By John Fuller On or about Oct. 17, the United States government reaches its debt limit. With the government borrowing more than $2 billion a day, it was inevitable that we would reach the congressionally pre-determined debt ceiling. President Barack Obama and the Democrats claim that unless the debt ceiling is raised the U.S. will […]

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 […]

Hate Congress? Sick of reading descriptions of our U.S. governing body accompanied by words like “stalemate,” “dysfunction” and “broken”? Well, then you should consider running for office. That might sound counterintuitive, but your country needs you. Unfortunately, the recent shutdown and standoff over raising the debt ceiling is having the opposite effect. Since Republican U.S. […]

Montana is lucky that cities like Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Kalispell do not suddenly close local parks or defund the health department in ideological fights over another law. State fiscal analysts project that Gov. Steve Bullock is faced with another two-year budget surplus, this time over $500 million. Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer maintained an average […]

What does being professional mean to you? To some, it means “Not being an amateur”. So how does the public differentiate amateurs from professionals? In some circles, money is the key. Amateurs don’t get paid, professionals do. For example, an amateur golfer typically isn’t eligible for prize money in tournaments. Once they decide to go […]

Rather than viewing the recent slight uptick in the economy and leveling off in the national debt as a harbinger of a positive future, John Snow believes it is diverting national attention from the debt crisis that continues to pose a mortal threat to our country. Snow, who served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury […]

Amidst the stalemate that has befallen our federal government, it is refreshing to see a bipartisan approach stand up to the test of Congress. Recently, the Congressional House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environment Regulation heard from Congressman Steve Daines, and Whitefish City Councilman John Anderson, on the value and importance of our […]

Now in the second week of the “shutdown,” I believe that the true agenda of the Obama administration and his extremist cronies in the congressional Democratic leadership (Reid, Pelosi, Schumer) has never been more clear. They insist on maintaining their “no negotiation” stance despite efforts by conservatives to fund for mandatory items. We’ve seen the […]

By John Fuller In recent days during the government shutdown and continuing-resolution fiasco, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) became a household name for his 21-hour speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Like James Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” Cruz attempted to persuade the Senate, Congress and the nation of the necessity of […]

With our U.S. debt and liberal entitlements front and center in Washington these days, our inability to hammer out sensible and responsible solutions, both here in Montana and in Washington, is ultimately going to be blamed on the split in the Republican Party if we’re not careful. Most Republicans have common goals: limited government, fewer […]

I’m probably supposed to write something about the dysfunction in Washington, D.C. You know, how the government shut down, closed Glacier National Park and furloughed a bunch of federal employees. But you’ve likely read enough about that, and my opinion is unlikely to change yours. Instead, as I read about political gridlock, this “new normal,” […]

Two big and four tiny Green groups have filed an Endangered Species Act petition (yep, another one) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), seeking to list the northern Rockies fisher, at least the second attempt to do so. But I’ll bet my second-favorite rifle this petition is more about political leverage than it […]

In response to the Oct. 2 Uncommon Ground article, titled “Grandma’s Values,” it’s easy for all of us to identify with the ideas put forth about our grandmas’ values. But in our opinion, grandma would want us to lay all her values on the table and she would caution her grandchildren to avoid the urge […]

Last time, we discussed the often forgotten reason for showrooming that happens after price shopping: convenience and time/fuel savings. Remember Kübler-Ross’ five stages of grief? If you’ve forgotten, they are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. When applied to showrooming, it isn’t much different. Acceptance and the clarity that accompanies it are where the sales […]

As the president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2609 at Malmstrom Air Force Base I feel it is my responsibility to speak out about the recent government shutdown and the furloughs that accompany it. There are 11,000-plus civil service employees in Montana affected by the furlough. This is because the House of Representatives […]