Guest Opinion
Guest opinion: Sensible response needed to climate change
A Montanan usually takes a practical approach. We study a problem, figure out how to solve it, and then do it. That's how I was taught. My Montana roots go back to the 1870s, followed by a long line of tough, practical, conservative Montanans. As a geologist I followed the mold, working i…
Nov 07, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Forest bill would provide great hunting opportunities
As I walked past the "entering wilderness" sign with my hunting partner, Zach, I couldn't help but smile. We were going to spend the next few days hunting elk without the sound of old trucks rattling down the road or ATVs zipping up the trail around us. With only our bivvy sacks, sleeping…
Nov 07, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Federal dollars used to bankroll environmental lawsuits
It is a hallmark of our constitutional democracy that we go out of our way to ensure that everyday citizens are not trampled by a huge, faceless government. Sometimes we fail in that endeavor, but often we succeed. Americans have been afforded, by law, the ability to address legitimate gr…
Nov 07, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Obama has Fox; Truman had Time
Harry Truman could've taught Barack Obama a thing or two about how to deal with a hostile press - basically, by ignoring it.
Nov 05, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Obama views cost of war on nighttime visit to Dover
WASHINGTON - President Obama's middle-of-the-night visit to Dover Air Force Base to view the return of 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan was a dignified recognition of their sacrifice. But it also was a reminder to him of the human stakes in his long deliberations on the course to take i…
Nov 03, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Vendetta against ACORN shows double standard
Some of my best friends have worked for ACORN. They are honest, dedicated and moral individuals who appreciated the mission of this group, which has done so much good for some of our poorest citizens. So I take it personally when Congress reduces ACORN to an object lesson about the purpor…
Nov 01, 2009 | 12:05 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Let’s take healthier route on U.S. transportation policy
As Congress prepares to vote on health care this year, much of the discussion has centered on how best to insure Americans for care when they are injured or ill. Lost in that debate, as critical as it is, has been the need to address the features of modern life that are contributing to th…
Oct 31, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Blame bad bill for looming property tax hikes
I notice in the papers an effort by Sen. Jeff Essmann and Rep. Bob Lake (Oct. 11 guest opinion) to mislead Montanans about the property tax reappraisal bill they championed during the Session.
Oct 31, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: No relief in sight for low-income families as recession ends
As we all watch for signs that the economy is improving, any ray of hope is welcome relief. The big picture of the economy might be getting a bit brighter, but for many Montana families things are getting tougher.
Oct 31, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Iraqi electoral dispute worries Washington
BAGHDAD - Iraq's electoral commission is facing allegations of corruption and poorly supervised elections, with some members of parliament calling for reforms that could delay the country's January polls. Such a delay could have a major impact on U.S. policy, not only in Iraq, but in Afgh…
Oct 29, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
For some Afghans, 1 election is enough
HERAT, Afghanistan - Even before last week's announcement about a presidential election runoff, voters in this western province made it clear they were not interested in participating in another vote.
Oct 29, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Rubble belongs to Obama now, and Americans want him to own it
At a certain point, a president must own a presidency. For George W. Bush that point came eight months in, when 9/11 happened. From that point on, the presidency-all his decisions, all the credit and blame for them - was his. The American people didn't hold him responsible for what led up…
Oct 27, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Test reactor maintains safety, contributes to medical care
A Wyoming federal judge recently directed that interest groups be given greater access to technical documents about the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls (Oct. 11 Billings Gazette). News of the judicial action has prompted some to revisit their questions ab…
Oct 26, 2009 | 12:05 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Wealthy Pakistanis contributing to country’s strife
How many ways can Pakistanis shoot themselves in the foot? Let me count them.
Oct 25, 2009 | 12:05 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Stop nation building, just save our way of life
When it comes to Afghanistan, what separates President Barack Obama and Gen. Stanley McChrystal?
Oct 25, 2009 | 12:05 am | Loading…
Guest opinion: Take Teddy Roosevelt Republicans off endangered-species list
Montana's Teddy Roosevelt Republicans are not endangered. We may have been hibernating, but watch out now that we are waking up. It is time that we stop leaving the party to which we have been dedicated to our entire lives. Instead we should own it and take it back.
Oct 24, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest Opinion: 1st peace prize president fought many battles on principle
President Obama isn't the first American President to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The first president, as well as the first American, to receive that coveted honor was a one-time member of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, Theodore Roosevelt. He was also the first and only future presi…
Oct 24, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest Opinion: Unresolved Afghan vote revives fears of civil war
BALKH, Afghanistan - The still unresolved presidential election in Afghanistan is having a disruptive effect throughout the country, with the possibility of outright violence between political rivals in a key northern province.
Oct 21, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest Opinion: The editor who called for the genocide of the Sioux
Columnist Bruce Dancis wrote, "The Wizard of Oz has become so ingrained in the American psyche that today, 70 years after it was first released by MGM, the movie continues to inspire wonderment, laughter and tears."
Oct 17, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
Guest Opinion: The editor who called for the genocide of the Sioux
Columnist Bruce Dancis wrote, "The Wizard of Oz has become so ingrained in the American psyche that today, 70 years after it was first released by MGM, the movie continues to inspire wonderment, laughter and tears."
Oct 17, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…
