Letters to the editor Oct. 21
Kalispell Council needs new ideas
The future of Kalispell is being set this election day.
Anyone who looks at the real estate market risks whiplash as homes and rents skyrocket out of reach of working class families. Will Kalispell follow communities like Jackson, Wyo., or Ketchum, Idaho, where blue-collar folks, young professionals and people in the trades are priced out?
Let’s hope not. Part of the reason I have chosen to spend my adult life in Kalispell, building a home, a business and a family is because it is a “real” town, not an enclave for the elite. Unfortunately, our current City Council seems behind the curve. Take Chad Graham for example. Chad has whiffed three times on opportunities to create more affordable housing in this last couple years.
He voted against even pursuing block grants to examine our current supply of affordable housing and outline plans for improving the balance.
He was the sole vote against including more mother-in-law apartments in residential districts.
He brushed off a suggestion to create affordable housing stipulation on city-subsidized development downtown. (He supported parking stipulations, but would not even explore a stipulation on housing).
Of course none of these is a silver bullet for the housing crisis. But every little bit helps. Chad’s record makes me wonder if he really grasps the problem.
We need proactive thinking, more innovation and public-private partnerships. If we simply wait for what the developers offer, we will see the chasm in affordability continue to widen.
It’s time to thank Chad for his time on the council and replace him with people with some new ideas and hustle like Gabe Dillon and Jessica Dahlman.
—Ben Long, Kalispell
What has become of this place?
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. To witness what is becoming of this magnificent place we call home is truly heartbreaking. If only the majority could stop and see what is happening instead of seeing dollar signs, maybe then we wouldn’t be so miserable.
Ps. I wonder what the park will be called when the glaciers are all gone?
—Amber Gordon, Martin City
Tax disparity
I have been listening to Republican lawmakers at all levels demonize the Biden tax plan with apocalyptic warnings of the consequences of big business paying its fair share. Time and time again the voices of Republicans across the nation have told us that the 2017 tax cuts weren’t handouts to corporations, they were gifts to hardworking Americans. Sen. Greg Hertz’s editorial reiterated this position and reminded me of a lingering question:
Why does my grandson, a college student who works at a low-wage job during school breaks and holidays, pay more federal income tax than FedEx, Charter and Nike (just to name a few)? It’s difficult to conceive of a response that would justify such disparity in taxation. If Republicans have an answer, I’d like to hear it.
—Connie Gates, Helena