State unemployment numbers were released last week and – guess what? – Flathead County’s is exactly the same as it was one year ago. The non-seasonally adjusted jobless rate in June was once again 11.4 percent. Meanwhile, as places like Northwest Montana tread water, Washington is doing its best to make things worse. Before now, […]

In his July 6 Beacon commentary, Dave Skinner accused a number of attorneys and their clients of “criminal frivolity” regarding a petition filed in the Montana Supreme Court. The author doesn’t appear to be well-informed on the petition, science or basic tenets of our constitutional system of government. It is an odd “crime.” Six busy […]

Recently, Borders book stores reported that they were closing their remaining 399 stores, including our local store here in Kalispell. The store has about three months, enough time to liquidate their existing stock. Survival of the fittest demands that some prosper, some get by and some die. Borders was not one of the fittest booksellers around, […]

In politics the Senate acts more civil than the House. Both chambers are needed since compromise moves the nation forward. Lawmaking is an ugly and painful process to watch, but it works. Though distasteful to party bases, compromise does advance the people’s interest. The lack of progress in 2011 Congress is stifling to the small […]

The environmental activists who barged into Montana’s capitol last week to chant, dance and chain themselves together did little to persuade anyone to join their cause. In fact, they quite likely accomplished the opposite. Protests like these – a cocktail of theatrics, trespassing and often vandalism – largely make the opposition look like a joke. […]

Thanks to the Flathead Beacon for keeping us up to date on the county’s desire to make criminals of those who salvage from the green boxes. Dave Prunty, Flathead County public works director, thinks prohibiting salvaging is necessary for the safety of those who salvage and for the protection of the county from lawsuits if […]

I’ve been listening carefully over the last month as a number of people offered their analysis of the jobs problem in today’s economy. One thread of discussion from a sizable number of folks really stuck out. “It’s health care reform. No one is going to hire anyone until that’s resolved.” Generally speaking, I understand the […]

Too often, news articles miss the real story: Casper Star Tribune reporter Jeremy Fugelberg’s July 3 effort covered “The Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions” report on the agency’s role in our nation’s economy – 146 pages of “Fund Us Lavishly, We’re Really Important.” In Wyoming, which is 30 percent Bureau of Land Management (plus […]

The recent fouling of Montana’s Yellowstone River is a warning alarm that we must be more diligent to secure the integrity of our priceless waterways. Yesterday’s farmers, ranchers, miners and honyockers needed the rivers. Now, under increasing industrial and population pressures, the rivers need us. As with other states, Montana once mistreated many of our […]

President Barack Obama had apparently planned a trip to Whitefish last weekend. His near visit was news around town and local law enforcement for weeks had been preparing for his arrival. The president canceled, of course, after the debate over the debt ceiling ended how things in Washington do – with more debate. There are […]

Today I’m going off the beaten path a little bit, but trust me… at its core, this is all about business in Northwest Montana. You might have noticed a couple of weeks ago when editor Kellyn mentioned my gigging him on Twitter about his “all Canadians are pacifists” comment in his column about stereotypes and the […]

As President Barack Obama was sworn into office, America had an annual unbalanced budget deficit of $1.3 trillion. This was the result of previous years when Congress did not pay its way, including a Wall Street bailout. America has never been out of debt, except once. Former President Andrew Jackson holds the honor for detesting […]

There are so many questions surrounding the proposal to implement a so-called retail transaction fee to pay for Kalispell roads that it’s now clear the idea is simply an awful one. City Manager Jane Howington emphasized that the fee is just “the very beginning of a community conversation” about how to address the fact that […]

As the new Executive Vice President of the Montana Wood Products Association, I have been traveling around Montana and Idaho visiting member companies, touring facilities and visiting about issues and concerns. In addition to the importance of maintaining a favorable business climate at the state and federal level, addressing rules and regulations that create barriers […]

Seth Godin recently asked why ethical marketers wouldn’t be “eager to have aggressive, clear and well-defined regulations” (about marketing). He set the context by talking about the lies used to sell sunscreen, noting that lobbyists kindly helped the FDA water down proposed sunscreen regulations. To quote Seth: Why aren’t ethical marketers (of any product) eager […]