Thursday Feb. 9, 2012
Opinion
Montana’s Political Courage
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 01-25-12
 

In one of the first initiatives Montana voters passed, the 100-year-old Corrupt Practices Act prohibits direct corporate campaign contributions. Montana’s state and local elections are still transparent by mandated disclosure laws.

The U.S. Constitution never gave person-rights to corporations.
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Out of Stock?
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 01-25-12
 

When your store is out of stock on an item...what does your staff do and say?

Are they focused on the sale, the customer or something else?
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Our Welfare State
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 01-20-12
 

The government is a zero sum game. The government cannot create wealth, it can only redistribute it. That means for every person that receives something from the government someone else loses. This may seem well intended sometimes. but it always hurts the ones in the most need
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Proud to be in the ‘Dawg House’
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 01-20-12
 

I don’t mind saying that we’re in the “Dawg House.” Our family was transferred from Texas to the Flathead Valley last June. Prior to our move, I spent a week here driving the valley wondering where we were going to settle. My husband works on Reserve in Kalispell, leaving north Kalispell and Whitefish our options. I decided to let the choice in high schools be my deciding factor. I went to Glacier High School and was shown the campus by a student who did a great job. I was only somewhat impressed with the school. We came from a school district that boasted state-of-the-art facilities. My bar was set pretty high.
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The Value of TIFs
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 01-20-12
 

It took until the 11th hour for the Kalispell City Council to extend the life of the West Side Tax Increment Finance District. As someone who now lives in the district, I have to wonder why it took so long. The area is in dire need of a facelift and the redevelopment tool has the potential to spur improvements. Without an agreement, the TIF was scheduled to sunset in March.
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New School is Critical to Learning
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 01-19-12
 

On behalf of the Whitefish School District, I offer my deepest gratitude for our city council’s decision on Jan. 2. During that meeting, our council agreed to unanimously support a resolution of intention to fund our high school redevelopment project in the amount of a $2.5 million contribution from tax increment finance funds.
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Takeaways Are Everywhere
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 01-19-12
 

From time to time, you get signs that your work here isn't complete.

I recently I had one of those days.

Six of us, including a three year old and a one year old on the downhill side of a cold, were set to fly what usually is a two segment, three hour flight from Missouri to Montana.

I'll spare you the boring parts:  It took 19 hours to get home that day.
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Railroaded
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 01-18-12
 

I enjoy trains, therefore I keep an eye on railroad doings – such as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in Northern Plains Resource Council v. Surface Transportation Board, NPRC v. Surf for short.

At issue is the 2007 Surface Transportation Board (Surf Board or STB) approval of the Tongue River Railroad (TRR), about 130 miles from Miles City, through Otter Creek, Ashland and Birney, to Decker along the Tongue River.
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