Letters to the editor Nov. 1
Move to the center
When I moved to Montana 30 years ago, beyond the mountains, I valued the independent-thinking, hard-working, commonsense people. Roll up your sleeves, start a small business, hike and ski like it’s your job. Give more than you take.
The “psychic income” we earned was millions of acres of open space, public access, and a sense of community. You always knew a neighbor was ready to lend a hand. We shared a center across small towns with good people, millions of acres and one big street.
Things have changed. The purple state where the purple mountains mattered most is angry red. But there is still so much common ground between all of us and Ryan Busse is the guy to bring Montana back together.
We currently have a wealthy governor with an anger management problem who is disconnected from the working people of our state. Our housing costs have risen more than any state in the nation and our governor made the problem worse, creating the largest property tax increase in Montana history.
Busse will rein in property taxes for hard-working Montanans and make sure companies and individuals trying to extract wealth from our state don’t get special breaks. I’ve personally known Ryan for many years and he’s as straight-shooting as they get, a spirit of the Old West.
It’s time to come back to center. There is much more overlap between us than apart. I believe Montana voters are smarter than just checking red or blue. Busse is the common sense choice to get Montana back.
— Brian Schott, Whitefish
Leftist activism
Vote for the two sons, Dan Wilson and Cory Swanson for the Montana Supreme Court. The current Montana Supreme Court is out of control. Recently the radical Montana Supreme Court ruled that a pregnant minor does not have to inform her parents to get an abortion. This is radical leftist activism that does not reflect on Montana values. To stop this insanity, vote Wilson and Swanson for Montana Supreme Court.
Vote no on CI-126 and 127. CI-126 and 127 are radical ranked choice voting initiatives that will destroy Montana primary elections. Leftists (including some posing as conservatives) are seeking to implement ranked choice voting, also called instant runoff voting in many states. Ranked choice voting threatens election integrity and undermines the electorate’s ability to choose the best candidate in elections. Vote no on CI-126 and 127.
Vote no on CI-128, the radical “abortion on demand” initiative.
Vote Tim Sheehy, Republican for U.S. Senate and Rep. Ryan Zinke, Republican for U.S. House. Sheehy and Zinke are American patriots that will help former President Donald Trump save our country from the liberal disaster we have been living the last 3 1/2 years.
— Ardis Larsen, Lakeside
Inflation
A pizza parlor employee mentioned months ago that prices had gone up, as we paid our restaurant tab. She then said, “I hate Biden,” blaming the president. I held my tongue but debated responding, “You know inflation is worldwide, not just an American problem?”
So part of former President Trump’s appeal is that you think he’ll solve inflation? “It’s inflation, stupid,” as the age-old economy-first saying goes. You do know, his tax cut for the rich and pandemic flood of money kickstarted inflation, don’t you? You do know our Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Republican-led state Legislature are being sued because they neglected to do a few simple things to keep your property taxes from jumping 30%. And you’re still going to vote Republican because your pizza went up $3?
It’s misinformation, stupid.
— Mark Suppelsa, Bigfork
Misinformation
In the Oct. 24 edition of the Inter Lake there was an article on page A7 based on a statement by Microsoft saying that foreign governments were trying to interfere in our elections.
I find this laughable. Our own mainstream media is doing all the interference they can to defeat former President Trump and promote the other person. Foreign governments could not do it any better.
Plus, the Democrat candidate is already a communist, terrorist sympathizer, hates Israel and hates American values. What more could our enemies want? Well, they would prefer someone who is not very competent. Guess what? They have that too.
I think this whole article is misinformation. Our enemies would like nothing more than to see the Democrat in office and not Trump.
— William Fry, Kalispell
Fix politics
This campaign season stands out like no other in history and many of us feel it has gone beyond running for office.
Politics has become a multimillion-dollar business and the taxpayers are paying the price. I believe we have had enough.
Enough of:
• Campaigns that have become far too long. In many countries the campaigns are 36 to 70 days.
• Intruding on our daily lives with mind numbing TV, radio, email, text and endless print ads.
• Promises that will not be kept once in office. And while in office remember that you are serving your country. You are being paid much more than our soldiers who put their lives on the line every day.
• The amount of money spent this year for the election is obscene and could feed and house the homeless for 10 years.
So my challenge to the winners of this year’s election is to fix it. Stop the waste and start working for our state and nation.
• Montana and this nation need shorter campaigns (90 days) and limits on campaign spending.
• Fix our decaying infrastructure; it is your job!
• Stimulate pride in our country. We need this more than ever.
Is anyone up to the challenge?
— Patrice LaTourelle, Whitefish
Enemy within
I am outing myself as “the enemy from within.” I was raised to understand that silence is a form of acceptance; I can no longer be silent.
I support all people having autonomy and freedom of choice with regard to their body, including reproductive and gender affirming care.
I know our country has been and will continue to be made greater by immigrants and their pathway to citizenship.
My faith calls for me to advocate for social services for the mentally ill, the homeless, the addicted, the hungry; for affordable housing, family leave and child care, equal and quality education, liveable wages and a more equitable distribution of wealth.
It is time to replace our system of how we elect a president; it is a system based on the legitimacy of slavery, one of our country’s greatest sins. At this time greed and fear are the driving forces for too many decisions being made in our country.
Think about it. Will you be the next one labeled as the enemy from within?
— Sherry Svennungsen, Kalispell
Voting for Trump, Tester, Tranel
I’ve always voted Republican. But I can’t this time because Tim Sheehy and Rep. Ryan Zinke, Gov. Greg Gianforte, and Attorney General Austin Knudsen are RATS (Republicans Against Truth).
Party boss told Knudsen to lose Held v. Montana. He complied, inflicting more damage on Republicans than any Democrat has ever done. Party boss told RATS to support Knudsen’s loss. They complied.
Party boss told RATS to have the state of Montana attack and censor me because I teach climate truth that would have defeated Held v. Montana. They complied.
Party boss serves the World Economic Forum that needed Montana to lose Held v. Montana so they can make us slaves who will own nothing, eat insects and be happy, by 2030.
Sheehy’s a Trojan horse who can’t remember who he is. Zinke lies to Trump. It’s insanity to give shady Sheehy six years and zombie Zinke two more years to destroy us. This is more important than who control’s Congress. I’m voting for former President Donald Trump, Sen. Jon Tester and Monica Tranel.
— Ed Berry, Bigfork
Personal growth
As a response to the letter on Oct. 27 by the nice 78-year-old man. A quick trip to the calculator shows that Sen. Jon Tester’s net worth increase from $200,000 to $2 million over 17 years is 10.3% compound growth. That is excellent, but it’s a stretch to say you can’t imagine how that would happen. I know a lot of people that are worth way more than 10 times what they were, compared to 17 years ago.
Facts before feelings please.
— Jeremy Phillips, Kalispell
Save America
This is for the undecided.
Some say “legacy voter,” “lifelong Democrat,” “I hate Trump,” not fully knowing they are voting for a communist takeover of America.
There are 325,000 children missing and being trafficked. In the United States. Our border is wide open to murderers. Who knows the names Laken Riley and Rachel Morin? Just to name two.
I look around and I see some patriots proudly showing their love of America on a shirt or cap, or in their yard. I always compliment them, sometimes give them a guardian angel and say thank you for loving America.
A wise man once said it is easier to fool us than convince us we have been fooled.
So what is to decide? Peace or war? Freedom or slavery? If we vote for any Republican or Democrat that does not support MAGA, how can we say we love our country?
Think RFK, Jr. and others who are brave enough to admit we need a change. Still Struggling letting go?
MAGA will:
• End child and human trafficking
• No income tax
• No tax on tips
• No tax on Social Security
• Write off interest on vehicles loans
• Safe secure border
• Safe cities
• Strong First and Second Amendment defenders
• Keep our money in America not foreign countries
I am voting to save the children and America on Nov. 5. What are you voting for?
— Kathy Putney, Kalispell
If Sheehy is elected
Tim Sheehy was recruited and groomed by Mitch McConnell and the cadre of billionaires whose sole goal is the preservation and enhancement of their wealth — at our expense. They expect him to be an obedient vote in the Senate — not too different from Putin’s Duma in Moscow. Donald Trump has expressed disdain for NATO and admiration for Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and other eastern Europe autocrats. If Sheehy is elected, and the Senate is Republican-controlled, I fear the loss of Ukraine (and Moldova, Poland, and the Baltic states).
Sheehy, new to Montana, has identified no experience with civilian governance. Contrast this with Sen. Jon Tester’s 30+ years of public governance experience on local school boards, state Legislature, congressional service and being born and raised in Montana. Jon has also shown that he is not afraid to act independently of party to benefit Montana.
I fear the loss of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS), the Department of Education, the National Weather Service, the National Endowment for the Arts, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, etc. I fear a slide into another Dark Ages. I also fear that a new recession will occur.
Finally, I firmly believe that Tim Sheehy is not out to serve all Montanans but desperately wants to be a member of the high roller club. Will he listen to us? Or will he listen to the billionaires who have funded his campaign? The answer is clear.
— Charles Davis, Columbia Falls
Right to life
Whenever conflicting views need to be discussed, it is prudent to define terms so that understanding and clarification proceed from the start.
Women’s reproductive rights – the right for women to have the sole decision over reproduction.
Reproduction: To produce again; to give birth to a person formed in the mother’s and father’s likeness.
Right to life: The right for each conceived child to be protected and cared for at every stage of life, from conception till natural death.
Abortion: The intentional and deliberate termination of life in the womb, regardless of the stage of life, or the means needed to end that life.
CI-128 is an attempt to forever change Montana’s Constitution to make abortion legal at every stage of pregnancy, under the guise of Women’s reproductive rights.
It clearly and concisely negates any right to life for the unborn child. It also fails to consider that in every case, a pregnancy involves three people: the mother, the father, and the unborn child.
CI-128 allows only for the decision of the woman. While all agree that the woman bears the greatest role in bringing the child to fruition, CI-128 denies each father the right to be responsible for his children. It denies life to the child.
Please, carefully consider CI-128, intended to change Montana’s Constitution. Instead, uphold the rights in the Declaration of Independence:
“…certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” For the child and the mother.
— Clover Quinn, Hamilton