News you can use
News you can use
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The northeast wind doth blow! Just like that, fall is no longer on the way but has arrived. This is not our prevailing wind but is our October wind, here in Etzatlan, Jalisco. Not that much can be said to prevail these uncertain days. Conditions here are generally mild. This morning the winds are at 6-7 mph, gusting to 25! For us, this is windy! I love autumn. One thing I love most is that the air carries whiffs of spices. Spicy scents seem to be layered, to waft around my...
As a candidate for State Auditor, I know very well how challenging it is to raise the profile of the office. It is an important office that has a direct impact on all Montanans, but a lot of folks don’t know much about it. Per Montana law, the purpose of the office is to ‘protect Montana insurance consumers.’ My campaign is focused on that role and my qualification for the position based on four decades of ethical business experience. Unfortunately, my opponent is running on lies and issues unrelated to the Montana State...
Scritch, scratch, scrape, scratch, scritch. Chips flying. Breathing dust. I really should have eye protectors. I cannot believe I am doing this job. Just last week, just days ago, I told you I do anything to avoid using sandpaper. Here I am, sanding down metal rocking chairs, one pair so old that the only thing holding them together might be the paint. I proceed cautiously, dust up my nose, in my hair, in the fibers of my clothing. Oh, well. Must be done. It was not my idea. K...
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...
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...
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...
Editor’s note: This version corrects the name of the writer of the editorial. Recently, I listened to a radio interview with Tim Sheehy on Working Ranch radio show that is very concerning. When Tim Sheehy was asked about MCOOL (mandatory country of origin label) his answer sided with the packers. He said they should have the ability to mix foreign beef with US beef without being penalized. To be clear the only penalty that the packers now have is to not to dishonestly label their products. He said that mixing in foreign b...
Mr. Sheehy, The Montana American Indian Caucus cannot express how let down we are by your remarks, where we can hear you disparaging the Crow Nation. You said that roping and branding with a member of the Crow Tribe was “… a great way to bond with all the Indians out there while they’re drunk at 8:00 a.m., and you’re roping together.” On other occasions, you talked about attending the Crow Fair parade, saying that “they’ll let you know when they like you or not if Coors Light cans fly by your head.” Your words perpetuate the...
The longer I live, the less certain I am about anything. In fact, when I detect certainty in my thinking, I immediately stop and investigate to find the flaw. You’ve all met Leo. He works in my yard a couple half-days a week. Leo is much more than a garden worker. I’ve come to depend on Leo for all manner of help. He is a gentle man, educated, generous, and has a brilliant sense of humor. Over time, he’s come to seem a grandson to me. He trusts me enough to tell me when he th...
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...
It was a dark and sleepless night, not a storm cloud in sight. I did the usual when I don’t sleep. I gazed out the window. Turned from my right side to my left side. Threw back the blanket. Turned from my left side to my right side. Pulled up the blanket and tucked it around me, a cocoon. Too many times. Sensible people, I am told, get up and do something. Binge on Netflix. Scrub the toilet. Read until their eyeballs fall out. Work an entire book of Sudoku. Drink a bottle o...
$60 million is the current total raised from corporate/other donations by Montana Senate Candidates reported by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). FEC is vague if the total includes Super Political Action Committee (PAC) donations. The $60 million? Likely higher. As a former legislative aide at the U.S. Capitol for over four years we kept “The List.” Top money donors on top; $5 donors on bottom. Direction was “Always Check The List” if a donor called requesting time with the member of Congress. Top donors saw “the Bo...
We are writing as former office holders and candidates. Though we are less politically active than we used to be, we step up when motivated. The 2024 race for Montana state auditor is one of those moments. We want to tell you why we feel so strongly about John Repke, candidate for State Auditor this November. Mark speaks from his eight years serving as state auditor. Dorothy speaks from her love of Montana and longstanding commitment to quality public service. These are our three main points: • The state auditor regulates i...
I wear used clothes. I remember going to clothing stores years ago and buying new clothes. But about the time I stopped wearing business suits and flying in airplanes for work, I started going to used clothing stores. Then I discovered online consignment stores and, since then, I’ve hardly bought a new item of clothing except socks and shoes and underwear. I like used clothes. Of course, I like the prices. I’ve always been frugal and when I see how much a pair of new jea...
We all get them. This has been our turn. A week fraught with “one thing after another.” The kind of week where the little disasters loom large in shadows of big fears. My friend Ana in Oconahua had been having stomach pains for a long time, much longer than anybody knew when she finally admitted them and went for tests. Bango — into the hospital she landed, gall bladder surgery. She left minus a body part, with rocks in hand. She is recovering nicely from the surgery but s...
I have never been able to watch scary movies. My mother will remind you (if she gets the chance) that I can’t even watch embarrassing television programs, which is, frankly, embarrassing. I would watch that terrible moment when Lucy was about to get caught doing something embarrassing by her employer, Mr. Mooney, on “The Lucy Show” reruns, and I would have to leave the room in a hurry — making excuses about how I suddenly needed to help set the table. The truth was, I just co...
As Montana students, parents, and teachers begin a new school year, I share in their excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead of us. This week, I am welcoming families and educators back to the first day of school in Townsend. As I reflect on my nearly two decades of “first days” of school in Montana, I know that returning to school represents the beginning of a new year of opportunities for learning, socializing, athletics, and extra-curriculars activities. Yet, as the school doors open, our families and edu...
I spent 12 years in the Montana Legislature,1995 through 2006. Session after session we fought the same battle over taxes. Those who represented wealthy people and commercial interests argued that their taxes should be lowered. They needed more money in their pockets, they claimed. Their share of responsibility for paying for government services should be reduced, and the burden should be shifted to the middle class. We’ve all heard the rationale for this shirking of civic responsibility: Give the wealthy and the c...
