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Articles by Tom Woods
The persona gap: How well does the pharmaceutical industry understand its doctors?
Blog The persona gap: How well does the pharmaceutical industry understand its doctors? Unlocking a deeper understanding of HCP behavior through persona intelligence Healthcare professional (HCP) engagement has become significantly more complex. The proliferation of digital channels, evolving physician expectations and increasing competition for attention have transformed how life sciences companies communicate with customers.
Tom Woods: NorthWestern Energy CEO fails to answer why rate increase is necessary
NorthWestern Energy’s CEO recently wrote a guest column (”NorthWestern Energy needs to raise rates to meet Montana’s power needs”, July 9) attempting to justify why his company needs to raise our utility rates. The article conspicuously avoided answering the most critical question for customers: Why is a rate increase necessary now?
Letter to the editor: Current political landscape reminiscent of King George III
In the Declaration of Independence, our founders listed a number of very good reasons for wanting to separate from England.
Tom Woods: Reversing course on public funding is an enormous unforced error
History tells us that at one time China was becoming a great naval power. The Ming dynasty developed their naval technology to a point that they were able to send heavily armed convoys as far away as the Arabian peninsula and East Africa. During that time, independent kingdoms were brought under Chinese control, but then the expansion stopped. Confronted by conflict between political factions within the Chinese empire, the emperor chose to focus only on domestic issues.
A deep-dive into SkeyDrone’s latest Drone Detection report
SkeyDrone has just released its second Drone Detection Report dissecting two months of drone activity across 75% of the Belgian coastline. Founded in 2020, SkeyDrone is a joint venture between Brussels Airport and the Belgian air navigation service provider skeyes. Four years on and its public drone detection reports have come to be an industry go-to on the Belgian evolving drone landscape.
How the UK government could be doing more to support SMEs in the eVTOL space
Zag’s Partnership Manager Tom Woods travelled to London for a sit down with Michael Thompson, co-founder and CEO at Skyfly Technologies. Skyfly is a British eVTOL manufacturer targeting the private consumer. It is currently developing the Axe, a 2-seat personal vertical take-off and landing EV. Michael: “It started when I left school. I had a place at university but in my gap year I learned to fly helicopters, embarking on my private pilot’s licence. Drones were also up-and-coming.
Letter to the editor: Brian Close fights special interest for his constituents
I served in the Montana Legislature for four terms and it was the worst job I've ever loved. The hours were long, the pay was minimal, but I had the opportunity to fight against special interests like NorthWestern Energy, the petroleum industry, hospitals, and sometimes my own party. I miss it. I no longer think term limits are a good idea.
Movemakers #1: Exploring the infectious entrepreneurial mindset
Zag Daily’s Partnership Manager Tom Woods travelled to Oslo for a sit down with Øyvind Sævig, co-founder of Beta Mobility. Beta is a Nordic advisory firm specialising in New Mobility. It works with both startups and established companies, both private and public, to promote sustainable mobility. It also has a database of nearly 600 Nordic mobility startups to understand what is out there, and how this affects market dynamics.
Business in California: Website Accessibility Suits
As in-house counsel, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law that may have been brought to your attention. If so, it likely would have been in relation to the ADA’s strict design requirements for physical access to businesses open to the public. You are less likely to be aware of the court-led expansion of that law to include reasonable efforts to make a business’s website accessible for visually impaired customers.
Tom Woods: Five tax changes that would support economic growth - The Currency
Budget 2023 has been framed as a ‘cost-of-living’ budget. It is expected to provide much needed help with the rising cost-of-living while seeking to avoid adding to the inflationary challenges the Irish economy is experiencing. The latest Exchequer statement to the month of August shows an Exchequer surplus of €6.3 billion, compared with a deficit of €6.7 billion to the end of August 2021, an improvement of €13 billion.
Letter to the editor: Tranel can take on powerful special interests
There was some good news buried in the paper recently. One of my least favorite corporations lost a court case and will no longer be getting a sweetheart deal on every huge project they build or buy. Years ago, the Legislature passed something called “pre-approval” that benefited NorthWestern Energy. Because of this gift, the company was guaranteed a profit on power generation assets that they purchased or built.
Helena handbasket
Helena handbasket Unlike many other bills being excreted by the legislature these days, Senate Bill 110 is very subtle in the way it reveals the dysfunction in our legislature. This bill directs the university system to stop payments to its employee health care plan for two month periods when the health insurance program is running a surplus (like it is now). At face value, that sounds like a prudent move but pointed questions need to be asked.
Interesting times: Montana governed by four factions
Interesting times: Montana governed by four factions I’ve had the honor of serving the past four terms in the legislature. It’s now possible that everything that I worked to pass in the legislature over four terms is now about to be undone; Medicaid expansion, human rights, water rights, reproductive rights, fair elections. This threat is real, but I have hope that the adults in the room may keep the ship of state off the rocks. Here’s why.
The Covid Cult By Tom Woods
You are about to action: Object being modified by the action Do you want to proceed? Request Moderation Registered user account required Please Login or Register to submit a moderation request. Email Submissions We also accept moderation reports via email. Please see the Content Moderation Policy for instructions on how to make a moderation request via email. First published at 15:58 UTC on November 17th, 2020.
Rep. Woods asks for PSC vote, support for Stafman
My name is Tom Woods and for four terms I’ve had the honor to serve you as one of your state legislators. I call it “The worst job I’ve ever loved.” Due to term limits, I cannot return to this office, but I am running for the Public Service Commission, which is probably the most important election that nobody pays attention to. I think it’s why the PSC has become so dysfunctional.
Liquidity? I call it slush
Liquidity? I call it slush × You have run out of free articles. You can support our newsroom by joining at our lowest rate! Already a subscriber? Log in or Activate your account. Loading&hellp; {{html}} Thanks for being a subscriber. Sorry, your subscription does not include this content. Please call 866-839-6397 to upgrade your subscription.
NorthWestern, PSC should rethink rate increase
As a state legislator, I’ve been saying for years that NorthWestern Energy has been gaming the system and that the Public Service Commission has allowed that to happen. We now find ourselves in a situation where profits for NorthWestern Energy have been steadily increasing with 2019 setting a new record for the company. We simply can’t afford for this to continue. Now that this COVID situation has knocked us down, customers can’t keep getting kicked by unfair utility rates.
Fighting fake medicine and supplies: It’s crucial in this pandemic
Photo credit: Darren Baker - Shutterstock Even as we practice social distancing on a global scale, can we look to safety in numbers when it comes to health commodity procurement? Some in the health financing world are thinking beyond the immediate COVID-19 pandemic to make sure lower- and middle-income countries don’t suffer a one-two punch.
NWE's proposed purchase will hurt ratepayers
In 2008, NorthWestern Energy purchased 30 percent of the Colstrip coal-fired power plants and terribly over-charged Montana ratepayers as part of the deal — all with the blessing of the Montana Public Service Commissioners at that time. Now, in 2020, the leadership of NorthWestern energy is back at the ratepayer trough – asking the Montana PSC to approve the company’s purchase of the last two coal-fired power plants left in Colstrip for $1.
Careful, or ratepayers will foot bill for Colstrip
The coal-fired generating facility at Colstrip has been in the news over the last year. This week brought news that NorthWestern Energy wants to acquire a bigger share of the facility. This may cost you a lot of money. Here’s why. The Colstrip facility consists of four generating plants owned by six different companies.
Pay attention to the election for PSC commissioner
The Elections for Public Service Commission have been the most important races we’ve never cared about. As such, I truly appreciate the Chronicle urging readers to pay attention to what their current Public Service Commission is doing…and not doing (Oct 27). Delivery of electricity, natural gas, railway transport, water and telecommunications are a few of the industries that the state grants a monopoly for corporations to provide.
Senate bill juicy tax break, won't help rural Montana
There’s been a recent push in the editorial pages urging the governor to sign SB 239, which would grant a tax holiday to companies who provide internet service. As a legislator, I opposed this bill because the industry consistently misrepresented the intent of it. The lobbyists said SB 239 would bring broadband to rural Montana. It won’t. This bill does nothing but give the telecom industry a tax break, which will eventually shift more of the property tax burden to homeowners. Here’s how.
SB 239 is bad policy: No tax holiday for internet companies
Rep. Tom Woods (D-Bozeman) There’s been a recent push in the editorial pages urging the governor to sign Senate Bill 239, which would grant a tax holiday to companies that provide internet service. As a legislator, I opposed this bill because the industry consistently misrepresented the intent of it. The lobbyists said SB 239 would bring broadband to rural Montana. It won’t.
Colstrip bill yet another Northwestern boondoggle
As one of your state representatives, I need to let you know about dangerous legislation making its way through the state capitol. As written, SB 331 will allow Northwestern Energy to make a bad deal and then stick it to the ratepayers for hundreds of millions of dollars. What really sets my hair on fire with the situation is that this isn’t the first time Northwestern Energy has bilked ratepayers through a lousy deal.
Selling Colstrip for a buck is a bad deal
As one of your state representatives, I need to let you know that a bill in the Legislature, Senate Bill 331, will allow Northwestern Energy (NWE) to make a bad deal and then stick it to the ratepayers for hundreds of millions of dollars. What really sets my hair on fire with the situation is that this isn’t the first time Northwestern Energy has bilked ratepayers through a lousy deal. It’s not even their first bad deal over Colstrip! There’s a history of this behavior.
Letter to the editor: With more trains planned, a quiet zone for Bozeman is a valid idea
In a recent letter to the editor, Mr. Vern Smalley asks if anything can be done to reduce the noise of trains coming through town. Since we are looking at a big increase in the number of coal trains coming through Bozeman it’s a valid concern. Here’s something implemented by other cities that’s worth consideration. Trains are currently required to blow their horns when approaching a road crossing. We could waive that requirement but the safety concerns are not worth the risk.
Global leaders in aviation finance
Since the creation of Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) in the 1970’s, Ireland has been a centre of excellence in aviation finance and leasing, with an extensive number of skilled arrangers, managers and advisors based here. More than half of the world’s leased aircraft are leased from Ireland. Most significant transactions in the sector have involved Irish leasing companies. The industry looks set to grow further, with very large orders being placed by Irish lessors.
How to Replace the Affordable Care Act
There are many factors that have been driving medical costs to unsustainable levels. Although we can rightfully blame insurance companies, malpractice lawyers and drug companies for driving up health care costs, it’s important to recognize that almost half of the health care dollars spent in Montana go to the hospital system. Eighty-five percent of those hospital dollars go to one of 11 hospitals and most of these major hospitals claim “nonprofit” status.
Address hospital costs to fix health care problem
There are many factors that have been driving medical costs to unsustainable levels. Although we can rightfully blame insurance companies, malpractice lawyers and drug companies for driving up health care costs, it’s important to recognize that almost half of the health care dollars spent in Montana go to the hospital system.
Hold all electric utilities to same standards
Every year, NorthWestern Energy customers pay millions of dollars for power generated by the power plants the company owns. The company then uses that money to repay shareholders who put up the capital to buy or build those plants. If the relationship between Northwestern and its customers was that simple there would not be a problem. Normal business relationships are something we can all be happy with.
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