Joseph Dixon was the seventh governor of Montana. In 1923 the Republican enacted the nation’s first old-age pension program. Twelve years after Montana passed a safety net for seniors, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Social Security into law as part of the New Deal. Even as we face $14 trillion in national debt, Social Security […]

Last week following the Boston Bruins’ win over the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, Canadians took to the streets to riot away their disappointment. The images were surreal: smashed storefronts, burned cop cars, dozens of injuries. I mentioned, mostly joking, on my Twitter account: “I always thought Canadians were pacifists,” to which […]

Ever notice that when you decide to buy a new red Corvette (or a blue F-150, for that matter), you start to see your chosen new vehicle everywhere you go? For me, the last month has been like that. No matter where I turn, in person or on the Net, I’ve found myself running into […]

Well, sporties, are you ready for 4,200 to 7,300 wolves in the Northern Rockies? Back in April, you’ll remember that Congress stuffed a “bipartisan” rider (Section 1713) into the 2011 Appropriations omnibus (Public Law 112-10). This rider supposedly de-listed Rocky Mountain gray wolves outside Wyoming, by reinstating the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) so […]

It is now being reported that President Barack Obama is engaged in a covert war in Yemen. That makes at least five wars in the Middle East that the U.S. is involved in. Which Middle Eastern country is next? The Democrats were attacking former President George W. Bush for invading Afghanistan and Iraq. When the […]

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 […]