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... Full story
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,... Full story
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...
Baucus Serving you is the greatest privilege of my life. Over the past 40 years, I've had one goal: make life better for the people of this state. You don't become the longest serving senator in Montana without a lot of help from a lot of people. I am grateful for the opportunity you have given me. When I asked my hero Mike Mansfield whether I should run for U.S. Senate, he told me it would take a lot of hard work, a lot of shoe leather and a bit of luck. In the next year and a half, instead of campaigning, I want to spend... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
One of the big financial problems facing the currently meeting Montana Legislature in Helena and the newly elected Gov. Steve Bullock is the large shortage of funds in the Montana Public Retirement account. While covering current expenses with the help of previous legislation, the retirement account is still running short of the funs that it ultimately requires. Bill Thackeray It is not the payment of current retirement accounts in trouble. Rather it is the actuarial or investment value of assets to raise interest for the...
Joe Balyeat recently wrote a Community Forum column about why the Legislature should refuse the expansion of Medicaid in Montana. As a staunch Republican and a board member of a hospital in a small town, I disagree. Mr. Balyeat's synopsis of the health care program seems to suggest that we should do away with the systems that are in place. Regardless of what Mr. Balyeat believes and regardless of whether he and I agree on policies, Mr. Obama is the president and his health care plan is in place for at least four more years....
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...
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...
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...
Friends don't let friends do sit-ups. They don't let them do crunches, either, or leg raises or this thing called a plank which is like a push-up that you just hold for, like, well, a plank. And they certainly don't have them do all these things together in a month. Friends do NOT let friends do the 30-day Ab Challenge to gain that six-pack of defined abdominal muscles. It's ridiculous. No one in their right mind sets out to do15 sit ups, 5 crunches, 5 leg raises and 10 second...
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... Full story
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...
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
Pam Burke We here at Pamville News — employees, interns, volunteers, hangers-on and laze-abouts — in no way condone, excuse or otherwise support violence in any form. That said, though, when you hear that a man in the UK was beat up by two guys dressed like Oompa Loompas — orange skin, green hair, hoop pants and all — ya just gotta laugh. It may be the law. It really could be. The UK's Daily Mail Online reports that the Norfolk police said two men dressed like the fiction...
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... Full story
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,... Full story
