Opinion
Editor, I received a copy of the Valley Journal in the mail dated 0ct. 20, 2021 here in Tucson, Arizona. I was pleasantly surprised with your front page featuring my esteemed friend Jim Manley. Excellent article about a great Montanan and a greater American. Mr. Manley and I go back to many trails back to the days when we stormed through the central highlands of SE-Asia (Vietnam) as grunts for our armed services. Years later we met again in a part of the Andes Mountains of Peru hiking Machu Pichu. Afterwards we again hiked into one of the deepest canyons of the world, El Colca. And as usual he’s always making friends of any person and helps ot...
Wildfires – almost an inescapable fact of life around the northwest. Every year thousands upon thousands of acres of forest go up in smoke in the waning months of summer. Powerful, shifting wind patterns move smoke hundreds of miles resulting in unpredictable air quality: clear skies one day and thick ...
Editor, The Fish and Wildlife Service recently released its Draft Environmental Assessment regarding new facilities to be built in the valley. The document titled “New Northwest Montana Wetland Management District Administrative Facilities” can be found on the FWS website. The FWS seems set on...
Editor, Senator John Tester is in support of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA), as are many Montanans and Missoulians. This bill is intended to expand protections to the headwaters of the Blackfoot and Clearwater Rivers, while improving and expanding outdoor recreation areas for the public. ...
Editor, Several recent letters have questioned Greg Hertz’s guest column concerning corporate tax laws. Simply put, corporate taxes are taxes that the federal government imposes on profits made by corporations. In 2017, under then President Trump, the corporate rate dropped from 35% to 21%. Since...
Editor, This year’s Town Pump Food Bank Challenge campaign is “Montanans Helping Montanans for 20 Years.” It started on Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 30. In 2002 the campaign started with 17 food bank partners in 15 communities and a Town Pump match of $50,000. This year they are working...
Growing up in rural Utah, I had incredible public hunting opportunities just like so many in Montana have enjoyed for generations. I spent time with family and friends, pursuing mule deer and elk on both public and private lands in what were the defining moments of my upbringing. That all changed wh...
Editor, I am writing this letter to urge the residents of Ward 2 of the Polson community to elect Laura Dever for a full term as city commissioner. As an interim commissioner, Laura has shown that she is willing to learn and work with various stakeholders to be an effective commissioner. She has dedicated...
The American Families Plan federal budget, is a groundbreaking expansion of health care, education, and prosperity for hardworking families. They say the budget will make taxes fairer, create jobs, mitigate climate change, and improve education and health care. Tax Fairness The budget is...
Editor, Our nation dearly needs this: “A bringing of light to the darkness.” These words were spoken by Arthur Brooks, an economist and an influential conservative voice in this world. He was on an App interview entitled: “How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt?” It wa...
