Letters to the editor May 16

The ‘enslavement caucus’

In a letter printed in the Daily Inter Lake (May 12) former Sen. Bob Brown publicly announced he is a cheerleader for Llew Jones’ “Republican” enslavement caucus. He joins ranks with the corrupt wing of the Republican Party: Llew Jones, Ed Buttrey, Frank Garner, Nancy Balance and a host of others with expertise in backroom deals with big government Democrats like Gov. Bullock and Senate Minority Leader John Sesso.

Is it any wonder Llew Jones’ group was more “successful” (success equals enslaving us) than Republicans faithful to their platform when all the enslavement caucus has to do for success is vote with the Democrats. This created a big government majority to heap more taxes and regulations on an already beleaguered citizenry. These legislators behind the scenes making deals to raise taxes while supporting crony capitalist and big government friends are not operating with open minds, as Bob Brown states. Nor are these “moderates.” Behind the scenes deals is not the M.O. of true-believer, open-minded, broad-tent moderates looking for solutions. It is how corrupt pork barrel politicians operate to enslave us while they enhance their own power, finances and other selfish interests.

I strongly recommend a turn-around in your character, Bob Brown, that includes seeking and speaking truth ... before it’s too late.

—Annie Bukacek, Kalispell

Highway litter

This spring a constant eyesore has once again invaded our beautiful home: Litter along Montana’s highways.

In particular, on U.S. 93, there are countless single-use plastic bags, cardboard, and other bits of trash strewn along the roadside. I would urge everyone to be diligent when bagging your trash to secure everything carefully, eliminate single-use plastic bags and bring your own reusable bags when shopping. Single-use bags clog our waterways, get caught in fencing and create millions of pounds of litter every year. Even if we just reuse these bags a few times or just carry out our goods without a bag, we can dramatically reduce the amount of trash along our spectacular roads in Montana. Reduce. Recycle. Reuse.

—Meggen Wilson, Whitefish

America first

Thank goodness that Montana finally meets the approval of Homeland Security as it is compliant with the new ID law.

Great! I imagine with all the problems Montanans are causing that is the real reason illegals walk freely across our borders? Maybe the states giving U.S. benefits, driver’s licenses, voting, free education, free housing, free medical, Social Security benefits to non-U.S. citizens should be omitted from all federal fiscal programs.

God almighty people wake up! What are you allowing to happen? American first or America will fail and be lost.

—Ron Albrecht, Kalispell

Inspiring theater

If you missed the high school production of “9 to 5” by Alpine Theater Project, you missed out big. Every single person put their heart and soul into those performances and every one in attendance walked out of that theater blown away. Some of these kids are stars in the making, and under ATP’s tutelage, they simply shine. For those of us with kids who never really sang or danced — we were amazed that they can, indeed, sing and dance. Anyone can with a little help from ATP.

For 15 years, Luke Walrath and Betsi Morrison, the couple behind ATP, bring their love of Broadway to the community and it shows in what these kids are able to do. Every ATP show is both an inspiration and a minor miracle to see come together: the fall show for kids eighth grade and younger, the high school spring show, their summer camps and adult theater. Athletics teaches us so much about hard work and teamwork, but art ... well, art and ATP teaches all that and so much more.

I’ve never seen a group of kids more gracious, kind and creative than this group. Everyone is included, everyone has a role to play and everyone ultimately performs and has so much fun. ATP brings kids (and parents) from every high school in the valley together as a crew — no matter their means (scholarships are always available) or their prior experience.

The most inspiring thing about ATP is the love the entire staff has for these kids and for this creative art. We all need a little more singing and dancing in our lives. Thank you, ATP, for sharing the power of song and bringing this community together with song. I’m still singing the lyrics from “9 to 5” days later!

—Christine Hensleigh, Whitefish

Crisis at the border

To most who live up here in God’s country and have never really ventured down to the southern border, what is taking place along that 2,000-mile barrier is of really no concern to anyone up here, and unfortunately, you are very mistaken.

The other night on Fox News there was a program that was coming directly from Del Rio, Texas. This is one of the main crossing areas along our southern border, and to see families getting in the waters of the Rio Grande River and swimming across to the U.S. side is something you will not see on the other major news networks. Most of these people are being picked up by the river Border Patrol and taken to shelters on the U.S. side of the border.

But what is most disturbing is this: These families that are now coming in droves up to our border are being financed by friends and families that are now living here in the USA and they themselves are here illegally. Money is being sent in the way of U.S. postal money orders across the border and in turn; that money is given to the cartels to take these people north to our southern border. Once they arrive with their family, they know that they will not be detained for very long and most have a destination to where they will go. Since they have friends and family in the interior of the U.S., they will be put on buses and sent to these destinations, never to be heard from again.

As a result, we are being flooded with uneducated families and unskilled labor. This in turn means that We the People of the USA must provide assistance to these people in the way of welfare and medical services and this is costing you and me $17 billion a year. In the meantime; we have homeless on our streets in our major cities to the tune of 58,000 alone in L.A. Human feces on the streets of San Francisco and 22 veterans who commit suicide each day and politicians are worried about illegal aliens? Something is wrong with this picture.

—Jim Garvey, Kalispell