Page 26 - Flathead Beacon // 11.2.16

CLOSING RANGE 29 LIKE I WAS SAYIN’ 30 DRAWING BOARD 31 Viewpoints
LETTERS
Hartman Will Fairly Represent Senate District 3
The national presidential campaigns have taken a lot of attention away from careful consideration of Montana’s state races. The way Montana’s legis- lators vote has a direct impact on our everyday lives and the future of our great state. Here are some reasons that Melissa Hartman is the right choice for Senate District 3.
With a background in social work in both hospital and school settings, Melissa understands the importance of access to healthcare for Montana’s children and families. She also under- stands the importance of addressing critical mental health and addiction treatment needs in our community. Montana’s high rate of deaths by suicide and our local area’s rate of babies born drug addicted are examples of the needs to be addressed. Keith Regier’s record, however, includes voting against criti- cal funding for the Children’s Health- care Insurance Program (HB157, Feb. 3, 2009), and against Montana’s Medicaid expansion (SB405, April 11, 2015) both votes impacting low-income families.
Melissa supports passing a compre- hensive infrastructure bill to address the state’s critical infrastructure needs. Her opponent voted against the recent bipartisian infrastructure bill (SB416, April 27, 2015) which could have pro- vided hundreds of good paying jobs for Montanans.
Melissa strongly supports maintain- ing public access to public lands whereas her opponent voted in support of trans- ferring public lands to the state (HJ19, February 23, 2015). This would create a tremendous nancial burden for the state and put public lands in danger of being sold to the highest bidder later.
Finally, Melissa rmly believes that campaign nance should be transpar- ent and that corporations are not peo- ple. Her opponent takes the oppos- ing view (HB217, April 4, 2013; SB289, March 28, 2015; and HJ6, Feb. 27, 2013).
Melissa is an intelligent and engaged community member who will listen to and fairly represent the citizens of Sen- ate District 3.
Marlene Snyder White sh
Some Great Choices on Nov. 8
We have some great choices in this November election! Individuals who are pro-life, pro-Second Amendment (they understand it is not only for hunt- ing, but also for the self-defense of the American people), and anti-big govern- ment. Taylor Rose for state represen- tative House District 3 and Chet Billi
for House District 5 certainly fall into that category. Greg Gianforte is also the obvious right choice for governor. He strongly supports the Second Amend- ment and the right to life from concep- tion to natural death.
Greg has worked in the private sec- tor and has created jobs. Current Gov. Steve Bullock is completely opposite of all of these things, and he has the vot- ing record to prove it. Get Bullock out of here, and let’s replace him with Greg Gianforte, who will protect our consti- tutional rights!
Rick Breckenridge, running for U.S. Congress, is a pro-life Libertarian who is against these unlawful wars of aggres- sion and who understands the limits of government as outlined in our U.S. Con- stitution. As a land surveyor, he knows more about private and public land law than any other candidate. He is ex-mili- tary and loves America. Rick’s ex-wife (a personal friend of mine) endorses him, and so should you!
Rick is running against current U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke. Ryan is a big-govern- ment Neocon, pro-abortion, pro-aggres- sive overseas wars, and pro-police state. Vote for Rick, and let’s get Zinke out!
Kristen Juras, as a Supreme Court Justice will honestly, fairly and impar- tially apply the law to whatever cases are brought before her. She will be a major component to our state’s economy. I urge you to vote for Taylor, Chet, Greg, Rick and Kristen on Nov. 8.
Julie Dockery Kalispell
I’m an Irish citizen now living in Montana, and I nd the candidacy of Taylor Rose for the District 3 Montana House seat deeply disturbing, consider- ing his enduring ties to far-right white nationalist movements – a fact that the Montana GOP has sought to paper over.
Despite this, the Montana Human Rights Network and the Southern Pov- erty Law Center have assiduously doc- umented Rose’s close ties with the European far-right, US neo-confeder- ate groups, and local Montana far-right organizations.
He has spoken and written exten- sively in his own publications, radical right-wing magazines, news outlets, and online; the evidence is public and extensive.
I’m not sure that many of my current neighbors understand the kind of dam- age having alleged white nationalists and other far-right groups openly par- ticipating in the electoral process does to a nation’s democratic institutions. Far-right groups and individuals are not interested in nurturing democracy
but in manipulating it and, eventually – through fear, verbal abuse, and violence – bringing it down.
When the quest for political in u- ence demands dismissing serious con- cerns about a candidate’s open asso- ciation with hate groups, something has gone seriously awry. Conservative Republicans can make their case with- out resorting to such tactics and asso- ciations. If they cannot, then American democracy is in trouble.
Coming from Europe to America, I can say that America is an example to the world; simply put, what America says and does matters. Who America elects – even locally – matters globally. I would urge the citizens of Montana to be aware of what is being courted and accepted into the Montana GOP in their name; it is the voters’ responsibility to make it known to GOP o cials that they want it to stop.
If the Montana GOP leadership won’t ask hard the hard questions, ordinary
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voters should.
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Support Clark for House District 93
I have known Johanna Clark since 2013 when she began her employment with the Flathead Joint Board of Con- trol. She is and has been an outstanding employee, in working with the commis- sioners of all three districts of the Flat- head Irrigation Project as well as the general public. I believe the voters of House District 93 are fortunate to have her as a candidate for their legislative representative. She is young, intelligent and enthusiastic and is a team player. She is a strong defender of the Consti- tution and is a veteran who has served her country in the armed forces. She, her husband and children are investing in their future by developing a ranch and she is a staunch defender of property rights. She realizes that as long as agri- culture thrives, rural economies will be strong and thrive also. She believes that we have far too much government overreach and too many burdensome and unnecessary regulations that are a drag on business productivity. She believes that the expansion of govern- ment results in larger tax burdens that hurt families and small businesses. In short, Johanna Clark is one of us, not just another politician. I strongly urge the voters of House District 93 to cast their vote for Johanna Clark.
Jerry Laskody St. Ignatius
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NOVEMBER 2, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
LETTERS
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