Editorials

GUEST EDITORIAL: The real fear of town hall meetings is facing the truth

Published on Tue, 02/28/2017 - 3:04pm

Across the United States, democracy is taking place, as previously apathetic or disengaged residents decide to take an active role in their government, largely through attendance at congressional town hall meetings.

Now that people care enough to ask questions and compel lawmakers to do their work, it seems some members of Congress aren’t quite so interested in the sometimes ugly, unruly and uncontrollable American public.

GUEST EDITORIAL: Selective worry about free speech

Published on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 9:09am

So it appears nobody will miss Barnum and Bailey when the circus folds its tent for the last time. What with Presidential press conferences these days, jumping lions and parading elephants are tame by comparison.

Say what you want about President Trump’s press conferences – and most people do – they are great entertainment. Sure, he gets off track. Often. And no, he is not the most eloquent speaker. And yes, you are not alone if you cringe at some of the things he says.

ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL: Mail-in ballot for Zinke seat is the right move

Published on Fri, 02/24/2017 - 4:45pm

A bill that will save taxpayer money and streamline the process of electing Montana’s next U.S. representative took a crucial step forward Friday on a 35-to-15 vote before the state Senate.

Senate Bill 305 would give counties the option of conducting a mail-ballot election in the coming months to determine who replaces Rep. Ryan Zinke, who was recently named as President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL: Generous spirit

Published on Wed, 02/22/2017 - 4:40pm

The Atlanta Falcons may not have been victorious in the Super bowl earlier this month, but the team’s owner, Arthur Blank, has won a place in the hearts of many nonprofit organization members in Park County.

Blank, whose business credentials, in addition to owning the Falcons, include co-founding Home Depot, has a strong connection to Park County. He owns the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in Paradise Valley and recently purchased another valley ranch, the 6,300-acre West Creek Ranch near Emigrant.

ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL: Nixle works

Published on Fri, 02/10/2017 - 2:55pm

Park County’s new emergency notification system went to work Thursday, informing area residents and motorists of flooding in the region and keeping them informed as the situation unfolded.

We’ve used these pages before to tell you about the county’s new Nixle system and, following Thursday’s big melt, now’s an opportune time to remind Park County residents of the benefits of signing up.

ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL: Debating the ultimate punishment

Published on Wed, 02/08/2017 - 3:18pm

Should Montana abolish the death penalty?

State legislators have tried to do so many times before — every year since at least 1999, most notably in the 2015 session when the measure failed on a tie in the House, the Associated Press reports. Now in the 2017 Legislature, Rep. Adam Hertz, R-Missoula, has introduced a bill that would impose a sentence of life in prison without parole instead of execution.

GUEST EDITORIAL: Don’t kick Land and Water Conservation Fund down the road

Published on Tue, 02/07/2017 - 3:46pm

With so much on its plate this session, the new Congress could do itself and future Congresses a favor by breaking its long-standing habit of kicking simple but important measures down the road with only partial funding and temporary authorization. Clearing its schedule of these items would allow it to devote more energy to resolving the more complex matters facing the nation.

GUEST EDITORIAL: Public servants cannot ignore public record laws

Published on Mon, 02/06/2017 - 3:22pm

Though the Montana Constitution states public records must be provided to anyone who asks for them, the state is giving our public servants an easy way out.

ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL: Updating procedures for closing I-90 should be priority

Published on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 3:18pm

Lt. Tom Totland walked away from this one.

He’ll attend his son’s basketball game today in Belgrade and return to work after his day off from the Park County Sheriff’s Office.

But looking back, he might tell you, “That was a close one.”

Totland responded to an accident Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 90, only to have his parked patrol rig severely damaged by a semi-trailer driving through the area of the crash scene. Thankfully, Totland wasn’t inside his patrol vehicle when it was struck, and he wasn’t injured.

ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL: You have the right to peace of mind

Published on Wed, 02/01/2017 - 2:34pm

The current American political climate, the 24-hour news cycle and constant social media stimulation is enough to drive an otherwise happy person to distraction, unhappiness and even clinical depression. 

Life doesn’t have to be like this — you have the right to peace of mind. 

Here are some suggestions for regaining equanimity in a modern world.