Fair board, county ought to acknowledge women's role

I applaud Karen Enger for exposing the disregard with which she was met by the county when she applied to be a member of the Flathead County fair board. 

I don’t know Ms. Enger at all; however, I share her frustration with officials who fail to handle their positions with integrity. It doesn’t surprise me to hear that the four times that Ms. Enger stopped by to visit with the commissioners, “they were absent from their offices.” Unfortunately, we live in a town where it is challenging, to say the least, to find appointed officials doing their jobs.  

When I tried to obtain help with a personal situation, I’d made 15 separate calls to appointed officials. Out of those calls, only one, returned my call and persisted in helping me. That was our city manager, Doug Russell. I was so grateful to find someone who took an interest in and worked his position with enough integrity to return my calls and schedule a meeting with me. I had no knowledge of Mr. Russell prior to our meeting, and have had no contact with him since.  I just want to make good use of this opportunity to thank him for doing his job!

The Good Old Boys and Girls Clubs run rampant in our county and state. How many public service officials have used their positions to pad their own pockets, or formed unpenetratable cliques that serve only to benefit those in the club and not the public or interest that they were originally appointed to serve.

In addition it is appalling that this particular “club” is so corrupt that they would fail to recognize the benefit of a woman on the board and would treat her with such disregard. Shame! —Jacqueline Elm, Kalispell