Letters to the Editor
Editor, The Montana legislature is considering a good idea. House Bill 629, if passed, will provide a tax incentive to businesses that create five new jobs per year in which salary plus benefits equals at least $50K per year. If a business meets the criteria of number of new employees per year their business tax will be lowered for that year. The Montana Taxpayer Association and the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce support this bill. Montana ranks behind peer states in competitive wages; this legislation can help the state compete better in the regional job market. More well-paid employees in the state can stimulate the economy of the state as those employees in turn support loc...
Editor, Does a professional, independent bureaucracy lead to better governance? The answer is “yes,” compared to the alternative political patronage as a source of corruption, waste and the dominance of special interests. Montana has a Civil Service System based upon competitive, meri...
Editor, Why do we have government? Why do some of us go to the polls every few years and fill out our ballots? You might think it was to elect people who would represent not only us but what’s best for us. Yet, it seems that the special interests have sabotaged that process and, in on...
Editor, The people have spoken. These are the important words we hope to hear at the end of every election cycle. And, up until now, we have been able to trust these words to be true, since there has never been voter fraud in Montana. Throughout our voter history in the United States, there...
Editor, Governor Gianforte has framed his COVID-19 response on his faith in Montanans to demonstrate “individual responsibility,” however, his most recent example of not being personally responsible after failing to take the required wolf training course before trapping and shooting a wo...
Editor, I believe the person responsible for the disgusting anti-Biden float in this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ronan owes the float committee, the other float participants, the Irish American community (tribal and non-tribal) and the community at large — especially the par...
Editor, In our nation’s long debate about how strong the federal government should be and how much power should rest with state and local governments, Republicans have been fierce for local control. Why then are we seeing a rash of bills from the Montana State Legislature that violate this ...
Editor, Hey Montanans! Our state is receiving an almost $3 billion windfall from the American Rescue Plan Act. Some is designated to be spent on Kindergarten through 12th grade education, emergency rental help, pandemic unemployment benefits, COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, and budget relief f...
Editor, Wednesday, March 17 started out a bright, beautiful day. I think maybe the third time since St. Patty’s Day parades started that it was nice in Ronan. Then at the end of the parade loomed a dark and disgusting cloud. The derogatory float that contained the F word was not right. We a...
Editor, Attending Ronan’s St. Patrick Day parade has been a tradition we look forward to. This year was no different. It was a beautiful day for the parade. We were enjoying ourselves until Benjamin Montgomery Services and Mr. Emporium drove their business vehicle in the parade with a horrible sign ...
