Letters to the editor May 24

Columbia Falls property owners have a very important vote on this year’s ballet. The city of Columbia Falls resort tax is a must YES vote. At stake is an estimated $12-$15 million revenue infusion over the next 20 years or more specifically an estimated average of $600,000 to $800,000 per year funding for our citizen’s critical need of decreased property taxes while also funding our emergency services.

Property tax relief is a critical feature we should all consider when we vote for this initiative. Revenue estimates are based on Red Lodge’s 10-year average resort tax revenue of over $600,000 per year while Whitefish’s 10-year annual revenue average is over $1.8 million per year. It’s more than reasonable to estimate Columbia Falls will be between these two cities in revenue generation.

Why vote for a tax on a few citywide goods and services you might ask when we enjoy no sales tax? I can give three good reasons. One – Property tax relief is mandated for all Columbia Falls property owners. Two – Present and future public safety needs will receive significant funding to off set the expanded demands we now have with the increase in city tourism. Third – The majority of this tax will be generated from visitors and tourists as they enjoy our community. In other words as “out of towners” use our short-term rentals or visit our restaurants or purchase luxury items, including alcohol, they will also help pay for the stress they realistically are putting on critical city safety services.

Finally, we are obviously experiencing uncharted waters with covid-19. Most of us probably don’t want to consider any government initiative at this time. Unfortunately by state mandate the city only has one opportunity to bring this to voters. We do not have the option to delay for even one year. It’s now or never. To address this our City Council has wisely declared that if passed they will implement a one-year delay and won’t start the resort tax until October 2021.

Vote YES now. We’ll wait out covid-19 for a year before implementing and hopefully by then we’ll all be back to some sense of normal.

—Dave Petersen, Columbia Falls

What a foolish and absurd idea for the Whitefish Fire Service Area board members to even consider establishing a volunteer fire department for the residents of Whitefish, let alone the location they’re considering, at the intersection of Hodgson and Whitefish Stage Road. Having it there would decrease the response time considerably, putting lives and loss at great risk.

Whitefish Fire Department is essential to the citizens of Whitefish. We have a beautiful new fire station, in a centralized location right here in the city, equipped with professional fire fighters who are also trained paramedics, seven volunteers and one part time EMT. Why would you essentially want to “start over?” Please leave it alone, keep it here!

The WFSA board members are hopeful to have a decision by June. Why the rush? I think everyone should just slow down and start thinking more clearly in finding ways to negotiate a more reasonable solution to this dilemma.

Does the city of Whitefish really need that 6% increase for the next five years? Can the fire department really afford an increase like that? I answer NO to both of these questions.

Haven’t we all learned anything over the past several months? It’s not about power and greed. It’s about working together as friends and neighbors, working as a whole for what is best for our community.

To the board members of the city of Whitefish. I implore you to reconsider the 6% increase to something much more reasonable, or no increase at all at this time until things, and the economy get back to somewhat normal. What is the hurry, can’t this wait awhile?

Our community! The citizens, make up the City of Whitefish and I say once again: Whitefish Fire Department is essential to the citizens of Whitefish.

—Bonnie Billuni, Whitefish

In response to happy talk from Don Kaltschmidt (Inter Lake, May 10), Mr. K. needs to be reminded of some facts.

Back in 2001 President Clinton (D) handed a hard-won budget surplus to President George W. Bush (R). Bush and Cheney lost no time in obliterating that surplus through tax cuts, soon after which they launched two grossly mismanaged wars, which have cost thousands of American lives and trillions of dollars. Imagine what could have been done for America had some of those dollars been devoted to U.S. domestic priorities. Because of their opposition to regulating business, Bush and Cheney also presided over a collapse of world financial markets in 2008 and left the U.S. economy in shambles. Thus began the decline of American power and prestige.

The Obama Administration (D) gradually restored economic growth and launched the longest business expansion in history, resulting in an unemployment rate of 4.7% when Obama left office in 2017. The budget again was on the mend under Democratic leadership.

Donald Trump lost no time in redoubling deficits through the reckless tax cuts of 2017, also greatly increasing the inequality of income and wealth caused by Republican tax cuts since the 1980s. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a disaster for the economy, and President Trump has made wholly inadequate preparations to stop transmission of the illness. Meanwhile he beats the drums to reopen the economy, leaving it vulnerable to resurgence of this plague. Through his domestic and foreign policies, Trump has accelerated the decline of American power and influence. Far from providing leadership, Trump‘s preening antics pose irritations to be ignored abroad and abuses to be feared at home.

No, with the Republican Party in the hands of extremists, Democrats are the only hope to restore balance to the U.S. economy and competence to the Federal government.

—Bill Cox, Kalispell