Page 27 - Flathead Beacon // 2.4.15

FLATHEADBEACON.COM OPINION UNCOMMON GROUND Mike Jopek
Ninety Days
FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | 27
NO-CAVITY CLUB
CONGRATULATIONS : To the Winning Smiles for the Month of Jan. 2015
Bella Adamson Brooklyn Adamson Jackson Alberty Larkin Alberty Matthew Allabaugh Emma Anderson Mickie Anderson Ty Anderson GabeAlan Arend Tyler Arnoux Madison Auge Celia Baker Levi Balappa Kadyen Banyai Leah Banyai Jackson Barrett KiriannaBarrow Keiran Barten Taya Beavers Trey Beavers Aubrey Bennett Emily Bennett J.David Bennett Timothy Benton Jaden Beston Ella Billsborough Quintin Billsborough Neva Binder Lucia Binder Kaeden Bleick Zellah Boles Norah Borgia Samantha Bray Alyssa Brewer Stormee Brewer Faite Briggs Anikah Briggs Kaden Bristow Riley Bristow Nolan Brown Logan Brown Rylee Brown Jacob Brown Joshua Brown Bobby Bruce Nicholas Bruce Cory Bruckelmyer Hannah Byers Kayley Campbell Jonas Campbell Nolan Campbell Macie Campbell Lola Carpenter Marlo Carpenter Owen Carpenter Arya Chilson Ashyr Chilson Andyn Chilson Lillie Cornelius Daylin Coughren Aiyana Crabill Bryce Crane Drew Crane Lydia Dachs Sophia Dachs Abigail Danielson Lena Danielson Shelby Davis Cragar Davis Sierra Day
Lexie Day Kamree Day Jorden Day Joey Dector Sophie Desch Joshua Desch Perla Diaz Cesar Diaz Jairo DiazAlcaraz Emily Dickinson McKale Disney Kessa Drendel Brody Drye McKenna Dunham Eian EasterOlson Collin Eastman Leah Eastman Thomas Eder Josie Ekholt Jaden Elliott Zane Emerson Ashley Emerson Odin Erickson
Zoe Farnum Jade Finley Sarah Fisher Abigail Fisher Henry Fisher Rose Fisher Kloe Fisk Malachi Fleck Kaleb Fleck Caleb Galassi Riley Galassi Charles Gardner Walter Gardner Zayne Gargasz Abigail Garza Hayden Gausnell Landon Gausnell Kayla Glickman Connor Gordon Abigail Gorton Lannie Griffith Ethan Gunderson Calie Hakonsson Colton Hall Caden Hallas Nora Halliday Adam Halliday-Means Patrick Hamblin Cheyenne Hammond Cole Hanson Talan Hanson Tyrus Harris Nathan Harris Tyler Hassler Joselyn Hawbaker Damon Heaps Trayton Heaps Leo Heward Faye Hicklin
Dru Higgins Thomas Hodgdon Hadley Hopkins Elia Hopson Taren Horner Krisign Huff
Lexi Hunt Keaton Hunt
Indigo Hunter Liam Hurd Ayden Hurd Boston Jackson Emmett Jackson Jaymz Jenkins Haylee Jennings Coletin Johns Keatin Johns Charlie Jolma Earl Jolma David Jones Jordan Jones Charis Jones Caden Just Kennedy Kanter Kimber Kassner Brady Kassner Hannah Kassner Matthew Kelsey Anthony Kelso Jerimie Kennedy Marcus Kilman Noah Kilman Josiah Kilman Zacharia King Xavior King Tony King Jacob Kiser Jaiden Kline Miika Koistinen Elijas Koistinen Olivia Krogman Allie Krueger Salo Kuhn Gaibryl Kuntz Bailey Laban Shay Langlois Aiyanna Langlois Grace Lingle Sophia Lowell Lucas Macfarlane Izabella Mahoney Keeley Mahoney Chaelee Marso Alexis Marso Silas Martin Monte Matt Matthew McClintic Kyle McCollam Mylie McCollam Maggy McGraw Graham McGraw Allee Meyer Haylee Meyer Aiden Miller Makenna Miller Logan Miner Daniel Monforton Hidalgo Montoya David Moody James Moody Xilas Munoz Torren Murray Tanyon Murray Timothy Nakonechny Evelina Nakonechny Elviera Nakonechny Jerimiah Nakonechny Ismael Nakonechny
Carmin Neess
Tyla Nelson Tayvia Nelson Dustyn Neville
Aria Nichols Dylan North Adalicia O’Brien Bella O’Neil Connor Ogden Cale Ogden Avriana Paine Shaelynn Paine Erilyn Parmer Azah Petrina Roman Petrina Krosby Petrina Winter Pfannenstiel Lillian Pipkey Mason PipkeyJones Oliver Poitra Jonathan Popkov Evelyna Raletniy Esmeralda Ramos Tate Ratkowski Ruby Ratkowski Will Ratkowski Marley Raymond Logan Reddig Austin Reeves Cassandra Reeves Tatum Reiner Sylvia Rhoades Lance Rhoades Triss Rhoades Chad Rhoades Sally Rhoades Krissy Rhoades Leston Richardson Kaia Ridgway Brett Ritter
Isaac Ritter Emma Ritter Tristan Robbins
Ian Rollins
Caleb Rosich Carissa Rosich Harlie Roth Kenlie Roth Amanda Ruffing Emma Sacher
Ezra Sage Kendra Salmonsen Maddie Salmonsen Winston Schneider Adeline Schneider Reese Scott McAllister Scott Noah Senholtz Kassidy Shepard Haeli Shepard Lucas Sherrill Aurora Shields-Norgaard Owen Shilling Adison Siegel Jayden Silvia
Tad Simonson Kavish Singh Greta Sipe
Vivian Sipe
Eli Smart
EJ Smith Nathan Sonju Avery Sorensen Darien Sorensen Luke Soteros Vinny Stanislao Valentino Stanislao Bella Stanislao Kaylin Stein Jacob Steinle Zander Stephens Sutton Stevens Sprague Stevens Owen Stockton Hallie Stockton
Ian Stockton Nickolas Stolte Tobin Strobel Micah Strobel Elise Strobel Peyton SudanKalagain Sierra Swan Sidney Sweetin Rio Sweetin Rozzlin Taylor John Tebby Kaden Tedrick Shay Thompson Sage Thompson Siena Thompson Zachary Timis Hollis Tufly Addison Turner Adele Turner Elissa Uhde Anna Uskoski Jada Uskoski Raylee VanderWeide Tija Vialpando Rainleigh Vick Mariah Walker Madisen Wall Gabriel Walls Rhiley Walls Aaron Warren Savannah Warren Colter Weed Thomas West Courtney West Xander Whitney Hunter Whitney Kaylee Whitten Thomas Williams Joshua Williamson Jessica Williamson Jayden Williamson Aaliyah Wilson Cayla Wing Emily Wing Benjamin Worthey Julian Worthey Blace Wunderlich Jaylie Wymer Mason Wymer Jordan Zarich Julia Zolotukhina
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IT WAS 80 DEGREES IN THE HOOP house. Outside the snow is deep. The snow has that distinctive spring- feel. It’s dense, wet with big crystals.
Inside the hoop house we’re working soil, looking for springtime. These sun- ny winter days are a favorite. They re- mind me why I retired from lawmaking.
Soon I’ll seed vegetable starts like onions, scallions and shallots. Before too long the bok choi, spinach and lettuce will be in the ground. The fruit trees and berries will get pruned the upcoming weeks.
I’m optimistic about the upcoming growing season. Though farming the Montana Rockies at the 49th parallel as- sures that spring’s arrival is unpredict- able.
In Helena, politics is in full swing. A quarter of their legislative days have past and many familiar political spats have rematerialized. At the end of the month it will be halftime.
Two years ago, after the last Leg- islature adjourned, many taxpayers were surprised to learn that because of their low wages they were ineligible for healthcare tax benefits offered else- where in the nation.
The last Legislature refused to ex- pand Medicaid healthcare to lower wage earners. In doing so it snubbed millions in federal healthcare funding from com- ing into the state, presumably to lower federal debts.
Rhetoric aside, the federal taxpayer funds went to other states to care for the sick. Montanans is simply paying extra for uncompensated care at local hospitals. Local hospitals would benefit greatly from Medicaid expansion. The last Legislature assured that health in- surance costs for poverty wage earners is prohibitively expensive.
Political leaders often ignore our so- cietal obligations to the sick, the hun- gry, and the elderly. Many want politi- cians to smarten up, but doubts persist. There will always be politicians looking for a more outrageous message to punch through in to news cycle.
Last month the Legislature sub- poenaed three current and past state workers to testify on programs offered
to poverty wage earners. I don’t recall a Legislature ever issuing a formal order to compel a witness to testify before a hearing.
So far the subpoenas proved a low point to the 64th citizen Legislature. Hopefully it won’t get more embarrass- ing, time will tell. Many of the biggest is- sues facing Montana have fractured the Republican caucus.
Issues like Medicaid healthcare, the last water compact and public infra- structure construction are flaring bitter battles within the GOP. Oddly these are unresolved issues leftover from the pre- vious Legislature, two years ago.
I have painfully learned that with ideological politicians, facts don’t mat- ter. It’s saddening but no amount of rea- son will change an entrenched ideologi- cal mind.
At the epicenter of the Republicans’ purity test is Kalispell Sen. Bruce Tut- vedt. Tutvedt is the chair of the powerful Senate Taxation Committee and carries major bills this Session like revising how property is reappraised and supporting the water compact.
Tutvedt recently wrote in part, “The extremists in the Flathead Valley have come to personal attacks because they don’t win on the issues. They believe that the U.S. government is bad and trying to depopulate Northwest Montana using Agenda 21 or some other conspiracy the- ories. They believe in the need for public militias to prepare for the overthrow of the government.”
On some policy, I’ll disagree with Tutvedt. But as a state lawmaker, he warrants our respect. A lawmaker’s job is to represent constituents, plain and simple. Many forget this duty and get embroiled in political infighting.
Time will tell whether the Legisla- ture produces much in the name of prog- ress. They quickly approach the halfway point of the Session and the second half pace is a lot faster.
In the sunny hoop house, time ap- peared irrelevant. Soon the sap in the sugar maple trees outside the Capital will be flowing. But inside, it’s the 90- day clock that demands results.
“POLITICAL LEADERS OFTEN IGNORE OUR SOCIETAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE SICK, THE HUNGRY, AND THE ELDERLY.”
Mike (Uncommon Ground) Jopek and Dave (Closing Range) Skinner often fall on op- posite sides of the fence when it comes to political and outdoor issues. Their columns alternate each week in the Flathead Beacon.
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