Letters to the editor Jan. 5
Blinded by ideology
In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey confronts the cruel, out-of-touch Mr. Potter like this: “You know how long it takes a workin’ man to save $5,000? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you’re talking about, they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?”
Flathead County Commissioner Brad Abell has shown himself a voice of reason, but apparently Pam Holmquist and Randy Brodehl do in fact think a modest home that a working person can afford is too much to ask.
The legislative process of the state of Montana, made up of a GOP supermajority and backed by a GOP governor, handed them a chunk of money that could be used to help middle class people shut out of the housing market buy a home. HB819 would help relieve the severe pain residents of the Flathead are under as prices go up higher and higher with seemingly no solutions in sight.
Citizens of the county across the political divide exerted strong pressure, advocating for the commissioners to even bother to put this on their meeting agenda — and to set up an agency to manage the funds. When at the 11th hour they finally put it on the agenda, the two instead opted to send the Flathead taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars to other cities in Montana, like Missoula and Bozeman.
We won’t see those tax dollars we paid ever again. But people in other cities will get to enjoy housing, leaving the Flathead once again behind. For utter shame. These officials are so blinded by ideology they will go so far as to redistribute Flathead County income to Missoula.
— Rebecca Miller, Kalispell
Billionaire welfare
In regard to Doug Adam’s letter (Welfare program, Dec. 31), I don’t remember reading your opinion piece regarding the $1.8 trillion billionaire welfare program Republicans gave themselves in 2017. No one knows where any of that money went, except for their massive stock buy-backs. Where were your concerns about that particular social agenda “welfare” and the president’s ineffectual over-reaching handling of Covid? The cost effect of that single boondoggle/freebie is still being quantified, but it drove our national debt higher than any time in U.S. history. Where were you. Doug?
People who pay taxes, i.e.. the working class, should benefit from money we pay into government, making communities stronger, providing infrastructure needed by society. Please read Article II Section 3 of Montana’s Constitution. Government works for all of us, not just the wealthy. Maybe that will resolve your issue with the “forced taking from one group of people to give to another.” Yes, it is legally the basis of our existence here in Montana. Please also read Section 4 to help you better understand why we must have empathy.
Doug, you said, “the majority of our tax dollars goes to social programs, which may help some folks subsist, but it keeps everybody from thriving.” No, Doug, you are wrong. That $1.8 trillion giveaway is clearly the largest welfare fraud ever perpetrated against us. You should be ashamed for spreading inflammatory misinformation regarding available funds enabling a few taxpayers to obtain an affordable place to live, even if it’s just a tad above subsistence.
Republicans in power last year caused the largest property tax increase in our history and they should all be voted out before they turn Montana into a third-world existence. Let’s start with the current Flathead County commissioners who’ve decided against taxpayers.
Will we ever learn?
— Keith Blaylock, Kalispell