No headline

Thanks for ‘eye-opening’ letter about Legislature

In response to Rep. Matt Regier’s letter, “Eye-opening session for new legislator,” I would like to publicly thank Regier for his courageous and “eye-opening” exposing of compromised and corrupt politicians Frank Garner and Rob Cook.

As a migrant from “The Peoples Republic of Mexipornia” (California — expression courtesy of Johnny Cirucci), I sought liberty in Montana. No doubt, I do enjoy numerous liberties in Montana I otherwise would not in California. Yet now knowing of the eyewitness-verified shady manipulations of at least two of Montana’s elected representatives, one of whom ran on principles of less taxation and the protection of Second Amendment right (I’m talking to you Mr. Garner), I weep over the direction Montana may be headed in. Montana should be a beacon and bastion of the limited and transparent government which protects and ensures the God-given freedom and liberties that His creation thrives in. Not be the next in line as a case profile, 20 years from now, in a classroom lecture on “From Freedom to Fascism.”

Thank you once more, Mr. Regier, for your honesty and courage to speak and act truthfully. I pray that the other Montana representatives and leadership take note and follow suit. —Matthew Relles, Bigfork

Ex-Democrat not happy with GOP either

And I changed my votes for this? As an ex-Democrat I did not expect miracles from the Republicans, but one would have thought that they could have their act a little better together.

I voted against crooked Hilary but am really wondering if she might have been the better choice after all. Trump and his gang worry me as much as she did. You hear the same old stuff from him and I don’t see him as a presidential figure at all.

Here in this country his policy on the environment appears to be rape, rob, pillage and plunder, and Zinke says it’s to create wealth. Wealth for who? The oil companies have enough wealth, don’t you think? We have way more oil and gas than we can use and so does Canada. It’s all about greed.

As for the failed Republican health-care bill, seven years we have been promised we would get a better system. Well duh where is it? I remember very well watching my premiums go up as Obama lied and said I would save $2,500 a year on them. Just last week on the morning news a Republican senator said in the failed bill that they would go down by 30 percent, then Trump touted some pie in the sky plan where they would drop 70 percent. Well, maybe if nothing was covered under them!

If there is anyone who sees this as different from the lies we got from Obama, I would like to know how. I read int he paper where my premiums are going up by 25 percent. I don’t know if there was a really good candidate for president in the last election, but I personally don’t think we the people came out on top. Something that really galls me is I have not heard one senator or the White House willing to come out and address the real reason for high insurance premiums, and that is the high cost of health care originating from when we go to a doctor or the hospital or when we have to buy drugs. A sacred cow it looks like. In my humble opinion I see this administration and Congress as the best thing the Democrats have going for them. —Glen Hook, Kalispell

Keep up good work, Zinke

With the negative responses to Ryan Zinke on his stand with land management issues, I want to encourage him.

We’re fourth-generation Flathead Valley natives and our great-grandparents homesteaded, developed and worked very hard to raise their children. We’re brought up to have a balance of loving this beautiful country that God has allowed us to live in and to care for it. We use the resources around to make a living. We’ve sustained our livelihoods by being loggers, farmers, builders, mill workers, preachers, postal workers, truck drivers, homemakers, teachers ...

Towns were built around the lakes and rivers to carry the logs from this valley to this nation. Railroads and vehicles made life easier. The building of Hungry Horse Dam, the Going-to-the-Sun Road and Glacier Park, plus the ski lifts, created jobs to support their families along with sharing the beauty to future generations.

It’s sad to see farm land disappearing and big business come. It’s hard to comprehend the same people holding up signs at rallies against Zinke not protecting farmers, or lumber companies, when it is where they get their food and homes. We need a balance, not extremism.

It takes us forever to drive the North Fork Road with so many pot holes and dust. How can slowing down protect the wildlife if neither we nor they can breathe because the dust is so thick and trees can’t give oxygen? Where is an environmental study? Are we preserving or protecting? It’s a hazard!

I love the North Fork. Please build a nice scenic road! Covered wagons couldn’t make it up there!

As for the grizzly bears — they’ll handle things by drifting over the mountains because of over-population or there will be more “Night of the Grizzlies” stories and fewer tourists.

Part of the Silent Majority but still behind you, Mr. Zinke! —Ronda Neitzling, Kalispell

Save America from Trump

I have written many letters for the opinion page in the Daily Inter Lake and have been complimented and criticized for my efforts. I have always researched my material carefully and written the truth as I found it.

I must say that the letters changed nothing, but I felt better by expressing my right to freedom of speech and personal opinion. I decided after the last election not to write again because I feel only frustration and deception from the elected officials. Then came the directive that the White House (Trump and Pence) asking all the states and territories of the U.S. to submit their voter registration information to the government for storage with Vice President Pence. I resent and object to this violation of my individual privacy.

Thanks to Sen. Jon Tester and Gov. Steve Bullock for joining 40 other states and refusing the request for voter information. Adolf Hitler in his effort to “make Germany great again” collected this kind of data and began selectively purging the German people that did not accept the Nazi Party. Trump and his advisers have attempted to convince the states and people that the information would remain confidential and safe, but Trump lies daily about everything from his college standing, to health care, not paying taxes, refusing to disclose his income and everything in between.

Trump’s close collaboration with Vladimir Putin makes the entire situation more frightening and dangerous. Russia, under the order of Putin, employs the same tactics in order to control the Russian government and people. In many situations Russians who stand up to Putin disappear or are found dead. Putin has accomplished exactly what he set out to do, get Trump elected by meddling with our elections and create confusion and discord in our government. The world now views the U.S. and Russia as co-conspirators in aggressive nation building. Examples of this are the unprovoked invasion of Iraq by the U.S. and the invasion of the Ukraine by the Russians.

We have government officials from Montana that support Trump and his errant doctrine. They are Sen. Steve Daines, Congressman Greg Gianforte and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. Trump, Daines, Gianforte and Zinke have a view of Montana that does not include beautiful mountains, clear rivers and lakes, and rolling plains but rather oil wells, tall buildings and casinos for the benefit of the 1 percent. I urge the Republicans to join with Democrats, independents and all Americans to save our state and nation and join together with a spirit of cooperation while working to truly make America great again. There I said it and I am glad! —Jerry Reckin, Kalispell