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Thank you, Matt and Keith Regier, for your recent letters to the editor, for naming names when exposing corruption in the political process in Helena.

That level of courage is required if we are going to fix this mess. Too often, people are willing to look the other way, sweep ugliness under the carpet, in order to maintain “friendships,” alliances, standing, popularity and so on ... That is how corruption flourishes. That is how we get government programs and wars we don’t agree with that raise our taxes, progressive regulation, and more and more national debt.

Kalispell Rep. Frank Garner sponsored a bill in the last Legislature that raised the gas tax. He voted for Medicaid expansion, which represents another tax. Every time he votes to enlarge government, which is most of the time, that equates to raising our taxes.

When he does this, he votes against the wishes of the lower taxes, small government Republican platform he pretends to believe in.

Frank Garner votes against the wishes of the constituents of his district and the majority of Montanans. We the people have the power to stop this by keeping phonies like Frank Garner out of office. If he runs for office again, promote a genuine Republican or other individual willing to uphold his oath to the Constitution. —Kelly and Anthony Estrella, Marion

Support Swan conservation forest idea

Have we reached a new normal for air quality in Western Montana? Our forest management over the past 30 years has led us to the point of “moderate” air quality days as being good days.

The disastrous fire of 1910 should be a lesson learned not an inevitability for our not too distant future. We are surrounded by forest that are tinder box dry despite a wet winter and spring.

For those concerned with the grizzly bear and lynx, don’t forget that they are breathing this unhealthy air as well.

Please support the Lake County Conservation District’s proposal to establish a temporary conservation forest in the Swan Valley by emailing a letter of support and your name and full address to swanstudy@gmail.com. Learn more at swanforestinitiative.org. —Bob Keenan, Bigfork,

Rebuild Bigfork bridge with the 1905 plans

After one year of “planning and public scoping,” with an untold expenditure of public funds, the Flathead County commissioners approved a plan to rebuild the Bigfork Bridge, “similar to its original one-lane architectural design.”

The old bridge, built in 1912, has lasted 105 years. The cost for this bridge when amortized over 105 years is virtually $0.00. Nothing. Why not just find the 1912 plans for the bridge, and build another exactly the same? I don’t care if you have to use draft horses and human labor with shovels; you could not do any better than that.

Wanna bet that the new bridge won’t last 105 years? —Jerry Clemens, Bigfork

Remembering the 1967 fair

Re: Your Inter Lake photos reprinted from the 1967 fair:

During the fair in 1967, I was 17 and remember how hard we worked to be able to go. My parents couldn’t afford to pay for four girls way to the fair. On the weekends we went to Hungry Horse Dam and picked huckleberries. We sold them and got the money for all of us to go to the fair and rodeo. We not only enjoyed the fair but also our time in the woods. By the way we only got $4 a gallon back then. —Virginia “Ginger” Sieler, Libby

Frank Garner needs to go!

Thank you, Matt and Keith Regier, for your recent letters to the editor, for naming names when exposing corruption in the political process in Helena.

That level of courage is required if we are going to fix this mess. Too often, people are willing to look the other way, sweep ugliness under the carpet, in order to maintain “friendships,” alliances, standing, popularity and so on ... That is how corruption flourishes. That is how we get government programs and wars we don’t agree with that raise our taxes, progressive regulation, and more and more national debt.

Kalispell Rep. Frank Garner sponsored a bill in the last Legislature that raised the gas tax. He voted for Medicaid expansion, which represents another tax. Every time he votes to enlarge government, which is most of the time, that equates to raising our taxes.

When he does this, he votes against the wishes of the lower taxes, small government Republican platform he pretends to believe in.

Frank Garner votes against the wishes of the constituents of his district and the majority of Montanans. We the people have the power to stop this by keeping phonies like Frank Garner out of office. If he runs for office again, promote a genuine Republican or other individual willing to uphold his oath to the Constitution. —Kelly and Anthony Estrella, Marion

Support Swan conservation forest idea

Have we reached a new normal for air quality in Western Montana? Our forest management over the past 30 years has led us to the point of “moderate” air quality days as being good days.

The disastrous fire of 1910 should be a lesson learned not an inevitability for our not too distant future. We are surrounded by forest that are tinder box dry despite a wet winter and spring.

For those concerned with the grizzly bear and lynx, don’t forget that they are breathing this unhealthy air as well.

Please support the Lake County Conservation District’s proposal to establish a temporary conservation forest in the Swan Valley by emailing a letter of support and your name and full address to swanstudy@gmail.com. Learn more at swanforestinitiative.org. —Bob Keenan, Bigfork,

Rebuild Bigfork bridge with the 1905 plans

After one year of “planning and public scoping,” with an untold expenditure of public funds, the Flathead County commissioners approved a plan to rebuild the Bigfork Bridge, “similar to its original one-lane architectural design.”

The old bridge, built in 1912, has lasted 105 years. The cost for this bridge when amortized over 105 years is virtually $0.00. Nothing. Why not just find the 1912 plans for the bridge, and build another exactly the same? I don’t care if you have to use draft horses and human labor with shovels; you could not do any better than that.

Wanna bet that the new bridge won’t last 105 years? —Jerry Clemens, Bigfork

Remembering the 1967 fair

Re: Your Inter Lake photos reprinted from the 1967 fair:

During the fair in 1967, I was 17 and remember how hard we worked to be able to go. My parents couldn’t afford to pay for four girls way to the fair. On the weekends we went to Hungry Horse Dam and picked huckleberries. We sold them and got the money for all of us to go to the fair and rodeo. We not only enjoyed the fair but also our time in the woods. By the way we only got $4 a gallon back then. —Virginia “Ginger” Sieler, Libby