In order to truly understand the health care debate, one must grasp the core of the statist’s argument. The issue is not that some don’t have access to medical treatment. From the statist’s viewpoint, the crisis is that some Americans do. Like the two women standing before Solomon’s throne fighting for custody of the child […]

Recently an acquaintance who advises “creative professionals” (graphic artists, web designers, print designers and similar folks) asked me to contribute some wisdom to a collection of business advice he was putting together for his clients. The rules were firm: Offer two sentences of advice that I would give to struggling business owners. Two sentences. No […]

As President Barack Obama landed at Gallatin Field airport in Belgrade last week, both Fox News and MSNBC were, for once, in agreement: the president was expecting a more confrontational town hall and perhaps even welcomed one after the yawner in New Hampshire a few days prior that prompted speculation that the audience was hand-picked. […]

Whether one believes in global warming, climate change and our nation’s energy policies are merging. Rising global temperatures have become a divisive issue; many believe them to be a part of the natural cycle, while others point to the diminishing polar ice shields as proof that our emissions are killing our planet. Unfortunately, the issue […]

Despite the fact that Blondie (our golden retriever) gets credit card applications in the mail, identity theft is not a concern for her. First off, you’d probably be suspicious if she came in and plopped her Mastercard down on the counter and ordered the prime rib, despite those sad Golden Retriever eyes that the ladies […]

Because Plum Creek is Montana’s largest forest products company and largest private landowner, whatever the company does matters greatly to Montana. Because Plum Creek is also one of America’s largest forest Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), perhaps it is time for a discussion on how REITs “think.” For starters, I recommend two good source items […]

There are two very visible sides to this debate over whether and how the U.S. health care system should be improved. On the left end are those who argue that a public option (or government-run insurance plan) must be part of any final legislation, and on the right end are those who oppose any form […]

If you manufacture or sell products for children under 12, your business life got a little more complex today. The CPSIA’s new labeling standard went into effect today, as did the new lower 300PPM lead requirements for products intended for use by children under 12. The law impacts manufacturers, importers, and retailers – whether the […]

A few weeks ago, my last comment was something along the lines of “You’re only as good as your last transaction.” Earlier today in a related conversation, I made a comment to someone that “every job is a sales job”, which provoked a response from one acquaintance – “even the garbage man?” Yes, indeed. Let’s […]

We tend to forget that Web-based e-mail is relatively new, emerging just 10 years ago as a popular form of communication. Then the inevitable happened: It began implicating people, for crimes small and large, from politicians to CEOs, who apparently thought once they sent a Hotmail message its trail would vanish into the thin air […]

The drunken driver who crashed head-on into my husband Michael’s highway patrol car south of Kalispell didn’t come out of nowhere. He emerged from Montana’s hard-drinking culture. Like Michael, he lost his life because the old ways of dealing with this old problem are not working. We need new strategies to support the life-saving efforts […]

Last week, Myers Reece talked about his concern regarding the potential downfall of local sports coverage, speaking specifically of the success of ESPNChicago.com vs. the Chicago Tribune and big picture-wise about ESPN’s announcement about an upcoming expansion of local sports coverage in Dallas, LA and New York. Regardless of what we think, if ESPNChicago.com was […]

Two weeks ago, to much rhetoric about putting “Montanans back to work in the woods,” Sen. Jon Tester introduced the “Forest Jobs and Recreation Act” (S-1470). Tester’s 84-page bill mandates that 100,000 acres be treated over a 10-year period under “stewardship” rules established in the Omnibus Public Lands Act Congress passed this spring. In return […]

In a politically divided region, one that often pits county and city officials against property owners (the lawsuit against the Flathead County planning office is the latest example), the summer evenings in Kalispell have offered some unity. And in a town that can be described as apathetic, with just three of the five much-maligned city […]

David, a Billings resident, decided to forgo a doctor’s appointment – even though he was feeling ill – because he had lost his health insurance when he retired. As the illness worsened, he finally scheduled an appointment, only to find that he was suffering from Stage III bladder cancer. In the costly fight against the […]