Well over $1 billion is annually generated in statewide property taxes, the vast bulk from homeowners and small business owners. Property that is physically connected by crossing a county or state boundary and property that is functionally operated as a single entity, but may not have a physical connection, is centrally assessed. One hundred-and-thirty corporations […]

A software business I work with has wisely decided not to support Windows Vista. Vista was released in November 2006 and while old, it’s almost half the age of now-prehistoric Windows XP released in October 2001. Yet plenty of people still use both. So why is it wise not to support Vista? In this case, […]

I am writing in support of the Whitefish Legacy Partners work with the city of Whitefish to purchase an easement to permanently protect public access and recreation in the Beaver/Skyles areas, a recreation license in the Spencer areas and to expand The Whitefish Trail. As a Whitefish resident for 29 years, I have been a […]

If you turn on your television set, you’re bound to see a politician saying that he or she should be elected because he or she will remove obstacles in the way of “responsible” energy development. He or she will “cut the red tape.” And that will fix everything. If only it was that sample. True, […]

By John Fuller “America is a nation of immigrants.” Everyone recognizes that our country was built and continues to be strengthened by immigration. However, the uncontrolled influx of millions of people with few work skills, even fewer assets, and no sense of identification of what it is to be an American, introduce problems that leaders […]

I wish to make a proposal: The standards we deem appropriate for our students must be applied to our national halls of Congress. All members are equal: women, men, rich and poor, landed, unlanded, all races and creeds. Members must pass a test of adequate intelligence. Discourse is civil and respectful, giving everyone an opportunity […]

You have probably heard arguments from some individuals and groups that are critical of the proposed increase in coal movement through Montana by rail. One of the concerns is the health issues caused by coal moving through cities and towns. Coal has been moving through Montana on a regular basis since the early 70s. Coal […]

“If you’ve got a business – you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” – President Barack Obama, Roanoke, Va., July 13, 2012 Are you kidding me? What a silly, uninformed statement to make! Wouldn’t you think that one of the jobs of the president of the United States is to encourage those whose […]

Dave Skinner’s Aug. 15 column (“Cruel and Unusual”) on the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana’s lawsuit challenging the state’s lethal injection protocol did readers of the Flathead Beacon a disservice by its effort to inflame emotions of rage and vengeance by focusing on details of the crime committed by Ronald Smith. The issues placed […]

The old Gloom, Despair and Agony” TV sketch reminds me of a lot of business news these days. Is this what you take in every day by watching and reading mainstream business press? Do you have any idea how it poisons your mind? As election material, it’s expected. At the office, it’s poison. As “mainstream” […]

Last week, after months of rumors, news came that American Prairie Foundation (APF) will buy the so-called South Ranch in Valley County from Page Whitham Land and Cattle, giving the foundation control over another 150,000 acres. What a shame … but that’s capitalism, right? Not quite. In case you don’t already know, APF is a […]

In recent weeks, both Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and his challenger, Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg, have worked to distance themselves from policies supported by their respective parties and may be unpopular in Montana. It is a competition between the two over who can establish himself as more independent, or (what’s that hollow, overused word?) a […]

By John Fuller FDR’s Vice President John Nance Garner allegedly said, “The office of the vice president isn’t worth a bucket of warm spit.” And John Adams, the first vice president, said, “As vice president, I am nothing; but I could be everything.” In the uniquely American system of choosing our chief executive, we also […]

As hard as it is to believe, the leisurely days of summer are drawing to a close as schools across the country are opening their doors for the first day of school. Students in Flathead County will return to classes on Aug. 29, and this year’s group of kindergarten students will be the graduating class […]

I read with interest the about the battle between homeowners needing shoreline protection and speedboats pulling skiers on Echo Lake (Aug. 22 Beacon: “Flooded Again, Echo Lake Residents Call for No-Wake Zone”). For 18 years I’ve owned a home on the lake. Watching my shoreline erode is painful. This is the second high-water summer that […]