Letters to the editor Aug. 25
We deserve better
I saw the Lakeside private club development was approved, and the county cited the over 50 conditions in the preliminary plat approval as honoring public input and protective of our Montana values and environment.
On its face, and as a senior government regulator of the oil/gas and nuclear industry, I agree that this is good governance. If, in fact, the public input developed conditions are enforced.
However, my experience at Tamarack Meadows near Garnier Creek/Meadow Lake is that these conditions are not done when convenient for the developer, and none of our government entities do anything to enforce the conditions. In fact, they hide behind an alphabet soup of overlapping jurisdictions, and cite claimed ambiguity in the conditions, to be codependent with the developer to let them do whatever they want. And elected officials can rest easy with the public under the pretense of protecting our Montana values and environment.
The citizens of Montana and Flathead County deserve better.
You elected officials all rest easy until election season.
— Paul Kruger, Columbia Falls
All about money
Once again, the name Holmquist shows up behind everything that is sucking the culture out of the “Last Best Place” and turning it into the “First Worst Place.”
Leading the charge, Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist and company are selfishly making their own decisions and not listening to the will of their constituents, who categorically and vehemently are opposed to the proposed Lakeside development. It is time to vote them all out of office.
Ms. Holmquist, Brad Abell and Randy Broedel’s legacy is going to be one hateful metropolis, devoid of any open land, habitat for our wildlife, night skies or any peace and quiet. More people, more money, more problems. Do these people never learn? The love of money truly is the root of all evil. And just where does Mr. Abell expect all these people filling these service jobs to live?
Again, if I could single-handedly vote this cancer out of office, you know I would, but that has to be up to the constituents of Flathead County. Wake up people, before it’s too late!
— Kathryn Berg, Bigfork
FBI dismissals
The Big Sky Chapter of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI (SFSAFBI) is deeply concerned by the recent dismissals, without explanation, of FBI agents and senior FBI managers — as are the nearly 9,000 former FBI agents represented by the SFSAFBI.
The FBI must remain an independent law enforcement agency that is protected from political interference. This principle comes from the oath every agent takes to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. FBI agents are trained to treat all defendants with due process throughout the investigative process and during any subsequent prosecution. Likewise, federal law protects FBI employees from being dismissed without due process, and that standard must be followed every time and with every employee. Many of those fired not only have a documented history of serving the FBI honorably, but were decorated military veterans.
When FBI employees, no matter their rank, are removed without following established due process procedures, it raises questions about the lawfulness of the action and the independence of the FBI.
FBI agents owe a duty to the Constitution, not to any political party.
We call on FBI leadership to follow established due process procedures for all personnel actions going forward and to rescind the recent actions until due process requirements have been met. Without such commitment to following established procedures, confidence in the FBI will continue to suffer.
— David Vlasak, Hamilton