I have been following the issue of building a new high school in Whitefish. I, along with my wife, have been part-time residents of Whitefish for almost 20 years. Our permanent residence is in Claremont, Calif. We were pleased to see the support of a new high school by the city council. Although we can’t […]

I have a question. Sen. Jon Tester is constantly running around the state, stepping in front of cameras to give well deserved medals to our veterans, but where was he on the Big Mountain Jesus statue? The Knights of Columbus needed him to support their efforts to fight the Wisconsin atheists. Why didn’t Tester step […]

I am writing today to comment about the Whitefish Jesus Statue, sitting on land owned by all Americans. I find it curious that Christians, and in this case Catholics in particular, want to have things both ways. First they want to violate the First Amendment to the Constitution by keeping the Jesus statue on federal […]

There once were two cats of Kilkenny Each thought there was one cat too many So they fought and they fit And they scratched and they bit ‘Til except for their nails, and the tips of their tails Instead of two cats there weren’t any. Thus, according to the old Irish rhyme, the Kilkenny cats […]

Last time we talked briefly about things to consider in the early going of the business you just started. We talked a little about the product/service, but focused mostly on some basics about licenses/permits and getting supplies with a little taste of business model talk. The reality is that we shouldn’t have talked about most […]

During the past decade, the tri-cities of Flathead County were the fastest growing places in Montana. Propelled by record growth, property valuations skyrocketed. The 2009 worldwide credit-fiasco depressed the valley leaving middle class prospects dismal. Three years later, Whitefish is trudging back. Median home values again hover around late 2009 levels, which ballparks the pre-bubble […]

The Flathead Valley, at least in terms of its workforce, has radically changed over the past five years. While there are still those who long for the days when manufacturing and construction dominated the landscape, many of those jobs are gone – perhaps for good. That was part of the message delivered last week by […]

In 2011 the Legislature passed SB 426, sponsored by Bozeman Sen. Joe Balyeat. This referendum now goes to the citizens for a vote in the general election next November. That is unless the unions have their way. Legislative Referendum 123 (SB426) would create the Treasure State Taxpayer Dividend Program allowing taxpayers a refund of some […]

I agree with those who say good teachers, not physical facilities, are the most important factor in a quality education. But when kids in some Whitefish High School classrooms are sitting with their coats on, wastewater gurgles up in floor pipes, and rain drips through the roof, that’s ridiculous. Our kids will learn better in […]

A small piece of Montana’s history, a letter written 65 years ago, recently resurfaced. The stationary’s letterhead reads: “Congress of the United States, U.S. House of Representatives.” The date is typed as April 10, 1946. The letter is to John J. Holmes and is signed by Mike Mansfield. Holmes was a popular Montana politician, our […]

Seriously? Iran threatens to choke off the Strait of Hormuz, America desperately needs jobs and President Obama turns his back on a pipeline project essential to North American energy production – disavowing his own “energy policies.” It’s worse than merely election-year theatrics – it is dismissive of the very notion of actually standing for something. […]

Recently I received an email from a reader who said my blog made them feel like they had come in during the middle of a movie. Why? Because they’re at the startup stage in their business, while many of my posts focus on existing businesses. Fair enough. Let’s talk about startups. The overwhelming load at […]

When President Barack Obama last week rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline, at least for now, Montana’s U.S. delegation swiftly rebuked him. Their support for the project has been steadfast and they directed a bipartisan chorus of boos at the White House. Then there was Gov. Brian Schweitzer, whose displeasure was aimed at an altogether different […]

As an American, I believe in America. If you pay attention to the reality of what is happening on a worldwide scale, you will see that many of our American young people are being pushed out by foreign entities. As a nation we have failed to see the importance of staying on the cutting edge […]

Contemplating running again for the Montana House of Representatives, I wrote a letter to Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. In this letter I wrote, in part: “I am proud to have signed the Americans for Tax Reform’s pledge several times in the past. But presently I am in a quandary and not […]