You have probably heard arguments from some individuals and groups that are critical of the proposed increase in coal movement through Montana by rail. One of the concerns is the health issues caused by coal moving through cities and towns. Coal has been moving through Montana on a regular basis since the early 70s. Coal […]

As hard as it is to believe, the leisurely days of summer are drawing to a close as schools across the country are opening their doors for the first day of school. Students in Flathead County will return to classes on Aug. 29, and this year’s group of kindergarten students will be the graduating class […]

I read with interest the about the battle between homeowners needing shoreline protection and speedboats pulling skiers on Echo Lake (Aug. 22 Beacon: “Flooded Again, Echo Lake Residents Call for No-Wake Zone”). For 18 years I’ve owned a home on the lake. Watching my shoreline erode is painful. This is the second high-water summer that […]

I am very concerned about our entire political system, Democrats and Republicans alike. And I realize the tremendous frustration in America today with unemployment, deficits, health care problems, family financial problems, and the great desire for all this to be solved, and that possibly a change in presidential leadership is the answer. Well, before we […]

It’s no secret that President Barack Obama thinks that businesses should pay more in taxes. However in Roanoke, Va. he recently made some sorely misguided statements about business success when he said: “If you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people […]

The front being created that Montana is “behind the times” as far as “school choice” is a myth. We have many choices in our state: public education at a school of choice, private academies (Montessori for example), church affiliated schools, online classes and home school programs. Students are blessed with many choices in Montana. Just […]

Conservative. That’s how I would describe the way Montana has managed 5 million plus acres of public land held in trust for the schools and universities on Montana. While Oregon holds only one quarter of its original land grant, Montana holds 95 percent. These lands, particularly the 13,000 acres around Whitefish, provide valuable conservation, recreation […]

Obama’s wind energy scheme has been filled with “ill wind” of economic impracticalities, and now “gone with the wind” reports of stimulus funding funneled into overseas wind machine manufacturing plants, providing jobs elsewhere to supply our tax-supported wind energy program. Urgent demands for alternative energy production get more ridiculous as time goes on. Absolutely no […]

Despite my 20 years of research and experience with wolves, I remain appalled at humanity’s intolerance toward these animals. This mindset is supported and perpetuated by those responsible for wolf management. Where I live, this is Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). The agency claims that management and public wolf hunts are based in science. […]

As you may know, the Corrupt Practices Act was put in place by a citizen’s initiative in 1912. It was a reaction by the people of Montana to copper king William Clark buying a seat in the United States Senate by paying each of Montana’s state senators $10,000 (the equivalent of about $250,000 in today’s […]

It is no coincidence that the five Kalispell city councilors – Jim Atkinson, Randy Kenyon, Jeff Zauner, Kari Gabriel and Wayne Saverud – who voted to cancel a referendum on the future of the City Airport, are the same five who defeated a motion to maintain the airport as it is and who voted instead […]

For decades, the Kootenai has been caught in a tug-of-war between factions wishing to set the future of this lush and productive piece of national forest. The good news is, some of those folks – including loggers, timber mills, local communities, and conservationists – have realized they can get further when they pull together, instead […]

Congressman Denny Rehberg is doing a lot of chest-thumping about how he’s in the fight to repeal Obamacare. While thousands of Montanans suffer without access to affordable health care and health insurance, he and the GOP are using words like “socialism” and “unprecedented” to alarm their base. What they call socialism is actually similar to […]

I’d like to respond to State Sen. Verdell Jackson’s recent thoughts on climate change (July 4 Beacon: “We Do Not Control the Climate”). 1) Mr. Jackson asserts “there is no replicable (verify by reproduction) scientific evidence that human-caused carbon dioxide emissions cause climate change. It doesn’t exist.” I don’t know whether he’s lying on purpose, […]

I appreciated the “health care” reporting by Myers Reece (July 4 Beacon: “Mixed Reactions to Health Care Ruling”). As part of the team who facilitated several preliminary public meetings regarding the so-called, “Obamacare” issue, I was privileged to listen to public officials (including U.S Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, and Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger […]