Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 10.28.15

LIKE I WAS SAYING 30 AMERICAN RURAL 30 DRAWING BOARD 31 Viewpoints
LETTERS
Oppose the Effort to Appoint an Ombudsman
On Nov. 3, I will be opposing White- fish’s efforts to appoint an ombuds- man. I oppose this issue for the follow- ing reasons. First of all, the cost. City manager Chuck Stearns reports the taxpayer expense of an ombudsman to be $85,000 per year. For a small town like Whitefish, this cost is excessive. Secondly, the ombudsman position is nothing more than an additional layer of bureaucracy. Currently, when a citi- zen has a concern or problem, we merely go to the appropriate city department head, and if we are not satisfied, we can see the city manager or present our issue at a city council meeting.
In a small town of 7,000, “talking to the hand” doesn’t improve access to city government, it hinders it. Finally, the ombudsman position promises enhanced citizen advocacy, improved ethical standards, and increased bureaucratic efficiency; however, this seems rather fantastical if the ombuds- man is appointed by people who are argued to be needing an ombudsman to improve their citizen advocacy, ethical standards, and bureaucratic efficiencies.
Our city council members already act as our ombudsmen. Unlike a paid city employee, we can remove city coun- cil members every election if they fail to represent us appropriately, and the city doesn’t need to spend large amounts of taxpayer money on a lengthy and costly wrongful discharge lawsuit. Let’s not complicate things. Small town White- fish doesn’t need another city employee to offer the same sort of advocacy our city council members already prom- ise. I urge all citizens of Whitefish to join me in voting “no” on amending the Whitefish charter to add an ombuds- man position to the city’s bureaucracy.
Joseph D. Coco Jr. Whitefish
Congress Needs to Stay Diligent in the Fight for LWCF
The Land and Water Conservation Fund is one of America’s foremost laws for protecting habitat, clean water, and recreational access that is vital to Mon- tana’s communities and businesses. There are endless benefits that this pro- gram has shown to our outdoor way of life, and the essential pieces of our land- scapes that drive our economy and fuel
our innovation.
With a missed deadline for reautho-
rization that came and went on Sept. 30, Congress has now sent the conversa- tion for saving this program into over- time, and Montanans across the state are ready to see our delegation lead the way to permanent reauthorization and full funding.
Montana businesses like mine rely on a host of vital elements in their effort to stay relevant and productive in their respective fields. We value the piece of our economy that includes our public lands and access to them, supported enormously by LWCF. Growing both a family and a business in Montana is a choice I am proud to have made, and I think both are better because of this place and these outdoors.
By allowing this fund to lapse, Con- gress has sent the message to the Amer- ican people that what they value is not important enough to protect; that what drives their communities and their businesses is not worth their effort to secure once and for all.
We commend our Montana leader- ship on their work to protect LWCF, but recognize that the fight in protect- ing the program is far from over. Sen. Jon Tester, Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke are the voice of the people of Montana and we ask them to continue
Elke Govertsen Missoula
Who’s Really Hijacking the GOP?
If the recent letters put forth by Tammi Fisher, Ed Berry and Bruce Tut- vedt are any indication, the so-called, self-proclaimed moderates of the Republican Party are running scared. The public is on to these posers and not drinking their Kool-Aid any more.
Tammi Fisher begins with her claim that it is the conservatives who are try- ing to hijack the Montana Republican Party. In truth it is the liberal Democrat Lights who have been trying to hijack the Party.
They posed as Republicans until the election was over, then they showed us their true colors. They went out of their way to back nearly every liberal item put forth by Gov. Steve Bullock. More spending equals more taxes. That’s the mark of a liberal Democrat not a fiscally responsible Republican. If it walks and talks like a duck, call it what it is!
If you wonder if your representa- tive is one of these, just check his or her
voting record. Pay particular atten- tion to the vote to suspend the rules in regards to voting majorities.
Ask yourself, “What did these liber- als do for you?”
If you are a senior citizen, they did nothing except to remove one of the few perks that this state ever offered us. This is in regards to our hunting and fishing licenses. Now, as senior citizens on fixed incomes, we get to pay more to help Fish, Wildlife and Parks meet its- funding goal and subsidize free hunting licenses for beginning hunters.
Perhaps the most disturbing let- ter was Mr. Berry’s, where he blames the state’s problems on Conservative Evangelicals. It certainly appears, Mr. Berry wants to marginalize all Chris- tian Conservatives.
He applauds Tammi Fisher’s posi- tion as being correct, and states that the water compact and Kerr Dam trans- fer as being bipartisan and good for the local economy, as does Bruce Tutvedt. I guess they were caught by surprise when the Tribes announced they were not going to make any payments to help offset the removal of the dam from Lake County’s tax base.
Up until their announcement, the Tribes acted as if they were going to work in good faith with the county; not anymore. The dam is transferred and the smokescreen is no longer neces- sary. So the taxpayers in Lake County are going to have to make up the $1 mil- lion difference.
If the water compact is ratified by the U.S. Senate, I wonder how much “good faith” the water users are going to receive. Contact our senators in Wash- ington, and urge them not to support the water compact treaty!
For now, it is time to take the blind- ers off. These posers do not represent us. Let’s fire them and get real Repub- licans back in the Legislature.
Richard Funk Kalispell
CORRECTION
Dave Skinner’s column, “Chicken Guts,” published in last week’s Beacon should have said Rod Kuntz, not Jim Kuntz, was appointed to replace the retiring councilman Randy Kenyon, not Jim Atkinson.
TOP10 STORIES
ON FLATHEADBEACON.COM BNSF Sues Whitefish Bar for
Allegedly Over-Serving Woman
The Rise of the Conservative Conservationist
State Board Denies Parole For Justine Winter
Sheriff Proposes Closing Juvenile Detention Center in Kalispell
Silverbrook Subdivision Sold
Columbia Falls Approves New Hotel Near Downtown
Strong El Nino Could Mean Warmer Winter
Glacier Maintains Crosstown Dominance Over Flathead
Driver Leads Law Enforcement in Pursuit from Polson to Somers Area
Governor Appoints Kalispell Attorney as New Flathead District Judge
28
OCTOBER 28, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
LETTERS
Tell us what you think. To submit a letter, please e-mail your submission to editor@ flatheadbeacon.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 first and last name, phone number and address for verification 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.
Fax letters to (406) 257-9231.