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West Valley’s weed problem being ignored?
It now marks two years since the residents of West Valley have been forgotten. The West Valley is the largest neighborhood in the Flathead Valley. Over 40,000 acres and over 700-plus houses, according to government statistics.
Those of us who live out hear in the hinterlands of the Fathead have one primary north and south access road. It’s called Farm to Market Road. Other than the Swan Highway coming into Bigfork, it is probably the most dangerous road in the Flathead for deer incursions and accidents involving deer.
It has now been officially over two years since we had the four- to five-foot-tall grass cut on both sides of the road by the Flathead County noxious weed control department. This is a problem from Two Mile Drive all the way up to the Whitefish line.
Last spring I called the county weed department and asked if Farm to Market Road was EVER going to be mowed? Since it felt like every day all 2,500-plus residents were driving the deer gauntlet wondering who was next on the deer agenda.
Figuring that I was next, I called and was told “sometime soon.” Summer came, the grass grew taller and nothing? Fall came and I called four more times and nothing but a nice voice of the other end saying, “Soon” and please call back. Winter came and still nothing done about the gauntlet.
Spring came this year and the grass keep growing and still nothing... If 750 houses that pay $65 á year in weed taxes stopped paying the government, we could buy a $50,000 tractor and still have enough left over to hire someone capable to mow the main road. But don’t drive by our two elected government officials’ homes on the side roads as they are mowed.
Forgotten forever? —Kip Willis, Kalispell
We must act on climate change
I believe in a bright future, not because I believe technology is a silver bullet. But because when things get worse, people get better.
Sure you can pull the wool over people’s eyes for a while and get a nation acting rogue. But the princlple holds true. In time we will identify and agree on which problem needs to be solved — climate change — and unite in solving it.
In this situation the good must and will win out, with the future of everyone on earth depending on it. Gridlock occurs when we can’t agree on which problem needs to be solved or what the real problem is. In the mean time, let’s act on climate!
I believe as MLK Jr. did that the arc of history is long and bends toward justice. This inludes climate change. —Matthew Lamberts, Bigfork
Aluminum and steel: A simple fix
Like almost all things Trump, the administration’s proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum are hugely misguided, and are all out of whack with the real issue, if there even is a real issue.
Any sensible approach would simply begin with an assessment as to whether the current importation arrangements for steel and aluminum constitute a national security problem. If they do not, then just put steel and aluminum in the same basket with other import commodities such as cars, pharmaceuticals and furniture. That is, try to create a level playing field, but don’t start a trade war, crater the U.S. stock market, and/or create serious ill will all around the globe, all at the same time.
If the situation does represent a national security problem, then the responsible fix is very straightforward.
Step one would be to create a reserve stockpile of steel and aluminum, just as we now do with other metals and materials
The second step, to assure an adequate, ongoing, supply, would be to have U.S. industry build, with government support, world class, state-of-the-art, steel and aluminum production facilities. This approach would be well within the most limited concept of a proper government role. Government support for these facilities could be in the form of loan guarantees and/or price supports, which would not necessarily have a significant budgetary impact, if any at all.
This exact approach has been taking place, in other industries, since 1950 with the passage of the Defense Production Act.
An extraordinarily simple fix — if one is even needed. —Francis Allhoff, Whitefish
Should nurse practitioners be allowed to perform abortions?
For school, I researched an issue that is currently being debated in Montana. On Jan. 24, the article “New Whitefish clinic to provide abortions” appeared on the front page of the Daily Inter Lake. It informed the public that Susan Cahill and Helen Weems were going to open up a new clinic that performs abortions.
The article also stated that currently in Montana, physician assistants are allowed to perform abortions, but nurse practitioners are not. On March 8, Helen Weems, a nurse practitioner, traveled to Helena in order to try to change the state law dictating who can and cannot perform abortions. She filed a lawsuit through the American Civil Liberties Union to be allowed to perform abortions. It is currently in process.
A key difference exists between physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Physician assistants need to be overseen by a doctor, but nurse practitioners do not.
I designed a survey asking whether medical professionals believe nurse practitioners should be allowed to perform abortions. I contacted several women’s clinics/offices in the Flathead Valley and sent them the survey.
However, none of the medical professionals filled out my survey and responded to me. I only requested an answer to the question concerning whether nurse practitioners should be allowed to perform abortions, and why or why not. Then I asked for their first name, age range, and medical title. I know that these people are very busy. However, I sensed that they had an attitude of apathy. Regardless, they were unwilling to take a stand.
After my research, I believe that it would be dangerous for nurse practitioners to perform abortions without a qualified doctor present. If the general public remains silent, who will take a stand? —Hope Compton, Whitefish