Whether Sen. Jon Tester was genuinely concerned about community banks in his failed proposal to delay the implementation of caps on swipe fees those institutions can charge, expect his opposition to frame it as another Wall Street bailout. Introducing an amendment delaying the caps was a risky move for the freshman Democrat, who faces a […]

Regardless of what political party you favor, what candidate for president you favor, or what your views are of our current president, it may do you well to reflect on where our country is right now. When our nation’s legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government started down the slippery slope of bowing to the […]

Many in Congress are considering harmful cuts to Social Security and Medicare as part of a plan to raise America’s debt ceiling and reduce the federal budget deficit. Currently, there are a variety of proposals on the table that would place “across-the board” arbitrary limits on federal spending. This could trigger cuts to Social Security […]

Business adviser and author Chet Holmes uses a strategy called “The Dream 100” to identify the 100 prospects he would most like to obtain as clients. He then puts strategies and actions into place to do so. Think about your market. It might be tough to come up with 100 “best” clients you’d like to […]

In February 2008, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney carried Flathead County and won Montana’s GOP caucus, earning all 25 of the state’s delegates to the Republican National Convention. Former Secretary of State Brad Johnson was part of the Romney team and said, “Governor Romney has the right values and priorities for voters not only in […]

Summer recently showed up, if only briefly, on a weekend no less, when the temperature reached 80 degrees. It was warm and comfortable, except that the snowpack hasn’t melted and the riverbanks and dams can’t hold all the runoff if we have a heat wave. The governor has declared a state of emergency and anxiety […]

As Congress crafts a budget that addresses our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges, the Montana Food Bank Network and our network partners – 196 food pantries, meal sites, shelters, senior centers and after-school programs – are urging our elected officials to safeguard nutrition assistance and other safety net programs. The number of families struggling to make […]

I’ve decided that we need to spend more time here focusing on the smart businesses and what they do, in hopes of making more Flathead businesses fall in the smart column. It hit me while motoring from Memphis to Mom’s place after hearing yet another ad for Angie’s List. We “need” things like Angie’s List, […]

Every so often, my writing work requires a road trip. My latest sent me (and my pal Murphy) to the Olympics in Washington. Because freelance writers are so massively overpaid, we took my 1965 Ford van, which I bought in 1985 or so with the idea of carrying my Kawasaki rice rocket in the back. […]

The Public Service Commission has an important, if often overlooked, job. It’s responsible for regulating everything from Montana’s utilities and private water companies to taxi and phone services. At one point, the 2011 Legislature considered tapping the PSC to oversee the medical marijuana industry. That, thankfully, didn’t happen since the five-member board struggles to hold […]

I read with interest the guest column by former Congressman Pat Williams (May 25 Beacon: “When Civility Ended”). Because I ran against Pat in 1984, I feel obligated to publicly respond to his column. I think Pat would agree that ours was a “civil” race, although at that time, I was a virtual unknown. We […]

One of the lessons my dad impressed on me when I was old enough to begin to “get it” (or so I thought) was “Be a good listener.” Naturally, the meaning of that phrase changed for me over the years. As a teenager, it had a rather obvious meaning, “Pay attention and you might learn […]

Last year was a bumper crop in commodities like wheat, corn, soy and rice. Production was up, demand stable, but food prices still skyrocketed. Early this year, governments across the world began stockpiling food staples in an attempt to contain panic buying and social unrest. Algeria bought nearly a million tons of wheat while Saudi […]

Hundreds of Flathead Valley Community College students graduated earlier this month and many of them will have a better shot at getting a job than they did two years ago. It was the school’s largest class ever, attributable partly to economic necessity. Many so-called nontraditional students returned to class when the recession swept through the […]

The Missoula City Club recently hosted Congressman Denny Rehberg at one of our monthly public lunches. Rehberg was introduced by the president of City Club Board. As Rehberg approached the podium, I arose from my chair, walked across the room and greeted him; the two of us, alone at the front of the room. We […]