News you can use
News you can use
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By Ryan Busse After backing out of two traditional debates, Gov. Greg Gianforte agreed to meet me for only one smaller debate this fall. We’ve posted the full debate, which he doesn’t want you to see, online at busseformontana.com. By Gary Busse I invite all Montanans to watch. See for yourself how Gov. Gianforte refused to explain why he jacked up our property taxes by as much as 111%, or why he gave tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires like himself. Gov. Gianforte also refused to explain why, under his watch, Montana...
X Unlimited Abortion CI-128 wool create a constitutional right to UNLIMITED ABORTION in Montana — including partial birth abortion or dismemberment abortion. X “Healthcare professional” A “healthcare professional” meaning a doctor, nurse, dentist, chiropractor, physical therapist, or paramedic, can approve abortion AT ANY STAGE OF PREGNANCY. X Taxpayer Funded Abortion Passing CI-128 will increase taxpayer-funded abortion procedures in Montana. X No Parental Consent Parents will not be entitled to notice or consent before th...
Published Oct. 3, 2024 I am responding to the Guest Columnists, Marc Racicot and Bob Brown, in last week’s article “Free and Open Primaries”. Mr. Racicot and Mr. Brown wrote at length about political parties “dominating and destroying democracy” plus other statements which seemed to me are about instilling fear in Montana voters. They stated later in the article that by choosing CI-126 and 127 “independent-minded Montanans would have the freedom to choose among all of the candidates.” The purpose of primary elections is...
Published Oct. 3, 2024 Montana has never been more expensive, and Governor Greg Gianforte is pouring gas on the fire. Gianforte raised property taxes by as much as 111%. That’s the largest increase in Montana history. What’s worse, he’s handed out tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires like himself, while pricing hardworking Montanans and seniors out of their homes. One of the most important decisions we face this election year is who we should ask to be our next governor. My name is Ryan Busse. I’m asking for your vo...
Published Oct. 17, 2024 May Montana be known as a state that treasures the life of a baby. May Montana be a womb and not a tomb for the unborn. Vote NO on CI- 128 on November 5th! Betty Harris Bigfork...
Published Oct. 17, 2024 By Ryan Busse I’ve put more than 100,000 miles on Montana’s highways over the past year, listening to people in every corner of our state. There are two issues that come up everywhere I go: The first is Gov. Greg Gianforte’s record high property taxes and the sky-high cost of living here. The second is the governor’s dangerous war on access to our public land and wildlife. While the cost of living in Montana has skyrocketed, Gov. Gianforte made the problem worse by raising property taxes by as much as...
Published Oct. 10, 2024 Greetings from Oregon! My grade school years in Butte were the happiest years of my childhood. I have never lost my love of Montana. I was stunned when I found a group of billionaires who wanted to keep their Trump tax breaks were slamming Jon Tester with tv adds to unseat him and put their Minnesota native representative in his place. Jon Tester is a native Montana farmer who still comes to his farm to work the planting and the harvest. He is your guy. Your other Senator voted against the infrastructu...
Published Oct. 10, 2024 By Ryan Busse If you live in Montana, there’s no doubt you feel the sting of this sobering fact: Montana just surpassed California to become the most unaffordable state in the nation. That’s not political hype; that’s according to the National Association of Realtors. Out-of-state millionaires and billionaires are flooding into our state, buying up property and jacking up our prices, turning Montana into their own personal playground. Many of our small schools can’t afford to hire teachers or have five...
Often I say that I am never bored. It’s true. Always I find plenty to do, things that I enjoy and want to do. Fortunately, I grew up learning to like whatever I am doing. I give credit to the good Sisters at St. Joseph’s. Even today, I take pleasure in plunging my hands into warm dishwater or ironing creases into my cotton pants. I’m not pure or perfect. I dislike touching sandpaper and a lot of things in my home would be better detailed had I not skipped a crucial step in a p...
Editor, Montana has had a history of solid public K-12 education which today is under threat. The threat is especially true because of the diversion of a stream of public funding away from the state’s general fund, thus reducing funding available for all public K-12 schools and students. If you are a public education advocate, there are important questions to be asked (or researched) of the candidates before marking your ballot. It is worth your time checking incumbent voting records and learning more about the public e...
When something is no longer working for the benefit of our state and country, “we the people” have a duty to lawfully and peacefully work to reform our government. Not long ago, Montana had a proud tradition of being a purple state. We valued the character and competence of a person running for office, over their party label. A person may be a Republican or Democrat because that’s the political philosophy they generally agreed with, but both the candidate and voters cared more about working for the good of their community, ne...
As a public school teacher at F.E. Miley Elementary in Big Sandy, I took great pride in preparing my students to be the next generation of Montana leaders. The students who walked in and out of my classroom all had the potential to impact our state in meaningful ways: as nurses and doctors in communities along the Hi-Line that desperately need more folks in medicine; as police officers and firefighters keeping their hometowns safe; as farmers and small business owners moving our state’s economy forward. Many of my students s...
I am writing this, talking about this hard subject, for you, for that one person out there who needs to hear that you are not alone. This is a topic nobody wants to talk about. Me, included. Let’s sweep it under the rug and pretend that lump isn’t real. I’ve lost my son. Again. Last time I lost him, the County Sheriff picked him up in a ditch, beat up with broken bones, a backpack containing heroin and other contraband. Landed in jail. The County had a special program, uniqu...
This past week, we held our final interim Local Government Committee meeting prior to session starting. We had a report from the League of Cities and Towns. They feel some of the bills passed last session did not take into consideration the input from the League should have had stronger consideration. Their opinion is that these bills infringed upon local control of zoning. Last session we had no less than 56 bills introduced dealing with housing or lack thereof. There is no doubt a housing problem exists. Many of these...
by Mary Ann Dunwell We’ve all heard the age-old maxim, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That applies to our state’s health care programs that ensure working Montanans stay healthy, hospitals thrive, and windfall returns on investment for taxpayers and patients. One of my goals for the next state legislative session starting in January is to keep looking out for Montanans. An essential part of this is protecting the Medicaid program, which provides health care for lower income working families who often work two or more job...
Editor’s note. After saying early in his campaign that “our hospitals have been built around federal subsidies. In my opinion, we need to return health care to pure privatization,” Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy has since said that he does not support eliminating Medicaid or Medicare. Montana is home to around 16 Federally Qualified Health Centers (CHCs), including Partnership Health in Missoula, Sapphire CHC in Hamilton, and others across the state including in Havre, Chinook and Harlem. These centers provi...
Tim Sheehy joked about one of his experiences as, “a great way to bond with all the Indians while they’re drunk at 8:00 am” or throwing beer cans at cultural events. He then repeated his racist remarks to other audiences for their entertainment, he tells us who he is. There is no doubt his racist statements reflect his values. Mr. Sheehy’s racist belief, declared and repeated, inflicts devastation on Indigenous people. His hurtful words are felt by us all. They are particularly damaging as they perpetuate an ugly stereotype a...
On September 27th, across the State of Montana, we celebrate Native American Day. In Rocky Boy, this day includes a parade and various activities meant to highlight and showcase our culture and traditions, but this year holds even greater significance for us at Rocky Boy Health Center. In addition to the national celebration, we will be commemorating our 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Rocky Boy Health Center and 30 years since the Chippewa Cree Tribe entered into self-governance agreements with the Indian...
My morning readings include a short poem by Rumi as translated by Coleman Barks. One morning this past week, I read: Who makes these changes? I shoot an arrow right. It lands left. I ride after a deer And find myself chased by a hog. I plot to get what I want And end up in prison. I dig pits to trap others And fall in. I should be suspicious Of what I want. And that pretty much says it. My life in a nutshell. Rumi has not become my daily horoscope. Some days his words mean...
“Ye Party Zealots, thus it fares with you, When Party Rage too warmly you pursue; Both Sides club Nonsense and impetuous Pride, And Folly joins whom Sentiments divide.” ~ Benjamin Franklin The danger of powerful political parties being obsessed with dominating and destroying democracy was also echoed by our greatest founder George Washington when in his farewell address he cautioned that “In contemplating the causes which may disturb our union,” he particularly identified the “spirit of party,” which he warned would ultim...
I have a problem with inspirational quotes. “You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream another dream,” is a quote attributed to C.S. Lewis. He didn’t say it. “It is never too late to be what you might have been” is something George Eliot is supposed to have said. She never said that, either. I could keep on going, but it’s a safe bet that, if you read it on Facebook and it is attributed to Mother Teresa, Einstein or Keanu Reeves, they almost certainly did not say...
Elizabeth “Betty” Joyce Dyer Bitz passed away September 9, 2024, at the Big Sandy Medical Center of natural causes. She joyfully celebrated her 87th birthday September 4, with family and friends by her side. A memorial service to celebrate her life was held Friday, September 13, at 2 p.m. at the Big Sandy Community Church of God. Cremation has taken place and her ashes will be interred with Ron’s at the Big Sandy Cemetery. Ashes will also be scattered at the farm as per her w...
