No headline

Kalispell Chamber supports ‘yes’ on school levy

The Kalispell Chamber board of directors voted unanimously to support the Kalispell elementary district operating levy request. Why would this group of business owners vote to increase their property taxes? Quite simply, they believe that quality schools are a critical component of a good economy and a strong community.

Kalispell is one of the fastest growing communities in the state and nation over the past 25 years and this growth requires us keep pace with our schools just as we do with our hospitals, roads, and airports. We are fortunate to have high-performing students and schools districts. Let’s keep it that way.

Our strategic plan calls us to work with education and workforce systems to support the high-wage, high-growth industry sectors such as health care and manufacturing. The Flathead Valley health-care industry is projected to need 250 net new jobs per year for the next 10 years; manufacturing gained 32 establishments just in the last three years. Both of these areas increasingly require jobs with education beyond a high-school diploma. And, Kalispell Schools and FVCC are working with us to support the students and curriculum needed to secure 21st century skills and good-paying jobs.

For our board, maintaining our high-quality, high-performing schools is worth the cost of this levy request. —Joe Unterreiner, Kalispell, president of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

Scott for county commissioner

Am I the only one who feels disconnected from our government at the county, state and national level? That’s why I’m not voting for anyone who’s been there before. It’s like those people just don’t get it. It’s like they don’t listen to the voters even though we’re the people that they’ve been elected to represent. Or worse yet they listen to us and then just go ahead and do whatever they want to anyway.

It’s time to change that. I’m starting at the local level by voting for Jay Scott for county commissioner. He’s telling me he’s going to be a full-time commissioner and work for us. I’m going to give him a chance to do that by giving him my vote and I hope you will too. And if he doesn’t, then we’ll vote him out.

Nothing changes if nothing changes. —Denis Otten, Somers

School safety should be handled locally

With the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day, we once again found ourselves in the middle of a heated national debate over gun violence.

On one side, there is strong demand for a national policy that makes owning military-style rifles more difficult, particularly for those citizens with a history of mental illness or criminal records. Another side is calling for hardening our schools into fortresses, with armed teachers, metal detectors, and controlled entry points.

The views people already hold about gun ownership and the Second Amendment principally inform their opinions about solutions to gun violence in schools, and America is deeply divided on this issue. As a result, whatever policies are implemented at the national level, we can expect at least half of Americans will be extremely upset; and if the solution is like many national policies, it is possible a supermajority of Americans are going to be dissatisfied, leaving more Americans agitated than placated.

In the age of social media activism, we find ourselves in the nasty habit of demanding federal solutions for many of local community problems. Gun violence is a local issue, just like burn piles during fire season and unleashed dogs. What is ironic is the same people who celebrate diversity are often the same people arguing to inflict one-size-fits-all solutions onto thousands of dramatically different communities. In the case of school safety, it is ridiculous to expect bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., to have the information necessary to concoct a workable solution that will prevent more problems than it creates. What a national solution for gun violence in local schools will do is create higher taxes, higher costs, more paperwork, increased regulatory complexity, and distractions away from the chief aim of education, which is to teach children. The people in Washington, D.C. are no more intelligent or virtuous than we are. In fact, history has proven them to be less capable and more harmful when they attempt to solve local problems, like gun violence. As citizens, we need to stop expecting federal politicians and bureaucrats to solve our local problems, and we need to start rolling up our sleeves and doing the hard work of finding solutions ourselves. Any school safety policy imposed upon us from outside our own communities should be expected to hurt more people than it protects. —Joseph D. Coco Jr., Whitefish

What are you doing to make America great?

I was born and raised in Montana, graduated from university, spent 10 years on active duty, 14 years in the reserves as a naval aviator. I now live in Kalispell.

I think Gov. Bullock and Sen. Tester have done a good job in Montana; however that is one question I have. What will you be doing to help the president make America great?

I am totally apolitical. I want what is best for our country; build the economy, thus have the money to rebuild the military, jobs, control of illegal aliens, affordable health plan.

These items should be number one on your effort list, thus let’s get the rest of the nominees for the administration seated.

Forget Stormy, the rude and crude president’s personal life, and all the infighting. You were elected because the American people thought you would do best for America the nation, not your personal or party affiliation.

Forget the collusion, the devious sidetracks being taken and get at WHAT MATTERS, also do it in a bipartisan manner. We the people are SICK and TIRED of the personal vendettas and the lack of a cohesive Congress to bring this country to the highest level possible.

Also, I would not endorse an individual who backed a treaty to fund and allow development of a nuclear weapon by our arch-enemy. —Lanny R. Gorman, Kalispell