Do you know how much the secretary of defense makes per year? It is just a hair under $200,000. Now I want you to guess how much the postmaster general makes per year. Until lately he made almost twice what the secretary of defense makes. Sen. Jon Tester got a bill passed to reduce the […]

As contractors, we rely on predictability and certainty to grow our businesses, especially as construction season gets underway in Montana. Without a long-term plan to rebuild our infrastructure, contractors like us won’t be able to put more Montanans to work upgrading our roads and bridges. Without a long-term extension, we can’t sign new contracts, hire […]

The governor of Montana has made quite a bit of news the last few weeks – from his comments on polygamy to his proposed pension fix to scenes of him passing out beef jerky in Times Square – once again raising the question of what Brian Schweitzer’s intentions are after he leaves office. For his […]

The staff of Kalispell Public Schools has provided a high level of instruction that has increased student proficiency in math, science and reading every year for the last seven years. Our students rank among the top in the state. However, we are currently facing the challenge of maintaining these achievement levels because of a significant […]

For nearly three decades Montana has banned the practice of basing insurance premiums upon a person’s gender. Last year, a new brand of lawmaker nearly repealed Montana’s unisex insurance laws. Unisex laws are gender-blind. In 2005, Senate Bill 351 by Duane Grimes, R-Clancy, was tabled by a Democratic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee. In 2008, when running […]

The rhetoric and misinformation produced by the Democrats to fool the public in their expanding efforts to divide our society and win votes through class warfare, racial dissension, and now its war against women are appalling! The latest falsehood is that Republicans are opposed to the Violence Against Women Act. Passed in 1994 with bipartisan […]

The conservative organization ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) has seen a rapid exodus of many of its business members. Recently the following companies have severed ties with ALEC: Mars, Inc., the Arizona Public Service Company, Kraft, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Coco-Cola, Pepsi Co, Intuit and the Gates Foundation. It will be interesting to see if any of […]

In March 2008, Brock Osweiler walked into the Flathead Beacon office. He towered over Myers Reece (the Flathead High School junior stood 6’7”), shook the reporter’s hand and smiled as he answered questions about his basketball season, which would be his last. A week later Osweiler was featured on our inaugural “Best of Preps” cover, […]

When asked for advice about the easiest way to tear down an old wooden barn, the weathered Vermont farmer offered that “it’s simple – just cut an 18-inch hole in the roof and stand back!” He knew that water is the worst enemy of any wood-framed building and that rain and snow would make short […]

The hysteria that surrounds wolf management in the Rockies has clouded rational discussion. Wolves are hardly a threat to either hunting opportunity or the livestock industry. Total number of elk in Montana has increased substantially since wolves were reintroduced. Populations have grown from an estimated 89,000 animals in 1992 prior to wolf recovery to 140,000-150,000 […]

Recently I was involved in a conversation on producing business growth. The discussion revolved around what to measure about the business in order to keep track of the growth. A few things to start: Don’t make things complicated. Be sure that you’re measuring the right things. Historical data has some value but the good stuff […]

This June 5, casting an informed vote (the only vote you should make, dang it) will be hard work. Here in the Flathead, 14 Republicans are vying for two open Commissioner seats. Statewide are numerous contested GOP legislative primaries, and piled on top are seven Republican governor candidates to pick through. Democrats will be not-so-busy […]

Here we go again! As someone wrote last week, “When will it end?” I’ve been here now two times now stemmed myself against the realization that as Norb Donahue and also Clarence Krepps, former city manager, who even then were aware of the fact that the location of the present city airport carries too many […]

Right now in a seemingly endless election year we have lots of candidates vying for the chance to represent us in various government positions that require them to uphold and respect our laws and regulations. It appears that most of them think the sign ordinances don’t apply to them. Columbia Falls, Kalispell and Flathead County […]

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 […]