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More opinions on ballot initiative and elections

| April 22, 2018 2:00 AM

Realtors come out against Egan Slough ballot initiative

Vote NO on Ballot Initiative 17-01. Here’s why:

You wouldn’t sign your name to a blank contract would you? Or sell a piece of land without knowing the acreage or boundaries? Would you make an important decision that would affect the lives and opportunities of people who lived 50-60 miles away from you? But that is exactly what you will be doing if you cast a “yes” vote for 17-01 on June 5th!

The language of the ballot is unclear. What is Resolution 1594C anyway? Where can you get a copy of it to review while you are in the voting booth? The Initiative states that it “proposes to add currently unzoned property to the Egan Slough Zoning District”. Is there a map? How many acres? Could it be all of the unzoned land in Flathead County? Do you even know where Egan Slough is?

Letters and petitions were signed and circulated under the pre-text of stopping the water bottling plant. Yet voters are being asked to weigh in on something completely different…zoning! Zoning can be irrevocable and have significant impacts on future generations of landowners. The poor grammar and sentence structure in the Initiative makes it unclear as to what non-conforming uses will be allowed. What is clear is that landowners in that area would be burdened with a zoning district that will prohibit them from ever being able to pass land on to their kids, or split off a parcel to perhaps pay for medical expenses or college.

Zoning is a terrific tool when brought forward by those affected. Voters in all areas of the County should have no say in what distant landowners can or cannot do with their property. There is a regular process available through the Planning and Zoning Office for creating zoning districts. Neighborhoods should utilize that process. Zoning should not be a popularity contest with the voters of Flathead County!

We urge you to Vote NO on Initiative 17-01. —Erica Wirtala, Kalispell, on behalf of Northwest Montana Association of Realtors

Rosendale will be vote for fiscal sanity

Elections come and go and we elect new congressmen, senators, and presidents. The howls of out-of-control spending, regulatory overreach, and the need to lower taxes and get government out of the way echo from election to election.Jon Tester along with his pals, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer, think government is the answer to everything when government is usually making the problems worse.

The Democrats voted against tax cuts for Montanans and even said the extra money and bonuses from the tax cuts are crumbs. Jon Tester voted for the recent omnibus spending bill which balloons our debt and will be another example in our history books of government’s wasteful spending. Tester has continues to vote to increase the size of the government.

Matt Rosendale has a track record of getting government out of our lives, pushing for lower taxes and free-market solutions to Montana’s problems. Rosendale is a strong supporter of the tax cuts passed to give people more money to improve their everyday lives.

Ultimately, you know how to spend your money better than bureaucrats thousands of miles away. Matt also understands our country’s fiscal situation. He knows we can’t continue to borrow money and as interest rates rise so does the amount that we pay on our debt.

Rosendale wants to bring some fiscal sanity to Washington and help be a voice for liberty, free-markets, and lower taxes. —Kody Craner, Whitefish

Welzel in HD7

What a great example Bob Welzel is as an American citizen. He is willing to stand up for Montanans, instead of just running his mouth while sitting in his recliner.

Bob is a man who won’t compromise or be swayed by the bald-faced corruption in politics or the lure of popularity. I know Bob to have a keen mind, dedication and a strong practical sense of what is needed to maintain our ability to live in and enjoy this great gift of God that we call Montana.

I will be supporting him in his campaign for House District 7. —Mindy Breckenridge, Kalispell