The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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As the events of the past few months have unfolded, I have often found myself wondering what our Founders would have made of it all. Impossible to know, of course, but they had plenty of insight to offer. In particular, I keep returning to these lines from James Madison. He delivered them during the Virginia convention to ratify the Constitution, arguing that the surest safeguard against legislators and a government bent on malfeasance is the people themselves. "I go on this...
In an attempt to block a punt, the defender jumps toward the kicker to block the ball. Untouched, the kicker falls as if struck by lightning. Why? Fool the referee; draw a penalty; defeat the other team. Dishonest, unethical, of course; but winning trumps honesty or integrity. TV announcers cannot call this a "football move": suggestion; call it a: "Democrat move". Anyone observing even five minutes of Democrats impeaching Trump or talking about their fears of fellow...
I wanted to take a moment to write a word of thanks to our local medical folks at the Purview Clinic here in Lincoln. After several months of getting the run-around from doctors in Helena and Missoula, I reached out to the team here in Lincoln, hoping they could help me in some way. They handled things, communicated and were able to get done inside of 24 hours more than any of the "specialists" had been able to help me within six months. I had an appointment there on...
The Montana Legislature is leveling one of the most aggressive attacks on public hunters we've ever seen under the guise of protecting gun rights. HJ 5, sponsored by Rep. Brad Tschida, R-Lolo, states that taxing firearms is unconstitutional, and unenforceable. Apparently, Rep. Tschida and supporters of this measure don't like Montana's abundant wildlife, the habitat that supports it and the world-class hunting we all enjoy. That's because we've had a tax on firearms for 84 yea...
Critical Thinking is the OBJECTIVE analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement. It is a core academic skill and arguably a core life skill as well. Unfortunately, critical thinking is too often replaced with emotional reasoning (cognitive distortion where a person concludes that their emotional reaction proves something is true, regardless of evidence proving otherwise). The current threat to our Supreme Court institution perfectly illustrates this kind of replacement thinking. Calls for ‘court p...
Dear readers: I wish to express my viewpoint in light of Don Niemeir's opinion and words to me in the January 28th BVD. I appreciated his candid approach to our current national crisis as it forced me to do more research. Here are some other facts to consider: Mr. Niemeir states at the beginning of his letter that "the over-all death rate from all causes has not risen." In my study of the CDC website, I found statistics showing that on a weekly basis starting from March 28th,...
I would like to give a big shout out and thank you to all the personnel from Helena and those in Lincoln who made the drive-thru COVID-19 clinic possible on the 5th of February. You all did your jobs in an exemplary manner in difficult weather conditions. Job well done one and all! Let's hope the weather and travel conditions are better for the follow up. Again, thank you. A grateful senior, Carole Fleming...
If the past year's challenges posed by the pandemic have taught us anything, it's that Montanans in all corners of the state need increased, more affordable access to health care, and my bill moving through the state legislature will do just that. I'm sponsoring Senate Bill 101 to authorize Direct Patient Care in state law and expand access to affordable health care for Montanans all across the state. Direct Patient Care is a system where patients pay their doctors directly...
Sportsmen Beware. SB-143 Montana voters passed I-161 in 2010 to limit guaranteed outfitter tags. The current legislature (sponsor Jason Ellsworth (R) SD 43) has introduced SB-143 which negates I-161 thus bypassing the will of Montana voters. This Bill proposes to double the number of guaranteed outfitter licenses thus reducing non-outfitted non-residents. States which provide unrestricted landowner tags like proposed in this bill have experienced significant loss of public...
Letter to the Editor: Dr. Neimeir made several good points in his letter in response to Liz's, but the one that I feel compelled to echo, endorse, and shout from the top of Dalton Mountain is "make no mistake . . . it's all about politics." My Poli-Sci 101 textbook described "politics" as the means by which power is distributed and redistributed in any society. Politics is the machinery that produces power over people and resources. At its core, politics is about who has...
Do you hunt with out of state family and friends? Do you hunt private lands without an outfitter or guide? Have you been applying for a Missouri River Breaks or Elkhorns bull tag for every single year? If so, you better pay attention. SB 143, sponsored by Sen. Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, would turn the vast majority of non-resident big game licenses offered in Montana to "outfitter sponsored" tags favoring hunters with money who use outfitters. It would also create landowner...
Dear Liz Cain, Your response to my Christmas letter has just been brought to my attention. My first reaction was, aren't you glad that we both live in a free society where we can both express divergent, but open and honest viewpoints? (although that perspective seems to be rapidly disappearing in the stampede to flatten the curve and save the planet. I also believe your letter deserves a response. You took me to task for not following medical guidelines of health care...
If the months since the November elections have shown us anything, it’s that the US is more deeply divided than we’ve experienced in a very long time. This has been building at least since the 1990s, starting in Congress and ultimately coming to be reflected in a polarized electorate, but it’s reached the point where, rather than take pleasure in the success of a politician elected to the presidency, you have to keep your fingers crossed on his behalf. For starters, we now h...
We know most folks that come in our little country store, the rest are strangers for only a short time. Wearing a disguise or a mask, alarm bells would have rung load and clear. A lawman and I exchanging hellos outside a local bank with masks, cuffed and stuffed comes to mind. What a difference a couple weeks can make on how we interact. Here we are now, corona virus time, with masks and all the other restrictions. Yes the virus is deadly serious to some as is influenza,...
As one of the most challenging years in Montana history comes to a close, we want to call Montanans' attention to the important role our state parks and fishing access sites have played during the COVID crisis. As social distancing became necessary and isolation common, Montana's parks and access sites offered a way for families to "be alone together" in the great outdoors. In the first half of the year alone, four out of five state parks experienced increases in visitation,...
Don Niemeir, what is wrong with you? Maybe you should stick to preaching the gospel, which I hear you're very good at, because you seem to know nothing about science. You could be a respected voice for following the guidelines of medical experts who are trying to save our lives! It's not as if they are asking us to fly to the moon (probably a safer choice these days), just THIS ONE CHRISTMAS, since Thanksgiving produced 1,500,000 more cases of COVID: avoid crowds, indoor...
Tomorrow we celebrate the most important day in the history of the world and the holiest day in the Christian world: The birth of Jesus Christ. My one hope is that as a Christian nation, we can do a better job of being a Christian nation. Have a Merry Christmas and may the Lord be with you on your journey through life. And please pray for our Republic. Mike Dey Missoula...
As I wrap up my four-year term as your State Auditor, I'm reminded of a common lesson Montana parents teach our children: leave things better than you found them. On a family camping trip that might mean picking up a forgotten piece of litter and leaving behind some extra firewood for the next folks to use. To me right now, it means leaving this office in great shape for our next Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Troy Downing. When I was sworn in, Montanans were...
Just wanted to send out a little Hey Howdy Hey of thanks to the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch. When I left Lincoln this last time it was mainly because I was worried about my dog. He was needing a little surgery done and with his age I thought it would be best that he be closer to his vet. His surgery went well, and he is doing great now. After we had left Lincoln, we went on close to a month long camping trip. We stayed at Flint Creek Campground between Philipsburg and...
Dear Editor, America is suffering from a mental health tragedy. Forty percent of Americans – and a whopping 75 percent of young adults – are struggling with a mental health issue or drug-related problem during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With the onset of winter, and Seasonal Affective Disorder, the situation is likely to deteriorate further in the coming months. Companion animals can help many people cope this winter....
I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped make Santa’s Workshop 2020 a reality for our local kids, and for all of the flexibility around getting the crafts to the kids who would have normally participated in person at the school. First, a thank you to the Lincoln Council for the Arts for their continued financial support. To Jill Frisbee, who normally puts everything together, for sitting down and meeting with the committee and getting us items to put together in kits for the kids. To volunteers Laura But...
The COVID pandemic has brought healthcare affordability into the spotlight like never before. The question is whether this crisis will be an impetus to rein in the alarming growth in healthcare costs or if we will go right back to business as usual. At both the state and federal levels, reformers are working to make improvements to both the quality and affordability of healthcare. In Congress, support is building to take up legislation to curb surprise medical billing. The...
Montana is not the only place with an economy that depends on its rich natural resources, though I would argue that it is the most spectacular. And I learned firsthand, making my living off the state's timber, the importance of careful stewardship of the wealth that comes from our rivers and forests. My wood products company sat right at the foot of the Cabinet Mountains, with water so clean and wildlife so abundant, it's easy to forget that these things are the stuff of...
Thank you to the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch for publishing the Nov. 12 article, "Ovando Residents Donate to Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance." We have many unsung heroes in our communities, and they come with different talents and skills, and from different walks of life and different zip codes. One thing they have in common: service and appreciation. As always, my thanks go out to Aaron Birkholz and the rest of the crew at the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance for their dedication to...
Last week the BVD published a story regarding COVID-19 cases in Lincoln, based on information provided by Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance President Aaron Birkholz. I published the story because I felt it was timely, given the increasing caseload in the county, and important for people to recognize there is a far higher COVID-19 risk in Lincoln than most people are probably aware of. Last weekend I learned that, following the story, Aaron has received negative backlash for the info...
