For most of his life Kevin Harris worked in lumber mills like so many others in the Flathead did. Logging and mill jobs in the robust, forested areas of Northwestern Montana provided pride and prosperity for years, until curbed dramatically by new regulations. Without work for nearly three months and…

Here's why the very popular alliance commonly called "public-private partnerships," or why excessive control of business by government, are not good in terms of maintaining a level playing field in the market or preserving our economic liberty: General Electric, Co. has been quietly informing gun shop owners that the company…

Montana exports had a record year in 2012—led by grain, Montana exported over $2.48 billion in high value grain last year. We're producing products and commodities that the world wants, and all our communities benefit from the resulting jobs, economic growth, and tax revenue. But to continue to thrive in…

The good news is that business is terrific right now for the professionals who are paid to prepare tax returns. The bad news is that the tax code that ensures their success is weighing down an essential sector of job creation: small business. Ninety-one percent of small-business owners surveyed recently…

After three months of sustained growth, the March NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism ended its slow climb, declining 1.3 points and landing at 89.5. In the 44 months of economic expansion since the beginning of the recovery in July 2009, the Index has averaged 90.7, putting the March reading…

The publisher of a national industry magazine, the Oil Patch Hotline, recently called Montana's former Gov. Brian Schweitzer "a loose cannon." He also underscored the negative impact to Montana and other states by the federal government's refusal to forward royalty payments on the sale of oil and gas leases.

Is stream access doomed? That is the question sportsmen are whispering across Big Sky Country, as a special interest group pushes a bridge access case it lost through the state appellate court. At stake is the state's claim of legal control over 68,000 miles of privately owned stream bed. That…

We're against expanding Medicaid during Montana's 2013 legislative session. You knew that. In short, it's bad welfare policy, bad economic policy and bad health care policy. * Medicaid expansion will cost Montana's businesses and taxpayers $50 million after all the 'free' federal money, jobs, tax revenues and all the other so-called…

The Montana Farm Bureau, along with the American Farm Bureau, has expressed strong dismay that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowed special interest groups to gain private information about farmers and ranchers in a release of information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Working with counsel, AFBF has…

Montana newspapers report on March 29: "The governor also signed a bill ...sought by gun advocates that would make the state's list of concealed weapon permit holders confidential." No dah! Just exactly as proclaimed in a previous editorial. Government will never miss an opportunity to cloak its activities. Montana citizens…

Three years ago this month President Barack Obama signed into law a sweeping overhaul of our nation's health care system. More than 1,000 days later, farmers, ranchers and other families and small business owners are still waiting for the "care" and "affordability" that the name of the law, the Patient…

Are we all so petty and spoiled that we can't deal with serious problems? The White House ends public tours, and there is controversy. Really? Faced with a plummet over the financial cliff, are we really supposed to be outraged at this deprivation? We might feel insulted to be treated…

Dear Editor I was happy to see one of our area's House representatives—Mr. Doug Kary—sponsored HB474. This proposed legislation would authorize $9,500 to study prospects of chartering a state central bank.   Please consider: 1. Our current national debt is $16.6 trillion; $147,275 per taxpayer. 2. In 2012 our budget…

Chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) William C. Dunkelberg, issued the following statement on the February job numbers, based on NFIB's monthly economic survey released on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The survey was conducted in January and reflects the responses of 870 sampled NFIB members:

It's that time of year again—tax time. Boston threw a tea party to protest it; Shakespeare and Mark Twain have prattled off quotes about it; the Beatles even dedicated a song to it. Nothing brings people together more than rallying against a tax. While taxes are necessary for a functioning…

A Company's Credit Application is Important It is important for business owners and others in an organization to realize how legally binding and helpful a credit application can be in case of a delinquent debtor. Everyone in the company needs to understand the importance of obtaining a credit application from…