Category: Opinion
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Letter to the Editor – Rolfsen
Dear Editor, In the February 22, 2022, Commissioner meeting, Commissioner Pitman raised a stack of papers and reports which he claimed showed they had been working on MetraPark management since 2010 contradicting Commissioner Jones and his previous narrative that the private vs. county management discussion started with the November 1, 2021, meeting. Which is correct?…
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THE FINANCIAL FOCUS
Watch for changes in RMDs By Michael Vondra If you’re a certain age, you’ll need to withdraw money from some of your retirement accounts each year. But in 2022, the amount you must take out may be changing more than in other years – and that could affect your retirement income strategy. Here’s some…
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Stockgrowers Oppose Using Montana Wolves for Reintroduction in Colorado
From Northern Ag Network Recently, the effort regarding the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado has generated national attention and has started a conversation between Montana producers recalling our state’s own reintroduction over two decades ago and the significant impacts that came with it. This month, leaders from Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) discussed this issue and…
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Opinion – Mark Morse
Existing OVG/Metra Booking Contract a Bad Deal for Taxpayers By Mark Morse Can we agree a booking agreement should mean additional shows at MetraPark? The current contract between Yellowstone County (YCM) and Oak View Group (OVG), signed July 28, 2021 does not do that. The commissioners got taken to the cleaners by OVG. Nowhere does…
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States Resist Biden’s “social cost” of Carbon Plan
By William Patrick, The Center Square Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is asking a federal court in Lafayette to halt a Biden administration plan to apply climate change “social cost” damages when regulating certain industries. President Joe Biden issued an executive order shortly after taking office that resurrected an Obama administration initiative aimed at determining…
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New Hampshire is the freest state, New York is the least
By Bethany Blankey, The Center Square New Hampshire is the freest state in the U.S. compared to the rest of the country, while New York is the least free, according to the CATO Institute’s latest “Freedom in the 50 States” report. The nonprofit think tank’s report provides an in-depth look into personal and economic freedoms on…
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Letter to the Editor – Morse
Dear Editor, At the November 9, 2021 Commissioner’s meeting, we learned Commissioners Jones & Pitman are still trying to control the narrative on the privatization of MetraPark. Commissioner Jones opened the floor to public comment stating Commissioners would not answer questions or have any dialogue with speakers. Extra chairs were brought in to seat the…
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THE FINANCIAL FOCUS
Financial Moves for Women Business Owners By Michael Vondra If you’re a woman who owns a business, you may have some challenges not shared by your male peers – but you also have several opportunities to help improve your financial future. You may already be taking some or all the right steps, but here are…
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Texans Like Home Schooling
The number of Texas families pulling their children out of public schools and pursuing home-schooling in one week this month is five times greater than the same time period last year, the Texas Homeschool Coalition reports. “We are literally inundated with calls and emails from thousands upon thousands of families asking how they can begin…
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Tax Proposals Put Future of American Farms at Risk
The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with 46 state Farm Bureaus including the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, and 280 organizations representing family-owned agribusinesses, sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to leave important tax policies in place as they draft legislation implementing President Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda. The letter addresses four key tax…