Restore civility to local politics

We have more political agreement than most of us realize. We agree we do not like our national dialogue. We agree we do not respect our leaders. We agree we fear for the future of our economy and our nation. What gives with all this distrust?

Many think it is a “Washington Problem” which has trickled down to local politics. I think not. I think it is everywhere a problem that has local roots. Look around. Here in the Flathead we have local candidates treating one another with disdain and disrespect. One party feels so entitled to power, it urges its candidates to forego debating candidates from the other party.

One does not have to look at “Washington politics” to see corrosive bad manners and plain old ugliness at play. Those who designed our form of government envisioned the populace striving together to identify problems and working to come up with solutions. We are no longer willing to do either. We now agree to rely on our own set of facts and are merely working feverishly to destroy the other. That is a recipe for disaster.

If you can find a candidate who is willing to work to restore some sense of civility to local politics you have most likely found the person you should be voting for. —Peter Stoll, Kalispell