Letters to the editor Dec. 7

‘Right to repair’ legislation

The agriculture industry is the backbone of Montana’s economy and an essential part of America’s food supply chain. Our lawmakers must be pursuing policies that support our farmers and ranchers.

There is misrepresentation about an issue, known as “right to repair,” and how it impacts Montana’s farmers and ranchers. Outside activists claim that equipment owners don’t have the legal authority to repair their tractors. But in reality, they do have the ability to make most repairs.

Modern-day tractors are advanced pieces of machinery that improve productivity, safety and environmental footprint. But right to repair laws would undermine all of these benefits while forcing manufacturers to hand over proprietary information. Equipment manufacturers support farmers and have committed to provide access to comprehensive repair tools by 2021 to better help equipment owners fix and maintain their tractors.

Protecting our farmers and ranchers should be the top priority for policymakers. The coronavirus has created distress for farmers and ranchers during what is already a turbulent time for the industry. The recent push for right to repair is deceiving and will prove to be a failed attempt to gain information unrelated to repairs.

Let’s hope our lawmakers continue to uplift the agricultural sector, and not support right to repair legislation.

—Oscar Orloske, Marion

Production vs. conservation

Beginning in the mid-1970s, it became painfully obvious that this country had a very significant energy problem – in some important respects, the energy situation at that time was not dissimilar to that which we now have with respect to Covid-19.

Back then, we faced two very basic energy supply and demand options. One, we could try to break the lock-step relationship between Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and energy consumption by taking significant and quick steps toward energy conservation. Or, two, we could strive to maintain the relationship by trying to deploy new and unproven production technologies.

Fortunately, we made the right choice. Since 1978, real GDP has increased 200%. Over the same timeframe, energy consumption per capita has decreased 10%. This reduction is the direct effect of energy conservation (including energy efficiency), and nothing else.

So, in the Covid-19 realm, it is hardly a stretch to compare energy conservation with the wearing of masks, the washing of hands, and the maintaining of social distancing – this comparison is apt because these measures are quick, easy, inexpensive and extremely effective.

The key take-away is that we don’t have to depend, in the near term, on the arrival of new technologies like vaccines and therapeutics. When they come along, great – the sooner the better! But, we don’t have to wait for them — just like way back then, we didn’t have to wait for photovoltaics, fracking and wind power to solve our energy problems.

—Francis Allhoff, Whitefish

Virus being oversold by media

I have no idea how this virus is affecting you mentally, but in my case and several others I have talked to, we think the media is doing a disservice with their Chicken Little the sky is falling and all gloom and doom reporting.

There is a good treatment out there. Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Boris Johnson and a bunch of others got it and were hardly sick. My great-grandson and several friends got it and were hardly sick. If you just test positive, that’s another case to report or something to write about instead of all the other things going on in the world. I have canceled my TV news and if article headlines say anything about the virus I don’t read it. I am not the only one.

Do I believe the virus exists? You bet. Is it being oversold? I think so. I know for sure that the way it’s being pedaled by the media and these lockdowns alone are hurting us just as bad or worse than the virus itself.

—Glen Hook, Kalispell

Time to care

It is time to show that we care about one another. Time to show that we care about our neighbors and community members. Time to show that we care and support our health-care workers. They desperately need our help. It is time to wear a mask, social distance, avoid crowds and keep washing our hands. These are simple acts that show we care.

—Kim Davis, Kalispell