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Let’s teach offenders how to change lifestyles

It was very generous of someone to donate a million dollars for a new jail.

It made me think about what would happen if someone would donate a million dollars to hire two or three people to work with and encourage the offenders to change their lifestyle.

Maybe then we would not need a new jail. —Clifford Brenneman, Kalispell

So just who’s reporting fake news?

Frank Miele wrote in his column that Trump’s tweet about the media being the enemy of the American people applies only to fake news media. That’s an interesting line of logic. Let’s follow it.

Trump tweeted that his inauguration crowd was the largest in history, 5 million aliens voted illegally in the election, Mexico will pay for the border wall, no one on his staff had contact with Russian officials, and Obama tapped his phones. The Daily Inter Lake reported all these tweets as news, although all of them were presented without evidence at the time or since. Therefore, the Daily Inter Lake is among the fake news media and an enemy of the American people.

Of course, I don’t really believe that the Inter Lake is anyone’s enemy. But it’s amusing to see how a well-intentioned and respected editor can get into a preposterous position trying to defend a reckless and flagrant liar. —Michael Merchant, Kalispell

Dog-waste can’t be swept away

With each passing year, the dog-waste problem only continues to grow at major recreational trailheads. Popular destinations like Round Meadow cross country ski area, Herron Park, Lone Pine State Park, Whitefish Trail, Big Mountain cross-country ski area, and Blacktail cross-country ski area often become veritable minefields, especially during winter when dogs and humans are confined to narrow trail corridors.

Simply hoping that the problem will resolve itself is like wishing that highways and campgrounds will remain free from litter and vandalism. So what are the options? First, we should acknowledge that many dog owners will never change their behavior and suddenly become responsible members of society. Banning dogs from popular trails likewise is unrealistic given the growing popularity of dog-based recreation in the valley. Relying on volunteerism to solve the problem also has proven to be ineffective.

Instead, I believe the time has come for local agencies to implement active management, similar to the policing of heavily used campgrounds. For example, I envision a multi-agency cooperative effort to fund the periodic removal of winter dog waste from major trailheads, perhaps using grant money to hire a contractor. If you agree that active management has indeed become necessary and inevitable, please contact our local Forest Service, Montana DNRC and FWP, and Flathead County land managers. —Steve Barrett, Kalispell

But what about the glaciers?

Our moronic secretary of the interior, Ryan Zinke, gave a glowing tribute to Trump pulling out of the Paris climate accord.

Someone should remind him that his home state, Montana, will soon no longer have a Glacier National Park. The glaciers are melting at a rate of hundreds of yards per year ... no glaciers, no park, no tourists, no money. —Fred Rickson, West Yellowstone

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Inter Lake believes Glacier National Park will remain a valuable national treasure with or without glaciers.)