Opinion

What Presidential Debates Teach Us

Published on Mon, 08/05/2019 - 3:14pm

Listening to debates among presidential primary candidates invariably reminds me of the 1974 Democratic primary for New York governor. To set the scene: In November of 1973, Republican Nelson Rockefeller, four times elected chief executive of the Empire State who would later be chosen by President Gerald R. Ford to become the nation’s 41st vice president, resigned his governorship.

What if you like your private insurance?

Published on Mon, 08/05/2019 - 3:13pm

About 138 million Americans voted in the last presidential election.

Almost 220 million have private insurance.

“Medicare for All”? I can’t begin to imagine the bureaucracy.

Employer-based insurance is still the most popular; more than half of the population is covered by employer-based private plans. Jobs with benefits, my mother taught me as a kid — those were considered the good jobs. Even when you retired, good jobs with private insurance would provide for the huge gaps in Medicare.

Why in the world would we want to give up those benefits?

It’s time to commit to securing US elections

Published on Mon, 08/05/2019 - 3:11pm

“Moscow Mitch,” the “Russian asset.”

In this Donald Trump-led era of personal attacks and political incivility, those labels are being generously applied to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

National media reports indicate the Kentucky Republican is quite bothered by them, even rebutting them on the Senate floor.

In a word — good. McConnell should be bothered.

Let’s be honest about who’s at fault in Crazy Mountain trail troubles

Published on Fri, 08/02/2019 - 3:50pm

I am writing to respond to Erica Lighthiser’s column, “Alternative paths forward in Montana’s Crazy Mountains,” published in The Enterprise on Wednesday last week.

A couple weeks ago, two friends and I were found guilty of criminal trespassing for our attempt to walk the Porcupine Lowline, also known as Forest Service Trail #267, on the west side of the Crazy Mountains.

No matter who you are, you can get affordable primary care

Published on Fri, 08/02/2019 - 3:49pm

Editor:

There is a lot of uncertainty in American healthcare. Policies change every year, from the federal level on down. Despite that uncertainty, there is a bright spot in healthcare that has held steady for more than 50 years — the Community Health Center network. 

Our first responders should get a cut of bed taxes

Published on Fri, 08/02/2019 - 3:48pm

Editor:

Interesting article on local vacation rentals in the July 31 edition of The Livingston Enterprise. 

America’s intelligence chief must value honesty over politics

Published on Fri, 08/02/2019 - 3:38pm

Before President Trump picked Dan Coats to be the director of national intelligence, Mr. Coats spent 24 years in Washington as a member of the House and the Senate from Indiana, serving long stints on both the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. He had also been ambassador to Germany.

His predecessors included James Clapper, an Air Force lieutenant general who previously headed two other intelligence agencies, and Adm. Dennis Blair, who commanded United States naval forces in the Pacific.

The true dope on clothes pollution

Published on Thu, 08/01/2019 - 3:51pm

Do you worry that the clothes you buy pose an environmental hazard? The idea never crossed my mind until serious news sources started talking about it. The central claim was that the fashion industry is the world’s second biggest source of pollution, the first being oil. 

The story circulated so widely because few of us imagine that our T-shirts and track shoes could be hurting the environment big time. We’ll get to the scientific consensus on its accuracy shortly.

Free stuff!

Published on Thu, 08/01/2019 - 3:49pm

Never before have presidential candidates offered voters so much “free” stuff. 

Kamala Harris wants you to “collect up to $500 a month.” 

Elizabeth Warren says, “We need to go tenfold in our research and development in green energy.” 

No one has tracked the cost of all of the promises. So my video team did! 

Who will spend the most? 

Here are the new spending proposals from the five most popular (according to ElectionBettingOdds.com) candidates. 

In my latest video, we break it down by category, education spending first: 

The cruel farce of cutting food stamps

Published on Thu, 08/01/2019 - 3:47pm

The Trump administration, which often talks about the importance of reducing regulation, has found at least one place where it would like to add red tape. The Agriculture Department wants to make it more difficult for poor children to get enough food.