Seeley Swan Pathfinder -

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is not widely understood, but it is very important, because it sets the rates that we pay for utilities, like electricity, etc. The current Commission takes its marching orders from the utilities which they are...

Here is how I am voting: Judges, Propositions and Public Service Commission: http://kvs.org/vote/ballot-part1.pdf Five candidates: http://kvs.org/vote/ballot-part2.pdf My ballot: http://kvs.org/vote/ballot2020.pdf U.S. Senator: STEVE BULLOCK has...

Here is how I am voting: Last week’s letter dealt with Propositions, Judges and the Public Service Commission. You can view it here: http://kvs.org/vote/ballot-part1.pdf MT House Rep, HD 92: TOM BROWDER is a native Montanan, who lives in the...

By next week, your ballots will have arrived in the mail. For whatever it’s worth, here is how I am voting. You can view a sample of my ballot at http://kvs.org/vote/ballot2020.pdf I will start out with the parts that baffle many people....

One of the most important votes you will cast this year is for Montana Supreme Court. Most people ignore judicial contests, so your vote will carry extra weight. Mike Black is by far the superior candidate. Black, a fourth generation Montanan, was...

Raph Graybill is one of the most talented lawyers I have met. A fifth generation Montanan he currently serves as Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Bullock. He has work experience as both an attorney and a police officer. He has practiced before the US...

It’s time for Senator Steve Daines to get with the program and be a real champion for Montana’s public lands. Daines likes to talk about how supportive he is of our outdoor way of life but we see right through it when he refuses to support...

For whatever it’s worth, this is for whom I’m voting in selected Democratic Primary races and why.  One of the most important votes you will cast is for Montana Supreme Court (at the end of the ballot). Most people ignore it, so your vote will...

Monica Tranel is a highly skilled lawyer who specializes in utility law and has practiced in front of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and in the courtroom defending consumers.  She is full of energy. A two-time competitor in the Olympics,...

I strongly support Shannon O’Brien, who is running as a Democrat for the Montana State Senate, District 46, which stretches from Condon to Bonner, includes half of downtown Missoula and part of the University district. Shannon’s resume is highly...

Senator Steve Daines and Representative Greg Gianforte, according to press reports, are in Montana for the August congressional recess (or “state work period”). They are holding invite only roundtables and discussions (like Daines’ guest...

I was surprised and shocked to read Mike Hopkins’ letter to the editor in the last issue. I know Mike as friendly with a sense of humor, not shrill and hysterical. I can only assume that somebody else wrote the letter and Mike signed it without...

For whatever it’s worth, this is how I will vote when the mail ballots arrive in a couple of days: Jon Tester for the U.S. Senate. Jon is a dirt farmer and a real Montanan. His opponent is a real estate developer from back east, who moved here rece...

Lee is an extraordinarily talented and unconventional person. She was the first women to be admitted to the Sheet Metal Workers Union and the devices she builds are not only useful but also in high demand. Politically, Lee has an astonishing talent...

I strongly support Alex Beal for Justice of the Peace. Not only is he highly qualified but his opponent, the current judge, is an embarrassment to the judiciary. Alex has been a prosecutor, public defender and attorney in private practice for 13 year...

There are three contested statewide races on the ballot this year: US Senate, US Congress and a third one that receives little public attention, Clerk of the MT Supreme Court. While the office is obscure to most people, it fulfills an important...

SEELEY LAKE - Most of you know that a petition has been circulated at a number of businesses that aims to have the Forest Service remove our current Ranger Rachel Feigley. Without mentioning her by name and in no specific terms, Rachel is being...

For those of you who vote by mail you should have received your ballot by now. The actual primary at the polls is on June 5. For whatever it’s worth, here is for whom I am going to vote. Grant Kier for US House. Despite two worthy opponents,...

MISSOULA - We are in the rare and fortunate position to choose between two highly qualified and thoughtful candidates for County Commissioner. Josh Slotnik brings a welcome new face to public life. However, Jean Curtiss’ experience is unmatched....

I have known and admired Cecil for almost 20 years. His has been an amazing personal journey, starting with growing up in an Amish community in Ohio, where he was forced to quit school after eighth grade to work on the family farm. At the age of 18,...

SEELEY LAKE - There is not enough space in this column to list all the accomplishments and dedication to our community of these five outstanding people, which have already been documented on these pages last week. Suffice it to say that they all...

SEELEY LAKE - A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is just that: a possible event which offers enormous gain but will never be re-offered and if not seized will leave decades of regret in its wake. The federal government, whose purse strings are rapidly...

Seventy thousand Montanans would lose their health insurance, more than 20 million nationwide. The bill would be a disaster - especially for rural areas. Hospitals would not be able to recover the costs of emergency treatments for people without...

A lot (perhaps too much) has been said, written and broadcast about the upcoming special race for Montana’s lone Congressional seat on May 25. While I disagree with some of Rob Quist’s positions, and even more so with Gianforte’s views, the...

SEELEY LAKE - It was with dismay that I learned last week that the Pathfinder was attacked for your coverage of the sewer vote. As you know, I am not an uncritical reader, but I have never seen any hint of bias or slant in your paper. In fact, I...