Last week, a popular bill that would expand access for hunters and anglers and had previously enjoyed bipartisan support was blocked in the U.S. Senate for reasons no one quite understands. For now, duck stamps are being blamed. Yes, duck stamps. The Sportsmen’s Act, whose lead sponsor is Montana Sen. Jon Tester, appeared to have […]

By John Fuller “Good government is like good sausage. It may taste good, but you don’t want to know what went into it.” This old adage about what it takes to make a representative government work has more than a little truth to it. The blockbuster movie “Lincoln” describes in detail the unholy alliances that […]

One of the first jobs I held was a heavy equipment operator after joining the Operating Engineers Union in 1957. I was soon informed by my fellow workers that as a union member, my first loyalty was to the union, not my employer. I was told to slow my productively down to that of my […]

To the skier on Big Mountain: I have considered your situation and your stated frustration with “having” to ski by the Statue of the Man on federal property (Dec. 5 Beacon: “Whitefish Jesus Statue Challenge Salvaged by Local Atheist”). That fleeting moment, for you aren’t forced to stop, must be hell! But if you do […]

Of the many challenges facing Montana’s lakes and streams, perhaps the most pressing but controllable is the threat posed by aquatic invasive species, or AIS. Aquatic invasives include non-native plants, mussels, pathogens and fish that threaten environmental, commercial, and recreational resources. Montana is still free of many problematic species, but some that plague other states […]

Last time, I promised to explore whether the Whitefish Trail program is paying “full value” to the school trusts. Well, first there are a couple of other “conservation transactions” our intrepid Land Board approved Nov. 19 that provide some preparatory full-value context. Alongside the Whitefish deal was the Milk River/Aageson ranch on the Canadian border. […]

Several times a month, someone sends me a spammy little message via my Beacon email. It starts off something like this: Hi, I hope you are the right person to discuss about the B2B Lists. We are a leading player in the list vending industry catering to all list requirements from various industry sectors. If […]

Is your state Legislature and state employees hostile to the concept of equal protection under the law? Our public servants take an oath to protect this concept under the Constitution. Columbia Falls Rep. Jerry O’Neil poses a question more valuable than “gold.” Is the protection of the value of labor exclusive to government employees only? […]

While incoming Republican lawmakers and Democratic governor-elect Steve Bullock have expressed optimism that they can work together this upcoming session, the recent election of new GOP leaders in the Senate may make compromise more elusive. And that could make the 2013 session look a lot like 2011, which many people would like to forget. Earlier […]

To die with dignity and choice is legal in Montana (and also in Washington and Oregon) if I am terminally ill, mentally competent and physically able to self-medicate. And if my physician of choice is willing and legally able to provide me with prescriptions that will enable me to be in control of my dying […]

By John Fuller Everyone knows that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that “Congress shall make no law…” prohibiting free speech. What many forget is that said Amendment also protects freedom of the press, the right to peaceful assembly, the right to petition their government, freedom from an established religion and the freedom […]

Now is the perfect time to travel the Swan Valley. The numerous deer usually on the road are now aware of hunting season and very scarce. The three-point buck I passed on the way to Helena last week must have sensed that I wasn’t carrying a rifle as he stood next to the road and […]

Over 1 million political television advertisements and the estimated $6 billion spent on nationwide elections produced no landmark changes. Advertisers undoubtedly benefited from the stimulus of secret money spending, but people were stung by a relentless barrage of undisclosed politics. In the end, all the money in the world was no match for an effective […]

Black Friday is behind us. Small Business Saturday is behind us. Cyber Monday is behind us. So now what? While these three events are primarily focused on retail, they expose an underlying weakness that most small businesses need to deal with. Having a PLAN. Maybe this seems obvious. It should, but the last small business […]

I am concerned that America is drifting far away from the spiritual values that blessed and perhaps preserved our country two centuries ago. In 2008, a news commentator said that the new president elect was using the same tactic as Lincoln did in forming his cabinet; bringing around him those who had opposed his election. […]