Letters to the editor Nov. 10

Vital safety net

In 2020, I was a single parent of three, recently divorced and earning about 115% of the federal poverty line. I had reentered the nonprofit sector after several years running a small organic vegetable farm in Lower Valley. Despite working full time, more than half of my income went toward rent for our small apartment. The math never worked.

If it weren’t for SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), I wouldn’t have been able to stay stably housed. I learned to stretch every dollar by visiting Flathead Food Bank first and then using SNAP for items the pantry didn’t have — things like cooking oils, spices and pantry staples. That combination made it possible to feed my family and stay afloat.

I share this not because my story is unique, but because it isn’t. Many people in the Flathead Valley work full-time jobs and still can’t make ends meet. Rising housing costs, childcare, and groceries mean that even small changes — like a delayed SNAP payment or added eligibility requirements — can push families into crisis.

Today, I’m in a more stable place. My housing costs are manageable, and I no longer need SNAP or the food bank. But I haven’t forgotten how close the margins were — and still are — for so many neighbors.

Regardless of whether SNAP benefits are issued in full this month, the new requirements under HB1 are catastrophic for low-income and working families. Local food banks remain a vital safety net and a form of community care.

If you’re able, please consider making a donation to your local food bank. Together, we can make sure no one in our valley goes chooses between food, rent and heating while policy catches up with reality.

— Mandy Gerth, Kalispell

Jail capacity

I am a lifelong Kalispell resident whose family came to Montana over 100 years ago. I am an avid law enforcement supporter and have a degree in criminal justice. I served in a law enforcement-adjacent career for nearly a decade. As much as I know we could desperately use a new justice center, I voted against the recent bond.

The main issue in my mind is capacity. While the proposed new facility has a capacity of 260 inmates (200 general population) more than doubles the current capacity, I fear it is too small. The current jail, built in 1987, has 154 beds, however, according to the county the “safe” capacity is 96. I remember hearing about how overcrowded the “new” jail was when I was a child.

How about all the current arrestees that are either cited and released or booked and released with little or no bond due to overcrowding? The 200-bed capacity seems severely short-sighted. As of Election Day, there were 317 people with at least one felony warrant on the county’s website. With a higher jail capacity can we round up some of those folks?

I hope the Sheriff’s Office, county commissioners and other decision makers seriously consider if the new jail will be sufficient. I would hate for taxpayers to spend over a hundred million dollars to have it outdated by the time the ribbon is cut.

— Montana Danford-Komenda, Kalispell