Letters to the editor Dec. 15

Stevens works tirelessly

Sherry Stevens, former United Way executive director, has always found a place for the National Alliance on Mental Illness to hold its meetings and gatherings. And she has worked tirelessly to convert an aging shopping center into a lovely place for Kalispell’s nonprofits. We just want to say “thank you.”

­— Julie Doyle is president of NAMI Flathead

Nonprofits and lack of oversight

I have written in the past, as well as others, of the importance of nonprofits having procedures in place to review that their policies are followed.

Sadly, I was under the impression that these organizations had policies. Sadly, again, I was under the impression that these organizations had members in the executive board who cared to actually verify that management was following the policies.

Two articles in the Daily Inter Lake these past few weeks informed me that I was wrong. Both organizations showed the incompetence of both management and the executive board. We cannot blame the government. I assume both organizations filed the required documents.

We can and should blame the executive boards. I urge anyone who is approached by an organization to be part of their executive board to take the job seriously. Ask for the written policies. Don’t just ask management if the polices are being followed. Look around, visit, talk to the volunteers.

I urge every nonprofit organization to require every director and manager to take courses in running a nonprofit organization. Flathead Valley Community College offers a number of continuing education programs that are very beneficial to our nonprofit community.

And, I beg all executive board members: 1.) Review the monthly bank statements and bank reconciliations. 2.) Require the organization to have a true (CPA) audit performed. 3.) Require the organization to post (to the public) their annual year-end financials. 4.) Inform the community of the donors, and recipients of their charitable work.

Lastly, I believe all donors and volunteers, even the community, have a right to know how their monies are being used.

—Susan Repa, Lakeside

Moral rot in the White House

In assessing Mr. Trump’s performance, we place way too much focus on things that are easy to measure — record high stock markets, lessened military involvement overseas, continued low unemployment, and some containment of the terrorist threat.

On the flip side, we look at historic and unsustainable federal debt accumulation, a lessening of influence and leadership in every corner of the globe, and a careless, mean, and incompetent approach to things of high importance like climate change, immigration, and health care.

What is not being measured, most unfortunately, is the degree to which the moral rot and abscess, which has engulfed this administration from the start, is most assuredly affecting our children. The administration embraces no moral barometer that would guide the development and demonstration of appropriate boundaries of honesty, kindness, empathy and diligence. In this regard, and some others, this administration is significantly underserving our children.

This situation is unprecedented and dangerous – and, it could take the good part of a generation to straighten out. We should get started right away.

—Francis Allhoff, Whitefish

Trails shouldn’t be built

Two Forest Service timber sales are getting a lot of publicity lately because they have trail construction associated with them.

These projects are located in urban interface areas. It’s not sensible to increase public access in these places. They serve as refuges for deer and elk, who have been pushed there by increasing numbers of predators. Trail traffic will trigger more confrontations with bears, especially, as happened a few years ago near West Glacier, when a grizzly attacked a biker who collided with him. Even though the bear was minding his own business, the Forest Service organized a posse to kill him.

Trail advocates claim that the trails’ locations and layouts will minimize the risk of this happening again, but it will. And when it does, will they blame the bear or the biker? Have they considered the stress that trail traffic will impose on wintering, calving or fawning ungulates? Do they intend to close trails to ensure wildlife security during critical times of the year?

I don’t think the Forest Service has given questions like these any meaningful consideration. First, because they know that building trails in concert with a timber sale makes it less likely that recreationists will take them to court. Second, because an underlying premise of these proposals is that non-motorized traffic is more benign than ATVs or cars. But that depends on how much traffic there is; a bear in a huckleberry patch will be more disturbed by a steady stream of trail users than he will be by an occasional car driving past.

The environmental impacts of conscientious logging are negligible in comparison to the pernicious impacts of providing easier public access, which is why the Forest Service closes or decommissions some roads. These trails are essentially permanent, open roads, and won’t benefit the animals or their habitat. Instead, they will be an intrusive annoyance, and shouldn’t be built.

—Bob Love, Columbia Falls

Dirty debate tactics

I know all of the Republican candidates for governor well and respect them. However, I am extremely disappointed in the way Tim Fox and Al Olszewski have conducted themselves. The recent “debate” stunt is another example of the way they have lowered themselves to dirty tactics that have nothing to do with policy or the candidates’ vision for Montana.

When representatives of the three campaigns discussed a debate schedule, the Gianforte campaign made it clear that the date (Nov. 26) did not work for them. Very understandable considering it is the biggest travel holiday in the United States.

Greg had a prior commitment to visit his son in Chicago for the holiday. One of our many children who have had to leave the state to find economic opportunity. Which is precisely why Greg is running, and why we need him as governor.

The other candidates decided to go ahead with the debate, knowing full well that Greg couldn’t be there and are now making false claims about why. This is not what campaigns should be about. It should be positive and about ideas. That’s why I am supporting Greg for governor, because so far, he’s the only one running that kind of campaign.

— Barry Usher, Laurel