MATR News Comments

"The State with the Best Education Wins!"

MATR News Comments

You may be interested to know that we've recently created a new podcast about this research at Idaho
National Laboratory. Here's the link: http://www.inl.gov/portal-files/mars_podcast.mp3
— rkwok

Referring to article: Sensitive laser instrument developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory collaborating with researchers at the University of Montana could aid search for life on Mars (Oct 15th, 2008)

I'm glad Microsoft is giving some small businesses something. My husband and I just started a small
business. To date, we have spent approximately $500 in IT assistance to get Microsoft Vista to work
with/print from Quicken or Quickbooks. Cut the Mojave advertising already and fix Vista!
— Betty

Referring to article: Microsoft is Giving Away Software to Spark Startups (Nov 5th, 2008)

You are right about manufacturing getting lazy. Too often upper management focuses on instant
gratification (bonuses) and lets the market lead them to and in many cases, over the proverbial
cliff. North American manufacturers need to kick start the new ideas sector and take control of
their own destiny. Reinvest, retool and rewrite your business plans, as though your life depended
on it. It probably does, unless you are already living under your golden parachute. It is
necessity that drives mankind and need for natural resources will continue whether they are
renewable or not. If we want to make the transition to less dependency on oil, we need to invest in
fuel efficient power plants, demand that new buildings are energy efficient and support innovative
energy production. I am guessing that Neve leaves a much bigger carbon foot print then the
roughnecks that she was preaching to.
— David Williams

Referring to article: Some oilsands math from Alberta (Nov 13th, 2008)

Historians write that great civilizations are destroyed from within. Senator Obama, while
remarkably articulate when speaking from a prompter, has never left me anything but bored; I have
always been, however, totally resistant to hypnotic suggestion. I’ve never met Mr. Cooper,
but it is beyond me how any NRA Member, let alone a life member, could be un-familiar with the
Senator’s stand on private ownership of firearms. Until the Heller decision this past summer,
he never saw a gun-grabbing attempt that he didn’t like, and he was on the wrong side of
Heller until the evening the decision was handed down. All of that is thoroughly documented in NRA
publications and mailings. The fact that his web site has statements to the contrary should serve
only to demonstrate his penchant for prevarication! You or I could not pass a background check
for a sensitive government job if we had the associations that Senator Obama has. Refusing to
produce his birth certificate would disqualify him for a job in the White House that he wishes to
call home! As for building the economy and improving the business climate, I’m convinced
that he didn’t know what the payroll tax was until the last couple of weeks. He has no
concept of how small business operates because he has never had to make a payroll or read a profit
and loss statement. I could easily go on for another hour or more, but it’s late and my
arthritis has been flaring up so missing sleep is not an option. Sad though it is, the right
decision was made in this case.
— Jeff Kindrick

Referring to article: Stevensville, Montana rifle maker, Cooper Firearms bounces founder who supports Obama (Oct 30th, 2008)

Thanks Max Baucus but no thanks. We should not be seeking funds from the federal government at any
time for pet projects(and I love biking) for our local community but we should fund them ourselves.
This pork barrel type of request need to stop. Why should federal transportation dollars pay fro
bike trail or things like ball parks in Billings, MT.
— Joel

Referring to article: Missoula eyes $50 million from feds for biking, walking trails (Oct 21st, 2008)

This article and it's "survey", sponsored by the MFF group, should be countered with an article that
has an opposite, but similarly biased, agenda. dc
— dc

Referring to article: Montana parents express opinions on school choice (Oct 17th, 2008)

I don't know Mr Poole very well but who cares. Look at what he and his crew have done for us in Big
Sky. Given us many more choices for places to Ski, stay and enjoy. His vision has allowed growth
which includes many new jobs and services in the area that would not be there if it wern't for
him. We can get very excited to join in on the kicking when things get tough for some. I would say
at this point in time it would be better to get behind Mr Poole and help him through to make sure
the facilities he is putting together are there for us and many more in the years to come. I don't
care if he gets rich in the process it was his idea and so he should. He is tough and will make it
through with or without the help but better to help than to kick. Just my opinion. Sean Brady.
Billings Mt
— Sean Brady

Referring to article: Moonlight Basin Ranch CEO denies rumors of bankruptcy (Oct 11th, 2008)

Finally...a step forward in the advancement of viable, renewable "green" energy sources! I'm
excited to see this merger and the development of the wind farm. Great Blessings to the Laney's and
all those involved.
— Kate

Referring to article: Ireland Wind Energy Company announces joint venture with AirDynamics of Clarkston, Washington - Gaelectric Northwest (Oct 13th, 2008)

How is your state using the virtual world to provide information on careers in the state, link to
Web sites of communities, hold job fairs and promote the benefits of building and growing
businesses? This is a huge cost effective opportunity for every state, company and organization
that's willing to put in the time.
— Russ

Referring to article: Government Consortium to Investigate Virtual World Best Practices. $148.5m invested in virtual worlds in Q3 (Oct 15th, 2008)

I use SKYPE which is free, world-wide for calls to other Skype phones. Calls to non-Skype users is
0.02 cents per minute. I never get a bill; I pre-pay $10.00 or so at a time. Skype tells me when I
need to replenish. I can add many parties to a conference call. A simple, $15.00 headset with a
mic is all one needs. The download software is free. Video can be added with a webcam which cost
$15.00 (wihtout audio) to $50.00 (with audio). So what makes Clearfly better and cheaper than
Skype? I don't own any stock in Skype so this is not a Skype ad. The audio quality has greatly
improved, but is not perfect -- it's good enough for me. Skype is not the only VOIP vendor.
Also, when the "articles" such as the above (which are really "infomercials") run, why are
prices not mentioned?
— Jim Miller

Referring to article: Clearfly Communications announces regional expansion throughout the western US. (Oct 10th, 2008)

Candy's Colorland has a new website: www.candyscolorland.com
— karen

Referring to article: Candy's Colorland - Plastic playhouses a hit for Cascade, Montana entrepreneur (Aug 11th, 2008)

"Panel pushes new version of tourist tax." This is nothing new, just another attempt to impose a
sales tax on the people of Montana. According to the article, "[Bruce] MacIntyre said the tax
would be a way for outsiders to contribute to Montana's economy and that some 10 million tourists
visit Montana every year. He said roughly 40 percent of the tax would come from them." So who pays
the remaining 60 percent? Answer: one million Montanans. "Tourist tax," indeed! Does Mr.
MacIntyre think that tourists who spend their money on goods and services don't contribute to
Montana's economy? If his title is Director of Government Affairs for the Billings C of C, etc.,
I'm glad I don't live in Billings! Come on, Bruce, stop the bureaucratic drivel and call it what it
is: a sales tax. I don't want it! If I were a tourist I would not feel welcome in Montana if a
"tourist tax" is passed. Instead, we should advertise the fact that we have no sales tax, and
suggest tourists bring an empty suitcase (better, yet, buy one here). In December 2006, I did a
study on sales taxes in the states and provinces surrounding Montana. You could pay as low as 4% in
parts of S. Dakota & Wyoming to as high as 9% in parts of Idaho. In Canada the General Sales Tax is
6%, with a Provincial Sales Tax added to it. You pay 6% in Alberta (no Provincial Tax), 13% in
British Columbia, and 11% in Saskatchewan. We are an island of relief in a sea of plunder. Let's
keep it that way.
— Dale P. Ferguson

Referring to article: Panel at The Montana League of Cities and Towns pushes new version of local option tourist tax (Oct 10th, 2008)

The best part of my trip to Yellowstone National Park this past summer (2008)was the fact that cell
phones did not work in most areas. What a joy to take in the incredible scenery and savor its
beauty without some one yakking on the phone! I was on vacation....no TV, no radio and no cell
phone! What a luxury in today's world of unnecesary noise. If you can't go to Yellowstone without
being "in touch", then stay home.
— barbara madison

Referring to article: Yellowstone National Park wireless plan draws protests (Oct 7th, 2008)

Congratulations to Larry Noonan and his wonderful staff . Had a chance to preview Apostrophe at a
recent meeting and was thoroughly impressed. Great work from great people!
— Klaus Sitte

Referring to article: Montana magazine "Apostrophe" for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities hits newsstands (Sep 16th, 2008)

Just a clarifiction: Montana State Fund did not "loose" the $26m. Those are unrealized losses, due
to the goings-on in the markets. They represent about 2.6% of our total portfolio, which has been
performing well. Montana State Fund doesn't control our investments. By law, the Montana Board of
Investments has the control, and makes adjustments as they see fit. MSF gets a quarterly report.
As I said, the BOI has done well, and as a result, MSF has been able to consistently strengthen
reserves against adverse development of claims.
— Carl Kochman

Referring to article: Concerns arise over ballot issue as Montana State Fund loses $26 million (Oct 3rd, 2008)

This is a great new service for Montana which is always in the top 5, if not the top 2, nationwide
for suicides. It is particularly helpful for youths who are much more familiar with and
comfortable with technology as well as people in rural areas which have limited access to mental
health professionals.
— Alexis

Referring to article: Montana Warm Line launched to support those with mental illness. (Oct 6th, 2008)

As Montana is already focused on many of the goals outlined in this report, I'd like to suggest that
Montana consider joining the list of Leadership States and focus even more on the aspects of
education that can help Montana continue to move forward. “In the New Economy, knowledge,
rather than natural resources, is the raw material of business.” —Center for Regional Studies,
2002
— Russ

Referring to article: 21st Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness - A Resource and Policy Guide (Oct 2nd, 2008)

Everything that goes up must at some point come down. This seems to be the case with Moonlight. It
is one of the most well thought out visionary projects in the country and looks to have a fantastic
future as long as it can weather the storm. It is a first class resort with a very bright future and
if I wasn't experiencing similar problems caused by the current fall out I would be investing in
Moonlight myself.the visionary behind Moonlight, Lee Poole has done a brilliant job laying the
foundation of what will probably eventually become the premier ski resort in the north western
united sates.
— Sean Brady

Referring to article: Big Sky, Montana resorts, Moonlight Basin Ranch and The Yellowstone Club struggling to pay the bills (Sep 26th, 2008)

PROSPECTS FOR THE BIODIESEL INDUSTRY Where we've been. The biodiesel industry
has reached a crisis point. The demand for biodiesel has promoted the construction of a large
number of biodiesel plants. These refineries use the oils from many plants, but especially soy.
The cost of seed oil has risen dramatically because of the rise in petrodiesel costs to farm and the
demand for ethanol as an additive to gasoline. Ethanol is used in the processing of
biodiesel. In Europe, many of the biodiesel plants have been moth-balled because of the high cost
of oil seed oil. Imperim Renewables, Gray's Harbor WA, is finishing a 100,000 million gallon per
year plant, with no assured source of vegetable oil. They are reluctant to import palm oil because
of the adverse ecological impact of the palm plantations. Other refineries are facing the same
supply issues. The favored source of oil, algal oil, has been touted as the liquid fuel source of
the future – and indeed it is. Most early investors put their money up to fund the construction of
algae farms. Guess what? They proved they could grow algae using a wide variety of technologies.
Where we're at. Slowly, it dawned on these producers and their investors, that while
they could successfully grow algae, they had only very inefficient means of extracting the oil from
the algae cells. The universities were of no help since most of their funding was to discover ways
of growing algae and tweaking the DNA. None have developed any new technologies to extract the oil
in a continuous, large volume process. There are ways of fracturing the algae cell to get at the
lipids floating around in the cytoplasm. Heat, pressure drop, impingement, solvents, crushing,
grinding with small ceramic bebees – all have been tried. Yet much of the technology, derived from
the lab bench was not scalable to commercial standards, except at great cost and poor
results. AlgalOilDiesel to the rescue. We have found the technological “sweet spot” for
harvesting Chlorella vulgaris cells and extracting the algal oil. The process of harvesting the
mature “parent” cells and returning the “daughter” cells to the head of the growing system has been
solved. The opening of the Chlorella cell is done by negative pressure leaving the cell wall
intact, looking like an opened flower. The cytoplasm and the cell walls are separated and then the
lipids (oil) removed, returning the balance of the cytoplasm to the algae production system to add
to the nutrient. The cell walls can be dehydrated and sold as a health food supplement or fermented
into ethanol. The wash water used to clean the raw biodiesel is laced with Potassium and serves as
a nutrient. The remaining mechanical issues are: how big do we make the system to handle what
quantity of algae? If our clients will tell the quantity, we can build the machinery to handle the
clients' request. We are not dealing in rocket science. We are not interested in doing study after
study like the universities and think tanks. We want to build the machine the client wants and get
it into operation fast. We will stand behind our work and tweak the equipment when necessary. We
are constantly on the look-out for new ideas. The technology in this field is a moving target, and
we move with it. In terms of scale, our designs will serve two primary markets: The small farmer
cooperative of fifteen to fifty members, using at least 100,000 gallons of biodiesel a year, and the
larger farm which is producing algae which converts to 10 million gallons of biodiesel a year.
While the equipment we build (the cell harvester and the cell rupture machine) are fully scalable,
some of the equipment we buy from others has not been scalable, except by installing a bank of
units. These units include filters, separators, polishers, and solvent recovery devices. We are
working with many of these vendors and encouraging them to scale up their equipment. We have
encountered the age old problem of “why invent, develop and make a much larger machine, since no one
has demanded such machine”. Before Xerox was invented, no one demand a Xerox copier. We have
the science and engineering talent in our firm and the advanced knowledge of where technology should
be driven to solve the “Xerox” conundrum. We will not likely be on the front page of the WSJ any
time soon. We are not interested in selling out to an oil company, merely to see our patents and
technology suppressed. We know that Chlorella divides 2.5 times per hour. The growth/harvest cycle
is about ten days as against annually for oil seed crops. We can grow the algae in cover ponds in
the middle of winter in Montana on non-crop soils. We can grow it on dry desert lands. We can make
our own distilled water. The wash water can be used to grow algae and other crops. The co-product,
glycerol, has many profitable uses, despite what you may have read about the glut of raw glycerine
on the market. We want to use the “free” energy of geothermal wells, the Sun and wind energy. We
want to be as green as we can get with the smallest carbon footprint. Contact
information: AlgalOilDiesel, LLP 530 NW 13th St., Corvallis, OR 97330 Landline: 541-757-9797;
cell: 541-971-0403; Skype: jimmiller5417 or 541-359- 3676. Attention: James E. Miller Website:
http://algaloildiesel.wetpaint.com
— jimmiller5417

Referring to article: New Route to Hydrocarbon Biofuels (Sep 22nd, 2008)

The work that Greg Mortensen has done and continues to do is an inspiration. It is amazing how one
person can change an entire region of the world through one small promise and follow through. I
hope to use his inspiration to make a difference in the sphere I operate. It would be amazing to
see if the gurus Washington D.C. ever pay attention to his take on the problems in Central Asia and
take action to finally do the right thing without war. Thank you, Greg!
— Kristine Larson

Referring to article: Women's work: MSU's Chabot brings female voice to Central Asia Institute (Sep 19th, 2008)

What a great concept for a magazine! Now if we could just get some activities for children with
mild to severe developmental delays in Missoula that provide year-round fun!
— Kristine Larson

Referring to article: Montana magazine "Apostrophe" for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities hits newsstands (Sep 16th, 2008)

Read your article on the Russian virus this am and realized that I have this bug. Aside from taking
the computer up to KBS Computer Solutions, is there a way I can delete it myself, or have a local
technician delete it? Thank you. I always enjoy your articles and Sunday column. Ron Wright
— Ron Wright

Referring to article: Russian computer roulette in Billings (Sep 21st, 2008)

Carolyn: I tried your phone number and got a very short burst: "How neat you are" and the line
went dead. Please call me about the lease mediator position: 541-757-9797. Thanks, Jim Miller
— Jim Miller

Referring to article: Montana Career Opportunity - Mediator Needed (Sep 16th, 2008)

As a one more piece of information to help us actually make that impact, here is the information on
the Green jobs Act passed into law last year as Title X of the 2007 Energy Bill that I spoke about
at the MEDA conference (Here is the act http://www.matr.net/files/green-jobs-act.pdf and the FAQ’s
http://www.matr.net/files/faq-greenjobsact07.pdf ) and told membership I would get them the info (I
had some folks ask me for it after as well). The bill has yet to be appropriated but if it
gets fully funded it will, as a pilot program, initially provide 125 million a year in the form of
block grants and training funds to partnerships (government and nonprofit entities and others) and
help fund the new green economy. Washington state is already poised to get this funding because
they created their own state program which prepares them for the dollars when they do get
appropriated. We need to let our congressional delegation know that it is important for
Montanans that this act gets FULLY funded and we need to set up the infrastructure necessary to
actually be competitive (like Washington State). Let me know if you have any questions Beth
Berlin http://climatesolutions.org/ 206-443-9570
— Beth Berlin

Referring to article: Green Economic Recovery Program - Impact on Montana - Part of a National Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy (Sep 10th, 2008)

How can Montana educate and support our "small business owners" so they can strive to become
entrepreneurs?
— Russ

Referring to article: Why Small-Business Owners Aren’t Always Entrepreneurs (Sep 10th, 2008)

I have a mobile unit that has six bedrooms two showers and a kitchen for lease on your
site.720-225-7319
— Ken

Referring to article: Baker, Montana - No housing slump here! Developers needed! (May 21st, 2008)

Well the only good thing that would come from that would be we'd get rid of him! Clearly whoever
wrote this article has never met B.S. and certainly doesn't know what he's really like!
— laverne

Referring to article: Finally, Some Sense: Montana's Gov. Schweitzer for Energy Secretary (Aug 30th, 2008)

Has anyone pointed out that such a device would violate the second law of thermodynamics? If such a
device could work one could use it to transfer energy from one body to another even if both started
at the same temperature and were both in an insulated box. This can not happen in our universe.
— Ramsey Frist

Referring to article: Flexible nanoantenna arrays, developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, capture abundant solar energy (Aug 11th, 2008)

What better way to get kids excited about science and technology than taking them to one of these
places?
— Russ

Referring to article: Top Vacations Spots For Geeks (Aug 30th, 2008)

The thirst for real estate commissions has driven the hazing of this majestic part of the United
States. Developers, brokers and agents look past the majestic wildlife and landscapes towards the
five figure commissions that will beautify their own landscape. The sight of drilling rigs is no
more obnoxious than the twenty million dollar cabins that are plastered about our nations most
pristine areas. These megacabins will need the fuel to keep the driveway free from snow and the
swimming pools ready for a dip. Most of these homes use more energy in a year, than that of six
average households. This is obscene when you consider that they are often occupied for less than two
months of the year. It makes sense to require a minimum use of solar, geothermal, wind or other
site generated energy sources to power the needs of these energy hogs. That would be good policy and
it would create jobs that did not include cleaning the toilet.
— David Williams

Referring to article: In Wyoming, the Dark Side of America’s Thirst for Energy (May 1st, 2008)

With the great distances we travel and the options (video teleconferencing, car pooling, rail, etc)
that are available or under consideration for expansion, what a great idea for Montana and other
Western states.
— Russ

Referring to article: Plan cuts insurance rates for driving less (Aug 28th, 2008)

This should be a wake up call to everyone that providing accessibility for a very important segment
of the population is vitally important. This includes print as well as electronic media. While
it's the law, it also makes great business sense to provides access to goods and services to all.
— Russ

Referring to article: National Federation of the Blind and Target Agree to Class Action Settlement on Website Accessibility (Aug 28th, 2008)

This publication is a great resource and a bargain for $8. It has color photos and the most
interesting articles.
— Peggy Iba

Referring to article: MSU Extension has new tools to serve new Montanans (Aug 13th, 2008)

PrintingForLess has been so easy to work with, and helped us to create a superior-looking direct
mail piece that is doing just what it was designed to do. I would highly recommend checking them
out! The best part is that they are a Montana-based company, so you know the money you spend stays
in the State! They're competitive, helpful and professional. Great Job, PFL!!
— Nina Smith

Referring to article: PrintingForLess.com Helps Politicians’ Campaign Marketing Messages Spread Fast (Aug 1st, 2008)

Having lived in Flathead County for more than 20 years, I have seen people set up small shops
(typically trinkets and souvenir shops), only to see them gone within one and a half
years. Additionally, this type of business does not create jobs - it is intended to allow the
proprietors to settle in Montana. If we consider larger companies like Semitool, Jore, DRS,
et.al., there is job creation, albeit lacking job security. But those companies pay such low wages
that as an economist, I can confidently say that they are exploiting labor. I would highly recommend
that the leaders of the companies mentioned above read Adam Smith's "The Theory of Moral
Sentiments". Hourly wages for workers at these companies put the worker just above the poverty
line - at best. To try to draw more companies and jobs to grow the economy in Flathead County is
very difficult. I was somewhat interested in moving my manufacturing company to Flathead County, but
there were too many problems with doing so. The labor pool is too small. In addition, I would be
unable to draw talent from other states at the market wage rate in Montana. Employees that I
spoke to from some companies put it to me in this way, "In order to enjoy the quality of life in
Montana, you have to pay for it by working for far less than you are worth." What is ironic is
that the cost of living in Montana is every bit as high as the cost of living in many of the larger
cities and suburbs in the United States. So employers who pay Montana wages cannot afford to be very
selective in trying to hire real talent at all levels. So no matter what name you want to go by,
I would normally recommend that you need to include the local business leaders. However,if companies
the size of Semitool came to the Flathead, it would create competition and workers would shop for
the highest wage. So it is not in the best interests, or self-interests of local business leaders to
change the status quo by providing input with regard to recommending how to attract companies to
Northwest Montana to improve the economy. Good Luck.
— Frank Inez

Referring to article: Changing Economy Drives Name Change for Montana Based Economic Development Organization, Jobs Now, Inc. changes name to Montana West Economic Development (Jul 22nd, 2005)

Montana does not have the history arch-conservatives would like to imagine. The first woman to be
elected to Congress, Jeanette Rankin, was from Big Sky country. She helped get the vote for Montana
women in 1914 and was elected in 1916 and 1940. She was also consistently the most stalwart
anti-war representative over a period of decades.
— Frank

Referring to article: Blue-Staters Run Through It - Newcomers Reshape Politics in Montana; Roast Beef vs. Panini (Jul 30th, 2008)

Many of us have been talking about the inevitable changes that Montana is and will be experiencing
in the coming years. We saw it in other areas that were highly active such as Palo Alto and the
Research Triangle in North Carolina. As entrepreneurs become more successful and perhaps cash
out, they turn their attention to the community and state and either enter politics or exert their
influence on elected officials. Their goals are varied but they inevitably have a profound affect
on the path that the area takes. It's the old term: You're either on the bus or under it.
Leaders who don't pay attention to the growing influence and the goals that these newly active
individuals have will find themselves out of touch with the community and either out of office or
surrounded by individuals who have different goals. Montana will have a very successful
economic and cultural future. We can move forward dramatically now or simply wait for the
impact of these new concepts to finally be implemented in our state. If you're a an elected
official, please take some time to listen to the tech community in Montana. This community is
growing and has some great ideas of how to preserve what we love about Montana while moving it
forward and making sure that it's those who love this state, and not out-of-state corporations, who
are making the decisions about its future.
— Russ

Referring to article: Blue-Staters Run Through It - Newcomers Reshape Politics in Montana; Roast Beef vs. Panini (Jul 30th, 2008)

Just checked out the Cuil.com site. I think it has a long way to go. I typed in a simple search &
most of the results provided were to broken links. I am however glad to see hype on new business in
this arena.
— Ryan Nikolich

Referring to article: Cuil Launches -- Can This Search Start-Up Really Best Google? (Jul 28th, 2008)

The aggregate totals show that Montana companies won 25 Phase I awards out of 80 proposal
submissions, for an award rate of 31%. This rate was the second highest in the nation, far
exceeding the national average 18% Phase I award rate. Congratulations to all our Montana SBIR
awardees, who have demonstrated such extraordinary competence and capability focused on new
technology development and commercialization!
— Ray Friesenhahn

Referring to article: SBIR Phase I Statistics by State, FY 2007 (Jul 22nd, 2008)

Does anyone know what's happening with Montana's $60MM Fund of Funds effort? We're doing a
disservice to Montana's entrepreneurs by not doing everything we can to implement this legislation
as quickly as possible.
— Russ

Referring to article: 'Fund of funds' to invest in AZ tech startups (Jul 15th, 2008)

Happy 25th Anniversary, Russ. So glad you had a great time. Let me know if that Armpit Peach
Cobbler recipe ever gets published. Might be a fine tasty dish.
— Gloria

Referring to article: MATR had a great time in the "Bob" thanks to Greg "watch me set myself on fire" Gilchrist of Lake Upsata Outfitters. Wanna job riding a horse in paradise? (Jul 15th, 2008)

B R A V O !!!!
— Littera

Referring to article: Greenpeace founder now backs nuclear power (Apr 25th, 2008)

By the time current energy conditions morph into an entirely new development paradigm, some states
(like Idaho) won't even know what's hit them. Our deliberately designed lack of high-capacity
broadband capacity is almost criminal...especially at a time when such infrastructure becomes more
valuable, courtesy of a rapidly changing cost-climate.
— Bill Sellers

Referring to article: Rethinking the Country Life as Energy Costs Rise (Jun 26th, 2008)

I have been fortunate to share a common connection with the Coldwater Creek influence. My Daughter
and her husband have been in Sandpoint since 1991 and Coldwater Creek has been topic of conversation
on many of my visits. We have shopped at the Bridge on Sand Creek, shared catalogues and enjoyed
the design shown in their diverse product lines. My daughter has modeled those designs on many
occasions; and, her husband now works for Coldwater as a fitness director. I can't help but marvel,
envy the success of this awesome business brought from such a humble beginning. The Coldwater story
should serve to inspire everyone it may touch.
— Roseann Rothenbusch

Referring to article: Coldwater Creek started in a closet in Sandpoint, Idaho; company now has 13 million customers (Sep 14th, 2003)

Another Les Schwab BAD,BAD customer service store,Goldendale,WA. June 24,2008 I have
never had any bad service @ Les Schwab until I took my Subaru Forester in to to get my snow tires
exchanged for my regular tires. The service was fine until the manager,John Witt, put my snow tires
back in the back seat an bending my cargo cover bar by forcing the tires in too tight(another
employee helped him name ?)put the last tire in and bent the cargo bar. John Witt denied throwing or
pushing the tires in hard enough to bend the cargo bar. I told him I just put the cargo bar in
yesterday & it was not bent. Because I used it.He refused to take the blame or fix it.He just looked
at me like I bent the Cargo bar. I am very,very dissatifed with their attitude and response.I am
taking it to the corporate office. Les Schwab would roll over in his grave if he saw what his
employees are doing,even a manager no less,John Witt. Don't go to the Goldendale, WA. Les Schwab
Tire Center service is really bad and they are not honest.
— D. Enslow

Referring to article: Oregon tire king Les Schwab rolls to success (Jan 18th, 2003)

Thanks for the quick posting Russ! It's great to see technology in action so fast! Enjoyed our
visit, and look forward to talking more soon! Jay Kehne
— jay kehne

Referring to article: A beautiful visit to Central Washington state to talk about developing the economic strength of rural communities (Jun 24th, 2008)

The service you provide is invaluable, Russ. Thank you for all that you do - and the great resource
you provide to us all.
— Gloria O'Rourke

Referring to article: MATR Reaches Milestones Thanks to our Sponsors and Supporters (Jun 19th, 2008)

Let's not forget that economic development is important, but is not the only strategy to improve
quality of life in small, rural communities. There are now seventy local community foundations in
Montana and most of them are in rural towns. Even though most are still under ten years old, they
are creating, through grassroots fundraising, permanent endowments that provide local funding every
year, in perpetuity, for quality of life issues likes arts and culture activities, programs for
children and seniors, improvements to parks, beautification projects and so much more. Most
counties in Montana are now served by a local community foundation. The volunteers building these
charitable institutions deserve recognition for the permanent benefit they are creating across
Montana.
— Cathy Cooney

Referring to article: Focus on Being a Great Town and Everybody Wins (Jun 20th, 2008)

To experience some of Scott's great cooking you should go to Scotty's Table. This restaurant is the
place for simple, yet sophisticated French bistro fare in the heart of downtown Missoula. Contact
us today: Address: 131 South Higgins Ave. Unit p3 Missoula, MT
59802 Phone: 406-549-2790 Email: scott@scottystable.net Website: http://scottystable.net/
— Lyndi Petersen

Referring to article: Scotty's Table in Missoula serves all, selectively (Oct 2nd, 2005)

This article is very good news. The state of Montana is finally acknowledging that it has a
responsibility to provide safe roads for motorcycles that is equal to its responsibility to provide
safe roads for cars and trucks. In 2005 my wife and I both broke our right legs in a motorcycle
accident (on Highway 212 near Broadus) that was directly related to the fact that there was no
signage warning motorcyclists of the extreme hazards on the road ahead. While the State never did
publicly acknowledge its failed responsibility in providing a safe roadway in this instance, I take
some small satisfaction in the fact that, immediately after our accident, signs alerting
motorcyclists of extreme hazards started appearing in construction zones. And it looks like the
State of Montana is taking another positive step toward providing safe roadways for motorcyclists
with this program.
— John Torma

Referring to article: Montana tourism officials targeting motorcyclists (Jun 14th, 2008)

Great example of technology being used to shrink the distances and lower the energy and other
costs for rural systems. Wanted to mention that the judicial network is installed and supported
by Vision Net http://www.vision.net, an appreciated Supporter of MATR.
— Russ

Referring to article: Montana Judicial Video Network (Jun 10th, 2008)

There are many who are interested in helping entrepreneurs in Montana. E-mail russ@matr.net or
call me 406-531-8119 if you need help in getting the next new new thing started. Russ
— Russ

Referring to article: When Starting Out, Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help (Jun 12th, 2008)

This is a great way to promote the best of Montana (your company) to the elite of Washington D.C.
"Where Big Sky Meets the Beltway"
— Russ

Referring to article: "5th Annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival!", 7/12, Washington, D.C. (Jun 11th, 2008)

This is a Great Idea. Saving more Forest Land in Montana from Development is Great for Montana.
Great Job. And Tax Credit Bonds is a Very Creative way to Finance this. KalispellMontanaNews.com
— Crystal L. Cox

Referring to article: Montana could purchase vast forested swaths of Plum Creek Timber Co. land under a little-known provision tucked into the nation's farm bill. (May 16th, 2008)

I had the pleasure of spending a bit of time with Trevor at the recent Frontiers 2008 conference in
Bozeman. Great guy who's actively looking for exciting startups in Montana and the Inland
Northwest. Great to see more A level VC's looking for funding opportunities in MT. If you
think you have a great team with an outstanding model, take a look at Flywheel. Russ
— Russ

Referring to article: Flywheel Venture's Trevor Loy named to National Venture Capital Association's board of directors. (Jun 7th, 2008)

Just a brief comment here to boost my ego. Sunburst Sensors, LLC was not founded by Mike DeGrandpre,
but co-founded by Mike and myself to commercialize the SAMI-CO2. It was a partnership. Having said
that, I wish Mike and Jim Beck all the best in the development and production of the
SAMI-pH. -David E. Irwin
— David Irwin

Referring to article: University of Montana spinoff, Sunburst Sensors, Lands Grant To Commercialize Water Sensor (Jun 6th, 2008)

I ran across Eric Edelman's name in this article, he's an old friend of mine, who I'd like to get in
touch with, does anyone have a current contact?
— Scott Mohnkern

Referring to article: Hundreds audition for Montana movie in Butte (Jun 28th, 2004)

Sen. Baucus has again led the way by hosting a state-wide discussion of an important economic topic
for Montana and the Region. It was wonderful to see the overflow crowd so intent on moving this
issue forward. The panels were excellent with great examples of both what's currently happening in
Montana as well as best practices from other states and organizations. Above all, the networking
was at full force during the entire conference. Business cards were flying everywhere. Can't wait
to see what other relationships result from this conference. (Getting the GE facility in Billings
http://matr.net/article-25898.html and the Ford/Missoula Children's Theater relationship
http://matr.net/article-29346.html are just two of the results from the Economic Summit last year.
If you missed this one, please make sure to attend the next economic conference hosted by Sen.
Baucus. You won't be sorry and Montana will be the better through your participation. Russ
— Russ

Referring to article: 2008 New Frontiers Conference emphasizes economic benefits of research to Montana. Sen. Baucus Announces $1.6MM for new Ravalli Entrepreneurship Center (Jun 3rd, 2008)

This is an outstanding development for Ravalli County and all of Montana. Congratulations to Sen.
Baucus, Julie Foster and all those involved in obtaining and implementing this grant.
— Russ

Referring to article: Sen. Baucus - 250 Jobs for Hamilton, Montana - New Grant For Business Incubator In The Bioscience Industry (Jun 3rd, 2008)

Though we appreciate Dr. Turkensteen's devolvment of a 20th of his net profits to projects in
Ethiopia we have no exact confirmation of, we are puzzled at how he is convinced he will produce a
few million dollars profit for Indian farmers and himself out of our staple, Eragrostis
abyssinica. We have a range of varieties and Ethiopian farmers, much in need of development and
this 2008 facing again in areas a grave drought. Our prices can be quite competetive and offer our
producers real opportunities. On the other hand, the magic teff is the least productive cereal in
the world, out of its own nature of a grass, with no bigger grains than those of some grasses in
your green northern meadows. It has to be replaced in many cases in Ethiopia by more productive
grains to avert catastrophic famines. I personally never got an answer from Dr. Turkensteen or his
company when I proposed him my full and open collaboration on this issue. I therefore will soon
embark in a series of attempts to sell directly Ethiopia produced quality guaranteed teff. Net
proceedings will be totally dedicated to promoting triticale, a tenfold more productive cereal
instead of teff, our main, fantastic but unproductive staple. I direct the Triticale Consultative
Group in Ethiopia and manage the only local business association in the milk sector. Prof. Marco
Viganó, lemamilk@fastwebnet.it
— prof. Marco

Referring to article: Idaho farmers may try teff Gluten-free grain touted as cure for celiac disease (Mar 13th, 2003)

Is the Hot Springs Montana you write about located in Sanders County on the Camus Prairie? If it is
I was born there and would like to know more about how the Town is getting along? Thank you for your
help.
— Mel

Referring to article: Hot Springs, Montana struggles to keep its charm, stay afloat because it's a wonderful place to live and work. (Apr 25th, 2007)

I always knew deep in my heart that chocolate was a vegetable. Thanks for the confirmation.
— Gloria

Referring to article: The last word in diet, exercise and health advice. (May 29th, 2008)

At Native Seedsters, Inc. we have dedicated the past six years to developing a technology to
effectively harvest the seed of some of the most difficult to harvest native grass species.
Hopefully this will help correct the systematic bias and imbalance toward seeding spike
inflorescence species that in nature only make up about 15% of all species. The panicle
inflorescence species have been for too long neglected in large part because many aren't easily
harvested by a combine. We now have four models of Seedsters of different sizes, and expect to
continue to find success in the sale of Seedsters to harvest switchgrass seed. Switchgrass is an
important C4 species that will play a major role in cellulosic conversion ethanol.
— Lee Arbuckle

Referring to article: The Great Plains, Restored (May 29th, 2008)

Luckily, there's another great effort underway to preserve some of the last remaining unplowed
prairie in the U.S. right here in Montana American Prairie Foundation http://americanprairie.org/
deserves your support.
— Russ

Referring to article: The Great Plains, Restored (May 29th, 2008)

There is a couple of guys in Post Falls Idaho that have kits available for Gasoline, Diesel and
Propane powered Vehicles right now! They will sell you a kit or even installi it for you.Just
thought you would like to know............Water4octane.com
— Mike O

Referring to article: World's First Hydrogen-Diesel Truck on the Road (Apr 26th, 2004)

Mike- Let's back up a little. While I may have recommended that entrepreneurs offer debt for small
rounds (<$200K), I seldom invest in these smaller round. Most angel rounds are between $250K and $1
million. I feel that a Series A preferred round is appropriate for these size deals. Addressing
your issue re partial rounds: This is can of worms. If an entrepreneur needs $500K to achieve a
milestone (positive cash flow or a goal which would substantially increase valuation), it does
little good to close the round at $250K. What most of us do is tell the entrepreneur s/he has to
raise the minimum close before cashing any of the checks. As you know, under-funded companies tend
to run out of cash and then attempt to raise more funds without having achieved a significant
increase in valuation. Going sideways or even suffering down rounds is not a pleasant situation.
So my advice to entrepreneurs and investors alike is to make sure you raise enough money (early
close or not) to achieve substantial milestones, so that additional funding, if necessary, can be
raised at a justifiably high valuation. Bill
— Bill Payne

Referring to article: Angels: Don’t Use Convertible Debt to Fund Startup Ventures (May 19th, 2008)

Great comments Bill! I appreciate you taking time to elaborate. The article seemed so conclusive
in advising Angels against Convertible Debt that I felt it was important to point out when it does
and does not make sense. You did that very eloquently but in leaving out a minimum raise
consideration or acknowledging the considerable expense of equity deals, I feared the reader might
be misinformed. Based on your response, it seems your rule of thumb is that if the investment
amount is less than $250,000, it does not make sense to incur the considerable costs of a preferred
stock equity financing (excluding even audited financial statements and other potential costs of a
deal). I'd be willing to argue it should be $350,000 - 500,000 minimum but it's likely a matter of
personal choice at that point. Given we have established some lightweight parameters for amount
invested and where the cutoff point should be (opinion of course), one must also consider how much
capital is actually invested versus the total raise on the term sheet. You had mentioned that you
never invest less than $250,000 in equity deals. I would assume this means you don't anticipate
equity deals when issuing a term sheet for less than $250,000 but one would need to consider how
much actual capital is guaranteed to the Company, in writing, upon issuing for example a $500,000
term sheet. My guess is still $100,000 - 200,000 which begs the question since the only guaranteed
amount of capital is less than $250,000, should the Company not offer Preferred Equity? In a
perfect world, the initial investment will attract other investors to participate and hopefully
fully subscribe the $500,000 raise, but in all actuality the only assurance the Company has is the
amount in writing. If you can elaborate, or at least provide your opinion, on where those cutoff
points should be in the matter of term sheet offer versus guaranteed funds, I think that would be
very valuable information. Again, thanks for your time in writing the article in the first
place. I believe this will be a great reference for others, both entrepreneurs and angel investors
alike.
— Mike Sparr

Referring to article: Angels: Don’t Use Convertible Debt to Fund Startup Ventures (May 19th, 2008)

Hi again, Mike- You bring up several important considerations. 1. The size of the round 2. The
cost of the transaction 3. The cost of D&O insurance You suggest that a single investor that
provides only $100K should not be in a position to demand equity over convertible debt. I agree.
If the investor does not like the terms, the investor can walk away. But, the key issue here is the
size of the round, not the appetite of the investor. With legal cost what they are today,
entrepreneurs raising small rounds (>$200K) should probably not consider a preferred offering
requiring a new class of stock. Representing only myself, I have seldom, if ever, invested in such
a small rounds. But, for rounds of $250K or more, I am seeking an equity position, not a bridge
loan to convert to equity in a loosely-defined future round. You suggest the cost of a new
preferred round might exceed $40K. I would only suggest that you do some shopping. You can find
very qualified attorneys who are sufficiently interested in your future business to not take so much
off the top. Perhaps your investors can assist you in finding such service providers. I guess we
could also discuss whose money is being used to pay for these attorney’s fees. If the entrepreneur
has no cash prior to investment, the investors’ money would then be used to pay these expenses after
the round is closed. Both sides can plan for these expenses. I do agree that some investors who
demand board seats then require D&O insurance immediately after investment. I am aware of instances
in which debt-holders have board seats. We do live in a litigious society but D&O insurance is less
commonly purchased for very early stage companies than for later stage companies. I don’t agree
that this is a critical factor in the decision of equity versus debt investment decisions. It is my
experience that the cost of D&O insurance is decreasing today and often available for less than
$5K. Nice chatting with you! Bill
— Bill Payne

Referring to article: Angels: Don’t Use Convertible Debt to Fund Startup Ventures (May 19th, 2008)

In adding one analytical point to my prior comment, we should also have more information on the size
of the deals (amount invested per transaction). You hit the nail on the head with regards to "cost
of deal" noting that Convertible Debentures are in fact much more efficient and affordable. I'd
like to point out that a Preferred Stock Equity financing will cost the Company between
$15,000-35,000 and requires approximately 9 documents, charter ammendment, often re-incorporation to
Delaware, etc. If the Fund then insists the Company pays for it's expenses (most common), hopefully
with a cap, we can assume another $10,000-15,000. This means that potentially $40,000 of the deal
are tied up in legal fees. In addition, a Preferred Equity financing will almost always require D&O
(key person + directors & officers insurance) which would range from $5,000-20,000 per year. These
are likely not in the Company's budget so that means in the first 12 months alone, they are less
approximately $50,000. If a fund is only offering $100,000-200,000 per deal, it makes little/no
sense for Preferred Equity financing given over 30% of the deal is spent in legal fees and
insurance. This would ultimately result in the Company having too little capital (always need more)
and when that occurs, by granting veto rights the Fund, they can then force a low valuation for
subsequent funds and take control over the Company. This would be a worst-case of course, and one
would assume that entrepreneurs will only work with trustworthy partners, but the fact of the matter
is that unless the fund is offering in excess of $500,000, Convertible Debt is most likely the best
choice for the survivability of the venture and consideration of all parties involved. I propose
in your analysis that you include two key factors to your recommendations to the Entrepreneurs,
Angels and Advisors: size of deal considerations (what minimum investment would warrant Preferred
equity deal and costs associated) and average cost of each type of deal. Those are big gaps I see
and must not go unrecognized if considering various funding options. --Mike Sparr
— Mike Sparr

Referring to article: Angels: Don’t Use Convertible Debt to Fund Startup Ventures (May 19th, 2008)

Hi Mike- Thanks for your feedback! In response to your first comment: It appears you are
advocating a larger philanthropic perspective for angels. In fact, if you ask angels, you will find
that each has multiple motivations: give-back to the community, helping entrepreneurs, regional
economic development, staying involved into their “codgerhood, etc.” But, ROI always comes to the
top as an important motivation. The altruistic value of angel investors (mentoring, advising, board
service) to portfolio companies is pretty clear to most funded entrepreneurs. But, without
reasonable expectations of appropriate returns, angels would invest substantially less than $26
billion annually (Angel Investor Market in 2007
http://wsbe.unh.edu/files/2007%20Analysis%20Report_0.pdf ). Most of us feel that angel
investors are critical components of our US entrepreneurial economy and that reasonable returns are
justified. And, finally, we do have data on angel portfolio returns. See Returns to Angel
Investors in Groups http://www.angelcapitaleducation.org/dir_resources/news_detail.aspx?id=144 .
Rob Wiltbank reports therein that fifty-two percent of all of the exits returned less than the
capital the angel had invested in the venture and only seven percent of the exits achieved returns
of more than ten times the money invested, accounting for 75 percent of the total investment dollar
returns. Clearly, this is high-risk investing. To do other than swing for the fences invites
failure and ultimately less funding available for startup entrepreneurs. And, just so you
know, according to the Angel Capital Association, the average angel invests about $30K in rounds of
investment totaling $300K for seed and startup deals. Regards, Bill Payne
— Bill Payne

Referring to article: Angels: Don’t Use Convertible Debt to Fund Startup Ventures (May 19th, 2008)

Bill, I like your write-up but felt compelled to provide an additional viewpoint. Your article is
very succinct and covers nearly all the bases. I do believe that your teaching, however, often
"robs" angels of the intrinsic value investing itself has to offer. Most organized angels are still
at best, part time investors. Many commit a small chunk of "risk money" to a variety of investment
opportunities and I know not a single investor who would cry over a 7x, let alone a 3x return. For
argument's sake, we'll assume we are talking about angels who are members of an organized angel
fund. Your argument seems to focus less on the excitement in helping grow a great company and
producing a fair, above-market return or economic development, and more about fear of leaving extra
capital on the table. By over-analyzing deals or what could have been, you run risk of missing what
is. An important factor in your argument that I did not see is your expected percentage of
investments that fail. Assuming you want your overall fund performance to meet some minimal IRR,
it's understandable that you want to swing for the fences on the wins to cover the losses - this is
unfortunately at the management team's expense so the angel should be willing to negotiate to keep
management motivated, ultimately maximizing potential return. I have seen firsthand that when
an angel enters a negotiation under your line of thinking, they have already determined what price
they will get the stock for. Any deviations from that price to them "feels" like they are losing or
diluting when in fact, they have not yet reached an agreement over price. From an analytical
standpoint, on a per-deal basis, each angel fund member is risking hardly any capital. Granted they
may choose to participate side-by-side, or purchase additional "units", but each actual deal costs
the angel only a few thousand dollars. For example, let's analyze one of the funds you are a member
of, Frontier Angel Fund of Kalispell. Frontier has 33 members who each purchased 1 or more units
for $50K apiece. The fund has just over $1.7 million. The fund makes investments between $100-200K
apiece. For simplicity we could average $150K per deal. If this were the case, in the simplest of
terms, each investor is risking less than $4,545.46 per deal. Out of 33 members, there may be 25
that are really excited about a company, entrepreneur, opportunity for economic development, etc.
and if over-analyzing these deals or squeezing too hard, they will miss a lot of opportunities for
great value (intrinsic and ROI) with very little capital risk. Don't get me wrong, I do really
like your article, but when coaching angels, you need not lose sight of some of the other reasons
they choose to invest. Most lose $10K the second they drive their new Tahoe Denali off the lot and
$4,545.46 seems like a ridiculous amount of capital to over-analyze what should be fun, contributive
and collaborative. Perhaps out of embarrassment over the flops, or simply always wanting what you
can't have, we hear more whining about the deals that got away. As such, my advice is don't "rob"
angels of opportunities purely by crunching the numbers and remember the intrinsic value of
investing itself. - Mike Sparr (one of those pain in the butt entrepreneurs)
— Mike Sparr

Referring to article: Angels: Don’t Use Convertible Debt to Fund Startup Ventures (May 19th, 2008)

While mass transit options need to be a priority of any plans, everyone should also embrace
technology that can reduce travel such as video conferencing. We all drive too many hours for short
meetings when occasionally we could eliminate these trips by fully utilizing the ability to meet
electronically. "Vision Net Brings High Definition Video Conferencing to Montana. Why Drive to
Meetings When You Can Be Green?" http://matr.net/article-29016.html
— Russ

Referring to article: Gazette Opinion: Invest in mass transit for Montana (May 12th, 2008)

Congratulations on your many accomplishments at MSU Corky. Your leadership will leave a legacy for
future generations. Many thanks, Russ
— Russ

Referring to article: MSU says goodbye to its philosopher cowboy Gordon "Corky" Brittan. (May 9th, 2008)

Hello! My name is Lynn "Sota" Hart owner of No Xcuses None! and a proud member of the Yankton Sioux
tribe located in SE South Dakota. And the designer of the "Original American Indian Anti-Meth
posters for Youth Across America". I specifically designed these posters to be relevant to
Indian country because I felt they were unique and would aid in the battle against Meth on and off
the American Indian reservations. It’s not going to be the "cure all" but I feel that the families
and their youth living on the reservations in America need to use whatever American Indian people
can to identify with in their own culture to help combat the use of Meth in their own backyards. So
I designed the American Indian Anti-Meth posters to convey this message to Indian country. Meth
knows nothing or cares anything about your culture, your race, sex, or spirituality. As a proud
member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe I do care about preserving our cultural way of life and all the
youth and families living within that sacred circle. I started working on the project last spring
or early summer 2007 when I noticed that the posters I saw were all about the after effects of meth;
images of white people with rotten teeth and bad hair and nothing specific to American Indian
culture. Nothing had an Indian motiff, so I decided to create posters for kids to take home and
share with their families and friends and to put up in their bedrooms as a constant reminder to
think about the dangers of Meth. Knowing how kids are, if you give one kid something cool and make
it fun to have then it becomes another tool to use to get the message across to our youth. My
posters are are 11x17" highly glossed and look great! The posters are very well received and are
a positive tool and are effective in showing our youth a strong positive message against Meth in
your community.
— Lynn Hart

Referring to article: Anti-meth effort comes to Wyoming. Tom Siebel advocates nation-wide program (Mar 5th, 2008)

Published 4.25.2008 PrintingForLess ordered to pay worker overtime wages By Peter Vandergrift,
Enterprise Staff Writer In an April 18 Montana Department of Labor and Industry decision, more
than $16,000 was awarded to a former PrintingForLess employee from the company. The case centered
around whether a technical service representative, a widely held position at PFL, was exempt from
being paid overtime wages. PFL claimed that a TSR fell under a professional and administrative
federal law exemption, and it did not have to pay time-and-a-half overtime wages. Former employee
Julia Kenny challenged the no-overtime policy and received a favorable ruling at a Department of
Labor hearing, official documents stated. In a response crafted by PFL media contact Danton Rice,
the Livingston-based online printing company vowed to appeal the ruling of what it labeled a
“nuisance claim.” An appeal would be heard in District Court in Livingston and could be appealed
all the way to the Montana Supreme Court. If the ruling is not overturned, other TSRs could file
claims for overtime pay, Kenny’s lawyer, Paul Grigsby, said Thursday. “PFL continues to be the
proud employer of over 200 great people, and expects that as we continue to grow, we will be the
target of future nuisance claims,” a statement released by the company stated.
— Former Employee

Referring to article: PrintingForLess.com Named 2007 Best Workplace in the Americas (Nov 9th, 2007)

It's ironic but our senior engineer is in Switzerland. I was telling him about moving into our new
office and setting up Cable broadband w/ 3-4Mbs down and 515 Kbs up. He proceeded to tell me his
home connection was 4Mbs down and 1Mbs up and only $35/month. I then learned that in france they
have over 25Mbs/sec speeds for approx $10/month... It does seem like the US is trailing behind
in that respect.
— Too true

Referring to article: Will we butt up against the Web's limitations? (Apr 29th, 2008)

Complements to Montana for proactive thinking on this topic. I will look forward to following the
study. Particularly interested in assumptions that will be made about the future. The news article
makes some very important assumptions about that the babyboom generation will draw more state
services than contributes in taxes. I wonder? First according to Pew Research, nearly 3/4 of baby
boomers leaving their previous careers to "retire", plan to keep working in new careers. Second,
these individuals are funnels for federal dollars that can potentially support Main Street Montana.
Third, many of these individuals bring knowledge, wealth and golden rolodexes that can be very
important to reiventing Montana economies. The Challenge Montana and all of our states will face
is what can be done to transform what could be an economic "bind" into an economic win. In my
view, states that figure this out, will be well be well positioned for the next 15 years. bill
gillis
— Bill Gillis

Referring to article: Getting ready for aging baby boomers in Montana (Apr 24th, 2008)

I just went back through the other posts here and wanted to thank Christi for posting corp.
contact.... I'm gonna give them a call! Thanks, Frank http://www.frankknights.com
— Frank Knight

Referring to article: Oregon tire king Les Schwab rolls to success (Jan 18th, 2003)

I have been using Les Schwab as my tire store for over 20-years and have always considered them
professionals until my latest dealings with them. I have been a sworn user of their "Buckshot
Radial Mudders" and have gone through at least 4-sets of them over the years... they are hands down
in my opinion the best traction tire you can get for mud and snow... 35-years experience off-roading
has taught me that. I bought a 1997 Explorer Sport 2-door and went directly to Schwabs in
Sedro-Woolley WA to put some traction tires on... they could not put Buckshots on because they would
not fit without a lift. I did not want to invest in a lift yet as funds were limited and settled for
some 285 RVT's.. they were okay but nuthin' like Buckshots. When those tires started wearing I
talked to Schwab's about getting set up with a lift so I could run my 35" Buckshots. I was told they
could do it and I gave the "go-ahead" on ordering the parts. It took over 6-weeks for them to
finally get the kit. I dropped off my rig for 3-days and when I went to pick it up it looked cool
but there were not 35" Buckshots sitting under it but 33" RVT's! I asked why the Buckshots were not
on and the young fella told me that those were the biggest tires they could put on with that lift. I
told him the other tech had told me it would work with 35's... the young fella said "he shouldn't
have told you that! He doesn't work here anymore!" Well... I was bummed to say the least and
accepted the roughly $3200.00 bill. The RVT's do not even compare with the traction I had with
Buckshots and then to top it off after about 6-months I noticed excessive wear on the insides of the
front tires. I went immediately to Schwab's and they said it needed an alignment. That was kinda
strange to me because I have done nothing close to serious off-roading with this rig... never hit
any big bumps or boulders. I had them go ahead and align it and when the tech looked at it he told
me that there was a part for the control arms that needed to be changed to a "round one" and that
the tech should have known that when it was installed. That told me right there that a professional
job had not been done... the part should have been installed in the first place! I had to pay for
the alignment plus the installation of what should have been installed in the first place and of
course two new tires... I asked if an adjustment could be made on the bill because I felt it was not
my fault that the right parts were not initially installed and the $400 for 2-new tires was a big
hurt! The Manager came out to inspect it and basically accused me of being a reckless four wheeler
out "beating their rigs" this man was far from friendly and just ignored me when I asked why I did
not get what I wanted... he gave me like $26 off on the tires. I told myself then I was done with
Schwab's and have not returned. Now to top it off... I noticed last week that the insides of my
front tires are excessively worn again! I am beyond upset! As professionals... it sure would be nice
if they could fix my rig right! I have searched high and low for corporate contact but have found
nothing! Who are the real professionals?
— Frank Knight

Referring to article: Oregon tire king Les Schwab rolls to success (Jan 18th, 2003)

Forgot this sorry. The same day I baught 1 tire for our daughters beater car there was an ad from
les schwabs that had come out advertising at 34.00 or something like that tire that would fit the
car. They never offered this one to me or said they were out and could call another store. Also
the meat deal came out then too and they never offered no meat to me!!! Go figure. I did not go
back down at the time to get the other tire or the price I was so mad and thought well maybe it was
just me. But I don't think so. I cooled off in the mean time and got mad all over again today. I
am going to get a hold of their corporate offices in prineville if we do not let someone know what
is going on they will never know. We need to write letters if they won't listen on the phone.
America has turned into this people treat people bad and it is ok. Well it is not ok anymore. By
the way Idaho is a right to work state and the minimum wage here is 5.85. So they better get their
head out of their ass and start thinking about the people who do support their jobs.
— Susie

Referring to article: Oregon tire king Les Schwab rolls to success (Jan 18th, 2003)

I have been a loyal very loyal in fact customer of Les Schwabs for 21 years. I have shopped at many
of their stores and have always been treated fairly and taken care of until I moved up here to
Weiser Idaho. This store up here is the worst store I have ever been to. In the last 3 years we
have probably spent over 3000.00 in tires and do pay our bill which right now there are a lot of
people who are not even doing that. Last february we had a bad snow storm and our daughters beater
car got a flat and of course the spare was flat. We got it down to les schwab that night and I went
down with with my daughter the next morning to talk to them. I told them we needed 2 real cheap
tires for the car cuz it is not worth a lot and we can't be putting alot of money into it. The guy
comes back with 120.00 for 2 tires I asked if they had something cheaper and they all looked at me
like some alien. The office gal was there and 2 guys they all said that was the only tire they had.
I kept asking this kid and he finally said that he supposed he could look at the used tires. I was
getting mad at this point I know there are cheaper tires for this car that is only worth about
300.00 with the tires on it. So I told them I needed to talk to my husband and he could shop around
somewhere else this really pissed them off. The office gal says to me what you want something for
nothing? I told her no but that being in a small town I would like some service and that that was
too much money that I could understand paying a lot for my dodge pu for tires but a little help
here. She got really mad at me. Mind you we had just spent almost 1500.00 in the last 5 months and
almost had it pd off. Since then I have been in several times and gotten treated like shit from
this same woman I have tried to be nice but I am done being treated like this. Oh and FYI: My
husband got 2 wild country tires from the metal yard for nothing they are on the rear of my dodge 4x
deisel pu. So Im thinking that yes I would like something for nothing how bout you guys? I am not
sure if I should call this in to corporate and really complain she is getting nastier and nastier.
We have about 3 guys there that are really good guys and know what they are doing and do come
running. 3 out of how many? And I have never seen the manager in the store.
— Susie

Referring to article: Oregon tire king Les Schwab rolls to success (Jan 18th, 2003)

About a year ago I took my truck to our local Les Schawb in bellingham for new wheels shocks and
breaks. Spent over $3000.00 for everything. I took my truck in for a recall on the engine at my
local ford dealer and asked them to look at my breaks because they felt a bit sulgish. They found
that the e-break cable had not been reconnected resulting in the rear breaks not being adjusted for
over a year causing the break adjusters to seize up from lack of use. I had no rear breaks while
pulling my 32' fifth wheel and it cost me $500.00 to get them fixed. I will never have anything done
by Les Schwab again.
— Rick

Referring to article: Oregon tire king Les Schwab rolls to success (Jan 18th, 2003)

Mr. Strand mounts a protracted defense of his client’s interests. Not long ago, he offered a
diametrically opposite defense of a different client, arguing that wireless subsidies are
unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. The issue here is not whether wireless service
provides various social and economic benefits for the citizens of Montana. Rather, the issue is the
same as the one articulated infamously by Deep Throat: “Follow the money.” The problem is, we
can’t. Wireless providers offer absolutely no evidence whatsoever that they actually need the
subsidies they seek. In the case of Mr. Strand’s client—which is owned by a private equity firm in
Boston which promotes its investments in profitable enterprises—there is no evidence that subsidies
are needed. Unlike wireline carriers whose use of universal service is the result of detailed
cost studies demonstrating that recipients need such support to provide comparable, affordable
telecom service, the wireless providers simply rake in subsidies with no demonstrable need.
Wireline carriers don’t even qualify for support unless they demonstrate that their costs to provide
essential services exceed a national average cost benchmark by 115%. (Actually it’s now about 120%
because of the effects of a cap on wireline support—the very same kind of cap the wireless providers
so vociferously oppose.) We don’t even know what a national average cost of providing wireless
service is, let alone what “high cost” means as a percent of the average! Wireline carriers need
universal service to maintain investment in affordable service. Without universal service support,
prices for local telephone service in Montana could increase by 150% to 250%. Chinook stands to
reap a $5.8 million gain from federal subsidies alone. Wireless service providers already widely
offer service, at affordable rates—without subsidy. Are wireless carriers’ subsidies needed? Maybe
in some limited situations. Maybe not. We don’t know. Were wireless providers like Chinook
planning to build towers to meet customer demand anyway—with or without subsidies? We just don’t
know. Until and unless we develop a better way of determining actual need for federal subsidy,
rather than simply giving it away because, as Mr. Strand suggests, someone else gets it, then it is
reasonable temporarily to put a governor on the federal funding accelerator. That’s what a cap
would do. Meanwhile, the FCC is seeking comments on long-term reform proposals that would require
all recipients of federal support to demonstrate that they actually need subsidies to provide
affordable, comparable service in targeted areas where such service may not otherwise economically
be possible. That seems like a rational suggestion. Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify.” I
trust that Chinook and other wireless carriers sucking down over a billion dollars a year of federal
universal service support actually need these subsidies to extend service where it otherwise could
never reach affordably. Without verification, however, Willie Sutton’s words are as true today
as they were at the turn of the last Century. Wireless carriers are stumbling over one another to
get federal subsidies, because that’s where the money is.
— Geoff Feiss

Referring to article: Proposed FCC Ruling: Hinder wireless in MT (Apr 9th, 2008)

Congratulations on your efforts to bring Montana to the forfront of concrete technology. It should
create many good paying jobs in the great environmental effort ahead.:
— tony cellucci : Chicago

Referring to article: World Center for Concrete Technology (WCCT) offers Tuition Free Scholarships for Montanans (Dec 11th, 2007)

I am a Montana native, a 15-year telecommunications industry veteran, and local counsel to Cellular
One (formerly Chinook Wireless). I, like many others, have come to know Dick King as a man of
honesty and integrity, whose contributions to the vibrancy of Missoula’s economy have been many and
manifest. For this reason I feel compelled to provide additional context to the area in which he
and Mr. Feiss apparently disagree. Since 1983, the Universal Service Fund has collected money
from telecommunications companies across the country, pooled those funds, and distributed them to
the wireline telephone companies that serve the nation’s high-cost rural areas. This financial
support enabled recipients to offer services and rates that were affordable and reasonably
comparable to those offered in urban areas. In 1996, Congress extended funding beyond the
traditional wireline monopolies, to wireless and other competitive telecom providers, so that their
services could also be offered in rural areas at affordable rates. The availability of
affordable wireless service is important to the increasing number of Montanans who use wireless as
their only phone. Availability and affordability are also important to those who rely on their cell
phones’ mobility to help them in roadside situations, on the farm, ranch or mountainside, or in the
conduct of their daily business while traveling. Cell phones save lives by allowing immediate,
mobile access to 911 emergency response services. Their convenience and functionality also
contribute to business development and jobs creation. Cellular One has asked the Montana
Public Service Commission to determine its eligibility for universal service funding. I agreed to
represent the company in the application process because I firmly believe they meet all of the
requirements for funding. If Cellular One receives funds to defray a portion of the costs of
constructing and deploying more cell sites, Montana citizens will benefit from more coverage. These
investments in Montana’s wireless infrastructure will give us better wireless service, enhanced
economic opportunity and competitiveness, and increased safety in places like our vehicles and our
fields -- not just at the places where our landline phones are bolted to our walls. Local
expenditures by Cellular One would circulate in our economy, and the investments would increase the
tax revenues that pay for government services. Indeed, I have to question why Mr. Feiss so
vehemently opposes increased investment in Montana’s wireless infrastructure as well as affordable
rates for wireless service in the State’s rural areas when there are clearly so many positive
consequences. Unfortunately, the FCC is currently considering the imposition of a “cap” or
“ceiling” on the amount of the Fund that could be distributed to wireless and other eligible
competitive telecom companies, including Cellular One. As currently proposed, the cap would hurt
our state. It will mean fewer cell sites, meaning less coverage, less safety, and fewer jobs.
Rural areas deserve the availability of telecom services at prices that are reasonably comparable to
those in urban areas. But since they are usually the last areas to be built out (because they are
almost always the areas with the highest construction costs and lowest revenue potential), rural
areas would suffer most from such a cap. The biggest problem with the cap in Montana is that
our state is far behind most of the nation both in the ubiquity of its wireless coverage and in its
receipt of universal service funds. The proposed cap actually exacerbates this latter problem
because it is structured on a “state-by-state” basis, meaning that no more funding would flow to any
given state than currently flows there. The fundamental problem with this approach is that nobody
has done an analysis to determine if the amounts currently flowing to the states are in any way fair
and reasonable when the states are compared to each other. Mississippi is poised, therefore, to
continue to receive the $145 million per year it gets today, but Montana would not get a penny more
than the $11 million it received in 2007. In other words, the proposed cap would “lock in” the
inequities of the current structure of the Fund. The facts are as follows. 1. If
companies like Cellular One don’t receive funding for rural buildout, they cannot build coverage to
as many areas. That’s a simple fact of business; a few customers sprinkled over a large area do not
provide enough revenue to pay for the substantial and very expensive equipment and services at cell
sites. The suggestion that Verizon covers everywhere that wireless service is needed in Montana is
incorrect. Even though Verizon is a large company with a lucrative wireline business, many areas in
Montana remain to be served. In Cellular One’s application to the PSC for USF funding, it
specifically listed and mapped the areas where it will build coverage with USF funding during the
first phase of its construction plans, including areas that are not covered by Verizon. Further, if
Cellular One receives a grant, it will be required to update those maps and build more coverage
every year. Its coverage plans are ambitious. Frankly, I think Montanans should encourage this
kind of ambitious behavior by folks who want to invest in our state. It reminds me of the ambitious
people 50 years ago who built the cooperatives Mr. Feiss represents today. 2. Cellular One has
been particularly progressive in extending its wireless coverage into rural areas of Montana without
universal service fund support. However, if Chinook is to provide more coverage to the many areas
of Montana that still have inadequate coverage or no coverage at all, it will indeed need universal
service funding. 3. It is not true that wireless should accept a flat cap on federal
funding, as Mr. Feiss states, because “[w]ireline carriers are already capped.” Caps on wireline
funding did not occur until the wireline network had attained almost ubiquitous coverage of
America’s homes and businesses. It is not comparable to cap wireless companies after most have just
started to receive funding, and their networks, particularly in rural states, are far from
ubiquitous (this is especially true because unlike wireline networks, wireless networks have to work
throughout the areas between homes and businesses as well as within such structures. Moreover, the
reality is that from 2001 to 2006, funding for wireline companies grew by $1.7 billion – from $1.5
billion to $3.2 billion annually (an increase of more than 100% over five years). It even went up
$40 million just from 2006 to 2007. These increases have occurred even though from 2002 to 2006,
those same landline companies lost more than 17% of their lines nationwide. The cap or caps on
wireline funding are not working, apparently. In contrast, the cap proposed for wireless would be
an absolute cap on all high-cost funding, i.e., not one penny more, no matter how great the
need. From 2002 to 2006, funding for wireless grew from almost nothing to its current
nationwide total, which is only about a quarter of the annual funding that wireline companies
receive – even though wireless companies and their subscribers pay more than a third of the moneys
that go into the fund each year. In percentage of growth terms, funding for wireless buildout grew
faster; because wireless received little funding until the 1996 Act expressly permitted them to
start applying for these funds. However, wireline funding has been in the hundreds of millions for
more than a dozen years; now it is in the billions. It grew twice as much in real dollars and
remains much larger than wireless. Wireline funding is also, therefore, a much greater burden on
the universal service fund than wireless. Regarding information on why Cellular One needs or
how it will use the subsidies: the company has been through an intensive documentation process with
the Montana PSC, in precise conformity to their rules. Cellular One has, over the course of more
than a year, provided the Commission with reams of information, including financing, costs, buildout
maps, planned coverage area lists, and more. This includes literally hundreds of pages of
testimony, responses to discovery, and other filings. The company has clearly demonstrated why the
support is needed and how it will be used. Wireless carriers that receive USF money must comply
with strict and unambiguous FCC rules with regard to the proper expenditure of that money and must
report to the PSC annually to justify those expenditures or risk losing their eligibility to
continue receiving funds. 5. As for cost data: neither the FCC nor the Montana PSC has
requested or required that applicants provide cost data before they start receiving funding and
putting it to work. Nevertheless, Cellular One described its current equipment and leasing costs at
cell sites to the Montana Commission, not only in its filings but also in a hearing last October in
which Mr. Feiss was a participant. Also, if it is granted eligibility, Cellular One will be
required to file ongoing reports showing the Montana Commission how it is using the funding, and
file capital budgets for prospective build out plans. 6. Mr. Feiss claims wireless companies
threaten to implode the universal service fund. It isn't going to implode. Note these two facts:
(1) the contribution factor, the amount consumers pay into the fund, is actually decreasing at the
same time that consumers' average bill for telecomm services continues to decrease. This means it
is actually getting ‘easier’ for our nation to support the universal service program that offers
rural states like Montana so much potential benefit. Clearly, there is no imminent implosion. (2)
Wireline funding, not wireless, accounts for most of the size of the fund. In fact, perhaps the
most significant reason for that growth is that the rural wireline companies received a special
dispensation whereby they continue to receive the subsidy associated with a customer even if they
lose that customer to a competitor. Therefore, in such circumstances, the fund must pay out twice.
This is a significant and unnecessary burden on the fund. The foregoing facts would be evident
to anyone who actively participated in the legal proceeding associated with Cellular One’s
application for eligibility for Universal Service Funding. Since Mr. Feiss was not only the manager
of one of the parties to that proceeding but also an expert witness in it, I think he could be
described as an active participant. His apparent outrage thus strikes me as insincere at best. For
him to claim that his primary concern is the fate of the federal fund is completely lacking in
credibility. More likely, his primary concern is that his members might stumble when faced with the
rigors of competition. Fair competition requires equal funding, and Montana needs all of the help
it can get in the deployment of modern telecommunications infrastructure across its vast geography.
Funding, not capping, wireless buildout is the way to treat rural Montana in a manner that is fair
and consistent with Congress’ universal service mandate in the Telecom Act. Again, rural areas can
and should have the same kinds of telecommunications services, at the same rates, as urban areas.
This principle is something all Montanans can proudly support. Sincerely, Michael
Strand, Attorney-at-Law Strand & Associates, PLLC Helena, Montana April 11, 2008
— Michael Strand

Referring to article: Proposed FCC Ruling: Hinder wireless in MT (Apr 9th, 2008)

This is an excellent program for entrepreneur learning to start businesses. Backed by the Kauffman
Foundation, this program has been successful all over the US.
— Bill Payne

Referring to article: FastTrac® Program helps entrepreneurs defy the statistics - First-of-its-kind entrepreneurial training program comes to Bear Paw Development Corporation (Apr 10th, 2008)

I was wondering how the Barry Beach case will affect tourism in Montana? After the Dateline story
of Barry Beach vs The State of Montana, Dateline's blogs are flooded with people who are now
refusing to come to Montana because of our 'so called' judicial system and laws. I am a business
owner in Montana and I want to know how this is going to affect my business!
— Yvonne Cooper

Referring to article: 2008 Governor's Conference On Tourism & Recreation, 4/17-18, West Yellowstone, Montana (Mar 6th, 2008)

Mr. Feiss is, as usual, an excellent advocate for the wireline companies. From my perspective as an
advocate for users in rural, underserved communities I can not agree with his position, however. Our
work in rural communities in Idaho and North Dakota has shown that the expansion of wireless
(cellular) service in those communities is the most economical means to build the infrastructure
that can also suppport broadband internet, public safety mobile data, and public safety radio
coverage. There must be some room for compromise between the wireline and wireless positions. If
the use USF funds could be directed to the many communities without adequate, affordable broadband
and public safety service, then it would seem that the real goal of USF funding would be met.
— Paul DeWolfe

Referring to article: Proposed FCC Ruling: Hinder wireless in MT (Apr 9th, 2008)

Re: Proposed FCC Ruling: Hinder wireless in MT This is a bunch of baloney. Chinook does an
excellent job of manipulating public opinion into thinking that without federal subsidies they can’t
exist and rural Montana (or other parts of the country) would be deprived of wireless service.
First, Verizon covers far more than Chinook—without federal subsidy. Second, Chinook does a
fine job of covering Montana service areas, plus Wyoming, and now it’s acquired areas in OK and
TX—all with the private equity Chinook’s partners have invested in the company, as well as operating
revenues. Federal subsidies will simply provide gravy to the few equity partners. There is no
evidence whatsoever that Chinook needs federal subsidies, or that without such subsidy wireless
service will dry up. Moreover, the cap that Chinook is so exercised about is just that: a cap. It
will not deprive any carrier of any funds. Wireline carriers are already capped. Why shouldn’t
such a program cost control be imposed on wireless carriers, too? No one asks, and they won’t
provide, any information on whether Chinook actually needs federal subsidies, how they will use
them, and what would happen without them. Contrary to high-cost wireline companies, which provide
all of their cost data before receiving a dime—if any—of federal support, wireless carriers provide
zero, zip, nil cost data or any other evidence of need. And yet, they cry wolf; and get away with
it. The wireless companies threaten to implode the federal universal service fund, which would
in turn threaten investment in the very infrastructure that wireless providers rely on to provide
their service. They started in 2003 with $15 million in federal subsidies. Then everyone climbed
on board the gravy train and wireless carriers now receive over $1.2 BILLION. Wireline support has
remained stagnant, and even declines, while wireless support threatens the entire viability of the
universal service system. Even worse, the subsidy they line up to receive has nothing to do with
their own costs, since they receive the identical support that the high-cost wireline providers
receive. Pls forward to Mr. King of the MAEDC. He should do a little due diligence before
he puts the reputation of his organization on the line. Geoff Feiss Montana
Telecommunications Association 406.442.4316 (office) 406.594.0424 (mobile) Serving
Montana’s telecommunications industry for over 50 years
— Geoff Feiss

Referring to article: Proposed FCC Ruling: Hinder wireless in MT (Apr 9th, 2008)

As someone who has successfully "cold called" many VC and won meetings, I can attest that the
strongest intro is from someone they know or a recognized name or attorney at a large firm. Many
scrapping entrepreneurs may not have the luxury of the "intro" and I have found success in
structuring an email as follows. ---- KEEP IT SHORT!!! ---- I found you via [website,
article, etc]. My company [describe product or service. For example, we [describe what your
product or service offers] by helping [describe your target segment or customer]. We have
completed our [product status] and have customer commitments from [or some proof people will buy;
sales traction is best]. We have also established [show you have built the company and not just an
idea; you have billing, accounting, website, etc.]. I would like to meet with your firm at your
earliest convenience to provide more information about what we are doing and to seek investment.
[must ask for action and explain why are you writing] You can learn more about our company by
visiting www.[yourwebsite].com and I can be reached via email or [contact details]. Thanks in
advance, [Your name, title in signature block below w/ contact details] ---- ---- The
above email format has worked successfully with some of the largest VC in the world and I'm sure
they would appreciate a concise format that gives them the initial information they look for. Play
around with it and good luck!
— Mike

Referring to article: What's the best material for the pre-pitch introduction to a VC? (Apr 8th, 2008)

So that you don't get the wrong impression about Angel groups (they're definitely not all alike)
please be sure to read the whole article and especially the comments.
— Russ

Referring to article: Angel Groups - Angelic Or Not? (Apr 3rd, 2008)

Congratulations to the outstanding team at Missoula Children's Theatre. You continue to set the
standards for excellence. And congratulations to Don Collins for his innovative outreach as a
member of Montana Ambassadors http://www.montanaambassadors.com/ .
— Russ

Referring to article: 2007 Montana Governor’s Excellence in Exporting Award Winners Announced (Apr 1st, 2008)

I remember voting FOR gambling because it was going to fund schools/education in Montana. Were it
not for the education caveat, I would not have voted FOR gambling. Turns out the real gamble was to
trust the legislature not to divert the funding from gambling FOR some other governmental function.
Now we have our elected officials with their political territory marking ceremony playing "Who's on
First" with education of our youth and the future of our state. Park your Republican and Democrat
at the door, get in there, act like big people, and SOLVE THIS!
— Kevin

Referring to article: Montana needs to invest in education funding, reorganization (Apr 1st, 2008)

I've included this in the Montana Economic Development Category but it's applicable for every
state. We need to be continually vigilant that both govt. sponsored programs and committees
include proactive members of the private sector. We also need to make sure that private sector
groups reach out to govt. entities and value their participation. No successful economy can
survive with two silos of activity. Both private and public sectors need to be as inclusive as
possible of each other. Not doing so results in only 50% of the answer to any question.
— Russ

Referring to article: Connectivity the key to economic growth (Mar 24th, 2008)

There is no question that in recent years energy costs have skyrocketed. And the price of burning
fossil fuels is more than just financial: environmentalists the world over continually warn about
the dangers of using non-renewable energy sources that pollute the environment when burned, global
warming being just one of the major topics frequently discussed. Energy consumers have been
looking for new ways to heat their homes that are easily renewed, will not pollute the environment,
and will save them money. Enter stove corn, a new source of heat energy that involves burning
shelled corn in specially-designed furnaces. The most important thing to remember when using
this alternative fuel is that its moisture content needs to be kept extremely low. The highest
recommended percentage is no more than 15.5%, although in most cases a moisture content of 10-12% is
ideal. Prolonged exposure to moisture will result in the growth of mildew and mold, leading to
spoilage. It can cause the corn to clump together, making it difficult to feed into the combustion
chamber of the stove. In addition, burning moldy corn could aggravate respiratory problems in
individuals with allergies or asthma. The use of woven polypropylene bags protects contents from
exposure to moisture, because the bags actually consist of thousands of strands of plastic woven
together to form a fabric-like sheet that is very strong, extremely durable, and readily resistant
to water. Harry Bradman http://www.abc-packaging.com
— Harry Bradman

Referring to article: Biofuel symposium offers energy alternatives (Mar 3rd, 2008)

I don't know of any other state where a Senator is so personally involved in developing a more
successful economy than Montana's Sen. Baucus. His annual Economic Summits are the envy of many
other states. I've heard that there's going to be another summit this summer. I urge anyone
interested in improving their companies, networking with other Montana business or personally
contributing to the economic success of Montana to keep early June free so you can attend another
amazing event. This round of funding is just one of many examples of the success that comes from
these summits. Congratulations to Ligocyte and those VC firms that are joining it in its success.
Hope to see you in June. I know I'll be there.
— Russ

Referring to article: Sen. Baucus Announces $28 Million Investment in Ligocyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Bozeman, Montana (Mar 18th, 2008)

This site is currently made up mostly of government agencies. If you are a professional or an
organization who can contribute to the goals of the site, please register here
http://www.bigskyinnovation.org/Home/ContentContributors/tabid/80/Default.aspx so you can have your
services or expertise listed as well.
— Russ

Referring to article: Tech Web site hopes to help Montana inventors. "Big Sky Innovation" (Mar 16th, 2008)

I thought the Video was pretty funny, especially considering its a few days before St. Patrick’s
day. Drive responsibly & watch out for those lighthouses.
— Ryan Nikolich

Referring to article: Giving a Bad Name to Montana! (Mar 12th, 2008)

$250MM for years of death and suffering for a whole town vs. $20MM for a couple. Is Montana again
suffering from large out of state companies taking advantage of us?
— Russ

Referring to article: W. R. Grace Agrees to Pay $250 Million in Montana Asbestos Suit. Jury awards $20 million to SF couple in asbestos case (Mar 12th, 2008)

Montana is a state of long bus rides for many children. Is there anyone out there who'd like to
emulate this effort to help increase their ability to learn while traveling back and forth to school
or sporting events? Can we bring together the technical elements to make this a reality in
Montana?
— Russ

Referring to article: 'Magic school bus' of learning (Mar 9th, 2008)

No surprise. Firms are looking for specific technical talent which they haven't been able to find
for two years. They aren't going to stop looking. There is definietly a shortage of IT workers
with specific skill sets, and the situation will only worsen in the coming months.
— Tim Nuckles

Referring to article: Private-Sector CIOs Predict Tech Hiring Increase (Mar 6th, 2008)

Excellent observations Cathy. I think we also need to focus on developing a culture of
collaboration between for-profit startups and non-profits within Montana. There are great
examples of how this is done on a large scale - Home Depot/Habitat for Humanity but the real benefit
is developing a culture of commitment within both organizations early on. Involvement with a
partner can also develop a sense of purpose beyond the job and with the rising challenges of
recruiting and retaining talent, small businesses, both for-and- non profit need to take advantage
of every opportunity to stand out from the crowd. I'd like to see a matchmaking system where
startups and non-profits could register and list their goals and qualities. It would make it much
easier for these relationships to be developed with all benefiting.
— Russ

Referring to article: Nonprofits working to bring more money to Montana. Mountain Sky Guest Ranch (Mar 2nd, 2008)

Good article, but the information on community foundations is hopelessly out-of-date. We have 69
community foundations in Montana, with seven more in development right now. If there's going to be
any significant increase in grant funding within Montana, that's where the resources will come from,
not from out-of-state foundations. The conference in Missoula was a nice event, but did not create
huge interest among large foundations in providing more money here. We have to create our own
philanthropic resources and those of us in the community foundation sector are doing just that.
— Cathy Cooney

Referring to article: Nonprofits working to bring more money to Montana. Mountain Sky Guest Ranch (Mar 2nd, 2008)

The SDSU/Brookings Angel Funds is a sister fund to the Frontier Angel Fund in Kalispell/Whitefish.
Both are RAIN Funds using a model created by RainSource Capital in St. Paul.
— Bill Payne

Referring to article: SDSU/Brookings Angel Fund - New Angel Fund Formed in Brookings, S.D. to Invest in Local Companies (Feb 19th, 2008)

A Herd of Sheep?? http://bertc.com/subfour/herd_of_sheep.htm
— Russ

Referring to article: Using Technology to count "Cows" (You're gonna love this one...) (Feb 27th, 2008)

Cows congregate in herds, sheep in flocks. The congressman may not know much about cows, but it
appears the shepherd does not know all that much about sheep.
— DH

Referring to article: Using Technology to count "Cows" (You're gonna love this one...) (Feb 27th, 2008)

This is in regards to the Twisp, Wash Les Schwab. In the past they were very reliabable. But for the
last 2 years thier service has gone to the dumps! For 2 years in a row I have had to take a tire in
to get the rim cleaned because it kept going flat. This went on every 2 weeks. So I decided to go to
a local tire center and they fixed it right away, no problems since. Also the last 2 years after
having my tires changed I would discover that 3 out of four tires were either majorly over inflated
or under inflated. Just the other day I took a tire in because the valvestem leaked air and the guy
just aired the tires and sent me on my way, disregarding my request for them to fix and replace the
valve stem. I have encouraged my friends and family to go to Kings Tires instead. Not only are they
courtious and friendly but they do the job right the first time. Les Schwab says they gaurentee
satisfaction, but obviously not the Twisp Center.
— Kate

Referring to article: Oregon tire king Les Schwab rolls to success (Jan 18th, 2003)

Folks: I got the hell out of Montana and am now checking out Oregon for a variety of
reasons: 1. The governance of the State of Montana spends a good deal of time and money creating
the illusion of progress and job creationl. 2. The current crop of folks who really run the
politics and economy of Montana are part of the slash and burn crowd. 3. Conversion of our source
of energy from fossil to plants is on the front burner of some higher educational institutional
institutions, namely Rice University. Montana high eduction could care less -- they only act when
fresh cash is put in their feed dish. 4. Big ideas last about as long as passed wind. 5. The
Department of Energy which could be a leader in funding promising research into plant based energy,
is stuck in the 19th Century. If a project involves any risk, their banker's mentality kicks in and
snuffs any attempt to advance the commercialization of new sources of energy. They will approve
grants to dead-end technology and to their friends and insiders, and ignore promising technology
which is not dead certain to be immediately successful. --Jim Miller
— Jim Miller

Referring to article: Montana Business & Technology - Competing Through Innovation (Feb 29th, 2008)

Folks: I got the hell out of Montana and am now checking out Oregon for a variety of
reasons: 1. The governance of the State of Montana spends a good deal of time and money creating
the illusion of progress and job creationl. 2. The current crop of folks who really run the
politics and economy of Montana are part of the slash and burn crowd. 3. Conversion of our source
of energy from fossil to plants is on the front burner of some higher educational institutional
institutions, namely Rice University. Montana high eduction could care less -- they only act when
fresh cash is put in their feed dish. 4. Big ideas last about as long as passed wind. 5. The
Department of Energy which could be a leader in funding promising research into plant based energy,
is stuck in the 19th Century. If a project involves any risk, their banker's mentality kicks in and
snuffs any attempt to advance the commercialization of new sources of energy. They will approve
grants to dead-end technology and to their friends and insiders, and ignore promising technology
which is not dead certain to be immediately successful.
— Jim Miller

Referring to article: Plenty of Room for Big Ideas in Montana (Feb 27th, 2008)

The problems with "prisons as economic development," is that they aren't. Nothing seems to stultify
a town's economy than the presence of a prison, even a public prison that pays living wages. Though
Eden may pay $11 (subject to verification) for guards, the competition pays as little as $7. The
prison experienced its third or fourth riot on Oct. 10th, 2006, though not a word of it appeared in
the newspapers despite the fact that over 200 prisoners were involved. The policy of massive
incarceration of undocumented workers and other aliens could change with the stroke of a pen on Jan.
20th, 2009, as the administration changes. Where might that leave Eden?
— Frank

Referring to article: Are Rural Prisons A Good Economic Development Strategy? - A columnist explains how the small Texas town of Eden grew to love its private prison. (Sep 2nd, 2004)

All of your questions are answered here: http://www.ntsg.umt.edu/
— Russ

Referring to article: "Five Stages Of Climate Grief", Dr. Steven Running (He Just Won The Nobel!), 11/26, University Of Montana, Missoula (Nov 15th, 2007)

Hello, The five stages make for a nice speech especially when you can get paid for it.
Unfortunately, too many "believers" are quoting this and other statements and calling questioners
"deniers". Too many supporters of AGW are also saying "the science is in, there is no more debate"
To this I say - That is also a form of denial when one cannot question the "science". I am a
questioner and I have two for you which nobody has answered properly. a) Where is the quantitative
derivation for the assertion that a doubling of atmospheric CO2 will raise the global atmospheric
temperature by 2.5, or X degrees, or even cool it? b) Can you name one scientific study which
MEASURES the amount or percentage of the warming that Carbon Dioxide has caused? Can you justify
how NOAA and NASA "adjust" the temperatures used in the calculation of the global temperatures. Can
you give the reasons that the temperatures around the world have been modified or not adjusted? NOAA
and NASA have not. Can you show why cities with half a million people in China are classified as
"rural"? You state that global air temperatures of the last dozen years were the warmest in a
millennium. Have you done the work on this or have you verified this? This is based on work by
people like Michael Mann who has not archived his work along with some of his cohorts. Lonnie
Thompson, who is quoted by Al Gore has not archived most of his ice core data. How can anyone do an
independent verification on these studies? The studies that suggest we are the warmest in a
thousand years are highly dependent on one set of trees, the Bristlecone Pine, which competent
dendrochronologists say should not be used for temperature proxies as other effects dominate the
growth. Note that since 1998 there has been no significant warming - in other words we could be at
a peak. But the past trend is still being milked. I look forward to your response to my two
questions.
— Gerald Machnee

Referring to article: "Five Stages Of Climate Grief", Dr. Steven Running (He Just Won The Nobel!), 11/26, University Of Montana, Missoula (Nov 15th, 2007)

National Algae Association Algae: The Next Biofuel Inaugural Algae
Commercialization Business Plan and Networking Forum April 10,
2008 www.nationalalgaeassociation.com