70 mph on U.S. 93 is sensible idea

State Sen. Greg Barkus, D-Kalispell, says it's time to lift the speed restriction on U.S. 93 - and we agree.

Legislation by Barkus would get rid of the special 65-mph limit on U.S. 93 between the Canadian and Idaho borders. The road limit would be raised to the same 70 mph in effect on other Montana highways.

The unique speed limit for U.S. 93 was approved eight years ago to call attention to the safety problems on that highway.

But as Barkus has pointed out, some $140 million in work has made U.S. 93 a much better road than it used to be.

Raising the limit on U.S. 93 (it's only 5 mph more, anyway) is justified, particularly considering that many of the highways that connect with U.S. 93 have 70 mph limits - and these other highways aren't as safe as 93.

It should come as no surprise to us that a new study says today's college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than their predecessors.

Our society has been preoccupied with building self-esteem in youngsters for the past couple of decades. We've repeatedly told them how special they are, even when their achievements haven't warranted an attaboy. We've made excuses for our children. We haven't disciplined them for fear of crushing their self-confidence. We've even revamped entire grading systems, all for the sake of building self-esteem.

It seems to have backfired.

The study, done by five psychologists, said this alarming rise in the number of narcissistic young people may be harmful to the very society that coddled these kids to no end. Narcissists tend to lack empathy and have difficulty building close relationships with others. They favor self-promotion over helping others.

A potential solution, the study advises, is more authoritative parenting. "Less indulgence might be called for," it stated.

Seems like a no-brainer. Let's not give credit when credit isn't due. It's as simple as that.

The Postal Service seems to have come up with a simple solution to an annoying problem - the pile of stamps that accumulate at the bottom of junk drawers across America every time the price of first-class mail increases.

It's not that the stamps aren't still valid, but they need to be adjoined to a stamp for a penny or two or three depending on the amount of the increase, in order to be used as first-class postage.

It's just an inconvenience, but one thing the post office can't afford is to be inconvenient in the era of the Internet.

So the Postal Regulatory Commission is recommending that patrons be able to buy a first-class stamp that is valid forever, no matter how much or when the price goes up. Dubbed a "forever" stamp, it's just the ticket to help the Postal Service remain relevant - if not forever, at least for a while longer.