It's time to end the war on poverty in the Flathead Valley

There has been a great deal of discussion and debate around the topic of homelessness in the Flathead Valley. I’d like to offer two observations on this topic. One, this issue will continue to get worse unless we offer a solution that includes supportive housing. And two, we have a civic and moral obligation to care for the desperately poor people who live among us. 

At the outset, know that this perspective is coming from someone born and raised in Kalispell. I have spent the last 18 years working at the Kalispell Public Defender office and I joined the Flathead Warming Center Board about one year ago. To be clear, I am writing in my individual capacity as a concerned citizen.  I do not purport to represent the views of any organization or agency.

At both the city and county levels, residents have witnessed local officials wage war against the poor in Flathead Valley. This trend started in early 2023 with a highly publicized letter issued by our county commissioners that encouraged residents to “be unified in rejecting all things that empower the homeless lifestyle.”  The letter concluded with a rallying cry to join with the commissioners in showing the poor and needy among us that “enough is enough.”  

And so we did.

In the months that followed, it was open season on the poor and needy in our valley. They were hunted with paint guns, pellet guns and rocks. They were run down by cars. They were violently assaulted. One homeless man was brutally murdered. Despite the unprecedented violence, the commissioners never retracted their letter.

Instead, the commissioners doubled down by driving the poor and needy from public transportation. After providing free transportation to homeless guests of the Warming Center for four years through the Mountain Climber bus system, the commissioners changed the policy just prior to the Warming Center opening for the 2023-2024 winter season. The new policy limited access to individuals who had a bank account or credit card and a smart phone with the required app.

Since the vast majority of homeless individuals do not have either a bank account or credit card, they were excluded from public transportation. However, the Flathead Warming Center stood in the gap and paid for over 3,000 rides for homeless individuals during the last winter season. The commissioners remedied this problem by once again changing their policy - this time by flat-out prohibiting the Warming Center from paying for transportation to or from the shelter.  As it now stands, no money, no app, no bank account, no transportation. Period.

Apparently inspired by the commissioners’ war on the poor, Kalispell City Council recently followed suit by threatening to close down the Warming Center, the last refuge for homeless individuals in our community. This act of hostility resulted in a standing-room-only public hearing on May 13 during which comments were received both for and against the Warming Center. A second hearing on the topic was held May 28. Now, at hearings scheduled the week of July 15, Kalispell City Council stands poised to rid itself of the Warming Center once and for all by revoking its conditional use permit.

And why is Council poised to take this unprecedented - and I would argue illegal - action? Well, as it turns out, there appears to be more homeless people congregating around the Warming Center. Who knew?

As an aside, any business-minded individual should be horrified by the Council’s behavior in this regard. If the Council actually makes good on its threat to shut down the Warming Center, then every entity that exists by the good graces of a conditional use permit is at risk of getting shut down every time a few like-minded citizens register their complaints with the city.

So if you invested a few million dollars to launch a bar or restaurant in Kalispell, beware. Your competitors need only register a few complaints in order for you and your investment to be cast aside like yesterday’s newspaper. After all, who knew that a new bar in town would result in more drunk and disorderly individuals congregating in the area?

Employing the city’s logic, no entity is safe. For example, have you noticed all of the criminals congregating at the county jail lately? What’s worse, this dangerous element is released out the back door on a daily basis to wreak havoc on our unsuspecting community. This simply cannot stand.  Where are you, oh mighty City Council, to right this injustice? Use your infinite wisdom to revoke the jail’s conditional use permit to rid our community of crime. It’s that simple, right?

I digress - back to the issue at hand.

The issue of dealing with the poor and homeless is complex, but models do exist for addressing this issue in a meaningful way.  One such model - which involves supportive housing - was proposed by Brent Rodgers on the heels of the May 13 public hearing. Mr. Rodgers wrote an email to Council on the possibility of working together to initiate such a program in this area.  

And to our esteemed public servants on the Council, dare I suggest that your time would be better spent talking to Mr. Rodgers, and others like him, rather than scapegoating the Warming Center for the difficulties associated with managing poor - and often mentally ill - homeless individuals in our community.

On to the larger question of our civic and moral obligation to the poor who live among us. With regard to the former, after helping found this great nation and serving two terms as its third president, Thomas Jefferson made the following statement on the eve of his retirement: "The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government."

Ironically, this is a good description of the Warming Center’s mission. To my dear colleagues on the Council, it should be your mission, as well. I implore you - work together with the Warming Center - do not destroy it.

As for our moral obligation, I turn to the author of morality - God. After all, Kalispell is home to some of the largest churches in the state and a significant number of the Council’s constituents claim allegiance to the Bible - and make no mistake, the Bible has a lot to say on this topic.

As God said in the opening pages of His discourse to humanity: "The poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’" Deuteronomy 15:11.

And again in Proverbs 28:27: "Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses."

And in the New Testament, the Apostle John had this to say: "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18.

There is no question that compassion for the poor is at the center of God’s heart. Likewise, any good and moral leader should be marked by a genuine concern for the poor and needy among us.

I encourage all of you to watch closely on July 15 as your elected leaders pontificate on the issue of the poor who live among us. Please ensure that they are reflecting the character and morality of our community. For those members who do not - vote accordingly at the next election.

Nick Aemisegger Jr. is managing public defender of the Public Defender Division of Kalispell and a member of the Flathead Warming Center Board of Directors.