Letters to the editor Oct. 13
Don’t fall for CI-126 and CI-127
The left is not satisfied with the amount of chaos they have sewn nationally in the past four years with open border crime and gender confusion indoctrination in public schools.
The left in Montana are particularly apoplectic that they haven’t yet completely destroyed our own great state where hordes of political refugees from other fallen states have re-settled and planted Trump flags in their new yards.
CI-126 and 127 aim to put a stop to any sense of normalcy we might expect from our state’s political process. Sen. Jon Tester likes to claim that politicians often say one thing and do another. While Jon is correct, CI-126 and 127 want to make this even more fun by cloaking leftist politicians in conservative Republican clothing in primary elections to confuse voters and re-assert their control over our state government.
Don’t fall for it. A vote for CI-126 and 127 is a vote to invite leftist chaos to our beloved Montana and her elections. Vote no on CI-126 and 127.
— Ben Woods, Bigfork
Republicans are for the rich
I am asking the Republicans who vote Republican in Montana just because they always have to please reconsider.
Think of the 283,801 Montanans who receive Social Security. They may now be paying on these benefits starting 2024 the same rate as federal.
SB 104 contains many tax changes. The rich Montanans will profit the most.
The state of Montana has a surplus of $1.9 billion. It usually is $300 million.
The legislators did not have to pass a bill to lower taxes for the rich; hurting the middle class. Remember how they raised our property taxes? Why did they? Possibly to gain rich and veteran votes. SB 104 lowers taxes for these two groups and it raises taxes on the middle class.
Republicans have become a party for the rich, leaving the middle to pay for everything.
Probably they need more surplus. Ha! The Republicans who vote for them are supporting an addition to the surplus. Do you run your home expenses like the Republicans?
A Democratic vote will support the middle class in Montana. Think twice please.
— Judy Pettinato, Whitefish
Radical initiative
The voters of Montana must reject Constitutional Initiative 128 that will appear on our ballots in November. Sadly, after large amounts of out-of-state funding, Planned Parenthood and its associates have succeeded in securing enough signatures to get it placed on our ballots.
This flawed initiative would radically expand abortion in Montana, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of babies in mothers’ wombs. Its vague and deceptive language would throw open the doors to brutal late-term abortions.
Through the careful use of undefined terms, it would cancel Montana’s current abortion regulations creating some of the most radical constitutional provisions for abortion in our nation.
Here are but a few of the radical provisions surrounding this misleading and deceptive initiative:
CI-128 would create a constitutional right to unlimited abortions in Montana, including partial-birth abortion or dismemberment abortion.
A “health care professional” meaning a doctor, nurse, dentist, chiropractor, physical therapist or paramedic, can approve abortion at any stage of pregnancy.
Passing CI-128 will increase taxpayer funded abortion procedures in Montana.
The broad language of CI-128 includes phrases like “reproductive care,” which arguably creates a right for anyone — including minors — to undergo radical, irreversible gender reassignment surgery.
Please, this is not what Montana’s fine God-fearing folks want in their state. We prefer to take a higher moral and ethical road. We believe that human life, which begins at fertilization, is valuable and must be legally protected.
I ask that everyone read the full text of CI-128 in your voter guide, search and form your conscience, stand with our children against CI-128, and vote no on your ballot.
— Darold Reiner, Kalispell
Development over safety
Recently, the Flathead County commissioners approved a 51-lot subdivision (Northshore Woods) in Bigfork despite opposition from neighbors and residents of Bigfork.
Our major concerns are for safety, especially traffic and fire. This property is landlocked between Peaceful Drive and Bigfork Stage Road with no direct access to an arterial highway. Exit is achieved through narrow, steep, Peaceful Drive or through narrow and graveled Bigfork Stage Road. Both present traffic dangers.
The intersection at Montana 35 from Peaceful Drive is steep, narrow and left turns can be difficult and dangerous. Additionally, this is the only exit from the Peaceful Acres development.
Similarly, Bigfork Stage Road presents challenges. Traveling north to Montana 83, there is a blind intersection with cars traveling at 65 mph or more. The other route takes one past the Bigfork schools. Neither is a good route.
Fire is a major concern since this land is adjacent to heavily wooded areas to the east. With no easy exit, escape from fires could be difficult or impossible. This development is supposed to be served by Bigfork sewer and water. Some residents of the town have been experiencing sewer problems. Can the fire department serve this area? Is there adequate access or water pressure?
We argued for the development of the necessary infrastructure first, before any building in this area was done. This plea was ignored. Safety of the current residents of the area ought to be a defining concern before development. I do not see how this development is going to serve anyone in Bigfork. The commissioners are putting development over safety and infrastructure needs.
— Margaret Parodi, Bigfork