Page 27 - Flathead Beacon // 6.1.16

LETTERS
Republican Voter Wake-up Call
The three local Republican races, Tim Harmon v. Pam Holmquist, Don “K” v. Keith Regier, and Jean Barragan v. Derek Skees, represent the split in the Republi- can Party. Pam Holmquist, Keith Regier and Derek Skees are the Tea Party can- didates who represent about 20 percent of Montana Republican voters. Tim Har- mon, Don “K” and Jean Barragan repre- sent the other 80 percent of Republican voters.
In 2015, Tea Party representatives mostly opposed the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Water Compact, the infrastructure bill, and Ryan Zinke for Congress.
Holmquist, Regier, and Skees opposed the bipartisan water compact. They did not understand the key question of the compact, which was: “Will Montana ben- e t more with or without the compact?”
Commissioner Pam Holmquist signed a letter that opposed the water compact. The letter shows she did not understand the legal issues of tribal water rights. The governor’s legal counsel wrote a devas- tating and correct rebuttal to the Com- missioners’ letter.
Rep. Regier led the compact oppo- sition. Regier did not reply to attorney Helen Thigpen’s in-depth reply to his written questions about the compact. He opposed the compact because he could not edit the compact, he did not “have enough time” to read the compact, he thinks Republicans should always vote opposite to Democrats, and he did not understand the compact was a biparti- san bill.
Regier killed the infrastructure bill because he thinks the state should pay with cash rather than with bonds. By con- trast, Don “K”, who understands busi- ness and nances, would have considered using bonds to fund infrastructure.
Regier and Skees did not support Ryan Zinke for Congress in the nal 2014 election.
In 2014, Republican voters did not understand which candidates were Tea Party candidates. As a result, Tea Party legislators had almost enough votes to kill the water compact. That should be a wake-up call to Republican voters.
Ed Berry Bigfork
Vote for Candidates with Proven Records
Pam Holmquist, Derek Skees, and Keith Regier share important character- istics of hard work, citizen involvement, and honesty that bene t all Montanans.
Pam has gone beyond the require- ments of the job by being responsible for policies, subdivision review, passing res- olutions and ordinances, zoning, setting appropriations, setting levies for county funds, re districts, setting of fees, rural improvement districts, special districts, and appointing residents to boards and commission. She has been in o ce for
almost six years and should be re-elected to continue working for our community. Derek’s experience in business, both
large and small, as well as an intimate knowledge of community concerns makes him an advocate for the people of Montana – “a tireless warrior.” He says: “My life has grown to become one of ser- vice to my family, community and God. It is this desire to serve that has drawn me to seek elected o ce.” This sounds like a good reason to be elected as our pub- lic servant, reminding me of Nobel Prize winning poet Tagore’s quote: “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.”
Majority Leader Regier is facing Don K for Senate District 3. Keith’s speaking up for gun rights (Senate Bill 143 – Restric- tion on local government regulation of rearms) and House Bill 583 described as the “Restore the Foundation of Mon- tana’s Heritage of Individual Liberty, Pri- vacy, and Property Rights Act” make him my choice.
As a new Montanan, I am extremely impressed by these people and plan to vote for them. Please carefully consider your decision regarding these three peo- ple and vote for representatives with proven records.
Vote for Pam Holmquist, Derek Skees
signi cantly impact you and your chil- dren’s future.
Tim and his devoted wife Tammy actually live in the district they hope to represent and are respected by all who know them.
We need Tim and Tim needs you.
My wife and I have owned and oper- ated several small businesses in Flathead County for over 30 years and we enthusi- astically endorse Tim Harmon for Flat- head County commissioner. Please con- sider closely and vote for Tim!
Michael A. Hayes Kalispell
Pam Holmquist for County Commissioner
Pam Holmquist is a person of great integrity and work ethic. She is approach- able, knowledgeable, and studies in great depth the issues pertinent to her o ce of county commissioner. She has the same beliefs most of us do regarding the impor- tance of scal responsibility, protecting private property rights, making Flathead County businesses pro table, expanding business options and thereby attracting new businesses – all of which leads to job creation in our county. Devoted to civic responsibility and as a business owner, she was promoting these goals prior to being county commissioner. While in o ce, among other positive initiatives to protect us, she brought to the plan- ning board a precedent-setting property owners bill of rights and was instrumen- tal in drafting the letter to the Helena leg- islators and the governor in opposition to the water compact. Based on her quality as a person, her depth of knowledge, and her documented record of promoting the good of the individual and the county, I urge you to vote for Pam Holmquist for county commissioner.
Annie Bukacek Kalispell
Skees Will Protect Freedoms and Pocketbooks
I support Derek Skees for House Dis- trict 11. We are at the end of this primary election, and as we all know this is the time when things get nasty. There have been two failed attempts to attack Der- ek’s character in our mailboxes, and no doubt we will see more. Derek is being attacked because he is a principled, unyielding conservative with a proven record of protecting our property rights, our freedoms and our pocketbooks. His enemies attack him because they do not believe in these principles. They will lie and distort the truth in order to prevent him from returning to Helena and ght for our values.
He continues to stand strong against the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Water Compact. He stands for the sanctity of life from birth to elderly. He will ght to secure the district some much-needed relief in property taxes, and overturn burdensome regulations
that sti e our economy. He will ght to secure our property rights, rein in the growth of this state government, and ght to end the business equipment tax. Derek will ght to protect our freedoms and our pocketbooks.
I have known Derek and his family for decades. He lives by the rule that charac- ter is more easily maintained than recov- ered. I will not let the lies of his enemy’s change what I know to be true; Derek Skees is a proven principled conserva- tive, and he always will be. Therefore, I will vote for Derek Skees for HD 11. I urge you to vote for him as well.
Je H. Larsen Lakeside
The Truth About Trapping
Unfortunately, Mr. Garrison’s letter (May 18 Beacon: “Letter Writer Misrep- resented Trappers”) does not hold up to fact checking. Garrison writes that Amanda Lanier’s claim in her letter on trapping was wrong that “Montana has no trap check requirements.” Garrison encourages his readers to check for them- selves. I did, and just got o the phone with Fish, Wildlife and Parks. They con rmed that there are no mandatory, legally required trap check requirements. The exact wording in the furbearer reg- ulations reads: “Traps should be checked at least once every 48 hours.”
Garrison also writes that Amanda’s claim that “for every one target animal killed in a trap, two non-targeted ani- mals are killed” is a misrepresentation based on studies from “novice trappers.” Dick Randall, a former federal trapper and hardly a novice, testi ed before Con- gress, “My trapping records show that for each target animal I trapped, about two unwanted individuals were caught. (D. Randall. Hearings before the Nine- ty-Fourth Congress to Discourage the Use of Painful Devices in the Trapping of Animals and Birds. Washington, D.C. U.S. Govt. Printing O ce) In the inter- est of space, I won’t cite the many other peer-reviewed studies that con rm Ran- dall’s experience.
Surely Mr. Garrison means well, but I’m at a complete loss at where to begin to address his assertion that “Trapping is ... good wholesome, challenging fun.” I am deeply saddened by a worldview so lacking in compassion and empathy that it regards the su ering and death of sen- tient beings as “fun.”
In response to Mr. Garrison’s clos- ing question, “Can’t we all just live and let live?” I would certainly hope so, just as long as “all” includes both human and non-human animals.
Bob Muth Sr. Kalispell
and Keith Regier.
Carol Eve Moon Marion
Give Tim Harmon a Chance
I am writing to urge you to vote for Tim Harmon for Flathead County Com- missioner. I have known Tim for over 30 years and consider him a man of principle and conviction. He takes on challenges with patience and wisdom. His willing- ness to examine the issues and listen closely to the public sets him apart from the other candidate. Tim will promote an atmosphere of openness and accessibil- ity. He has outstanding credentials, hav- ing been a successful small businessman and a valued Flathead County supervi- sor for many years. He is also a valued member of several boards and respected associations. He is well informed of the issues that this county is confronting and would be an excellent addition to the cur- rent board. Tim is sincere, engaged, and will not go along to get along. He will be a meaningful advocate of the people. These attributes bode well for those who want a man of the people who can repre- sent them in a positive and productive manner.
Flathead County’s management is big business with a budget of over $90 mil- lion and nearly 500 employees and is increasing every year. The commission’s make up is critical to successfully nav- igate through the challenges that will confront our county. This county’s pop- ulation will continue to increase and the choices made in this year’s election will
JUNE 1, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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