Is it too much to ask for the Flathead County commissioners to govern with decency, expertise, and humility? Or will they continue to mar the county’s good name with their inhumanity, racist comments, and uneducated, shortsighted opinions? Given Brad Abell’s and Randy Brohdel’s recent comments in The Guardian’s investigation to the treatment of the county’s homeless individuals, decency and competence remain sidelined. In mid-January, The Guardian, an international daily newspaper, published a feature on how the City of Kalispell and Flathead County are handling an increase in homelessness numbers, a decrease in services aimed at helping those who can’t secure housing, employment, or medical treatment, while facing a lawsuit from revoking the Flathead Warming Center’s conditional use permit. I should note that I have also written for The Guardian, but I had no connection to the Jan. 27 story or to journalist Andrew Gumbel’s coverage.
What is most striking about the deeply researched news story is how our elected officials continue to respond to the housing and shelter crisis. Fear, misinformation, and biases cloud their judgement as it has since the commissioners published a letter to the public in January of 2023 decrying the “homeless lifestyle.” In the two years since that notorious commentary that was riddled with inaccuracies, the commissioners have continued to entrench themselves in dangerous rhetoric instead of working toward understanding a myriad of issues that contribute to homelessness and what solutions a broad, community-based approach can do to assist with creating affordable housing and access to necessary services. Instead, the commissioners continue to spew hateful comments from their cushy offices, falsely placing blame on people of color for causing homelessness. In case you haven’t read Gumbel’s story, Abell is quoted as attributing the problem to Black individuals and families.
After Abell’s comments in The Guardian, western Montana area journalist Taylor Richardson with ABC-Fox NonStop Local, followed up with Abell about his statements. In the interview, which is available in both print and audio recording, Abell stands by his commentary, and forms illogical and incorrect associations between the nation’s welfare programs to the demise of the “Black family.” It’s unclear what factual evidence, if any, shapes Abell’s opinions and he also concedes to Richardson that he’s not “qualified” to speak about the issue.
What is Abell qualified to do? This question remains as the county lacks a workable solution to address housing affordable, essential services needed by those who are unhoused, and a score of other issues we face, like adequately funding law enforcement. If Abell and his fellow commissioners fail to deliver on their promises and continue to make false statements and accusations, where does that leave us?
A key quality of a leader is to recognize when you’ve made an error, no matter how grievous, and apologize. Abell should issue a public apology for his racist comments and his continued dehumanization of the individuals who are struggling. When our elected officials demonize a group of people, based on race or housing status, dangerous actions occur. It’s beyond time that county commissioners stop their misinformed campaign against members of our community. They could start by issuing a public apology, and vow to work toward a factual and humane understanding of the homeless crisis our valley. The situation will not improve if our leaders continue to take illegal action against the Flathead Warming Shelter or issue inaccurate and dangerous screeds. Is it too much to ask the commissioners to take responsibility for how they’re handling this crisis? Is it too much to ask for our elected officials to be decent, fair, and competent? Or will our leaders’ hostility continue to dictate the official policy of Flathead Valley?