Montana’s tax collections are down. The Short-Term Investment Pool program is offering such weak returns that counties are pulling out their money. And the state’s pension system has lost nearly 21 percent of its value since last year and, at its current rate, will be more than $2 billion in the hole in 30 years. […]

Energy. It is the lifeblood of the American economy. For this reason, it is no surprise that energy policy discussions receive a great deal of attention. Done wrong, energy policy can significantly harm the economy. That is a real concern as the U.S. Congress and individual states debate legislation that aims to address climate change […]

Your SD5 education tax dollars were well spent last week. Remember the Beacon story that talked about Kalispell School District 5’s failed levy? Just in case you missed it, here’s the reason why your tax dollars were well invested: “Such a request had never failed before, so School District No. 5 didn’t spend any money […]

It was not surprising that Tammi Fisher won Kalispell’s mayoral race, but the margin with which she did it certainly was. She beat incumbent Mayor Pam Kennedy by more than 25 percentage points (63-37) in a defeat that cannot be blamed on low turnout in an off-election year. At 31 percent, it was actually quite […]

I recently attended a public showing of the film “Not Evil, Just Wrong” in Kalispell. Sponsored by the Northwest Montana Patriots, it was billed as a documentary exploring the economic impact of global warming “hysteria.” I hoped it would broaden my perspective on climate change issues, but the film was a disappointment. First, while I […]

Ever have one of those vendors that supplies something that is so amazing that you can’t cure yourself of them? I deal with one of those in the software side of my world. And of course, their customer service is nowhere near ideal. They rarely communicate with their clients. They do a few things that […]

The Beacon recently ran Christian Science Monitor writer Todd Wilkinson’s timely story on President Obama’s new National Park Service (NPS) director, Jonathan Jarvis. Jarvis has a tough row to hoe, leading an agency that can’t even agree on why it exists. The debate centers on a philosophical question: Are parks for people, or do parks […]

In January, I posed a question on flatheadbeacon.com asking when the U.S. Highway 93 Bypass would be finished. Of the 127 readers who responded to the unscientific poll, 53 percent of them said “never.” And who could blame them? The idea of building a highway to circumvent downtown Kalispell had been discussed for decades. Then, […]

Today you just wander down to the ski shop with a sliver of plastic and in a short time are able to take advantage of several million dollars worth of research and development that you can use to continue to make turns on a mountain no matter your age. Turn back the calendar to when […]

There is a move across the country to encourage renewable electrical power and several bills are moving through Congress mandating its usage. While many loudly shout about the positive use of alternative and renewable energy along with the need for America to be independent of foreign oil, they also do all they can to roadblock […]

Sometimes I really wonder about where people get their competitive spirit. Or for that matter, why they’re in business at all. They don’t seem to have any sort of competitive edge about them when it comes to business, but these same folks would put a hotel on Boardwalk if given the chance. “It’s just a […]

John Stokes is on the air. Despite the shutdown of radio station KGEZ by authorities last month after a federal bankruptcy judge ordered the liquidation of Stokes’ assets, anyone pining for the reassuring sound of his broadcasting baritone can simply go to Youtube.com. There, entering Stokes’ name reveals he’s been a guest on numerous radio […]

President Obama isn’t the first American president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The first president, as well as the first American, to receive that coveted honor was a one-time member of the Montana Stock Grower’s Association. Theodore Roosevelt was also the first and only future president to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Roosevelt […]

Ahh, Kermit the Frog. You were wise beyond your years when you said, “It’s not easy being green.” It isn’t even easy talking about green, but we’re going to do it anyhow. Everywhere you turn, people talk about being green and going green. Quite often, it results in a number of people seeing red. Some […]

How would you feel if you knew that there was just one 911 operator in charge of answering and directing all the calls in your county? And that it had been this way for multiple decades, despite the fact that the population there has been steadily increasing over the years? No matter how capable the […]