Letters to the editor July 3

Zinke fan mail

As a reminder, I’m your biggest fan in Nevada. I called your office to thank you for sticking up for public lands in the last House review of the Big Beautiful Bill. I even wrote about you in our local newspaper. You showed your backbone, great negotiation and unmet leadership in your chamber. And I sing your praises every chance I get.

I’m emailing now to again talk about this bill. Thank goodness our public lands are safe. But I see a lot of other problems with this bill. It’s too big. 

Democratic and Republican voters agree with me. I’m sure you’re hearing from your own constituents about how detrimental these federal cuts will be. In Nevada, over 100,000 people’s medical coverage is at risk. I’m sure you know the Montana number better than me — it’s just too much. The trillions of dollars added to our deficit — too much.

I’m hoping that you’ll show your leadership and backbone again. Please work your magic and make this bill more beautiful, but less big. And if you can’t do that, please vote no.

Thank you for reading and for properly representing the interests of the mountain west.

— Kendra Wilson, Carson City, Nevada

Tax bill

I’m not political, but I believe in the Constitution.  

I admit, I’ve taken it for granted, separation of powers and all that. I recall learning about it in elementary school, drawing a tree to represent the three distinct branches of government. Now, I see those branches breaking.  

Our elected officials are in the process of cutting life-saving services to the masses while trillions of dollars in tax cuts are being extended to the wealthiest. Billionaires don’t need government assistance.

I wonder what to do, because stewing at home doesn’t seem to be working. So, I made a sign. I decided to exercise my right to free speech and peaceful assembly (thank you, Constitution). 

Does it help? Maybe not, but also, maybe so. 

I know I stand at Depot Park because I saw others standing there before me. Maybe one person can become a crowd. Maybe that’s how change happens.  Maybe you’ll join me.

— Gerald Whitcomb, Kalispell

Daines’ valentine

The fix was in by Valentine’s Day when President Trump received Montana Sen. Steve Daines’ letter of support “that the expiring provisions of the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act must be made permanent and not sunset.” 

The love note came at the end of the most intense period of tax policy lobbying in the history of our Congress, and seven weeks before the bipartisan Congressional Research Service reported that after reviewing seven different studies of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act it found limited evidence of positive economic effects. Another noticeable finding was that the wealthy owners of private corporations pocketed over half their company’s tax cuts.

Daines’ valentine to Trump means now, instead of costing $1.9 trillion over a 10-year period, extending the expiring provisions will cost $3.3 trillion to $4.6 trillion over the next decade. 

Of course huge volumes of political contributions will continue pouring into the campaigns of those who vote for this permanent reward for being wealthy and well-connected.

It is illegal under federal bribery laws to give or receive anything of value in exchange for an official act. ProPublica, The New York Times and OpenSecrets have documented how large donors and Corporate PACs financially support candidates who back tax policies favorable to them, and the Koch Brothers, focusing $20 million of their Americans for Prosperity independent expenditures on extending the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, are already positively advertising for their tax cut sweetheart: Montana’s very own U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.

— John Driscoll, Helena