Letters to the editor Dec. 9

Listening skills

On Dec. 5, I read a column in the Inter Lake by Jim Elliott, one of the paper’s favorite Democrat opinion piece writers, titled “Don’t say Democrats weren’t warned.” 

Jim laments about the recent losses by Democrats in the Montana elections and the party is now in the wilderness, as they are across most of the United States. In order to rebuild the party influence in the state, Jim encourages party members to, “Not tell them (the people) what they think they need or should want, but just ask questions and listen.” That is sound advice for any political party.

It is my experience that the Montana Republican party is becoming arrogant and self-centered, just like what happened to the Democrat party, both in state and national. 

For example, I have been working on an issue with a Montana state agency for three years and asked for help from two local Montana state senators and my local Montana state representative and could not get one of them to reply to me via email or telephone. I tried to appeal to Montana Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras and got ignored there also.

Also, this whole issue of increased Montana property tax has most citizens upset but the governor blames the Legislature and the Legislature blames the governor. And all the while, each year, our property tax continues to increase. Talk about being deaf.

I am a Republican and do not plan on giving up my principles. I will not leave the party. I will vote to throw the bums out at the next primary election because they do not want to listen to me. l do not want this Republican party to go down the same path as the Democrat party did this year.

— Duane Egan, Columbia Falls