Page 26 - Flathead Beacon // 2.4.15

26 | FEBRUARY 4, 2015 OPINION
LETTERS
DOES THE KEYSTONE PIPELINE REALLY MAKE SENSE?
Can the Nebraska Supreme Court declare a state law unconstitutional? This was the legal question when their governor approved a pipeline to cross that state passing through the Nebraska Sandhills. Major public concern is that a rupture in that pipeline would extensively damage the Ogallala Aquifer underlying most of Nebraska, primarily its vast Sandhills and parts of neighboring states. Nebraska sand-filtered waters are perhaps the purest anywhere in the world with its very low population, virtually no industry or manufacturing and abundant, lake-filled sandhills grasslands. Such high quality water is itself highly saleable in today’s national and international markets.
Pipeline accidents could ruin this naturally pure, delicious water with offensive petroleum odor and taste, even more repelling than toxic pollution. Nebraska citizens understandably resist this pipeline, which Montana and other states have been attempting to approve to provide “jobs, jobs, jobs”, which upon completion of pipeline construction would logically decline to mere maintenance and service jobs.
Why don’t the citizens of these natural resource-rich states realize that true wealth is in the use of their natural resources to produce and market real product rather than selling and shipping raw materials out of the country for manufacturing and processing elsewhere, even to such foreign countries as China and Japan? We have been selling off our coal, oil, gas and minerals while closing down production of our timber industry and threatening our dams and agriculture. Wealth lies in energy production and product development. We have actually lost our employment opportunities and destroyed our economy, by transferring over-seas such industries as high-tech and auto manufacturing. Why not use and apply our natural resources right here near point source?
Clarice Ryan Bigfork
FWP NEEDS NEW DIRECTION, NOT MORE MONEY
This is the worst hunting that we have had for many years, which is due to the wolf population, and it is still not being adequately adjusted. By its own numbers, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks show the wolves are increasing every year even with current measures to control them.
Thousands of dollars are being spent on flying around in helicopters, such as game counts. This is unnecessary because hunter success rate is accurate. Also, on things like the moose study, which was
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in the Flathead Beacon last year. FWP’s finding for the decline of moose was ticks and global warming with no mention of the wolf population. These people should be fired.
If you disagree with the actions of FWP, call your district representative. Lawmakers are in session right now deciding whether FWP needs more money.
It is in my opinion the whole department needs to be fired and for it to start over with one to two game wardens per county. That would save millions of dollars.
Brian Todd Libby
ZINKE SHOULD ADDRESS REAL ISSUES
I read your interview with Rep. Ryan Zinke (Jan. 21 Beacon: “Zinke Goes to Washington”) in the Flathead Beacon. I have to say I was very impressed. Where does he get his information from? Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. I never knew that President Obama was also the president of France; where he could have stopped the terrorist from killing the Charlie Hebdo editor and staff. Is he also working with Putin to take over the world? And tell me this: Why would he be against people getting a break with health insurance? Does he and the rest of Congress have a better idea? I would love to hear it. I have a great idea; before Zinke takes health insurance away from millions of people, tell him to give up the health insurance that we the taxpayers give to him and his family. Do the job we sent you to Congress to do and quit screwing around with pipelines, health insurance and immigration. Come together and fix the infrastructure in the USA. This would create real jobs. Be a real congressman and address real issues.
Frank DiNenna Lakeside
A GOOD DEAL FOR MONTANANS
Providing health insurance to the estimated 70,000 hardworking Montanans earning less than $16,000 a year will promote prosperity and save lives. In the majority of states, Republicans and Democrats put aside partisan politics and expanded Medicaid to their low-income neighbors. It’s time Montana lawmakers do the same.
Everyone benefits from reducing the number of uninsured Montanans. Expanding coverage will not only boost our economy by creating a healthier and more productive population, it will reduce the overall cost of health care. Everyone who pays an insurance premium is helping offset the unpaid medical costs of those without health insurance. It’s a hidden tax on businesses and the privately insured, and lawmakers can curtail the expense by ensuring our federal tax dollars are being responsibly spent on progress at home.
Since Jan. 1, 2014, Montana has
forfeited more than $516 million taxpayer dollars by not expanding Medicaid. It’s our money, and right now, it’s being used to pay for expansion in other states. Lawmakers have had four years to find a Montana solution to meaningful expansion. We’re calling for action.
Expanding Medicaid promotes self-management of a healthy lifestyle by ensuring individuals have access to timely and preventive care like cancer screenings, health risk assessments and behavioral counseling. This helps prevent minor health problems from becoming major – and very costly – health problems that could result in medical bankruptcies and extended absences from work. It is a vital component of creating a stronger Montana, where every citizen has access to high quality and affordable health care.
Montana’s health care providers are committed to improving the health of the communities they serve. Using available funds to provide health insurance to our lowest earners will help accomplish that goal. We hope the 2015 Montana Legislature knows a good deal when it sees it.
Dick Brown, president Montana Hospital Association
MITCHELL, HOLMQUIST STAND UP FOR FLATHEAD COUNTY
Thank you County Commissioners Pam Holmquist and Phil Mitchell for standing up for the citizens of Flathead County on two major issues as follows:
First, thank you for the strong, articulate, opposition letter you recently wrote regarding the CSKT Water Compact. You stated very valid fatal flaws within the Compact in your recent opposition letter. The fact that the compact grants off reservation rights that affect all the citizens in Flathead County is a fatal flaw that needs to be corrected. Your letter presents a point by point description of what needs to be changed in this flawed compact to make it acceptable to the people of Flathead County. I assure you that the overwhelming majority of citizens in Flathead County support your efforts to protect our water rights. Thank you very much for standing up for us on thisimportantissue.
Second, I want to thank you for your efforts to keep the costs in check on the multi-million dollar brand new building to house the Agency on Aging facilities. We were told that the project budget would be $6 million. The final cost tally ended up being around $7 million, about $1 million over the proposed budget. But thanks to your recent efforts, Commissioner Holmquist and Mitchell, the price tag has been trimmed around a quarter million dollars. Those cost cutting measures were accomplished as a direct result of your efforts Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Holmquist and we as taxpayers really appreciate it.
Jeff H. Larsen Lakeside
LETTERS
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CORRECTIONS
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