Letters to the editor Oct. 25

Time for a change

There is a saying that “change is good.” Two of the three County Commissioners have been in office too many years. Their processes, plans for the future, and lack of respect for the citizens of Flathead County have become clearly evident over the years.

There is another saying that says “With age comes wisdom.” That saying does not apply to Pam Holmquist; her years in office have given us a self-centered and self-serving commissioner. She panders to developers, out-of-state investors, and bankers. She does not care about you and me — the citizens of Flathead County.

Under Pam Holmquist’s leadership there has been controversy in the Health Department, the library, and the Planning and Zoning Department. Thanks to Pam Holmquist, the work environment at the county is not sustainable. Honest people don’t want to serve and work for the county as long as Pam Holmquist is in office.

Pam Holmquist wants your vote so she can continue collecting a nearly $80,000 salary.

Flathead County residents deserve a commissioner who is transparent, honest and a skilled leader.

It is time to remove the dead wood from the swam.

— Lee Pinski, Kalispell

GOP endorsements

After two years of working alongside Pam Holmquist, I would like to urge my fellow citizens of Flathead County to support Pam Holmquist in the upcoming election. She continues to protect your property rights, your freedoms, your tax dollars and she works hard to protect public safety with her support of a 4% raise in the operating budget of the Sheriff’s office in FY 2022 and a 15% raise in his operating budget for FY 2023 while only raising the amount of county taxes on a $200,000 home by less than a dollar. She is the true fiscal conservative in the commissioner race.

I would also like to ask you to support the following conservative candidates; Terry Falk in HD 8, Lyn Bennett in HD 5, Braxton Mitchell in HD 3, Courtney Sprunger in HD 7 as well as two excellent picks for the Montana Supreme Court, James Brown and Jim Rice.

And last but certainly not least help us return control of the House of Representatives back to the Republicans and vote for Ryan Zinke. I have got to know these candidates personally over the last two years and can say they are real people who have a love for this great nation and for the state of Montana.

— Brad Abell, Flathead County Commissioner

Holmquist has integrity

A political analyst recently defined our two political parties this way: Republicans are not always Republicans, but Democrats are always Democrats.

After spending several years serving on the county Republican party central committee, I couldn’t agree more. I am now a proud independent.

Assuming we can equate real Republicans as individuals with strong, conservative, common sense values, I know of no one that is more “Republican” than Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist.

Pam is a lady of proven integrity and conservative leadership that has guided this county through both good and bad times. I look forward to her continuing to do so!

— Russ Crowder, Marion

Zinke has lost my vote

I get that he’s a Republican, but I can’t vote for a man who is proved to be dishonest, ethically challenged, and power grabbing.

Zinke was forced to resign from the Trump administration due to abuse of his position (Whitefish/Halliburton, expensive vacations on our dime, shady casino dealings). Essentially, he was too corrupt for the Trump administration.

Since his less than honorable departure from Washington D.C. he has spent most of his time in California. The only reason why he is back in Montana is to get the congressional seat. Zinke is not in it for Montanans. He is in it for himself.

— Kamala Trotter and Andrew Atkinson, Kalispell

Middle-class voters

In the Oct. 8 debate between congressional candidates Ryan Zinke and Monica Tranel, we heard Ryan Zinke’s lack of concern for middle-class wage earners. His solution for affordable housing is to consider 50-year mortgages. Financial advisers will tell you that even a 30-year mortgage is a poor investment if you want to build wealth. It commits far more of your lifetime income to interest payments, not equity.

The word mortgage comes from the French word mortgage in the 14th century. It means a pledge until death. Ryan Zinke wants to commit middle-class wage earners to debt for life. Really, Mr. Zinke, is that the best you can offer? There are far better solutions to affordable housing based on location, design, interior layout, shared plumbing walls, the use of elevators, and parking considerations.

Voters will serve their prosperity by selecting Monica Tranel who wants to invest in the middle class instead of tax giveaways to the super-rich, and believes that if you work hard, you should be able to afford a decent place to live and save for a secure retirement. Vote Monica Tranel for Congress.

Jerald M. Cogswell, Kalispell

Holmquist a true conservative

I am voting to re-elect Pam Holmquist this November. Holmquist is a true Republican and a solid conservative. She has done a great job as county commissioner for the past 12 years. Please mark your ballot for Pam Holmquist, so she can see how much we appreciate her hard work.

— Holly Breckenridge, Kalispell

Bukacek will work full time

I have observed Dr. Annie Bukacek for many years. Her work ethic is unsurpassed. The letters to the editor suggesting she looks at the Public Service Commissioner job as “part-time” is laughable. Ask her, and she’ll tell you: When she filed for the race for PSC, she stopped seeing new patients, and her work days decreased from five to four. Now she is part-time only two to three days a week. She campaigns the other days plus the weekends.

So, while still devoting herself to her patients, she is full-time devoting herself to the issues related to the PSC and to winning the PSC race so that she can inform us and look out for us. Dr. Annie is just what we need in this specific PSC position at this time. I am so glad she has taken up this cause.

Vote Dr. Bukacek for Public Service Commission District 5!

— Linda Baldridge, Kalispell

Bukacek’s behavior

As a member of the Flathead City-County Board of Healt, Ann Bukacek showed up unprepared, insisted on her own views, and actively proselyted outside the boundaries of board meetings. For this and her consistent failure to vote on matters before the board, she was rebuked by the deputy county attorney.

She preached and did not listen. She opposed testimony of medical experts and substituted her own views. She organized protests against sound public health policy, then lied about her participation.

We expect the same behavior if she is elected to the Public Service Commission.

On the other hand, her opponent, John Repke has the experience to do the job and the integrity to do it right. Repke spent 40 years in business solving problems; Bukacek creates them — and we pay the price. As Republicans who care about responsible government, we will be voting for John.

Please join us in voting for John Repke.

— Bill Burg, Chair, Flathead County Health Board, 2013-2020; Joe Russell, Flathead County Health Officer, 1997-2017 and 2020-2022

Waterman more measured

This is my best attempt at being objective in the cause of leadership in Senate District 4. This opinion is being presented as much because of what I have witnessed in John Fuller as what I have gleaned from conversation with Kyle Waterman.

Kyle Waterman, who is running for this seat, speaks to all residents in the valley when he says he listens to and ponders your point of view. He has a patience and a firm understanding of the diverse opinions and issues (opportunities) Kalispell is experiencing. Kyle is genuine and harbors no fear while speaking to the attitudes we currently experience as we grapple with evolving realities in our community and ultimately our country. My experience while getting to know Kyle over this election and the occasional social situation has been inspiring.

In review of my encounters with John Fuller at speaking engagements and a couple Kalispell school board occasions, I see a wide gap in likeability, command of emotion and listening skills between him and Kyle. In John Fuller I saw a man more interested in displaying an air of his arrogant importance above the substance of the topic of discussion. He came across as dismissive and unnecessarily combative, which had me doubting his grasp of or interest in the subject matter.

In contrast, Kyle Waterman seems unfazed by the challenges of our time and is confident we can thoughtfully do better. He’s not what I would call a liberal candidate in the sense that he isn’t out to please any single faction or cause. His approach and ideals remind me more of conservatism of a different age, when extremism wasn’t pandered to; when extremism was fearlessly rejected.

Kyle knows who he is. He has a work-a-day approach, is realistic and seems immune to being riled up by the loudest 10 percent of either party.

— Mark Kornick, Somers