Letters to the editor Sept. 15

Reject the Great Awfulizer

The recent presidential debate revealed two very different visions for the future. Trump’s description of our country as being in decline, dying, failing and having gone to hell is in stark contrast to my own. His dark, dystopian world view is the same old message he has trumpeted in past elections.  

It is time to reject the Great Awfulizer and look toward a brighter future filled with hope, compassion and bringing people together and not tearing them apart. Montanans are more concerned about high taxes, childcare, affordable housing, health care and the ability to make decisions about our bodies without government intrusion. 

Falsehoods about millions of insane immigrants flooding our state, ridiculous claims of dog eating and who is using what bathroom are simply diversions that must be rejected. Enough of the childish name calling and degrading comments. The Great Awfulizer’s tactics intend to scare us and are not based on fact.

Voting for Kamala Harris/Tim Walz, Jon Tester, Monica Tranel and Ryan Busse are votes for the future and not the failed policies of the past.

— Jan Metzmaker, Whitefish

Help Trump save the country

Please join me in voting for Republican patriot Tim Sheehy for U.S. Senate. 

The radical far left Tester-Biden-Harris agenda has almost completely destroyed our country with open borders, out of control inflation, weaponizing of our justice system, destruction of the American dream of homeownership, invasion of millions of illegal immigrants into our country, exploding national debt, woke/DEI racial polarization, transgendered obsessions and supporting boys in girls bathrooms, inflation/stagflation, never-ending wars abroad, unaffordable energy, partial-birth abortions, crazy ideas like packing the court and making Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. states.   

Tester has deceptively tried to pass himself off as a moderate. Nothing could be further from the truth. Tester has always been a far-left extremist and represents his California/Washington D.C. lobbyist buddies. Tester is one of the biggest recipients of out of state lobbyist cash in the U.S. Senate. Not to mention his horrible despicable lies about Sheehy, an American patriot hero. 

If you want to save our country by voting for former President Donald Trump, you must also vote for Sheehy in the Senate to help Trump save our country. If Trump wins and Tester is left in the Senate, he will vote against all of Trump’s policies that so many of us agree with.    

So if you want to save our country from the radically destructive Tester-Biden-Harris agenda, please join me in voting for Tim Sheehy for the U.S. Senate and Donald Trump for President. 

— Jeff H. Larsen, Lakeside

Outside influencers

As a somewhat recent resident of Montana, one of the things I admire about our state is the pride of native Montanans and love for their state. My career led me to several states and residents of all of them are proud, but in Montana it’s just seems deeper. The people are truly part of the land.

That is why it is confusing to me when native Montanans and longtime residents declare their concerns and at times dislike for new, rich out-of-state move-ins who are changing Montana and then vote the same category of people into public office.

I have been a resident for almost 10 years and I still think it would be arrogant for me to run for school board or city council. That should be reserved for longer term residents who know the area better than I do.

Gov. Greg Gianforte and Rep. Matt Rosendale are two examples of someone who moved here and then were elected. Both born and raised out of state, then moved to Montana as what today would be classified as rich outsiders. Then elected to public office, for better or worse.

This  brings me to Senate candidate Tim Sheedy. He is the epitome of the type of person that is decried as changing Montana and not for the better. He is a billionaire. He is buying up thousands of acres of property. Despite his commercials stating otherwise, his actions seem to make him the enemy of public lands and public access. He is certainly going to favor tax breaks for the wealthy over the middle classes.

His opponent, Jon Tester, is from Montana. It appears to me that he has been a good public servant who has ably and dutifully served Montana.  I can’t figure out why he should not be admired by all citizens of Montana.

Heck, I can’t imagine how this race is even close. And I sure cannot comprehend how someone can rail against rich out of state move-ins who want to change Montana and try to justify voting for Sheehy. I just don’t see how you can have it both ways.

— Randall Neil, Whitefish