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Opinion

Like I Was Saying

Unclear Alternative

As the June primary approaches, fundraising numbers are a little more revealing as to who has the edge in statewide races, especially in crowded fields such as that for the Republican governor nomination. Former Congressman Rick Hill hauled in about $31,400 over the last month, between March 6 and April 5, has more than $300,000 […]

By Kellyn Brown
Guest Column

Cost of Non-Native Lake Trout

This spring native westslope cutthroat and bull trout will stage for their epic journeys from Flathead Lake to spawning streams in the Middle and North Forks of the Flathead River. Once quite common, their numbers are significantly diminished from the recent past because many cannot navigate the gauntlet of predacious non-native lake trout (and illegally […]

By Chris Schustrom & Bruce Farling
Uncommon Ground

Tax Freedom

The conservative Tax Foundation is a Washington, D.C. based think tank with a long history of publishing research studies and comparing state tax policy. The foundation receives funding from big corporations and far-right political groups. Tax Freedom Day is the foundation’s point of the year when Americans have earned enough money to pay for taxes. […]

By Mike Jopek
Business Is Personal

Are You A Juggler?

In a recent Harvard Business Review, Tony Schwartz once again admonishes us about multitasking and offers some tips offering multitasking relief in the context of meetings, response expectations and taking breaks. Why is multitasking “suddenly” the hip thing to rail against? I suspect it’s a reflection of a number of things – including the economy, […]

By Mark Riffey
Letter

Leftists Lie About 1505

Don’t you just love election season? Have you heard the blitzkrieg of anti-Rehberg ads paid for by Citizens For Strength and Security? You know, the ones about the feds (Homeland Security) grabbing tens of thousands of square miles of our land, fencing us off from hunting and other uses and hazing us with helicopters when […]

By Dan Diamond
Letter

What Happened to Responsibility?

Excuse me, “The War on Women” (April 4 Beacon letter). What happened to responsibility? I’m sure, in this great nation we all call home you can still have as many precious children as you want. If you pay for them … Are you asking other citizens to pay for yours? I have two beautiful children […]

By Christine Cripps
Like I Was Saying

‘More to Life Than Football’

Following former Montana State University head football coach Mike Kramer’s firing in May 2007, the school’s leadership willingly provided their opinion on his dismissal. In a press release provided to media, Athletic Director Peter Fields said, “Looking at the football program as a whole and in light of the recent criminal activities of former student-athletes […]

By Kellyn Brown
Guest Column

Threat to Sport Fishery

You’ve been reading about the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and Trout Unlimited, saying that lake trout are exploding and bull trout are almost extinct and therefore they need to net lake trout. I think just the opposite is true! Redd counts are the number of spawning beds made by the adult bull trout in […]

By Bob Orsua
Business Is Personal

Do You Let Them Subscribe? Why Not?

Finally. A mainstream, old school consumer product company figured out how to make it easy for customers to use their product at the recommended interval and do so with as little labor/friction as possible. Rather than rolling their own, they used Amazon’s infrastructure to deal with payments, shipping and subscription management. From Amazon.com: “Amazon Subscribe […]

By Mark Riffey
Closing Range

Impossible Dreams

Golly gee, yet another U.S. Forest Service project has been blocked in court, this time on the Custer National Forest. Yet again, for what seems like the millionth time, the plaintiffs were Alliance for the Wild Rockies, an Earth First! spinoff; and the Native Ecosystems Council, a one-woman show run out of a former KOA […]

By Dave Skinner
Letter

The Phony Two-Party System

All this back and forth over re-districting is a political distraction contrived by members of the phony “two-party” system, dividing up the state to lessen one group or another’s political strength. This is nothing less than disenfranchisement by design, completely defeating the strengths and values of members of our state who are not of those […]

By Lark Chadwick
Letter

Extend Secure Rural Schools Act

A decision in the U.S. House of Representatives may have a disastrous impact in Montana that could result in teachers and road workers across our state losing their jobs. The House of Representatives is stalling much-needed legislation that ensures Montana’s rural communities and schools receive the support they need through the Secure Rural Schools and […]

By Marianne Roose
Like I Was Saying

Spending Money to Make Money

Last week, Americans spent almost $1.5 billion on the Mega Millions lottery for a chance to win a record $656 million payout. That’s nearly $5 for every person in the country. Three people overcame the exceptional odds of one in 176 million, matched all six numbers and will share the enormous prize. The rest of […]

By Kellyn Brown
Guest Column

How the ‘The Transition to Green’ Affects the Forest Products Industry

Back in November of 2008, a little known report entitled, “The Transition to Green” quietly emerged on to the public policy domain. The 391-page report was the work product of 28 national environmental organizations. The manifesto highlighted priority environmental recommendations and described how “the administration could resume Federal leadership on critical energy and environmental challenges […]

By Julia Altemus
Business Is Personal

Five Things Your Customers Should Ask Before Buying

While the questions are different for the bakery, appliance store, law firm and butcher shop – much less a software company or SEO firm, the need is the same. These 5 questions can make your business different in the eyes of your customers – and they’re what you’d call attention to if you could do […]

By Mark Riffey