LETTER: Stop federal waste; vote for Donald Trump

In recent years, three large lumber mills along U.S. 93 have had to close — Owens & Hurst, Plum Creek/Weyerhaeuser and American Timber. Hundreds of jobs lost and hundreds of lives were affected.

The American people have been asking the federal government to stop wasting money as long as I can remember, and yet it cannot stop, or even slow down. Where’s the common sense?

Any federal government agency that is proud of going all the way to Alaska, just for a Christmas tree for the White House, is out of touch with what’s happening in this country. First it required loading on a semi truck, then on a boat, and back again on a semi, before hauling it escorted by two large pickup trucks in front and two large pickup trucks in back. It was like a “Forest Circus Parade” all the way to Washington, D.C. I would like to see the total amount of money that is wasted every year on just a Christmas tree for Washington.

Now the federal government is facing another government shutdown. If this happens, we the public will again be locked out of our own parks, campgrounds and forests. I used to believe these places belonged to everyone.

To make a needless resort at Murphy Lake on U.S. 93, for federal employees is a slap in the face to all mill workers, loggers and their families. Many had to relocate for work or struggle just to make a living. The U.S. Forest Service doesn’t need another place to sit around and dream up ways to waste more money, or a retreat for “overworked” federal employees. That would be government waste. Murphy Lake is a beautiful spot for all Americans to enjoy. I and others do not want to see it consumed by more government waste.

Make America great again. Vote in November for a big government overhaul. Vote for Donald Trump. —Sandra Osler, Fortine