The price of a gallon of milk or a pound of sugar hinges on policies Congress enacts this summer in the five-year Farm Bill. The Senate passed its Farm Bill 66-27 with seven members choosing not to vote. Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester voted for the bill. Tea Party senators like Ted Cruz, […]

Have you ever received a new-customers-only offer from someone that you already do business with? In particular – Have you received one and found that the “new customer deal” in the ad is better than what you’re paying? As an existing customer of that business, how does that make you feel? To me, it devalues […]

Every single American has had the National Security Agency interfere with their emails. One young man exposes this technological spying activity and Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner rails “Treason!” How do you secretly oversee private correspondence then shout “treason” at someone who is exposing it? History is replete with puppets like Boehner. He […]

When I examine the first five years of the Obama presidency, I see huge government outlays for food stamps; unemployment compensation; subsidies for crony corporations; bailouts for multinational banks; the creation of even more bureaucracies; a continued outpouring of foreign aid; and, finally, the introduction of his signature accomplishment: Obamacare. This final extravagance will make […]

By John Fuller “The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry.” With these words William F. Buckley reaffirmed what the Founders intended when they established a government that was to be “of the people, by the people and for the people.” The most radical idea in the Declaration of Independence is that people […]

When you consider the history of oppression against Native Americans, it’s understandable that they would resist any attempt to weaken their sovereignty on tribal lands. Why give up more than they already have? On the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, conservationists and National Park Service officials have expressed concerns about oil and gas development near Glacier National […]

Since adoption of Montana’s 1972 constitution our governors have vetoed 293 bills in 21 legislative sessions. More than half the vetoes, however, 149, have been cast in just the last two sessions. What’s going on? Well, Democrats say the Tea Party takeover of the Republicans has resulted in passage of a tidal wave of extremist […]

I’ve always been a sucker for spy novels. Give me some intrepid Brit or American buckling swash (secretly) in some Commie totalitarian cesspool, and I’m good, especially if KGB blood spills. So I was in the library looking for another good spy read when “The Way of the Knife” caught my eye. But it’s nonfiction […]

Nothing destroys a work day like distractions. Ever realize that it’s “suddenly” dinner time and all you remember doing since lunch is reading Facebook? That’ll show up nicely on a deposit slip. Hello, stress. Distractions are a product of your work environment, your work habits and how those two things are communicated to others. Your […]

We’ve seen a lot of handwringing over coal trains lately. But frankly, railroads are an essential part of Montana’s growth, more now than probably since the first tracks were laid in the state more than 100 years ago. Whether coal trains, grain trains, lumber trains, or oil trains – it’s all good for Montana. It’s […]

Not much gets accomplished in American politics as the raging battle between the two political parties has gone on for my entire lifetime (70 years.) I started following politics as a very young lad (8 years old) who read the newspaper daily and watched TV news and met my first U.S. president, General Dwight David […]

By John Fuller The establishment of political parties was not an intended consequence in the creation of this Republic. But parties were the predictable result of the struggle for ratification and implementation of the new Constitution. Since that time, we have had a two-party system with a remarkable consistency of constituency. The Federalists-Whigs-Republicans have generally […]

Each year, before walking across a stage for a handshake and a diploma, graduates sit quietly as their top-performing classmates give them a pep talk. Then it’s the commencement speaker’s turn to tell the students the best way to follow their dreams, conquer their goals and live their lives to the fullest. While well intentioned, […]

News of non-approved genetically engineered wheat discovered growing in Oregon put regulators on high alert. With the bulk of Montana wheat exported and Japan and North Korea temporarily suspending orders of western white wheat, markets and farmers were shaky. All GMO wheat related questions were directed to Washington D.C. Montana grows some white wheat, but […]

During a recent trip to Oregon, our journey took us to a dockside seafood restaurant in Newport. As you can see from the photo below, this restaurant offers fresh local seafood in addition to meals made with the local catch. Print readers, see http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/images/uploads/freshlocalsalmon.jpg Take another look at the sign used to describe this salmon. […]