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Recently, our Bigfork 24-hour, free to the community, green boxes were closed. The county decided we’d all be better off and happier with a site we’d have to pay additional taxes for, which would have hours limited to 8-5. This is inconvenient for MANY working people.

Now the word is out that employees would like to have holidays off, so the county is considering closing on holidays.

Years ago I contacted county Parks and Rec about the poor condition/lack of cleanliness of the public bathrooms at Sliter Park on summer weekends. I was told that “we work four 10s” so that no cleaning or maintenance happens on the weekends.

I believe that if the county is providing service to the residents, they should provide what is needed, not just what they want to do, when they want to do it.

If you don’t want to work weekends, or holidays, get a job that doesn’t require that. If you work for the county, the residents who pay the taxes are your employer: The county requires services on weekends and holidays, and we are paying taxes to get those services. —Beth Morgenstern, Bigfork

Time to bring in the big guns!

When the drama of a presidential election is over, our nation and the Congress usually rally to reunite and support the new administration. That is not the case in 2017! The Democratic leadership and members of Congress are sponsoring anarchy, hate and mistrust to divide our nation and block or slow down presidential appointments and future legislation.

Apparently, the Dem Alt Left has decided to cause the Trump administration to fail, which would allow the Democratic Party to re-assume power. They ignore the high probability that our country will go into recession if the president cannot improve the economy.

In my opinion, deliberately causing the president to fail is an act of treason against the American people. It is unconscionable that the Democratic Party is willing to violate the trust of their people just because they lost an election.

“We,” the people, cannot afford for the Trump administration to fail! The problem is: What can “We” do?

I think the only thing “We” can do is unite the people and the Congress in support of the president.

Even though the Republicans have control of both the House and Senate, I do not believe the president can get the required legislation enacted without support from Democrats. Therefore, we must have a Congress unified in purpose.

The only common unifier I know is from the WWII era when “One Nation, Under God” and “In God We Trust” rallied the nation to perform miracles in support of our government’s war effort. So, why don’t we bring in the big guns ... put our trust in God and the nation under God?

I visualize praying nationwide for our president to have the wisdom to lead and for Congress to put nation before party. I suggest a pledge from each member of Congress to support the president. Constituents should write their legislators to let them know they are in our prayers and the legislators know the will of the people. The leaders of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim and every other denomination of believers should ask their clergy to pray for our country in their respective services. Maybe we sing “God Bless America”! Every congressional committee should begin with a prayer to do what is best for the nation.—Dudley Mahler, Whitefish

Don’t fight president for trying to keep country safe

A couple of years ago I made the decision to not fly anymore, and it was after taking my daughter to the airport and watching a TSA agent run his hands all over a passenger before letting him board.

My decision, and I can live with it, is that I actually tore up two tickets I had already purchased. A couple of months later I mentioned to a lady my reason for not flying to see my kids and promptly was ripped into. I was told in no uncertain terms that she would strip naked if it meant her flight was safer by doing so. Now when I see all the protesting going on by those who oppose Trump’s ban on Muslims and others from seven Mideast countries coming into this country to keep us safe, I wonder just how many of them willingly submit to hands-on searching of their bodies for the same reason. Just who do they think did the attack on 9-11? How about Boston? Who beheaded the Christians? Who burned the pilot alive and who has vowed to kill all us infidels, of which I am proud to be one? Peaceful Muslims?

I am sure there are many, but is it worth the risk? It’s not just us but look at the other countries that have taken them in and had terror attacks also. It’s disgusting to me to watch the protests but I acknowledge they have the right. The only reason I voted for Trump was Hillary, but at least he is seeming to try to protect our country as opposed to the last eight years of the almost open border policy and the wimpy approach to our enemies. Get real, people, just what do you have against someone trying to keep our country safe not only for us but for our children to live and grow up in. I pray for our president’s success. —Glen Hook, Kalispell

Fight rental rule

The NW Montana Association of Realtors has submitted an application to the Flathead County Planning Board to change zoning in the following districts: R-1, R-2, R-2.5, R-3, R-4, R-5, RC-1,

RA-1, AG-80, AG-40, AG-20, SAG-10, SAG-5, Ashley Lake, Labrant/Lindsey Lane, Lakeside, Little Bitterroot Lake, Rogers Lake and West Valley to allow nightly vacation rentals.

A public hearing before the Planning Board was held on Feb. 8. The proposal was tabled until March 8 for further review. If you live in Flathead County, please read the 13 page document that has been drafted. You can call the Flathead County Planning Department at 751-8200 and ask for a copy or directions to find this document in their website.

Our zoning could change to allow nightly vacation rentals in all of these districts. We could potentially lose our neighborhoods to the vacationing public. The tourists have access to hundreds of hotels, motels, cabins, bed & breakfasts, and vacation rentals that are already legally zoned. Our neighborhoods and the zoning that is intact should be protected for all citizens that own, live and work in Flathead County. —Allison Beougher, Whitefish

An inconsistency on environment

On Jan. 27, the Daily Inter Lake demonstrated a fundamental inconsistency in Montanans’ beliefs about the government’s role in environmental protection. The Inter Lake included an article entitled, “Official: Trump wants to slash EPA workforce and budget.” Trump said during his campaign that he would like to abolish the EPA and cut regulations in general.

The EPA safeguards our nation’s clean air and water, among other duties. If the aftermath of mining results in a contaminated watershed in Butte or a sickened citizenry in Libby, Montanans complain. We demand to know, where was the government when the people needed a watchdog to protect us from these environmental degradations and health hazards.

On the same day the Inter Lake editorial board chastised the state equivalent of the EPA for its delay in compensating Libby asbestos victims. The editors claim, “There’s no explanation why this settlement took so long to come to fruition.”

Informed readers are all too familiar with the W.R. Grace & Co. story. We remember well how the company withheld screening results from its employees. The company continued with business as usual while its workers and ultimately the inhabitants of the town itself accumulated the tiny lung-destroying fibers. As the health of the miners and others deteriorated, W.R. Grace effectively slipped out of town, leaving the clean-up bill to taxpayers. So yes the state of Montana has agreed to pay roughly $24.2 million to victims of asbestos disease. The state of course is us, the taxpayer.

We blame government for not protecting and compensating us and for not warning us of dangers. All the while we cheer as Trump moves to diminish and gut these very agencies. Protecting the environment for the common good is the obligation of all Montanans. It is a gross inconsistency to believe that protection can be achieved without any government office empowered to do so. —Joe Biby, Kalispell

County workers work for the county’s people

Recently, our Bigfork 24-hour, free to the community, green boxes were closed. The county decided we’d all be better off and happier with a site we’d have to pay additional taxes for, which would have hours limited to 8-5. This is inconvenient for MANY working people.

Now the word is out that employees would like to have holidays off, so the county is considering closing on holidays.

Years ago I contacted county Parks and Rec about the poor condition/lack of cleanliness of the public bathrooms at Sliter Park on summer weekends. I was told that “we work four 10s” so that no cleaning or maintenance happens on the weekends.

I believe that if the county is providing service to the residents, they should provide what is needed, not just what they want to do, when they want to do it.

If you don’t want to work weekends, or holidays, get a job that doesn’t require that. If you work for the county, the residents who pay the taxes are your employer: The county requires services on weekends and holidays, and we are paying taxes to get those services. —Beth Morgenstern, Bigfork

Time to bring in the big guns!

When the drama of a presidential election is over, our nation and the Congress usually rally to reunite and support the new administration. That is not the case in 2017! The Democratic leadership and members of Congress are sponsoring anarchy, hate and mistrust to divide our nation and block or slow down presidential appointments and future legislation.

Apparently, the Dem Alt Left has decided to cause the Trump administration to fail, which would allow the Democratic Party to re-assume power. They ignore the high probability that our country will go into recession if the president cannot improve the economy.

In my opinion, deliberately causing the president to fail is an act of treason against the American people. It is unconscionable that the Democratic Party is willing to violate the trust of their people just because they lost an election.

“We,” the people, cannot afford for the Trump administration to fail! The problem is: What can “We” do?

I think the only thing “We” can do is unite the people and the Congress in support of the president.

Even though the Republicans have control of both the House and Senate, I do not believe the president can get the required legislation enacted without support from Democrats. Therefore, we must have a Congress unified in purpose.

The only common unifier I know is from the WWII era when “One Nation, Under God” and “In God We Trust” rallied the nation to perform miracles in support of our government’s war effort. So, why don’t we bring in the big guns ... put our trust in God and the nation under God?

I visualize praying nationwide for our president to have the wisdom to lead and for Congress to put nation before party. I suggest a pledge from each member of Congress to support the president. Constituents should write their legislators to let them know they are in our prayers and the legislators know the will of the people. The leaders of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim and every other denomination of believers should ask their clergy to pray for our country in their respective services. Maybe we sing “God Bless America”! Every congressional committee should begin with a prayer to do what is best for the nation.—Dudley Mahler, Whitefish

Don’t fight president for trying to keep country safe

A couple of years ago I made the decision to not fly anymore, and it was after taking my daughter to the airport and watching a TSA agent run his hands all over a passenger before letting him board.

My decision, and I can live with it, is that I actually tore up two tickets I had already purchased. A couple of months later I mentioned to a lady my reason for not flying to see my kids and promptly was ripped into. I was told in no uncertain terms that she would strip naked if it meant her flight was safer by doing so. Now when I see all the protesting going on by those who oppose Trump’s ban on Muslims and others from seven Mideast countries coming into this country to keep us safe, I wonder just how many of them willingly submit to hands-on searching of their bodies for the same reason. Just who do they think did the attack on 9-11? How about Boston? Who beheaded the Christians? Who burned the pilot alive and who has vowed to kill all us infidels, of which I am proud to be one? Peaceful Muslims?

I am sure there are many, but is it worth the risk? It’s not just us but look at the other countries that have taken them in and had terror attacks also. It’s disgusting to me to watch the protests but I acknowledge they have the right. The only reason I voted for Trump was Hillary, but at least he is seeming to try to protect our country as opposed to the last eight years of the almost open border policy and the wimpy approach to our enemies. Get real, people, just what do you have against someone trying to keep our country safe not only for us but for our children to live and grow up in. I pray for our president’s success. —Glen Hook, Kalispell

Fight rental rule

The NW Montana Association of Realtors has submitted an application to the Flathead County Planning Board to change zoning in the following districts: R-1, R-2, R-2.5, R-3, R-4, R-5, RC-1,

RA-1, AG-80, AG-40, AG-20, SAG-10, SAG-5, Ashley Lake, Labrant/Lindsey Lane, Lakeside, Little Bitterroot Lake, Rogers Lake and West Valley to allow nightly vacation rentals.

A public hearing before the Planning Board was held on Feb. 8. The proposal was tabled until March 8 for further review. If you live in Flathead County, please read the 13 page document that has been drafted. You can call the Flathead County Planning Department at 751-8200 and ask for a copy or directions to find this document in their website.

Our zoning could change to allow nightly vacation rentals in all of these districts. We could potentially lose our neighborhoods to the vacationing public. The tourists have access to hundreds of hotels, motels, cabins, bed & breakfasts, and vacation rentals that are already legally zoned. Our neighborhoods and the zoning that is intact should be protected for all citizens that own, live and work in Flathead County. —Allison Beougher, Whitefish

An inconsistency on environment

On Jan. 27, the Daily Inter Lake demonstrated a fundamental inconsistency in Montanans’ beliefs about the government’s role in environmental protection. The Inter Lake included an article entitled, “Official: Trump wants to slash EPA workforce and budget.” Trump said during his campaign that he would like to abolish the EPA and cut regulations in general.

The EPA safeguards our nation’s clean air and water, among other duties. If the aftermath of mining results in a contaminated watershed in Butte or a sickened citizenry in Libby, Montanans complain. We demand to know, where was the government when the people needed a watchdog to protect us from these environmental degradations and health hazards.

On the same day the Inter Lake editorial board chastised the state equivalent of the EPA for its delay in compensating Libby asbestos victims. The editors claim, “There’s no explanation why this settlement took so long to come to fruition.”

Informed readers are all too familiar with the W.R. Grace & Co. story. We remember well how the company withheld screening results from its employees. The company continued with business as usual while its workers and ultimately the inhabitants of the town itself accumulated the tiny lung-destroying fibers. As the health of the miners and others deteriorated, W.R. Grace effectively slipped out of town, leaving the clean-up bill to taxpayers. So yes the state of Montana has agreed to pay roughly $24.2 million to victims of asbestos disease. The state of course is us, the taxpayer.

We blame government for not protecting and compensating us and for not warning us of dangers. All the while we cheer as Trump moves to diminish and gut these very agencies. Protecting the environment for the common good is the obligation of all Montanans. It is a gross inconsistency to believe that protection can be achieved without any government office empowered to do so. —Joe Biby, Kalispell