Page 26 - Flathead Beacon // 1.14.15

26 | JANUARY 14, 2015 OPINION
LETTERS
WORKING FOR PARTY, NOT THE PEOPLE
House Majority Leader Keith Regier says, “If Montana voters wanted expanded Medicaid, they would have elected Democrats.” He also states, “it appears the voters of Montana are supporting our agenda.” If memory serves, his campaign agenda included creating jobs. Therefore, he should do some “splainin’” as to why he wants to reject as many as 12,000 new jobs with the Medicaid expansion. I smell a whole lot of arrogance and hypocrisy from Regier (and the session hasn’t even started). He clearly states that he is working for the party and not the people!
Wes Higgins Kalispell
WILL THE FLATHEAD COMPACT COMPROMISE ALLOTTEE WATER RIGHTS?
Earlier this year, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of allottee tribal members living within the Crow Reservation in eastern Montana. Suit was filed against the United States and the Montana Water Court to prevent a final decree on the Crow compact.
The lawsuit alleges that water rights of individual tribal members appurtenant to allotment lands were waived and released by the United States without the knowledge or consent of landowners. It also claims that no effort was made to ensure these individuals would receive enough water to irrigate allotted land, and that the due process rights of these individuals were violated.
Does any of this sound familiar? Every water abstract in the Flathead water compact is held in the name of the United States/Confederates Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the volume of water is for more water than exists. Nearly every drop of water included is for instream flows for fish, not individual tribal members.
While we have not seen a revised Flathead compact, Chris Tweeten, chairman of the Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission and endorsed by the Governor, publicly stated that “not a drop of water would change.” People should be asking who benefits from the Flathead compact? It appears that the only entities benefitting are the United States federal government and the CSKT corporation, not the Montana citizen nor the Tribal landowners.
It is far wiser to address these issues now than it will be to file a lawsuit after the fact such as the Crow Tribal members now attempt.
Get involved and stop this Flathead compact, in the Legislature, before the
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mutual defense clause kicks in requiring Montanans and Tribal landowners to fight against the deep pockets of the United States, Montana State and the CSKT Corporation.
David Passieri St Ignatius
CHANGE LAWS STIFLING RENEWABLE ENERGY
Environmentalists are supposed to want to saddle business with burdensome laws. Right? Well, here’s one that wants to change some laws hamstringing private business, limiting your access to a free market.
Thanks to breakthrough technology, the cost of renewable energy has plummeted in recent years, making it affordable and cost effective, especially for solar panels to generate electricity. Now, you can save the earth and save money.
Unfortunately, laws currently on the books in Montana seriously limit your choices if you want to take advantage of this new technology. If the roof on your house doesn’t face south, your property is shaded by trees, or you rent, you might want to buy a share in a neighborhood solar system, which, wherever it is, would generate credit against your electric bill. But you can’t do that.
You might need a large system, which would generate enough electricity for an industrial operation, big box store, or a hospital, school or university. But you can’t have it. If you have multiple meters, like any farm or ranch has, you might want to build one system and generate credit from it for your other meters. But you can’t do that.
And then, if you generate more electricity at the end of the year than you use, you have to give that electricity away free to the utility.
Unfair? Of course it is. Tell your legislators that you want these laws changed. Tell them you want everyone to be able to get renewable energy.
Wade Sikorski Baker
THANKS FROM NORTH FORK LANDOWNERS
This time of year it’s important to give thanks and show gratitude for what is most important. On Friday, Dec. 19, we gathered with Sens. Jon Tester and John Walsh to celebrate passage of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act and the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act. That afternoon, the president signed the bills into law.
As landowners who care about our public lands, backyard watersheds, and Montana-made solutions, we are thankful that the delegation worked together to complete the home stretch in this crucial step towards protecting the North Fork of
the Flathead River. After over 40 years of working across the aisle locally, thousands of acres of land in the North Fork are now freed from mining and drilling. This is a wonderful accomplishment that would not be a reality without our delegation joining forces to support the bipartisan efforts here in the Flathead Valley.
To many of us who call it home, the North Fork of the Flathead is special beyond words. Some of us have owned land for generations, others have saved and scrimped to get here. But, one thing is sure, we all love the North Fork and realize how important it is to be good stewards for future generations.
Celebrating passage of the North Fork bill among friends reminded us how lucky we are to live in Montana and how essential it is that our delegation keep working together for what matters to Montanans. Thank you Sen.-elect Steve Daines, Sen. Tester and former Sen. Walsh for supporting what is locally made and what matters to us most. Thank you for setting an example for how real, lasting progress is made. Let’s keep the momentum going in 2015 and beyond for more community-driven and supported solutions for the North Fork and across Montana.
Doug Chadwick, Will Hammerquist, Donna Harrison, Randy Kenyon, Jack Potter, Rachel Potter, Karen Reeves, Bill Walker, Lois Walker
MONTANA BLESSED WITH PUBLIC LANDS
As a lifetime westerner and proud citizen of this great state, I was thrilled to see our congressional delegation come together and recommend passage of the Rocky Mountain Heritage Act and the North Fork Watershed Protection Act. The last time Montana wilderness was protected was October of 1983, so the addition of 67,000 acres of wilderness in the Bob Marshall and 208,000 acres in a conservation management area is indeed historical. In addition, the North Fork Flathead River Watershed (408,000 acres) has been permanently protected from energy and mineral development.
We are so blessed in Montana to have these public lands protected for our children and grandchildren. Hiking along crystal clear streams, watching a bald eagle fly overhead, seeing fields of wildflowers, catching an occasional glimpse of wildlife – these are all things that I treasure each day that I live here. My thanks go out to our delegation, Sen. Jon Tester, former congressman and Sen.-elect Steve Daines and former Sen. John Walsh, for working together to pass this legislation. My hope is that we can continue to protect more public lands in our state in the future.
Julie Ellison Missoula
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CORRECTIONS
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