Letters to the editor March 20

Short-term rentals a long-term problem

In a recent Sunday edition, the Daily Inter Lake called for increased multi-family zoning in local communities as a way to mitigate the inadequacy of affordable housing in the area.

Clearly that is a problem that must be addressed, but mere change of zoning may only exacerbate it. Here’s why.

A major cause of unavailability of housing for families and workers is the purchase of such properties for short-term rentals. With the stock market over-valued, cryptocurrency not living up to its hype, and low interest rates at banks, the nation’s wealthy have sought other creative investment strategies.

They hit upon the idea of buying residential property in a desirable location and having it managed by a lodging company, with people checking in and out every few days. Essentially, housing that should have families in it becomes remote hotel rooms, booked and managed just like a hotel structure, but with the rooms scattered throughout neighborhoods. The units are unsupervised. The owners usually have no connection with the area, and, because of the nature of rentals, pay little or no state or local taxes.

The Inter Lake recently published a report that Whitefish has the second highest number of short-term rentals in the state and Flathead County has the highest number. As of September 2020, the number of Flathead County homes absorbed by this unfortunate situation is 2,814.

Imagine what a difference that would make if families could occupy those homes, rather than a new group of travelers every few days.

Other vacation destination locales are fighting the same situation. Their strategies include limiting the number of short-term rental permits that can be issued. Another is to require that the owner of the short-term rental property be a resident in the same zip code. Flathead County and its communities must adopt some control ordinances if we are to preserve housing for local residents.

As for local governments amending zoning laws to accommodate multi-family housing, unless they prohibit short-term rentals in the zone, those, too, will be snapped up by investors to enhance their investment portfolios.

It seems as if communities should immediately address and control these short term rental purchases while working on the longer term zoning and public/private partnership housing developments.

— Sharon Morrison, Whitefish

U.S. shouldn’t enter Ukraine conflict

I fully support Congressman Matt Rosendale. We have a wide open southern border; illegals coming across unvetted. Inflation is out of control. We are no longer energy independent. What is behind the shutdown of our energy sources? Who is gaining from this? We The People sure aren’t.

I do not want one single soldier going to Ukraine to fight. Ukraine is the crime capitol of Europe; not the people, but the corrupt government. Just like here in this country; not the people, but the corrupt government.

The price we have paid for war since 1948: Nearly 37,000 Americans were killed during the Korean War. At least 1 million South Korean civilians were killed, and 7,000 South Korean military members died. In North Korea, 406,000 soldiers died, and 600,000 civilians were killed. Another 600,000 Chinese military members died in the war, too. And then there were the POWs who were not returned at all.

The Vietnam War exacted an enormous human cost: estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed range from 966,000 to 3 million. Some 275,000–310,000 Cambodians, 20,000–62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 U.S. service members (our best) died in the conflict, and 1,626 remain missing in action. Our best sent by politicians who would never wear a uniform.

There were 1,822 civilian contractor fatalities in the Iraq-Afghanistan war that lasted 20 years. Some 4,486 of our best died in Iraq, and 2,345 of our best died in Afghanistan. A million of the United States’ best were wounded in both wars, and the potential cost of those wars about $6 trillion.

So this is why I support Matt Rosendale. We do not need to get in the middle of a conflict that has been brewing for years between Russia and Ukraine. I pray for the people’s sake those in power can come to terms and end this.

An afterthought, the real leader of Ukraine has a home in Florida and he is worth close to $2.5 billion. Ihor Kolomoyskyi was ranked two years ago by Forbes as the richest man in the world. Do not send our best to die for the elites of this world.

— Grace Larson, Kalispell