Opinion
Capping Montana’s double digit property tax increases on homeowners would seem a no-brainer issue for legislative candidates. Not so. The focus of Republicans and Democrats alike is on protecting the cash flow to government and placating moneyed special interests. The bi-partisan Revenue Interim Committee unanimously opposed Cl-121 the Cap Montana Property Tax initiative. Their members believe the legislature/lobbyist cabal is best left in charge of your money. Their two main rationales for opposing Cl-121 are that the Montana Constitution is no place for tax policy. In fact, Article 8 Sec. 3 of the Montana Constitution mandates residential taxation at appraised value. Cl-121...
I wanted a kayak. It was a simple request I repeated repeatedly. I talked about how we would go kayaking this summer on the lake. We’d have a blast making family memories while building our triceps and getting a tan. I communicated as clearly as I could, in English, which is the language they spe...
Editor, We have a billboard outside of St. Ignatius. On one side, it says, “Zinke for Public Lands,” and on the other it says, “Zinke, Montana’s SEAL.” We don’t have laws restricting misrepresentations and lies in political speech. Candidates may say what they like -...
Editor, Human nature, being what it is, our nation and our world have surely fallen into a ‘habit thinking pattern’ of divisiveness, negative attitudes, and wars. This is a very clear and present danger. We have answers to this. Let’s be very clear about one thing: our thinking ...
I had a breakthrough yesterday — and I don’t mean metaphorically. Wars rage, countless humans suffer, the rich get richer, life goes on. I still have my morning coffee. But not yesterday. What happened — about 5 a.m. — was a fleeting insight into life beyond its small certaintie...
The older people in our nursing homes have a problem. The state puts people on Medicaid and promises them services, and then doesn’t pay those who provide these services at a rate that is commensurate to the actual costs. Seventy five percent of those in our nursing home are on Medicaid and down to the...
Editor, I am honored to publicly support Don Bell’s reelection campaign for Sheriff of Lake County. Having known and worked with Don for more than thirty years, I can state without hesitation that he is exactly the person Lake County needs for Sheriff. During my thirty-five years in law enf...
Editor, “Many hands make light work” rings true for the creation and deliverance of “The Awakening” Mission Valley Choral Society concerts held on Palm Sunday weekend. No more than four specific names can be used here, so a general thank you follows. Thank you to Mission Valley ...
Salty snacks? Sweet snacks? What’s your choice? I tend to gravitate towards salty. I am not alone in this preference as evidenced by the 36.89 billion-dollar-a-year savory snack industry in the US. Chief among these snacks is the humble potato chip. Scanning through any supermarket, among the plethora ...
Last weekend I dove headfirst down a deep rabbit hole. And, as those of us with rabbit hole experience can attest, once you hop in there is no going back. It started innocently enough, as most rabbit hole ventures do. I recently got a haircut and have decided to embrace my naturally wavy/curly, albeit fin...
