Letters to the editor July 21

CI-121 effort

Amending the Montana State Constitution is a “letter of the law” process. Given that an attorney/former legislator was among the primary organizers of the CI-121 effort, the rocky start to the enterprise was somewhat surprising. The resulting failure of the initiative to qualify for the November ballot was not unexpected given uneven legal work, weak organization and skimpy fundraising.

The proponents of the former property tax initiative are turning their attention to the 2023 Legislature. With broad opposition from the business and agricultural communities and members of both political parties, the effort to cap residential property taxes is not simple.

First, enshrining technical property tax policy in the Constitution hamstrings future elected officials who will need to respond to unknown economic circumstances. Changing the Constitution is not easy. Check out the Alabama State Constitution for byzantine tax policy.

Second, Montana is one of very few states that do not allow the purchase price of real estate to be public information. Any tax system based on purchase prices will require changing this law retroactively for all real property.

Third, Flathead County does not have a county building code or building department. To tract remodels, expansions, and other significant alterations, Flathead County will need both to process the required building permits. Without permits, property tax appraisals cannot accurately reflect original and enhanced valuations.

Bottom line: Addressing property taxes through anything similar to CI-121 is fraught with unintended consequences.

— Margaret S. Davis, Lakeside

Political blabber

I am trying to decide whether Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the darling of the progressive Democrats, is stupid or is so political that she is willing to lie to push her agenda. She stated unequivocally that a woman with an ectopic pregnancy (a fetus developing outside of the uterus) in a state restricting abortion would have to travel to another state to get an “abortion.”

Does she even know what an ectopic pregnancy is? Ectopic pregnancies are not viable and present as a life-threatening emergency due to the risk of bleeding. I would like to see her data showing that any state, regardless of their abortion law status, has prevented a single emergency surgery to remove the danger.

So AOC, rather than blabber about something you are completely ignorant of, why don’t you focus on the Bodega owner in New York who was charged with murder for defending himself from an assault by a gang-banger after being stabbed by the criminal’s girlfriend because her food stamp card was empty when she tried to buy potato chips [is that what we the taxpayers pay our taxes for . . . potato chips?].

Just when you think the stupidity of our lawmakers can’t get any more obvious, someone like AOC proves us wrong. But she’ll probably get re-elected, after doing absolutely nothing for her district of the Bronx and Queens in New York ... unless chasing away 25,000 Amazon jobs counts as doing something, most likely by campaigning in bodegas across her district. Irony!

— David Myerowitz, Columbia Falls

Republican platform

What happened to conservatism? I am a conservative person, but after reading the recent article on the GOP platform convention, I will never call myself a Republican.

I have always associated conservatism with sober, thoughtful reflection and consideration. What was described in the article was more like “Lord of the Flies” tribalism. I was appalled at the hostility to nuance, and the behavior described such as jeering and booing, whenever a member tried to insert such nuance.

The Democrats don’t have to destroy the Republican party, they’re doing a bang-up job of that themselves.

— Annora Nelson, Trego

Get your tickets

The Bigfork Summer Playhouse has done it again. Consider yourself fortunate to snag a ticket to their jet-fueled Broadway bombshell which will knock your socks off with fabulous singing of blockbuster Abba hits, amazing acting and probably their best choreography and dancing in a decade.

This is a classic summer spectacular on steroids. We are so lucky.

— Andy Palchak, Kalispell