News you can use
News you can use
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Every two or three days I make a list of chores and things to do. My list keeps me focused, nags at me. My list includes jobs which, if I didn't stick on them, might fall out of sight. These are suggestions, not orders. I pride myself on my flexibility, one of my better qualities. Nothing is cast in concrete. My inner compass points me to go with the flow, as we used to say. CASondra AshtonPTION On a diamonds-in-the-sky Monday morning I checked my list. I decided to vacuum, th...
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to share breakfast with two groups of amazing young leaders: Montana 4-H, and the Young Stockgrowers of Montana. I'm proud to say the Young Stockgrowers had a formidable north-central Montana delegation. I appreciated the chance to listen to their fresh perspectives, and plans for their futures. Talking to them was a great reminder of what I heard when I knocked on doors and talked to community members last summer. The legislative session is about getting things done for Montanans,...
I was lucky enough to be a judge Saturday at the state Class A Speech, Debate and Drama championships held at Havre High School. That's because my colleague Tim Leeds, also the assistant debate HHS debate coach, invited anyone he knew, ran into on the street or had the email address of to show up for the tournament. It takes quite a number of volunteer judges to put on the event. Those who turned down the offer to be a judge missed an opportunity for a lot of inspiration. These were the state finals, so my fellow judges and...
The general method at this point is to sit at the computer staring at the screen or the keyboard or the wall or the solitaire game and think about what's been going on in my life. This week, though, I've been experiencing troubles Pam Burke Dog, cat, horses: no catastrophes. Husband: not in trouble. Job: uninteresting (which I mean in the most respectful way possible, boss. You know me). Weather: boring. Me: totally boring, relatively uninjured and completely got nothin'. I...
When I was 7 years old, somewhat of a lost child, uncertain about every aspect of my life, my Indiana cousin Shirley, two years older, took me under wing. Shirley spoke with firm confidence and sureness, always. She quickly became my mentor, my hero. For the next five years she was my best friend. Then my family moved to Montana. Shirley and I wrote frequent letters until she left for college. Over the years and over the miles, our lives split onto widely divergent pathways Sondra Ashton At previous reunions, we had...
Something happened on Facebook on Tuesday. You may have seen some of your friends changing their profile picture to a pink equality sign on a red background. That image symbolizes support for marriage equality this week as the United States Supreme Court hears a couple of major cases regarding gay marriage. Hundreds of thousands of people on Facebook are sporting the image; it's gone viral. I don't usually go along with sharing popular Facebook trends — the site is filled with chainmail-style urban legends, hoaxes and t...
The collision of two cherished principles — the constitutional right to privacy and the public's right to know — is often described as a "delicate balance" where, under any given set of circumstances, one trumps the other. These are challenging decisions, with commissioners and judges often called upon to weigh competing arguments and make the difficult call. Such was the case recently, when the Public Service Commission took up the question of whether a previously passed PSC rule requiring all regulated utilities — large...
The Indian Health Service, underbudgeted and understaffed, operates almost 500 health care centers across the country. Most of them are in areas of significant public health challenges, mainly on Indian reservations, where poverty, disease and substance abuse are rampant. Norman Bernstein According to the agency's director, the Indian Health Service's Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund, which is used for trauma care and major surgeries, as well as other catastrophic events, will run out of money before the end of the year,...
Much hubbub has been made recently in the press about Montana Public Service Commission's decision to consider repealing what has come to be called the "PSC Executive Pay Rule." Much of the commentary has been misleading, even downright inaccurate. The Public Service Commissioners need and want your input and feedback on the matter. I've outlined a number of issues for your consideration and hope you'll take the time to call us or send your commissioner feedback. - Issue 1, Duplication: One argument for repeal is that the...
These words give all of us the sense that things need to be done. I am not talking about Christmas, but I am referring to all of the jobs that present themselves to us when the snow starts to melt away. As the days get longer, the jobs multiply. Spring is on its way and there are many jobs to do. It should be easy for us to get away from a winter wonderland of snow capped hills, icy roads and cold temperatures. The site of brown dead grass, dusty gray roads and pile after pile of our favorite pets' droppings all over the...
Much discussion about the condition of our state pension systems has been taking place this legislative session. A number of bills have been proposed to alleviate the shortfalls and make the systems solvent. Most of that debate has centered on the merits of two styles of retirement plans: defined benefit and defined contribution. I contend that the debate is not broad enough. John Musgrove Gary Buchanan recently wrote an op-ed piece about state pensions. He noted that our state pension systems were actuarially sound by the en...
Pamville News reporters bring you the latest events gripping the nation, and notes on planned follow-up coverage ——— The tiny town of Luttrell, situated in a holler in northeast Tennessee, was experiencing a Girl Scout crisis of epic proportions: Troop 21118 was having trouble finding enough customers to buy their famous Girl Scout cookies but undaunted, they used their Scouting ingenuity and a little down-home practicality to fix the problem. The troop's sales trouble was their lack of a major hub that attracts people in th...
Clarence Gideon was convicted of burglarizing a Florida bar and sentenced to five years in prison based solely on the testimony of one questionable eyewitness. But Gideon's side didn't adequately challenge that eyewitness at trial. You see, Gideon handled his own defense. When he requested a public defender be appointed to him, the judge said that the state only had an obligation to do that in cases eligible for the death penalty. Scott Crichton Gideon disagreed and penciled his plea to the U.S. Supreme Court. On March 18,...
This session, we are being treated to a number of bills proposing to simplify the Montana income tax system. Nearly everyone agrees with the basic premise of simplification. However, when an actual bill is proposed, the devil is in the details. One bill we have been grappling with in the Senate Taxation Committee on the topic, SB 282, proposes to replace the current Montana list of credits, deductions, and additions on the Montana form and replace it with the federal schedules instead. While the federal income tax regime is f...
Every Montanan knows the experience of opening the utility bill and wondering how the rates were decided. Paying those bills is a challenge for many Montana families. To ensure the fairness of rates, Montanans elect the Public Service Commissioners, charged with reviewing submissions from utilities and arriving at rate decisions that allow a fair return for the utility and a justifiable price for consumers. March 5 the PSC voted four to one to take a step that jeopardizes that assurance. The five-member, all Republican...
Recently I was driving south on 12th Avenue and came to a stop at 2nd Street, which is a one-way street on the east side of town. I had the right of way, but a westbound driver was approaching on the one-way and showed no sign of slowing down. Sure enough, that driver went right on through the intersection — in so doing, breaking the law. I made a right turn, as planned, and saw that the other car had pulled over at a house. I stopped, too, and we had cordial conversation. I said I had the right of way. The other driver s...
In Montana all taverns are licensed for the retail sale of alcohol, with different privileges available depending on the license held. Breweries in Montana are licensed as beer manufacturers. Since 1999 breweries have been allowed to sell samples of their beer through a special exception to the licensing requirements. Tavern owners across Montana helped support this special exception for Montana's small breweries so that they could introduce people to their products and develop a market for them. We continue to support this...
The dog showed up on my doorstep, shivering and whimpering, lost and hungry, minus collar, tags or known history. Yes, I know. I know. Wisdom says, if you feed him, he will never leave. But what would you do? The leaves had fled the poplar trees in my yard. The rime of frost was thicker each morning. Day light was migrating south. The mercury plummeted. Snow flakes gathered, readying for the long-dark-night-of-the-soul Montana winter. Sondra Ashton I am a cat person. I do not...
The proponents of Medicaid expansion are unabashedly brandishing their rhetoric-based talking points claiming the measure would do everything from creating thousands of jobs to bringing revenue to our state. Among these are claims that passing the expansion would save hospitals money, make Montana a healthier state, and incentivize people to be more proactive about their health — all things that I support. The problem is that Medicaid expansion does not produce these results. By the numbers "Medicaid expansion would create t...
The 63rd Montana Legislature adjourned without taking action on one of the most important pieces of public policy before them — the acceptance of federal funds to expand health care to uninsured Montanans. As a result, up to 70,000 Montanans were denied coverage that would have saved lives, lowered health care costs for all of us, and protected providers struggling with uncompensated care. It's not too late to do the right thing. Legislators left the Capitol with several days remaining in the session. They owe it to M...
As the coal debate heats up on the west coast, our state is left hoping and waiting for the approval of five proposed coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest. Our state economy is closely connected with the coal industry — keenly feeling the ups and downs of this industry. And, right now, the proposed Pacific Northwest terminals will aide in supplying our state a new export market for sustained, long-term economic growth. Montana has always had the largest coal reserve in the country with over 119 billion tons of c...
Winter's plunging temperatures do not make me yearn to frolic in the vast outdoors. In fact, last week I huddled impatiently in wait for the red line to climb. While brilliant sun danced atop the icy-flaked blanket of snow, I ventured to walk the mere five blocks to the post office to pick up a week's worth of mail. I dragged home a bag of letters, bills, newspapers and six books that I had ordered in a moment of pre-Christmas insanity. I couldn't help it. Santa made me do...
"I never bought a man that wasn't for sale," said former U.S. Sen. William Clark. One of Montana's first senators, Clark bought his way to Washington with $10,000 bribes to state legislators. We've come a long way since then, passing the Corrupt Practices Act in 1912 and enjoying a century of slow-but-sure progress toward cleaner, fairer elections. Recent developments in election spending, however, threaten that century of work. Twice during this year's legislative session, Montana legislators rejected a bipartisan proposal...
Whereas, the historical nature of man's existence on this earth has been one of servitude to a monarch, despot or benevolent government; and Whereas, collectivist thinking dictates that only by following an amalgamation of government agencies and programs can a vibrant future be attained via public private partnerships: and Rick Dow Whereas, the philosophy of Karl Marx which has given citizens of the United Soviet Socialists Republic, Cuba and North Korea (to name only a few) the individual freedoms that we as Americans have...
Having served nine sessions in the Montana Legislature, it's a real honor to represent my constituents and serve Montanans. As citizen legislators serving in a part-time capacity, we are able to stay in close contact with those we represent. Dave Wanzenried Over the years, in both my legislative and business interactions, one issue continues to rise above all others: access to affordable health care. Those who have health insurance complain about rising health care and insurance costs. Those without it forego routine,...
