For years there has been a pervasive opinion across the entrepreneurial landscape that the U.S. has a shortage of capital required to startup and grow new ventures. It is suggested that companies cannot find the cash necessary to start new and exciting ventures. Furthermore, during this economic downturn, we’ve heard a crescendo of voices lamenting […]

Tourists who decide to become business owners and residents in the Flathead Valley realize it’s possible to have it all and make their dream a reality. Those who succeed are living the American dream two-fold – living in God’s country while operating a successful business. Montana West Economic Development has been instrumental in helping local […]

It’s Saturday morning, so the ritual of before-anyone-else-rises reading, writing and coffee is, as no one ever really says to anyone else, “on like Donkey Kong”. After closing out a couple of chapters and heading to the laptop to write, I happen to see a piece in the news about a local who is heading […]

“The least man in the chamber, once he gets and holds that floor, by the rules can hold it and talk as long as he can stand on his feet providing always, first, that he does not sit down, and second that he does not leave the chamber or stop talking.” That’s straight out of […]

For the 2011 Montana Legislature, Gov. Brian Schweitzer built $36 million in homeowner property tax cuts into his executive budget. It was promptly removed by a solidly GOP-controlled Legislature. Rep. Wayne Stahl, R-Saco, proposed $70 million in homeowner property tax refunds. His bill was tabled. Rep. Pat Ingraham, R-Thompson Falls, proposed taxing homes on the […]

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal Obamacare – for the 33rd time. After the 244-185 decision, Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg said, “This law will actually do more harm to our health care system than good, and on top of that, it’s also holding back our economy.” Also last week, the Montana […]

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 […]

By John Fuller My atheist friends often ask me how can I “accept on faith” such things as the existence of God, Christ’s atonement for my sins and other canons that are the foundation of religion. But when I ask them about their beliefs regarding “global warming” or now that the planet might actually be […]

Our civilization – especially in Montana – simply cannot function without a strong transportation infrastructure. Our Sen. Max Baucus knows this. With a deadline of June 30, Baucus was one of a handful of lawmakers given the job of coming up with a compromise before the transportation bill expired. Given all the headlines highlighting extreme […]

Like everyone else, I’m glad the Going-to-the-Sun Highway is open and the years of reconstruction are almost over. The crews should be proud of their work. My Dad and I took a spin over Logan Pass a couple of weeks ago, and will punch his Golden Age pass a few more times this year if […]

You look at those prices for cloud services and think you’re getting a deal. Fact is, you are. You’re hiring a professional staff to run your systems in a very-high-quality environment and paying little for it. But are you using these cloud services in a way that protects your business? A Forbes analysis of the […]

I usually write my column a week or so in advance but this can’t wait. You need to read it now and determine if it affects you, your business or your clients. On July 12th 2012, Yahoo confirmed that a large number of passwords originating at its Associated Content site were leaked. If you ever […]

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 […]