industrialism, greed, pollution, global warming, erosion and environmental […]

A recent editorial indicates that there may be quite a differential between Flathead and Kootenai National Forest policies regarding the work of collaborative groups. Noting that the Flathead National Forest’s team leader for forest planning remarked that the consensus reached by the Whitefish Range Partnership was commendable and that their recommendations “will be given a […]