Politics today is more about ideology than hometown representation. A legislator blindly following party bosses and not listening to constituents is wrongheaded and indicates that the middle is losing ground. The budget debates in the Montana Legislature and the U.S. Congress have been transformed into social engineering classrooms. In Helena and Washington D.C., the new […]

The days following the 2009 Legislature, editorials noted the failure to reform homeowner property taxes. The observations were spot-on, judging by the homeowner outcry. But anyone paying attention could see it coming. Property taxes are directly tied to the free market growth of a locality. And the Flathead’s market was hopping for much of the […]

It becomes more and more apparent that corporate politicians are doing the bidding for multinational corporations. Our political landscape has drastically changed, with middle class workers left on the sidelines. The debate appears less about Democrats versus Republicans, though there are plenty of glaring differences between the parties. Today’s debate is historically reflective of middle […]

You can smell the scent of spring in the air, see it in the yellowing willow, and hear it in the chirping birds. Spring signals a turning point in life and growth of all things renewed. The produce at the local grocer suddenly looks smaller. This is an indication that newer crops are being planted […]

“Theatre of the Absurd” was coined by Martin Esslin to express senselessness and the inadequacy of any rational approach by the abandonment of sensible policies and discursive thought. Politics has long been viewed as a mix of comic and tragic theater, with public debate seldom moving a vote. If the first half of the 2011 […]

“We conclude first and foremost that this crisis was avoidable,” said Phil Angelides, chairman of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC). In last month’s report the FCIC said the financial crisis that spread to Montana could have been avoided. The FCIC contends that the causes of the crisis lay with the federal authorities, under presidents […]

In 1974 President Richard Nixon resigned, stating that “the interest of the nation must come before any personal considerations” and acknowledging that some of his private actions were wrong. Those were strong words, but the president’s policies still have meaning today. Nixon enacted Title IX, which says, “No person in the United States shall, on […]

Montana’s Constitution assures the Legislature can’t spend more on services or tax breaks than the state collects in revenues. This simple declaration by the people keeps our books balanced. And balanced they have been, making Montana one of just two states in the nation to remain in the black. Nationally, the debt situation is bleak. […]

If there is any interest group that can traditionally wade through the partisan divide of Montana politics, it’s children. For many legislative sessions the mantra for passing bills in the Legislature is the same: “It’s for the kids.” This simple declaration paved the way for all-day kindergarten and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Both […]