Letters to the editor Dec. 21

‘Tis the season

Christmas season is upon us and I always read “A Christmas Carol” (novella) or watch one of the many movie versions (have done so for 70+years). It offers so many views of humanity with a joyful ending.

Two scenes always impress, for they have not changed in importance since Dickens penned in 1843.

Marley’s ghost responds to Scrooge’s attempt at compliment with “Business .... Mankind was my business.” Christmas is a often a time of worship, togetherness and sharing, and giving. It is more than avarice.

The other occurs when Scrooge notes something under the robes of ghost of Christmas present, two waifs, one Ignorance, the other Want (warns beware the boy, Ignorance). Let us look at how these pertain to present life in our culture. We have an increase in poverty and homelessness (often ignored), lip service but no actual efforts to address mental health emergencies and need for service, growing increase in number of deaths by guns, racism, vilification of alternative life styles, and emergence of overt hatred.

The issues of antisemitism, gay and transsexual misinformation and hostility, ongoing ignorance regarding those with mental disorders are all manifestations of ignorance, fear and jealousy. They are senseless and shameful. These need to be addressed by all through education and open discussion.

We have so many things to be proud of here. But also so may serious rational things to address (climate change, health care, energy transformation, to name a few). So, when we gather with friends and family, do not let good fortunate be your guide, rather be kind, tolerant and respectful for all, and open your hearts and awareness to accurate information and compassion this season!

— Jack Hornby, Kalispell

Something’s amok

Something’s amok at Holland Lake Lodge (HLL).

HLL, Inc. and POWDR Corporation claim the resort’s cabins are “generally dilapidated” and POWDR further described the infrastructure as “failing.” The Flathead National Forest justified the project, in part, by claiming the lodge and associated buildings were in a state of disrepair, some to the point some of needing to be demolished.

Yet, HLL marketing for 2023 claims “six charming lakeside cabins” and refers to them as “rustic.” Are the cabins dilapidated or charming and rustic – worth $395 per night?

The Special Use Permit requires the holder to maintain improvements in good working order and the Forest Service to monitor permit compliance. Failing infrastructure would be a violation of the Permit and Permit renewal is contingent on the holder being “in compliance.” The Permit was renewed in 2017 – no mention of permit violations and remedies.

So, no money in HLL’s coffers to properly maintain and update resort infrastructure? In 2009, the lodge owner built a manager’s cabin. In 2020, HLL received a $61,236 PPP federal loan for payroll that was forgiven. Recently, HLL sold its liquor license to HLL Restaurant, LLC, owned by POWDR’s CEO, for a mere $1,000, while a liquor license in Columbia Falls sold in 2022 for $551,000.

Something’s amok. Either the project scoping purpose and need is misleading, or the Forest Service is negligent in enforcing permit compliance, or both.

— Pete Feigley, Seeley Lake

FBI abuses

With its accomplices in Big Tech, the mainstream media and the DNC, the FBI’s long train of abuses against the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights make it Public Enemy No. 1.

From the Uranium 1 scandal and Fast and Furious debacle, to the Hillary Clinton deleted emails and her State Department pay-for-play; from the Crossfire Hurricane tyranny and the Russia-collusion hoax, to the Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Page and Baker conspiracy; from repeatedly defrauding the FISA court, to the Jeffrey Epstein pedophilia cover-up; from the Hunter Biden laptop suppression, to provocateuring the “Jan. 6 riot”; from ongoing election tampering and free-speech censorship, to the FTX money-laundering scheme; the FBI has shown its true colors of political bias and subterfuge.

How many other federal agencies are cut from the same cloth? How much more evidence is needed to convict the FBI, the DOJ and their fellow snakes in the “intelligence community?” If the heads of these snakes are treasonous, then their entire bodies are a clear and present danger to our Constitutional Republic.

Partisan congressional hearings targeting this betrayal of the public trust are a farce and a complete waste of time and taxpayer dollars. These endless “investigations” to nowhere have no teeth and yield no justice. When was the last time a politician or federal bureaucrat was prosecuted and jailed for their criminal abuse of power?

America does not have a “two-tiered” justice system. Justice has no tiers. America has a two-tiered political system that is broken and corrupt. Democrats and Republicans are two wings of the same predatory beast that is devouring our individual freedoms and destroying our Republic. This insatiable beast serves Wall Street and the military-industrial complex, not we the people. As a result, America has the best government filthy lucre can buy.

Regardless how much abuse of power is exposed, until the entire federal bureaucracy is purged and the criminals are shackled and sent to prison in chains, nothing will change. The FBI, the DOJ, the IRS and the “intelligence community” will continue to violate the supreme law of the land with impunity, as they seize ever-more power and control over our lives, our liberty and our pursuit of happiness. As long as this tyranny is tolerated, there will be no justice in America.

The tree of American liberty is in dire need of refreshing.

— Richard S. Grozik, Kalispell

Look at the bills being submitted by your reps

Your recently elected state representatives and senators are busy writing a new set of laws for you, our voters. December is a critical time to draft new bills and workshop policy, as we have less than two months between Election Day and Jan. 2, the start of the 2023 legislative session. This is the time to turn the concerns and ideas we heard on voters’ porches into bills that meet the needs of our communities.

What bills has your legislator requested and what work are they preparing to do on your behalf? Are they following up on their campaign promises to create more housing, safer neighborhoods, better schools, and stable jobs? Or, instead, are they amplifying inflammatory social issues, taking aim at Montanans’ right to privacy, reducing crucial services, or weakening Montana’s Constitution?

All of your representative’s draft bills are visible on the Montana legislative website at laws.leg.mt.gov. Some legislators are writing laws that will take care of Montana families – bills that cap health insurance costs, remove barriers for childcare providers, incentivize workforce housing, or expand rural mental health care. However, in the wake of the pandemic and on the cusp of a possible recession, other legislators are prioritizing distracting policies that do nothing to make our state stronger.

Take a look at your representative’s bills and ask what they mean for your family, your community, and our state. Will their proposed laws build common ground or perpetuate the political divisiveness chipping away at our shared sense of community?

Every legislator’s contact information is available online, so reach out to us and share your thoughts. We work for you and can only do our job well when we’re hearing from our voters.

My hope for the upcoming Legislative Session is that we will focus on issues that move our economy forward and uplift Montana families instead of wasting time and taxpayer dollars on political point scoring. I equally hope we move forward as a governing body with respect, integrity, and compassion for ourselves and each other.

It is time for us to get to work, just as it is time for you to hold us accountable. Keep demanding that this government of, by, and for the people does its job for you and for all of us.

— Rep. Alice Buckley, D-Bozeman