Letters to the editor May 16

More Main Street, less New York

You get what you pay for.

Democratic politicos, local citizens and even Brian Schweitzer’s corrections department communications director have taken to these pages to wail about “shame” and “abuse of power” in the recent Republican supermajority Legislature. To nobody’s surprise, these folks blame everyone else, especially the “dumb voters.” It appears that the homes of these pundits lack mirrors.

Failure to pressure Democratic power brokers to support candidates with strong appeal also to Independents and moderate Republicans resulted in a slate of politically correct liberals right for New York and San Francisco but wrong for the Montana electorate. Hence the statewide supermajority with its inevitable abuse of power, for human nature hasn’t changed in thousands of years. And hence the superminority with its unending legislative frustration culminating in cathartic support of bullhorn politics and anarchy, which always plays well in the East Coast media but not so well in the kitchens of Montana.

Instead of blaming the voters and railing against human nature, we all would be better off if the next election featured Democrats whose veins carried more Main Street and less New York. Supermajorities and superminorities reliably bring out politicians’ worst behaviors. And communication directors fond of historical quotes might recall Santayana and Churchill: Those that fail to learn from history get to repeat it.

— Andy Palchak, Kalispell

Cutting red tape

I want to thank our Republican legislators for their good work on DEQ and planning legislation this legislative session. Their hard work will cut red tape in the DEQ and planning process.

Sen. Carl Glimm and Rep. Courtenay Sprunger were especially instrumental in this effort. Glimm carried SB285 and SB327 and worked tirelessly on HB364. These great bills will improve the DEQ review process, cutting red tape and at the same time protect the environment.

Sprunger on the House Local Government Committee, put a tremendous amount effort into working with us in the House to get good excellent bills over the finish line such as SB275 and SB382.

I thank both of them for their extra effort and hard work.

I also thank Speaker Matt Regier and all the great Republican representatives and senators from the Flathead that were instrumental in moving excellent DEQ and Planning legislation forward this session.

— Jeff Larsen, Lakeside