Here are three important issues confronting our community, region, and state: the 911 and open space bonds and the 147 referendum to repeal the ban on cyanide mining. We dial 911 when things go, or threaten to go, off the rails. It’s our link to first responders. Here are two personal examples. On a Sunday […]

Rapidly growing small towns like Bozeman face choices with long-term consequences for their communities. Next month, Gallatin County residents will be asked to consider its second open space bond initiative. While I tend to favor preserving open space, I also recognize there are tradeoffs. Alas, not all cherished values are free. To get some things […]

I was asked by a friend about my position on I-147, the initiative to repeal Montana’s ban on cyanide heap leach mining. He knows I am a strong supporter of free markets. He thought I would support repealing the ban, for it would generate jobs. He’s certainly wrong about my position, but his misunderstanding of […]

Many of us who love our region consider Wallace Stegner our most perceptive and insightful observer and constructive critic. He chastised a political economy and culture that fostered “boomers,” folks who high-graded, exploited, then bailed out. He admonished us to create a society worthy of our scenery and urged us to foster “nesters,” individuals who […]