Letters to the editor Feb. 11

A different experience

My experience with trying to schedule a vaccine is very different from the letter writer in Sunday’s edition (Impressed by vaccine process, Feb. 7).

I called the Flathead Health Department on Jan. 15 and left a voicemail with my information and my husband’s information. We are both over 70. I’ve heard nothing since then. I know I haven’t missed a call because I used my cell number and it has a record of all calls. One of our friends called three days later (Jan. 18), and he’s received a call back on Feb. 1 to verify his information and to expect another call in about three weeks to schedule his shot.

Can I call to see if I’m on the list? We are told not to do that. Should I call again and put my name in again? Nope, not supposed to do that either. Should I register online, even though I’ve called? Nope.

I am happy for all of the people who have been able to get the vaccine, but my experience has been quite different than the letter writer’s and I’m not pinning a Hero badge on anyone.

—Pat Hierl, Whitefish

Responsible pet owners

I wanted to send this letter to let the Brants know that I understand their situation (The other side of the Trap Road dog-killing story, Feb. 6). We also have a neighbor who lets her unspayed and unneutered dogs run all over the neighborhood. We all own around 20 acres each and have our own animals. Flathead County has ordinances and codes that state your dogs must be on a leash unless on your property and under your control.

I get so frustrated when I walk my dog on a leash and take her places (Herron Park is the worst) and people just let their dogs run loose. My dog is not friendly to other dogs and whenever they let their dog run over to my dog it is a scary fiasco.

We and our neighbors have tried to be neighborly and called the dog runner owners to let them know the dogs are on our property, however, they choose to still be irresponsible pet owners. We have also called animal control several times.

What upsets me is that you and I are in the right, and people look and say things that assume we are bad or wrong. NOT SO! Stick to your principles and rights, and hope that more people will be responsible pet owners.

—Carmen OBrien, Lakeside

Progressives in charge

I am glad the Democrats now control all three branches of government. We will now see if the majority of American voters believe in ideas such as socialism, the existence of systemic racism, the global warming cataclysm or the infallibility of government bureaucracies.

As a staunch conservative, I have no plans to vote again unless there is an outside-of-politics Republican or perhaps a third party candidate who is not part of the elite establishment that comprises our political and bureaucratic class.

I wonder how our turncoat Senator Daines (who said he would object to approving the electoral votes only to recant) and Mitch McConnell who is now supporting the Trump impeachment along with the other Republicans who support this bogus second impeachment feel now that even the Washington Post, hardly a friend to President Trump, admits that the breach of the capitol was planned days in advance of the rally and President’s speech and that a Virginia FBI office warned a day in advance that extremists planned violence. These RINOs also ignored the President’s own words calling for a peaceful and patriotic march to the capitol, hardly incitement of insurrection.

I don’t know if there was enough voter fraud to alter the election results, but why hasn’t there been an official investigation of whatever amount of fraud occurred? Does anyone believe there was no fraud? Isn’t any fraud unacceptable? Will Democrats be allowed to change all future elections to mail-in only so they can continue to cheat?

Allowing progressive Democrats to control government, social media and Big Tech, most news sites (even FOX which I no longer watch), education and our borders is dangerous, but I can no longer support Republicans who fail to fight for my values.

— David Myerowitz, Columbia Falls

Market based solution

The recent article about the Keystone pipeline (Daily Inter Lake, Feb. 3) shares with us the conundrum that Senators Daines and Tester and Representative Rosendale all have: how can we face losing jobs in the fossil fuel industry when there is no alternative? What would bring about a non emitting energy economy with all of the jobs that go with it?

Well I will tell you what: The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act which is what we at Citizens Climate Lobby champion. If we had it 10 years ago, Senator Tester would confidently jump on his electric tractor to do his field work and all three of them would know that a nonpolluting economy is providing loads of jobs.

These men are not idiots, they know that if the best time is a decade ago, second best time is now. Let’s get after a market based solution to the problem of a bumpy transition to a non emitting economy. Let’s get after the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.

—Laura Reynolds, Kalispell

Democrats at work

While Republicans spent the week attacking the rights of Montanans, Democrats are working to put dollars back in the pockets of middle and low-income Montanans. Democrats in the Legislature announced a substantial slate of bills that, if enacted, would cut taxes for working-class and retired Montanans struggling in this economy.

Local Rep. Dave Fern, D-Whitefish has introduced LC 2676 - legislation to exempt Social Security income from state income taxes. Just about everyone can agree that taxing Social Security and people on fixed incomes doesn’t make sense.

Sen. Jill Coehnour proposed SB 10, a bill that would create a tax credit for homeowners and renters to claim a tax credit to offset the high cost of rent or property taxes. Renters would get around $466 average credit homeowners would get $979 average credit.

Rep. Emma Kerr-Carpenter proposed LC 1532 that would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit from 3% to 10%. Taxing people already in poverty doesn’t make sense.

Together, these three tax measures represent a $50 million tax break for Montanans who really need it, and not those who don’t.

—Liz Hoveland, Bigfork