Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 10.7.15

LIKE I WAS SAYING 30 AMERICAN RURAL 30 DRAWING BOARD 31 Viewpoints
LETTERS
Place Rankin on the Twenty, not Ten
We are often reminded that “elec- tions have consequences.” It certainly appears that was the case in Mon- tana when on her way to being the first woman elected to Congress, the ego of one of Jeannette Rankin’s 1916 primary election opponents was so damaged by his loss to a woman, that he committed suicide. Really.
Rankin was among the best-known women in America as a result of her election to Congress. She was in the national news in 1941 when hers was the sole congressional vote against declar- ing war on Japan after Pearl Harbor. She was a front page figure again in 1968 as the leader of the “Jeannette Rankin Peace Brigade” of thousands of women protesters against the Vietnam War.
With great interest now in placing a woman on our currency, Montana Sen. Steve Daines has introduced legislation that would confer that honor on Rankin. Daines should be particularly com- mended because Rankin was not phil- osophically like him. Daines is a proud conservative Republican, while Rankin described herself as “An American first, a Progressive second, and a Republican somewhere down the line.”
Perhaps the more controversial ques- tion is – on which money? The currency scheduled for change is the ten dollar bill, which features the likeness of Amer- ica’s great first Secretary of the Trea- sury Alexander Hamilton. Described by his recent biographer, historian Ron Chernow as “the principal designer of the federal government, the catalyst for the emergence of the two-party system ... Alexander Hamilton was arguably the most important figure in American his- tory who never attained the presidency.” Hamilton should remain on our money.
An article in Forbes magazine last year declares that among the nation’s founders, “Hamilton was the brilliant dynamo. He was not only General Wash- ington’s most able and trusted aid in the Revolutionary War, but he also wrote most of The Federalist Papers, ensur- ing the Constitution’s ratification. He also restructured the nation’s finances, established a sound dollar, and helped shape Washington’s realist foreign pol- icy.” With the economic and foreign problems facing our country today, it would be great to have Hamilton back.
The same cannot be said of Andrew Jackson. The figure on the twenty dol- lar bill is famous for his appalling lack of economic understanding and for his general bellicosity. He didn’t just dis- agree with political opponents, he vis- cerallyhatedthem.Ononeoccasionhe
publically threatened to personally hang his own former vice president. His treat- ment of American Indians was murder- ous and heartless in the extreme, even to the point of ignoring a decision of the Supreme Court so he could continue his policy of forced removal of Indians from their legitimately owned lands. The result was the thousand-mile “Trail of Tears” on which many, especially chil- dren, predictably died of exhaustion and starvation.
Jackson was notable for courageously facing down those who believed in the destructive ideas of nullification and secession, and so perhaps set back the Civil War for 30 years. But, according to his personal secretary and close con- fidant, Nicholas Trist, Jackson may have gone to his grave actually believing the world was flat.
The consequence of Daines’ legisla- tion should be the replacement by Jean- nette Rankin of Jackson on the twenty, not Hamilton on the ten.
Bob Brown Former Montana secretary of state
NEPA, a Brilliant Piece of Work
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, a brilliant piece of work, was written by a group of people who knew what they were doing. It outlined a new way of thinking. It required that you take a “hard look” at all resources existing in a project area and analyze the environmental impacts of the pro- posed project on them. It grew out of a plethora of environmental disasters in America. When passed by Congress, it was supposed to be our nation’s premier environmental law.
The U.S. Forest Service, in a unique position because of the multitude of resources under its control, became the nation’s expert on NEPA in the 1980s and 90s. Much of my 20-plus year career in the agency revolved around NEPA. Unfortunately, it has been abused by people on both sides of environmental issues, making it today, nearly power- less; nothing more than a set of proce- dures to follow. That’s a shame.
I have personally observed sim- ple timber sale proposals turned into beautiful pieces of work, where elk and other wildlife habitat was “optimized,” riparian areas improved, archeological sites discovered and protected; and yes, millions of board feet of timber made available for the benefit of the Ameri- can people.
What became standard operating procedure, an interdisciplinary team made up of wildlife biologists, hydrolo- gists, archeologists, silviculturists and other specialists in their fields would join together and develop plans for
large, multi-thousand acre areas of for- est and range lands; in my case, in the big tree state of Oregon.
As we move forward with forest health initiatives in the Northern Rock- ies, there is an opportunity to once again discover the intent and beauty of NEPA. It may well unlock secrets, to this date, undiscovered. Let’s stop the lawsuits. Let’s stop the denigration of loggers and environmentalists. We have critical work to do here in the Northern Rockies. The implications are enormous.
Chris A. Linkenhoker Retired forester and silviculturist Corvallis
Shop Local This Fall
In the coming months, the City of Whitefish will embark on a campaign to encourage local spending and bolster support for our shops, restaurants and lodging establishments in Whitefish.
Last spring, 84 percent of White- fish voters overwhelmingly agreed to increase our resort tax by 1 percent to secure our water supply for future gen- erations with the Haskill Basin conser- vation easement. While we are fortu- nate to have help from our visitors in the peak season, support for local busi- nesses who collect the resort tax is now even more important.
Spending your dollars locally now has greater meaning because the dollars you spend in Whitefish support the val- ues we embrace as a community.
Our locally-owned businesses are the backbone of Whitefish and allow us to be able to invest in the amenities that define our community. Our down- town is vibrant. The businesses along Highway 93 South, Wisconsin Avenue, and Highway 93 West complement our downtown, and by working together as a community, we have created a synergis- tic economic model that works well for all of Whitefish. But Whitefish will only remain special by locals supporting our merchants who collect the resort tax.
Local spending means that everyone who shops and dines here is safeguard- ing drinking water, outdoor recreation, and the spectacular scenic backdrop of Whitefish—not to mention assisting with road repairs, our local parks, and keeping property taxes down. Purposely spending dollars in Whitefish enhances the quality of our special town.
This fall and winter, please step up and shop locally with purpose and pride. Help our locally-owned, locally-served businesses thrive so the fabric of our community remains strong.
John Muhlfeld, mayor Whitefish
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OCTOBER 7, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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