In my adopted home of the Flathead Valley, I’m witnessing the dismantling of public systems and institutions that are cornerstones of our democracy, particularly nonpartisan spaces that have policy makers foaming at the mouth for control, at any cost. Cloaked behind these machinations are phrases that sound promising like less government and low taxes, all of which are enticing in theory but in reality are policy decisions that erode public health, safety, and critical services – not to mention the opportunity for a community to thrive.
It’s a particularly fertile time for these fringe ideas to take hold, when public distrust of the government is high. The opportunity for the public to come together to share ideas, to have productive and respectful debates are hampered due to the global health crisis. Until two years ago did we, as a collective, pay that much attention to the daily business of our local health departments unless it was to read the food safety grades at local restaurants? Now, thanks to a virulent strain of conspiracy, internet toxicity dashed with political pandering, our health departments are warding off attacks that are preventing them from actually saving lives and providing essential services. If you want to be disruptive and seize power, now is the time.
Other nonpartisan institutions like public school boards and libraries are suffering from destabilizing attacks in an attempt to take control out of the public sphere and place it in the hands of those who misconstrue democratic virtues for something more ideological and authoritarian. The soil is all too fertile during this time to sow ideas that appear, on the surface, to be ways to combat fear, restore order, and retain tradition. Yet that’s not reality, and unfortunately for Flathead County taxpayers, many of the institutions we depend on are being torn apart.
Any concern you may have about civic matters like the fate of Kalispell’s Main Street to our award-winning library’s loss of accreditation status because its Board of Trustees is choosing to hire a director who fails to meet the requirements and qualifications of the position, are being overruled by a minority few who are emboldened. Any supportive or reasonable requests made by the taxpaying public are being ignored.
Extremists are hard at work, and don’t be fooled by their quips about less taxes, less government. It’s a mirage. There are areas of life where the government does have its place, and investing in a local community is not the work of liberal or extreme utopian ideas, either. Infrastructure is the work of the government, as is maintaining and supporting other nonpartisan institutions.
Elected leaders are not tasked to be ideological or reckless or extremists, yet this is what is unfolding around the Flathead. What’s a stake, here in our valley, is incredibly high. It’s our time as a collective, as citizens who cherish the hallmarks that allow us to at once be independent free people and carry the blessing that is a shared, compassionate responsibility for others.
Maggie Doherty is the owner of Kalispell Brewing Company on Main Street.