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The myth of bipartisan necessity
The moves by Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to quash President Biden’s major policy initiatives on voting rights, climate change and social programs will not be judged favorably by history. Why? Because both senators are relying on the outworn and largely mythical belief that bipartisan cooperation is […]
What happens after Jan. 6 is up to us
By now we have all been exposed to, inundated with, and educated by the flood of information on the anniversary of last year’s failed insurrection by Trump supporters attempting to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s decisive election victory. Yet, despite the pundits, the polls, the stringent warnings, threats, and denunciations, the simple truth remains […]
A new year and a chance to do better
Well, here we are, limping into 2022 after another tough year of dealing with the COVID pandemic and the vast fallout to our society it has produced. We’ve lost far too many of our fellow citizens who will not have the opportunity to make any choices in the coming year. But for those of us […]
This holiday season, kick back and take a break from the exhaustion
It’s that time of year — much like the “dog days of summer” — when people really would rather be thinking about something besides the ever-snarling pit of political strife. And why not? Our citizens are exhausted from dealing with the very real issues facing them on a daily basis in their personal lives and, […]
A very welcome turn to the light
Here in the northern hemisphere we look forward to the day our beautiful blue planet tips toward the sun again, bringing not only light to our long nights, but hope for the future. It’s been noted and celebrated in a vast number of ways since humans walked the Earth. And this year, despite the challenges, […]
Citizens frustration rising against GOP majority — look out for the backlash
It’s no surprise Montana’s Republican politicians were feeling their oats after sweeping every statewide office in the last election. But their arrogance in the Legislature, combined with some very serious incompetence in governance, has sparked a backlash among Montanans. What’s worth noting is that unlike the rest of the superheated political arena where everything seems […]
The non-winter of our discontent
Here’s hoping by the time this column hits print, Montana in December will look more like what it’s supposed to look like — namely, blanketed in snow with temperatures to match. While the “nice weather” may seem fine to the new in-migrants flooding the state, for long timers the ongoing extreme drought conditions and wildly high […]
Too much hate in America for our own good
Although we’re in what has been dubbed the Sixth Great Extinction Event and species are disappearing all over the planet, one thing that sure isn’t endangered is the abundance of hate flooding the United States these days. Given that we are one of the wealthiest nations with a very high standard of living compared to […]
Consumers hosed at the pumps (again)
It seldom works out well when the government prioritizes the profits of mega-corporations over the welfare of the nation and its citizens. The latest example is the hosing everyday Americans are getting at the gas pump so they can get to work, take the kids to school or drive to a grocery store to keep […]
Another climate summit failure
As the latest in a long line of “global climate summits” comes to an end we — and future generations — are offered yet another litany of promises to “phase out” carbon pollution of the atmosphere, reduce global deforestation, and stop mankind’s destruction of its own and only planet. As usual, the “pledges” are to meet goals […]
The pitfalls of collaboration strike again
Oh the wailing and gnashing of teeth by the cluster of collaborators who supposedly spent 15 years sitting around “kitchen tables” hammering out the Blackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship Act now introduced by Sen. Jon Tester. And why are they so upset? Well, because Montana’s other U.S. Senator, Steve Daines, has decided the bill isn’t going anywhere unless […]
Climate change is killing our future
For years now we’ve been subjected to an endless stream of nonsense from those who deny the inescapable reality that our planet is overheating due to human-caused pollution in the atmosphere. It’s now apparent that the cascading effects of global baking — and the concurrent lack of action by our politicians and lawmakers — are […]