Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 8.31.16

LIKE I WAS SAYING 30 TWO FOR THOUGHT 30 DRAWING BOARD 31 Viewpoints
LETTERS
Where is Our Leadership?
Where is our president when you need him? He is on Martha’s Vineyard o the coast of Massachusetts playing golf and on Tuesday, Aug. 23, he was still there. All the while over 100,000 folks are su ering due to their tremen- dous losses as a result of massive ood- ing in Louisiana. Over 40,000 homes wrecked. These folks are now home- less. They have not heard a word of com- fort, condolence or courage suggesting help is on the way. The leader of the free world does not care.
Where is Mrs. Clinton? She is prob- ably saying to herself, “what di erence does it make? The damage is done.” She is probably too busy counting her money. She has enough so that she could a ord to send some to these folks in need.
Where is Donald Trump? He and Mike Pence went to Louisiana to help distribute an 18-wheeler of supplies that Mr. Trump had sent in. He met with plain folks and those in authority and with Franklin Graham and talked with the people who need help telling them to stay strong. Did any of us hear about any of this in the lamestream news? Not a chance.
I don’t know about you, but Trump is the kind of president I want and we need.
Spread this info around. We need to reach more people with the facts.
John O’Neil Kalispell
Gianforte for Free Enterprise not Federal Socialistic Domination
I am fully behind Greg Gianforte for governor. We sadly and urgently need to unseat current Gov. Steve Bullock. I have talked with Gianforte several times, but feel he likely needs more truthful information on why neither the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ water compact nor the hugely embellished, over-riding Sen. Jon Tes- ter bill must not be allowed passage. Montana candidates as well as current legislators, including at federal level, have been extensively propagandized and misinformed by well- nanced com- pact proponents.
The CSKT compact, in combina- tion with U.S. Senate bills by Tester (S.3013) and Sen. Steve Daines (S.3014), have the potential of destroying the Montana economy by funneling to the federal government tribal power and
control over our water constitutionally belonging to the state. The tribes would be acting as conduits to federally man- age the administration, allocation and water use “on and o reservation.” This also represents indirect federal control of the land, its uses and productivity. Montana legislation would threaten- ingly set precedent for application by some 326 reservations throughout the U.S. Similar forces already underway in other northwest states include dam and reservoir removal, and similar tribal water takeover. Far from repre- senting healthy capitalistic free enter- prise business development, this would be the nal stages of feeding our natural resources, private property and wealth into a downward spiral of socialistic governmental control.
We desperately need a dedicated, knowledgeable, experienced, successful businessman as governor, which would be Greg Gianforte.
Clarice Ryan Bigfork
Gianforte’s Misleading Fliers
Multimillionaire Greg Gianforte is a classic example of the age-old adage “buying the election.” He has already put about $1 million of his own money into his campaign and with his very wealthy supporters from Montana and outside our state his chances are very good. All he has to o er is typical cam- paign rhetoric and empty promises. His TV e orts to discredit our current Gov. Steve Bullock are examples of attempt- ing to make his opponent look bad. Gianforte’s criticism of Bullock over the Congolese refugees sent to Missoula, over which he has no control, is another example of political smear tactics. All of the refugees bound for Montana have been vetted by the United Nations and the U.S. Department of State and Home- land Security. They are from Africa, not from the Middle East. Gianforte’s iers and TV ads show Bullock pic- tured under an armed man whose face is covered by a ka yeh with the words “Governor Bullock supports bringing Syrian refugees into Montana”. Thus, another misleading lie by Gianforte. What are his motives in his attempt to “take over” Montana? He is promising $90,000 a year jobs and the growth of big business. As a middle class Mon- tanan I think we are doing very well, thank you, under the leadership of Bull- ock. Gianforte’s desire to change Mon- tana does not resonate well with most of us who love the state and its lifestyle. I have to believe that Montanans are too
intelligent to fall for the rich and famous e ort to take over our state. Montana is one state that has no debt and a solid reserve fund for rainy days. Jobs are plentiful and small business growth is expanding at an unprecedented rate. I ask you, why x it if it’s not broken? Steve Bullock has promoted a growing economy and defended our public lands against those who would like to privat- ize them. He is a middle class Montana native and understands its people and lifestyle. There is no way Bullock can match the money of the very wealthy, however, he has an excellent record for success and accomplishment as gover- nor and a great plan for the future. Let’s hope his excellent record can o set the wealth and in uence.
Jerry Reckin Kalispell
Defending the Stream Access Law from Politicians
I am a real Montanan who owns land with public water running through it. I also grew up hunting and shing in post- Stream Access Law Montana with other real Montanans. It never occurred to us that we needed a judge to tell us how to get along with each other. Access was based on mutual respect for the resource and the rights of the other guy. That’s in stark contrast to the recent rhetoric of politicians in Montana promising to lawyer up on our behalf and force others to do what the courts say. It’s not pub- lic access or landowner rights that need protection in Montana, it’s the Stream Access Law itself.
Nowhere is this more important than in the race for Supreme Court Justice. Dirk Sandefur has decided that picking a side on the issue of stream access suits his immediate political needs. Vote for him and he’ll use his position on the Court to make laws favoring access over landowner rights. Kristen Juras takes the view of an independent Justice, not an opportunistic politician. She says the law is settled and her role as justice is to apply it, not to change it.
Montanans gured this out decades ago. We don’t need an all-knowing jus- tice legislating from the bench to x it for us. I’m supporting Kristen Juras. I believe she has the experience and the respect for the laws of Montana to be a fair and objective Justice.
Greg Trangmoe Stevensville
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LETTERS
Tell us what you think. To submit a letter, please e-mail your submission to editor@ atheadbeacon.com. Please keep your letter to 300 words or less. The Flathead Beacon reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and to prevent libel. Letters must include the writer’s rst and last name, phone number and address for veri cation purposes. Only the name and hometown of the writer will be printed. To mail a letter, please send to 17 Main Street, Kalispell, MT 59901.
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AUGUST 31, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM