Letters to the editor Sept. 20

Clarifying accusations

I would like to clarify a couple of accusations leveled against Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy.

Issue one, that he has been charging $25,000 to hunt elk on his ranch. I was raised on a ranch 30 miles southeast of his Little Belt Ranch which is located under the Belt Mountains. I went through grade school with the owner who sold her ranch to Tim. I have spent many days on the ranch, before his purchase, and recently took the previous owner and my friend to an invited tour of the ranch. 

Under previous ownership it was operated as a buffalo ranch, and a horse and cattle ranch with a few sheep. The country abuts Forest Service property but does not have suitable habitat for trophy elk. 

Tim does not control who goes into the Forest Service and it is served by roads that surround his property. Elk do come onto his property for winter range long after the season. I would love to see a receipt for $25,000 or any amount that Tim has granted and signed for anyone to hunt anything on his property. The only areas I am aware of that charges that amount for trophy elk is a ranch out of Three Forks and spots up the Gallatin. 

Whoever proffers this story has no knowledge of trophy hunting, probably doesn’t live in Montana and I would love to see the proof. 

As to losing hospitals, Harlowton, 50 miles from his ranch, has under construction a new hospital at a cost of over $20 million and will soon have a full-time doctor. In addition, there are plans for over a dozen new hospitals in small Montana towns.

— Dale Haarr, Kalispell

Republican playbook

Oh goodness, Tim Sheehy is back to the old Republican playbook of telling more lies about himself. 

This time, he stated at a public event recently that he, as part of a way “of getting familiar with Montana,” parachuted into Glacier National Park. No, He. Did. Not. And neither did he receive the bullet in his arm from a combat wound. The bullet came as he mishandled a handgun on Logan Pass in Glacier, failed to report the discharge to park officials, was tracked down by a park ranger at a local hospital, paid a fine of $525 and, next day, called park officials and demanded that the charges be dropped because he was a veteran privy to “high levels of top secret clearances” even though he was no longer on active duty anymore.  

Then there is the lie about being a jobs creator all the while that his Bridger Aerospace company lost $77 million in recent months and is laying off employees in Bozeman.   

C’mon, Tim. Smart Montana citizens are on to you and your lies. You are not trustworthy enough to occupy a seat in the U. S. Senate.

— Michael Ober, Kalispell

Obvious winner

The presidential debate gave proof to the nation that Kamala Harris is the best person for the job.

Harris was calm, cool and collected. She was the epitome of what a leader should be. She provided clear, concise answers to questions and refuted former President Donald Trump’s absurd claims.

Harris has a plan for the country. She will take us forward into a fairer, more balanced, happier country while Trump confirmed that he knows nothing but madness, darkness and dementia. She will aid the middle class while Trump taxes us to death for the benefit of the billionaire class.

Harris was the adult in the debate. She shook his hand. She looked at him while she spoke. She outlined a plan for the whole country. Trump cowered and looked away, he couldn’t look her in the face. He confirmed that he has no plan for health care and cares about nothing but the border, which is 10 times worse in his mind than it is in reality and is worse today than it could have been because he killed the bipartisan border bill earlier this year.

Trump lied, and lied and lied again. Trump has no plans to help this country. Trump engaged in unhinged ranting about people eating dogs and held up Victor Orban as the sole example of a world leader who likes him.

Harris is a leader. Harris has plans. Harris cares about the middle class.

— Amy Weeks, Columbia Falls