Billings speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Mar. 3, 2023
- Updated
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Billings Gazette.
The first segment on "60 Minutes" recently covered the war in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people’s refusal to give in to Putin. As I watched, I admit I had tears flowing — not only from seeing the physical devastation of cities, but also seeing and hearing what Ukrainians are having to deal with — shortage of food, little or no electrical power, no way to heat their homes. They are surviving on pure grit and pride.
My primary question has been, why? What drives Putin to such brutal lengths — killing and torturing innocent people, knocking out the entire power grid of Ukraine, and destroying the very land he wants to rule? It is well beyond any rational explanation.
But that put me on the path of considering all the violence, robberies, theft, destruction of businesses, and riots taking place across the cities of the United States.
Somehow, the people who are committing these crimes, stealing or destroying other people’s property, justify themselves by saying they are taking what is rightfully theirs. I’ve long maintained that if you were to take something from a known thief or crook, they would kill you on the spot in the name of justice.
The fundamental truth is that we have little Putins running around every day all over the United States, stealing, taking from others, destroying others’ lives. Just the other day, a lady killed another lady, arguing about a parking space. Putin is doing the same thing at an unimaginable level.
What’s also worth noting — once they accomplish whatever their mission or actions were, they won’t be happier, or satisfied, and will only pursue their next victim. When will this madness end?
Edward O. Hoem
Billings
I am a member of the age group “Boomers.” I think this term is both revered and depreciated. We are a unique group and I am proud to be a Boomer.
My concern is the constantly growing list of projects in our community that need to be funded through increasing the ever-present property tax. A new high school, a new and bigger jail, an elaborate new football facility, a larger more complete career education facility, a community rec building, and the ever-present update of the fairgrounds. Plus the everyday need to fund the schools, police, fire, streets and parks.
The answer is always getting the property tax payers to fund. I love the fact that it is always presented as only an increase of $48 a year on a $200,000 home. When was the last time you found a $200,000 home in this community? If you add up all the “it will only be” items pretty soon it is a sizeable increase.
I wonder if any of the proponents of these projects ever think about the impact all of this has on the fixed income elderly. These people are mom and dad, or gramma and grampa. What happens to them when they must choose between property tax and medication? Bond issues and utility bills? Does anybody really care?
I will be able to handle the increase in my tax bill; how many other Boomers can say that? Or do they lose their home so we can have a rec facility that will be $3.5 million in the red every year?
Phil Scala
Billings
Did you know, Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, sponsored House Bill 408 in the Montana Legislature allowing donors to receive a tax credit for giving to the Student Scholarship Organization and the Innovative Educational Program? If passed, this bill would give donors a tax credit for which you, as a Montana citizen, would pay.
HB 408 would take $5 million out of the state budget, to which you, as a taxpayer contribute, and give it to program donors so that they can send their children to private schools. In return, each donor gets to pocket a maximum of $200,000 of your hard earned money. Until 2029, the amount taken out of the state budget would increase by 20% (2023 = $5,000,000; 2024 = $6,000,000; 2025 = $7,200,000; 2026 = 8,640,000; 2027 =10,368,000; 2028 = 12,541,600; 2029 = $15,049,920). Apparently, the tax credit would increase by 20% each year, as well. Notice how quickly that $5,000,000 tripled. Wouldn’t you like to receive 20% on the money you earn in six years?
Please contact your legislative representatives. Urge them to vote no on HB 408: leg.mt.gov/committees/session-committees/, scroll down the webpage to House and Senate Standing Committees and let the committee members know that you do not appreciate their wasting your tax dollars on such frivolous legislation that you, no doubt, cannot afford. As a lifelong Montana resident, I feel as if I have been slapped in the face by this bill. What about you?
Judith McKenna
Bozeman
Driving on the congested streets of Bozeman is an exhausting task. The added danger of running over a cyclist makes it all too important to pay attention while driving. On many intersections (like the intersection on Garfield and 19th Street) you must merge into the bike lane to turn right onto the next street. This makes city biking — and driving — a dangerous endeavor. Biking at night is a treacherous experience if you do not wear the appropriate equipment, i.e. a “lamp on the front emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front,” reflective wear and a lamp facing the rear. While biking day or night in Bozeman you seem like an invisible pedestrian within a growing city of around 55,000 people (as of the census 2021).
Passing the Senate Bill 137 will support the safety of cyclists within the city of Bozeman. The bill proposes the right of way for bikers to be protected and the enforcement of protective equipment during night biking. With thousands of cars adding to the growing congestion of Bozeman’s streets it's more important now than ever before to protect the safety of the community of bikers in Bozeman.
Keelin Monaghan
Belgrade
Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU) recently filed for a rate increase with the Public Service Commission (PSC). The proposal would increase rates for residential electricity customers by 19.2%, small businesses by 15.1%, and large businesses by 12.9%. By MDU’s calculations, electricity bills will increase by over $200/yr. for the average residential customer. The Dawson Resource Council opposes this excessive rate hike and asks the PSC to deny it.
While waiting for a decision about the permanent increase, MDU asked for an interim increase of 2.6%. Sadly, the PSC voted 3-2 to approve the interim increase, but Eastern Montana commissioners Randy Pinocci and Tony O’Donnell both voted “no.” Dawson Resource Council thanks them both for standing up for working families.
MDU already raised rates over 15% in 2019 and 2020. Either this new proposed increase is a predatory move or MDU is running its business negligently. Either way, Montana families shouldn’t bear the burden of yet another unnecessary rate hike. Our budgets are already stretched thin.
If approved, this rate increase would drain millions of dollars from Eastern Montana communities in utility bills alone. This would cause inflationary price increases for all goods and services as grocery stores, meat processors, farm suppliers, etc. negotiate higher costs that they’ll be forced to pass on to consumers. Our communities cannot afford this. MDU’s shareholders and executives should not be allowed to use the PSC to artificially inflate profits on the backs of working families. Please deny the rate increase.
Melissa Holt, chairwoman
Dawson Resource Council
Glendive
My sister is bullied because of the wiring in her brain — something that she has no control over. No matter how hard she tries, she simply cannot read. My sister has a learning disability that impacts her life every day. The elementary school which she attends emphasizes special education programs and its programs are well-known to be very effective for children with a wide range of disabilities. However, the learning programs in her school do not have the funding nor the capabilities to help her with her cognitive disability. She is just one of many kids struggling with this issue, and this puts unnecessary pressure on the parents of these children.
My family must utilize third-party learning programs outside of my sister’s school to compensate for the school’s shortcomings. These are expensive. My family — struggling with the current inflation issues — must pay hundreds of dollars a month to fund my sister’s education. It would be advantageous to my family if they could be compensated for these funds.
By supporting House Bill 393, we are supporting special needs, equal opportunity education savings account programs. It will give the Superintendent of Public Instruction the authority to provide for students with disabilities educational opportunities. This bill supports the equal opportunity for all children in public schools to reach their full educational potential.
Keelin Monaghan
Bozeman
House Bill 462 should be rejected. Although a parade of state agencies lobbied for this money at the Feb. 16 hearing of the House Appropriations Committee, the governor’s assistant Budget Director was clear. He stated, "We tried to use any on-going revenue flow to help cut individual income taxes, point blank.”
This bill raids a highly-respected wildlife conservation program to fund tax breaks mainly benefiting the rich. The governor’s income tax cut equates to $70 annually for a median Montana family but would give a $6,000 annual tax cut to the richest 1 percent. So the median Montanan would trade a blue-ribbon conservation program for six dollars a month.
Currently over 3 million acres of state-owned and federally-owned lands in Montana are not accessible to Montanans. The lands are legally accessible, but physical access is blocked by private lands. These are lands that Habitat Montana addresses, working with land-owners and local organizations to improve wildlife conservation and provide access. Raiding these funds reduces the money Habitat Montana has for future work by approximately 75%.
The governor is willing to sacrifice Montana’s wildlife conservation money, money often leveraged by working with collaborators, money that keeps landowners on the land through conservation easements, money funding work with local partners to ensure that all Montanans have greater access to wildlands. Tell him no.
Tell the Legislature to reject HB 462. Keep Habitat Montana well-funded. Protect Habitat Montana’s ability to work to conserve wildlife habitat and increase public access for all Montanans.
Darrell Brown
Missoula
I and the vast majority of Montanans adamantly oppose HB 462, which violates the spirit and letter of Ballot Initiative 190 in undercutting designated funding from recreational marijuana revenue for Habitat Montana. Habitat Montana, our showcase conservation funding program since 1987 (designated as permanent in 2005), provides the greatest single good regarding conserving our public lands. Most of us voted for BI 190 and it should be remain implemented.
Habitat Montana funds and adds lands to Montana’s famous Wildlife Management Areas. New WMAs often border other public lands which further opens access to vast tracts for anyone to recreate upon.
Montana currently has an enormous budget surplus, thanks in large part to the fiduciary prudence of the preceding administration. Yet the current legislators are woefully out of touch with what most of us want re: Habitat Montana. It funds public access and wildlife conservation and it also helps keep farms and ranches economically viable.
Recent in-migration of new residents and big money creates new pressures on land values (not merely financial) across the board. These pressures underline the need for Habitat Montana.
Please contact your legislators and demand they oppose HB 462 and authorize the monies as directed in BI 190. Let’s not erode our great legacy of public lands and Habitat Montana. And let’s not mess with our famous and beautiful state Constitution.
O. Alan Weltzien
Dillon
After years of addiction and being in and out of treatment, jail, and on the streets, I was blessed to find Hope Center Ministries, south of Helena. Within my year-long residence there, I was given the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord, find my self-worth and identity, learned priceless coping skills, I was reunited with my family, and best of all, I built up endurance and stamina through the vocational training program. I found that I was capable of going to work every day and even learned I had many skills.
This voluntary faith-based program kept me out of jail and gave me the independence I needed to hold a full-time job in Helena and helped me live a clean and sober life. This program saved my life and was the greatest experience and accomplishment of my life.
Senate Bill 94 treats the year-long program that helped me so much the same as transitional housing. It will eliminate this option for many fighting addictions. Please let your senators and representatives know you want all programs to be an option as we try to rebuild lives and communities devastated by addiction.
Lauren Montoya
Helena
Native Americans have been persecuted for hundreds of years. We have caused extreme hardship through the process of assimilation for well over 100 years. Of all the horrendous things many of our ancestors have forced natives to go through, you can’t possibly quantify the pain, sorrow, grief and hardship they have endured in the Indigenous boarding schools.
It has been way too long and we must acknowledge, recognize and honor the Native American children who have died in American indigenous boarding schools, and offer support to the survivors, their families and communities. This is the very least we can do, and acceptance of our past actions is the first step to a stronger more positive future relationship. I would like to commend our senators on passing Senate Joint Resolution 6 and encourage members of the House to do the same.
Nathan Gracey
Bozeman
Delta products are derivatives of legal hemp and many within the hemp industry previously argued that the language in the 2018 Farm Bill — which legalized hemp and its derivatives — would extend to delta as federally regulated and legal. However, the DEA states that delta products are not naturally derived from hemp, but must be chemically synthesized and thus do not qualify as derivatives.
Other counterarguments to delta's legal status have cited the Federal Analogue Act, which states that any chemical that is substantially similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance will be treated as if it were scheduled if it is intended for human consumption.
By not being exactly the same as Delta-9 THC, other chemically synthesized delta products have existed in a nebulous space as far as legality is concerned. This gave some entrepreneurs the cover they wanted to aggressively pursue the development, marketing and sale of delta products outside of the state legal cannabis regulatory framework. This week the DEA acted to clarify delta's status.
Since its development in 2020, delta sales research report estimated that delta-8 products generated $2 billion in sales and delta products are being sold widely outside of dispensaries in conventional retail, often gas stations and convenience stores. The products are technically unregulated, have been blamed for one death and have triggered over 104 overdoses including overdoses in Billings high schools.
What will Billings City Council do to protect our children?
Jason Smith
Billings
The Gallatin community sits in a beautiful valley where residents enjoy their winter activities. However, for Bozeman's growing community of folks experiencing homelessness, their only space away from the cold is our warming shelters.
According to Montana Free Press, from 2021 to 2022 we saw a 79% increase in the use of our warming shelters. This significant increase brings forth concerns about the health and wellness of individuals experiencing homelessness in Bozeman.
In order to answer this health crisis, a group of Montana representatives has created a plan to create better health care opportunities for these individuals around Montana. This plan includes House Bill 507, which allocates funding to help individuals who require short-term medical care, and is currently being heard by the Human Services Committee.
In order to continue moving toward equal human rights for all Montanans, we as a community need to stand with those who are seeking to change the face of homelessness in Montana. By funding the creation of shelters and adequate health care for individuals experiencing homelessness in Montana, we, as a community, can impact the lives of thousands who seek safe, secure housing and fair health care. To support these movements you can reach out to your legislators about the importance of medical care and shelters for those in your community who face homelessness.
Kendall Ryan
Bozeman
It has come time for me to paint the target on my own back. But the question needs an answer and I can no longer fail to personally ask it. I own guns. I freely admit it. My father ran a gun shop. I was a lifetime member of the NRA. That said, those things happened back when the NRA was not just a gun lobby organization. I took lessons, my children took lessons — gun safety was the priority.
But, that is no longer true. The NRA spouts the hardline view, “They are trying to take your guns!” Hogwash! Not even possible. Those of you who donate to any lobby in which such obvious deception is prevalent, help to lock our children in their classrooms fearing for their lives. Can any of us step into a grocery store with no fear? Why? Common sense is gone. If six out of 10 of you do not even own a gun, why can we not pass common sense gun control? Military grade weapons, ammo, etc. belong in the military, not the hands of a neighbor, a hunter (overkill) or a child (too often). I ask you all to think for the safety of my family and yours. Can we not act as individuals? Must we hide behind a huge lobby organization?
Judy Thompson
Thompson Falls
The Tuesday, Feb. 21, Billings Gazette carried a story about former Gov. Marc Racicot being essentially "kicked out" of the Montana Republican Party. This is astonishing to say the least.
Marc Racicot is a former two-term governor of Montana. He also served as the state of Montana Attorney General prior to that time. And after his terms of office he went on to serve our country in various capacities and did so in a manner that brought pride to our state.
For the state of Montana Republican Party to disown him is indicative of their unwillingness to moderate their mission and to work together with other political factions in our state government.
Marc Racicot is a man of intelligence, integrity and great concern for the welfare of the people of our state and our country. He also was a champion of the values upon which our state and country were founded.
The Montana Republican Party demonstrates a serious lapse in judgment by this action. And also it is a very indignant thing to do to an older man like Marc Racicot who served his state and country with honor and dedication. He was a true statesman and could probably be compared to Mike Mansfield, another Montanan who serviced our state with great skill and rigorous honesty and integrity.
The current Montana Republican Party looks more like an adolescent social club than an organization of statesmen and women. They are in fact pathetic in regard to their indecency and callousness toward Marc Racicot.
George Sorensen
Billings
This is a "David and Goliath" story carried out in real time, "President Zelensky and all Ukrainians remind the world every day what courage is. They remind us that freedom is priceless. And worth fighting for. For as long as it takes." (words of President Biden).
"David and Goliath" is a metaphor for an underdog (Ukraine) who nevertheless is victorious over a more powerful opponent (Russia)," World History Encyclopedia. We can do more than just hope the metaphor holds and Ukraine wins back its freedom. We, as America, won our own freedom from England in 1776. We can do it again — eliminating MAGA tyrannical extremism in our own country and tyranny from Russia in Ukraine — in real time.
Edith Sloan
Roundup
I am adding to a conversation started by J.W. Knell, Feb. 12, ‘NWE deserves gratitude’. My question: if methane powered generation is such a good thing, who is it really good for? The need for the facility in Laurel was supposedly spawned by the need to purchase power from outside NWE’s owned facilities for 64 days during one of the coldest winters in Montana history.
Never mind that the makeup energy was available and easily acquired from the market. So, what was the response by NWE? Build a methane powered generation facility at a projected cost of a third of a billion dollars. Supposedly this is for our benefit, but it forces us to pony up the funds by increasing our rates and adds insult to injury by tacking on the sale of methane at a very profitable competitive market rate as part of the process. Does anyone think this facility will sit idle over 300 days a year? NWE’s business plan apparently allows export but never the import of energy. Is there a plan to reward the ratepayers if this happens?
In exchange for allowing a monopoly to operate in Montana, we were promised that our government would oversee NWE and assure that we were treated fairly. I feel like this promise has been broken. If my above speculations are wrong, why isn’t there a single government authority willing to give us the opportunity to ask these questions and get answers about NWE’s intent?
Larry Bean
Billings
Dictators do not tolerate any difference of opinion from theirs. Dictators control what is printed and said every way they can. Democracies encourage difference of opinion and listen to different views to arrive at best decisions. Do you think our Republican leadership in Montana is now acting like dictators by ousting Mark Raciot because he does not support everything they want?
How small minded it is to think everyone must go along with you, or they are not your friend. I have been a Republican for a long time, although I do not often vote a straight party line. I will no longer claim to be a Republican and no longer support that party with donations. And I will not support their censorship. Time to change our primary voting to get rid of the stranglehold small minded party leaders have on primary voting. We need to vote for the candidates we respect regardless of party. We need leaders with good views that they are not afraid to present for debate. If your view is strong it can stand up to challenges. That is the American way.
Tony Seitz
Billings
I am a fourth generation Montanan and a student at Montana State University. I care deeply about our state Legislature because its impacts are so significant in Montanans’ lives.
This session Representative Windy Boy has introduced House Bill 338, and I worry that the bill’s importance may fall to the wayside without public engagement.
HB 338 proposes amendments to Montana’s policies on Indian Education for All. IEFA was established to ensure that Montanans receive quality education on Montana culture and acknowledge our seven tribal reservations and twelve federally recognized tribes. IEFA is consistent with claims throughout the Montana Constitution that center educational goals around the preservation of the cultural integrity of our Indigenous peoples.
I grew up in Montana under the IEFA Act and near the Apsaalooke Nation, yet my education on Native history was severely lacking. This was because IEFA was created with no mechanisms to enforce its operations and without the continual contribution of Native peoples’ voices. I realized all I was missing when I took a Native American Studies class at MSU. I would have already considered myself someone who was passionate about Native history, yet I knew so little. My knowledge needed to be supplemented by education formed with Native knowledge at the center of it. HB 338 would provide enforcement mechanisms to track spending and progress in schools to ensure that we are making good on our promises. I encourage support of this bill, for the continued educational good of Montanans.
Taryn van Steeland
Bozeman
In the words of Ellen Glasgow, "All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward." A central characteristic of our new republic was an apolitical Supreme Court. This provides an essential component to our unique democracy featuring essential checks and balances, at both the state and federal levels.
A quote from Ron Chernow's book, "Alexander Hamilton" reads: "Give all power to the many." Fearing aristocrats as well as commoners, Hamilton wanted to restrain abuse by majorities and minorities. To curb abuse, Hamilton recommended, "a Supreme Court that would consist of 12 judges holding lifetime offices on good behavior.
In this manner, each branch would maintain a salutary distance from popular passions." If I heard right, our recent state Supreme Court election process included a $50,000 donation from a political party for the election of their desired candidate. This, if true, was a blatant attempt to politicize the judiciary. How sad.
It seems to me future elections should curb this abuse of principle. Also, I ask our current legislators to deny any effort to decrease the size of the Montana Supreme Court. The current size provides appropriate opportunity for relevant debate resulting in decisions consistent with our beautiful Constitution. To paraphrase Glasgow's quote, all change is not progress, and all movement is not forward.
David Krueger
Billings
Both the 1889 and the 1972 Montana Constitutions directed the respective legislatures to create a public school system. Additionally, Section 6 of the 1889 Constitution and Section 1 of the 1972 Constitution required the Legislature to fund the public schools in an equitable manner.
As it now stands 94.5% of eligible children are enrolled in Montana’s public schools. Of those, over 4,000 are homeless due to a variety of factors. All of these children (except for a handful of high school seniors) cannot vote, nor are they rich enough to contribute to legislative candidates. As a consequence, they are fully dependent on Montana’s legislators to guarantee that their school’s buildings, supplies, and faculty are adequately funded to meet these basic needs.
So where does Montana rank among the 50 states of our union?
Average beginning teacher pay: 50th — last in the nation.
Average top pay for a bachelor’s degree — 48th in the nation.
Average top salary paid — 37th in the nation.
The foregoing statistics do not bode well for providing children with an adequate education to meet the present or future challenges which Montana’s children face.
John C. Board
Helena
The Montana Legislature meets once every two years, and that time is now. As one of the "50 laboratories of innovation," we have much to be grateful for in our state, and for legislators who are demonstrating their willingness to make improvements.
Some of the issues that the legislature has been grappling with: a flood of illegal drugs, human trafficking and the associated crime; fiscal responsibility (a balanced budget is required); tax relief; judicial restoration; high suicide rates; patient rights; and a more or less complete overhaul of our education system.
Each of those issues has a tremendous effect on our lives. But if you have been lured onto a bus to Helena to be a "change agent" or "social justice warrior" or advocating for one group at the expense of another, then perhaps you are being used. Twenty years from now, will it matter more that you "fought for the right" to use correct pronouns? Or that you have food and heat.
As we lurch from crisis to crisis on the federal level, it should be reassuring to know that the majority of the Montana Legislature is actually working for you — and not just the yelling and chanting crowd.
Linda Lien
Billings
In Montana, we care about protecting our children and ending bullying in schools. Instead of seeking to prevent hate speech and bullying in our public schools, Montana House Bill 361 would protect the bullies. The text of this bill would make it impossible to discipline students who use a transgender or nonbinary student’s name and sex assigned at birth, even once they have expressed their preferred name and pronouns.
Over 80% of transgender kids have considered or attempted suicide; this is largely due to the bullying and cruelty they experience at the hands of hateful peers. If we want to see more children grow into happy, healthy adults, we should work to eliminate bullying, not give it legal protection. Tell your senators to protect our kids, and vote no on HB 361.
Makayla DeLange
Bozeman
Montanans can’t get to 3.1 million acres of our public lands.
If a neighbor wants to let us walk across their land to access public lands, they should be able to do so, encouraged to do so, and rewarded for that, not prohibited from it.
Unfortunately, landowners are currently ineligible for FWP’s Unlocking Public Lands program and the Public Access Land Agreements if someone else holds the lease on public lands a landowner wants to open access to.
This provision reinforces the mindset that just because someone leases the public's grass then they also get to control the access to the public's lands. That's not only wrong, it's untrue.
Myself and groups like the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers believe that rather than perpetuating this incorrect way of thinking, it's time to correct it. Doing so would increase the number of landowners eligible for these programs, meaning more financial incentives for our neighbors, and more public acres being voluntarily opened for hunters.
Senate Bill 408 introduced by Sen. Brad Molnar (R-Laurel) seeks to solve this problem, and all Montanans should ask their state senator to support this effort.
Mike Mershon
Billings
Our Montana governor spent almost $1.9 million of taxpayers’ money for a research company to recommend an appropriate state contribution amount for Medicaid recipients needing nursing home care who are frail and elderly.
Our governor rejected the recommendation and is suggesting a smaller increase. He acknowledges this is not enough to cover the cost of care and he also suggests a reduction in the state contribution for next year. Does he think the cost of nursing home care will actually decline in the next two years?
Some Republicans are recommending a small increase, acknowledging that it is insufficient, “but puts some oil on a squeaky wheel.” The only realistic suggestion for a state Medicaid nursing home amount came from Mary Caferro, representative from Helena, for a $500 rate with a built in cost of care increase. At that rate, our nursing home Medicaid contribution would approach North Dakota’s, $535.00.
I could explain that doctors and hospitals value nursing home care for their patients for physical therapy, medication management, etc. Do we really want to pay over $2,000 a day to keep their patients in the hospitals because there are no nursing home beds available? Does this make sense/cents?
If I remember correctly, the last time Montana state government threw seniors and people of limited financial means under the bus, Brian Schweitzer got terms.
Thank you for your kind consideration of this important matter.
Carol Newman
Billings
Let me say at the outset that I am not a wordsmith nor master of the English language, and I have been having a hard time understanding what this whole “woke” concept means. The best word association in English that I could find is the past tense of “awake” or having a sense of awareness, as in: “I woke up yesterday,” which is not necessarily a bad thing. If this is true, then the opposite of “woke” would be sleep, unawareness or worse yet...death. Therefore, I think I would choose “wokeness” over the alternatives.
Marv Keller
Billings
HB 234 is moving through the Legislature. It will remove protection for employees of public schools, museums and libraries accused of having “obscene” materials.
The bill is carried by Bob Phalen (R). He claims the bill will “reduce the amount of obscene material shown in public schools, libraries, and museums.”
This mean-spirited bill’s intent is imposing a minority’s religious beliefs on all Montanans. It must not pass. Why? 1) It implies that schools and libraries are full of obscene materials like smutty magazines. They are not. If an employee brought obscene materials to school, there are already legal remedies available to school officials to remove a teacher from their position. 2) This bill is not about keeping our children safe. Rather it is an attempt to classify as obscene materials that mention LGBTQ youth and trans youth. 3) This bill encroaches on the rights and responsibilities of elected school board members. It will remove local control of schools and curricula and transfer it to the legislative body.
Is this bill an example of “Montana values” GOP members proclaim? No. Consider contacting your representatives to make them aware this bill doesn’t represent Montanans’ values of decency and respect for neighbors.
Lesley Butler
Billings
Flathead Lake is now polluted with micro plastics. I spend a lot of time on the lake and have also seen a significant increase in other plastic pollution such as shopping bags and plastic bottles floating in the lake.
In 2021, Rep. Mark Nolan (R-Bigfork), rushed through HB 407, which banned local cities and municipalities from regulating the use of single-use plastics, the same products that are already polluting Nolan’s own Flathead Lake and Montana’s roadsides. Why would Nolan want to keep polluting Flathead Lake?
Do lakeside communities want plastic pollution in their waters? HB 407 was passed under the rationale that any one-time plastic use regulations should be statewide, rather than under local control. So Flathead Lake communities like Polson, Bigfork and others can’t address the lake’s plastic problem unless far removed communities like Circle or Sidney also want to address plastic pollution?
To correct this, HB 413 has been introduced to repeal HB 407 and return local control to local communities, the very issue the current super majority espouses so loudly.
If you’d like to keep Flathead Lake and other Montana gems unpolluted, and our roadsides free of plastic litter, please ask you’re your elected state officials to support Rep. Stafman’s (D–Bozeman) HB 413.
Andy Kulla
Missoula
Research is good, ignorance is not
In the interest of promoting efficiency in government, Sen. Barry Usher (R) has introduced legislation to reduce the number of Justices on the Montana Supreme Court from 7 to 5. His explanation is noteworthy:
“I’ve always wondered how much work our Supreme Court does,” Usher told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. “So I did some research and it was amazing to me that California, which has got 39 million people, has the same amount of Supreme Court justices as a state that has 1 million people.”
Not that it would ever have occurred to Sen. Usher, but had he done just 2 minutes additional research, he could perhaps have discovered that California has an intermediate court of appeals divided into six districts with 106 appellate judges. He also could have discovered that the California Supreme Court has discretionary jurisdiction over all except death penalty cases.
On the other hand, Montana has no intermediate appellate courts and the Montana Supreme Court is required to hear every case that is appealed to it. In 2021, the Montana Supreme Court issued 139 Published Opinions and 204 Memorandum Opinions. The California Supreme Court issued only 59 written opinions — for all 39 million Californians.
Research is good. Ignorance is not. That’s worth bearing in mind both when you read quotes from your elected representative and, more importantly, when you’re deciding who gets your vote.
Gene Jarussi
Billings
Delta products a threat to youth
Delta products are derivatives of legal hemp and many within the hemp industry previously argued that the language in the 2018 Farm Bill — which legalized hemp and its derivatives — would extend to delta as federally regulated and legal. However, the DEA states that delta products are not naturally derived from hemp, but must be chemically synthesized and thus do not qualify as derivatives.
Other counterarguments to delta’s legal status have cited the Federal Analogue Act, which states that any chemical that is substantially similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance will be treated as if it were scheduled if it is intended for human consumption.
By not being exactly the same as Delta-9 THC, other chemically synthesized delta products have existed in a nebulous space as far as legality is concerned. This gave some entrepreneurs the cover they wanted to aggressively pursue the development, marketing and sale of delta products outside of the state legal cannabis regulatory framework. This week the DEA acted to clarify delta’s status.
Since its development in 2020, delta sales research report estimated that delta-8 products generated $2 billion in sales and delta products are being sold widely outside of dispensaries in conventional retail, often gas stations and convenience stores. The products are technically unregulated, have been blamed for one death and have triggered over 104 overdoses including overdoses in Billings high schools.
What will Billings City Council do to protect our children?
Jason Smith
Billings
Thank you, Pinocci and O’Donnell
Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU) recently filed for a rate increase with the Public Service Commission (PSC). The proposal would increase rates for residential electricity customers by 19.2%, small businesses by 15.1%, and large businesses by 12.9%. By MDU’s calculations, electricity bills will increase by over $200/yr. for the average residential customer. The Dawson Resource Council opposes this excessive rate hike and asks the PSC to deny it.
While waiting for a decision about the permanent increase, MDU asked for an interim increase of 2.6%. Sadly, the PSC voted 3-2 to approve the interim increase, but Eastern Montana commissioners Randy Pinocci and Tony O’Donnell both voted “no.” Dawson Resource Council thanks them both for standing up for working families.
MDU already raised rates over 15% in 2019 and 2020. Either this new proposed increase is a predatory move or MDU is running its business negligently. Either way, Montana families shouldn’t bear the burden of yet another unnecessary rate hike. Our budgets are already stretched thin.
If approved, this rate increase would drain millions of dollars from Eastern Montana communities in utility bills alone. This would cause inflationary price increases for all goods and services as grocery stores, meat processors, farm suppliers, etc. negotiate higher costs that they’ll be forced to pass on to consumers. Our communities cannot afford this. MDU’s shareholders and executives should not be allowed to use the PSC to artificially inflate profits on the backs of working families. Please deny the rate increase.
Melissa Holt, chairwoman
Dawson Resource Council
Glendive
All change is not progress
In the words of Ellen Glasgow, “All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.” A central characteristic of our new republic was an apolitical Supreme Court. This provides an essential component to our unique democracy featuring essential checks and balances, at both the state and federal levels.
A quote from Ron Chernow’s book, “Alexander Hamilton” reads: “Give all power to the many.” Fearing aristocrats as well as commoners, Hamilton wanted to restrain abuse by majorities and minorities. To curb abuse, Hamilton recommended, “a Supreme Court that would consist of 12 judges holding lifetime offices on good behavior.
In this manner, each branch would maintain a salutary distance from popular passions.” If I heard right, our recent state Supreme Court election process included a $50,000 donation from a political party for the election of their desired candidate. This, if true, was a blatant attempt to politicize the judiciary. How sad.
It seems to me future elections should curb this abuse of principle. Also, I ask our current legislators to deny any effort to decrease the size of the Montana Supreme Court. The current size provides appropriate opportunity for relevant debate resulting in decisions consistent with our beautiful Constitution. To paraphrase Glasgow’s quote, all change is not progress, and all movement is not forward.
David Krueger
Billings
Racicot is man of integrity
The Tuesday, Feb. 21, Billings Gazette carried a story about former Gov. Marc Racicot being essentially “kicked out” of the Montana Republican Party. This is astonishing to say the least.
Marc Racicot is a former two-term governor of Montana. He also served as the state of Montana Attorney General prior to that time. And after his terms of office he went on to serve our country in various capacities and did so in a manner that brought pride to our state.
For the state of Montana Republican Party to disown him is indicative of their unwillingness to moderate their mission and to work together with other political factions in our state government.
Marc Racicot is a man of intelligence, integrity and great concern for the welfare of the people of our state and our country. He also was a champion of the values upon which our state and country were founded.
The Montana Republican Party demonstrates a serious lapse in judgment by this action. And also it is a very indignant thing to do to an older man like Marc Racicot who served his state and country with honor and dedication. He was a true statesman and could probably be compared to Mike Mansfield, another Montanan who serviced our state with great skill and rigorous honesty and integrity.
The current Montana Republican Party looks more like an adolescent social club than an organization of statesmen and women. They are in fact pathetic in regard to their indecency and callousness toward Marc Racicot.
George Sorensen
Billings
We must defeat Russia, MAGA
This is a “David and Goliath” story carried out in real time, “President Zelensky and all Ukrainians remind the world every day what courage is. They remind us that freedom is priceless. And worth fighting for. For as long as it takes.” (words of President Biden).
“David and Goliath” is a metaphor for an underdog (Ukraine) who nevertheless is victorious over a more powerful opponent (Russia),” World History Encyclopedia. We can do more than just hope the metaphor holds and Ukraine wins back its freedom. We, as America, won our own freedom from England in 1776. We can do it again — eliminating MAGA tyrannical extremism in our own country and tyranny from Russia in Ukraine — in real time.
Edith Sloan
Roundup
Choosing ‘woke’ over alternatives
Let me say at the outset that I am not a wordsmith nor master of the English language, and I have been having a hard time understanding what this whole “woke” concept means. The best word association in English that I could find is the past tense of “awake” or having a sense of awareness, as in: “I woke up yesterday,” which is not necessarily a bad thing. If this is true, then the opposite of “woke” would be sleep, unawareness or worse yet...death. Therefore, I think I would choose “wokeness” over the alternatives.
Marv Keller
Billings
Who is NWE’s plant really good for?
I am adding to a conversation started by J.W. Knell, Feb. 12, ‘NWE deserves gratitude’. My question: if methane powered generation is such a good thing, who is it really good for? The need for the facility in Laurel was supposedly spawned by the need to purchase power from outside NWE’s owned facilities for 64 days during one of the coldest winters in Montana history.
Never mind that the makeup energy was available and easily acquired from the market. So, what was the response by NWE? Build a methane powered generation facility at a projected cost of a third of a billion dollars. Supposedly this is for our benefit, but it forces us to pony up the funds by increasing our rates and adds insult to injury by tacking on the sale of methane at a very profitable competitive market rate as part of the process. Does anyone think this facility will sit idle over 300 days a year? NWE’s business plan apparently allows export but never the import of energy. Is there a plan to reward the ratepayers if this happens?
In exchange for allowing a monopoly to operate in Montana, we were promised that our government would oversee NWE and assure that we were treated fairly. I feel like this promise has been broken. If my above speculations are wrong, why isn’t there a single government authority willing to give us the opportunity to ask these questions and get answers about NWE’s intent?
Larry Bean
Billings
No longer claiming to be Republican
Dictators do not tolerate any difference of opinion from theirs. Dictators control what is printed and said every way they can. Democracies encourage difference of opinion and listen to different views to arrive at best decisions. Do you think our Republican leadership in Montana is now acting like dictators by ousting Mark Raciot because he does not support everything they want?
How small minded it is to think everyone must go along with you, or they are not your friend. I have been a Republican for a long time, although I do not often vote a straight party line. I will no longer claim to be a Republican and no longer support that party with donations. And I will not support their censorship. Time to change our primary voting to get rid of the stranglehold small minded party leaders have on primary voting. We need to vote for the candidates we respect regardless of party. We need leaders with good views that they are not afraid to present for debate. If your view is strong it can stand up to challenges. That is the American way.
Tony Seitz
Billings
Putin’s cruelty acted out by others
The first segment on “60 Minutes” recently covered the war in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people’s refusal to give in to Putin. As I watched, I admit I had tears flowing — not only from seeing the physical devastation of cities, but also seeing and hearing what Ukrainians are having to deal with — shortage of food, little or no electrical power, no way to heat their homes. They are surviving on pure grit and pride.
My primary question has been, why? What drives Putin to such brutal lengths — killing and torturing innocent people, knocking out the entire power grid of Ukraine, and destroying the very land he wants to rule? It is well beyond any rational explanation.
But that put me on the path of considering all the violence, robberies, theft, destruction of businesses, and riots taking place across the cities of the United States.
Somehow, the people who are committing these crimes, stealing or destroying other people’s property, justify themselves by saying they are taking what is rightfully theirs. I’ve long maintained that if you were to take something from a known thief or crook, they would kill you on the spot in the name of justice.
The fundamental truth is that we have little Putins running around every day all over the United States, stealing, taking from others, destroying others’ lives. Just the other day, a lady killed another lady, arguing about a parking space. Putin is doing the same thing at an unimaginable level.
What’s also worth noting — once they accomplish whatever their mission or actions were, they won’t be happier, or satisfied, and will only pursue their next victim. When will this madness end?
Edward O. Hoem
Billings
SB 137 aims at cyclist safety
Driving on the congested streets of Bozeman is an exhausting task. The added danger of running over a cyclist makes it all too important to pay attention while driving. On many intersections (like the intersection on Garfield and 19th Street) you must merge into the bike lane to turn right onto the next street. This makes city biking — and driving — a dangerous endeavor. Biking at night is a treacherous experience if you do not wear the appropriate equipment, i.e. a “lamp on the front emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front,” reflective wear and a lamp facing the rear. While biking day or night in Bozeman you seem like an invisible pedestrian within a growing city of around 55,000 people (as of the census 2021).
Passing the Senate Bill 137 will support the safety of cyclists within the city of Bozeman. The bill proposes the right of way for bikers to be protected and the enforcement of protective equipment during night biking. With thousands of cars adding to the growing congestion of Bozeman’s streets it’s more important now than ever before to protect the safety of the community of bikers in Bozeman.
Keelin Monaghan
Belgrade
Horse slaughter is barbaric
As the Montana state director for a nonprofit focused on animal wellness, I was horrified to read a new comprehensive report on horse slaughter that largely ties into our great state. The report may be accessed by this link: http://bit.ly/3lmwzvq and includes a graphic and detailed view of what is actually happening to our American horses that are being hauled off to slaughterhouses on foreign land to be packaged as meat for non-Americans to eat.
The report focuses on auctions in Montana and other states that are especially cruel to horses.
Billings holds one of the largest slaughter horse sales in the country. After the Montana sale, the slaughter horses are seen put into pens where they stay overnight, without access to shelter, even in the harsh Montana winter months. It is the kill buyer’s responsibility how and how many horses he loads into his trailer, and there is no oversight by the auction. There are severely overloaded trailers and excessive force being used (slamming gates on the horse, beating, hitting over the head with a stick, poking) to get the animals into the trailer, the report documents.
This report, which was jointly done by Animal Wellness Action, Center for a Humane Economy and Animals’ Angels, shows photos of horses with bloody injuries even before they reach the border, and then it gets worse.
Why keep such a revolting industry on life support when we have much better choices that afford equines the dignity and respect they deserve?
Carolyn Hall
Whitefish
Where did common sense go?
It has come time for me to paint the target on my own back. But the question needs an answer and I can no longer fail to personally ask it. I own guns. I freely admit it. My father ran a gun shop. I was a lifetime member of the NRA. That said, those things happened back when the NRA was not just a gun lobby organization. I took lessons, my children took lessons — gun safety was the priority.
But, that is no longer true. The NRA spouts the hardline view, “They are trying to take your guns!” Hogwash! Not even possible. Those of you who donate to any lobby in which such obvious deception is prevalent, help to lock our children in their classrooms fearing for their lives. Can any of us step into a grocery store with no fear? Why? Common sense is gone. If six out of 10 of you do not even own a gun, why can we not pass common sense gun control? Military grade weapons, ammo, etc. belong in the military, not the hands of a neighbor, a hunter (overkill) or a child (too often). I ask you all to think for the safety of my family and yours. Can we not act as individuals? Must we hide behind a huge lobby organization?
Judy Thompson
Thompson Falls
More like this...
The first segment on "60 Minutes" recently covered the war in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people’s refusal to give in to Putin. As I watched, I admit I had tears flowing — not only from seeing the physical devastation of cities, but also seeing and hearing what Ukrainians are having to deal with — shortage of food, little or no electrical power, no way to heat their homes. They are surviving on pure grit and pride.
My primary question has been, why? What drives Putin to such brutal lengths — killing and torturing innocent people, knocking out the entire power grid of Ukraine, and destroying the very land he wants to rule? It is well beyond any rational explanation.
But that put me on the path of considering all the violence, robberies, theft, destruction of businesses, and riots taking place across the cities of the United States.
Somehow, the people who are committing these crimes, stealing or destroying other people’s property, justify themselves by saying they are taking what is rightfully theirs. I’ve long maintained that if you were to take something from a known thief or crook, they would kill you on the spot in the name of justice.
The fundamental truth is that we have little Putins running around every day all over the United States, stealing, taking from others, destroying others’ lives. Just the other day, a lady killed another lady, arguing about a parking space. Putin is doing the same thing at an unimaginable level.
What’s also worth noting — once they accomplish whatever their mission or actions were, they won’t be happier, or satisfied, and will only pursue their next victim. When will this madness end?
Edward O. Hoem
Billings
I am a member of the age group “Boomers.” I think this term is both revered and depreciated. We are a unique group and I am proud to be a Boomer.
My concern is the constantly growing list of projects in our community that need to be funded through increasing the ever-present property tax. A new high school, a new and bigger jail, an elaborate new football facility, a larger more complete career education facility, a community rec building, and the ever-present update of the fairgrounds. Plus the everyday need to fund the schools, police, fire, streets and parks.
The answer is always getting the property tax payers to fund. I love the fact that it is always presented as only an increase of $48 a year on a $200,000 home. When was the last time you found a $200,000 home in this community? If you add up all the “it will only be” items pretty soon it is a sizeable increase.
I wonder if any of the proponents of these projects ever think about the impact all of this has on the fixed income elderly. These people are mom and dad, or gramma and grampa. What happens to them when they must choose between property tax and medication? Bond issues and utility bills? Does anybody really care?
I will be able to handle the increase in my tax bill; how many other Boomers can say that? Or do they lose their home so we can have a rec facility that will be $3.5 million in the red every year?
Phil Scala
Billings
Did you know, Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, sponsored House Bill 408 in the Montana Legislature allowing donors to receive a tax credit for giving to the Student Scholarship Organization and the Innovative Educational Program? If passed, this bill would give donors a tax credit for which you, as a Montana citizen, would pay.
HB 408 would take $5 million out of the state budget, to which you, as a taxpayer contribute, and give it to program donors so that they can send their children to private schools. In return, each donor gets to pocket a maximum of $200,000 of your hard earned money. Until 2029, the amount taken out of the state budget would increase by 20% (2023 = $5,000,000; 2024 = $6,000,000; 2025 = $7,200,000; 2026 = 8,640,000; 2027 =10,368,000; 2028 = 12,541,600; 2029 = $15,049,920). Apparently, the tax credit would increase by 20% each year, as well. Notice how quickly that $5,000,000 tripled. Wouldn’t you like to receive 20% on the money you earn in six years?
Please contact your legislative representatives. Urge them to vote no on HB 408: leg.mt.gov/committees/session-committees/, scroll down the webpage to House and Senate Standing Committees and let the committee members know that you do not appreciate their wasting your tax dollars on such frivolous legislation that you, no doubt, cannot afford. As a lifelong Montana resident, I feel as if I have been slapped in the face by this bill. What about you?
Judith McKenna
Bozeman
Driving on the congested streets of Bozeman is an exhausting task. The added danger of running over a cyclist makes it all too important to pay attention while driving. On many intersections (like the intersection on Garfield and 19th Street) you must merge into the bike lane to turn right onto the next street. This makes city biking — and driving — a dangerous endeavor. Biking at night is a treacherous experience if you do not wear the appropriate equipment, i.e. a “lamp on the front emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front,” reflective wear and a lamp facing the rear. While biking day or night in Bozeman you seem like an invisible pedestrian within a growing city of around 55,000 people (as of the census 2021).
Passing the Senate Bill 137 will support the safety of cyclists within the city of Bozeman. The bill proposes the right of way for bikers to be protected and the enforcement of protective equipment during night biking. With thousands of cars adding to the growing congestion of Bozeman’s streets it's more important now than ever before to protect the safety of the community of bikers in Bozeman.
Keelin Monaghan
Belgrade
Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU) recently filed for a rate increase with the Public Service Commission (PSC). The proposal would increase rates for residential electricity customers by 19.2%, small businesses by 15.1%, and large businesses by 12.9%. By MDU’s calculations, electricity bills will increase by over $200/yr. for the average residential customer. The Dawson Resource Council opposes this excessive rate hike and asks the PSC to deny it.
While waiting for a decision about the permanent increase, MDU asked for an interim increase of 2.6%. Sadly, the PSC voted 3-2 to approve the interim increase, but Eastern Montana commissioners Randy Pinocci and Tony O’Donnell both voted “no.” Dawson Resource Council thanks them both for standing up for working families.
MDU already raised rates over 15% in 2019 and 2020. Either this new proposed increase is a predatory move or MDU is running its business negligently. Either way, Montana families shouldn’t bear the burden of yet another unnecessary rate hike. Our budgets are already stretched thin.
If approved, this rate increase would drain millions of dollars from Eastern Montana communities in utility bills alone. This would cause inflationary price increases for all goods and services as grocery stores, meat processors, farm suppliers, etc. negotiate higher costs that they’ll be forced to pass on to consumers. Our communities cannot afford this. MDU’s shareholders and executives should not be allowed to use the PSC to artificially inflate profits on the backs of working families. Please deny the rate increase.
Melissa Holt, chairwoman
Dawson Resource Council
Glendive
My sister is bullied because of the wiring in her brain — something that she has no control over. No matter how hard she tries, she simply cannot read. My sister has a learning disability that impacts her life every day. The elementary school which she attends emphasizes special education programs and its programs are well-known to be very effective for children with a wide range of disabilities. However, the learning programs in her school do not have the funding nor the capabilities to help her with her cognitive disability. She is just one of many kids struggling with this issue, and this puts unnecessary pressure on the parents of these children.
My family must utilize third-party learning programs outside of my sister’s school to compensate for the school’s shortcomings. These are expensive. My family — struggling with the current inflation issues — must pay hundreds of dollars a month to fund my sister’s education. It would be advantageous to my family if they could be compensated for these funds.
By supporting House Bill 393, we are supporting special needs, equal opportunity education savings account programs. It will give the Superintendent of Public Instruction the authority to provide for students with disabilities educational opportunities. This bill supports the equal opportunity for all children in public schools to reach their full educational potential.
Keelin Monaghan
Bozeman
House Bill 462 should be rejected. Although a parade of state agencies lobbied for this money at the Feb. 16 hearing of the House Appropriations Committee, the governor’s assistant Budget Director was clear. He stated, "We tried to use any on-going revenue flow to help cut individual income taxes, point blank.”
This bill raids a highly-respected wildlife conservation program to fund tax breaks mainly benefiting the rich. The governor’s income tax cut equates to $70 annually for a median Montana family but would give a $6,000 annual tax cut to the richest 1 percent. So the median Montanan would trade a blue-ribbon conservation program for six dollars a month.
Currently over 3 million acres of state-owned and federally-owned lands in Montana are not accessible to Montanans. The lands are legally accessible, but physical access is blocked by private lands. These are lands that Habitat Montana addresses, working with land-owners and local organizations to improve wildlife conservation and provide access. Raiding these funds reduces the money Habitat Montana has for future work by approximately 75%.
The governor is willing to sacrifice Montana’s wildlife conservation money, money often leveraged by working with collaborators, money that keeps landowners on the land through conservation easements, money funding work with local partners to ensure that all Montanans have greater access to wildlands. Tell him no.
Tell the Legislature to reject HB 462. Keep Habitat Montana well-funded. Protect Habitat Montana’s ability to work to conserve wildlife habitat and increase public access for all Montanans.
Darrell Brown
Missoula
I and the vast majority of Montanans adamantly oppose HB 462, which violates the spirit and letter of Ballot Initiative 190 in undercutting designated funding from recreational marijuana revenue for Habitat Montana. Habitat Montana, our showcase conservation funding program since 1987 (designated as permanent in 2005), provides the greatest single good regarding conserving our public lands. Most of us voted for BI 190 and it should be remain implemented.
Habitat Montana funds and adds lands to Montana’s famous Wildlife Management Areas. New WMAs often border other public lands which further opens access to vast tracts for anyone to recreate upon.
Montana currently has an enormous budget surplus, thanks in large part to the fiduciary prudence of the preceding administration. Yet the current legislators are woefully out of touch with what most of us want re: Habitat Montana. It funds public access and wildlife conservation and it also helps keep farms and ranches economically viable.
Recent in-migration of new residents and big money creates new pressures on land values (not merely financial) across the board. These pressures underline the need for Habitat Montana.
Please contact your legislators and demand they oppose HB 462 and authorize the monies as directed in BI 190. Let’s not erode our great legacy of public lands and Habitat Montana. And let’s not mess with our famous and beautiful state Constitution.
O. Alan Weltzien
Dillon
After years of addiction and being in and out of treatment, jail, and on the streets, I was blessed to find Hope Center Ministries, south of Helena. Within my year-long residence there, I was given the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord, find my self-worth and identity, learned priceless coping skills, I was reunited with my family, and best of all, I built up endurance and stamina through the vocational training program. I found that I was capable of going to work every day and even learned I had many skills.
This voluntary faith-based program kept me out of jail and gave me the independence I needed to hold a full-time job in Helena and helped me live a clean and sober life. This program saved my life and was the greatest experience and accomplishment of my life.
Senate Bill 94 treats the year-long program that helped me so much the same as transitional housing. It will eliminate this option for many fighting addictions. Please let your senators and representatives know you want all programs to be an option as we try to rebuild lives and communities devastated by addiction.
Lauren Montoya
Helena
Native Americans have been persecuted for hundreds of years. We have caused extreme hardship through the process of assimilation for well over 100 years. Of all the horrendous things many of our ancestors have forced natives to go through, you can’t possibly quantify the pain, sorrow, grief and hardship they have endured in the Indigenous boarding schools.
It has been way too long and we must acknowledge, recognize and honor the Native American children who have died in American indigenous boarding schools, and offer support to the survivors, their families and communities. This is the very least we can do, and acceptance of our past actions is the first step to a stronger more positive future relationship. I would like to commend our senators on passing Senate Joint Resolution 6 and encourage members of the House to do the same.
Nathan Gracey
Bozeman
Delta products are derivatives of legal hemp and many within the hemp industry previously argued that the language in the 2018 Farm Bill — which legalized hemp and its derivatives — would extend to delta as federally regulated and legal. However, the DEA states that delta products are not naturally derived from hemp, but must be chemically synthesized and thus do not qualify as derivatives.
Other counterarguments to delta's legal status have cited the Federal Analogue Act, which states that any chemical that is substantially similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance will be treated as if it were scheduled if it is intended for human consumption.
By not being exactly the same as Delta-9 THC, other chemically synthesized delta products have existed in a nebulous space as far as legality is concerned. This gave some entrepreneurs the cover they wanted to aggressively pursue the development, marketing and sale of delta products outside of the state legal cannabis regulatory framework. This week the DEA acted to clarify delta's status.
Since its development in 2020, delta sales research report estimated that delta-8 products generated $2 billion in sales and delta products are being sold widely outside of dispensaries in conventional retail, often gas stations and convenience stores. The products are technically unregulated, have been blamed for one death and have triggered over 104 overdoses including overdoses in Billings high schools.
What will Billings City Council do to protect our children?
Jason Smith
Billings
The Gallatin community sits in a beautiful valley where residents enjoy their winter activities. However, for Bozeman's growing community of folks experiencing homelessness, their only space away from the cold is our warming shelters.
According to Montana Free Press, from 2021 to 2022 we saw a 79% increase in the use of our warming shelters. This significant increase brings forth concerns about the health and wellness of individuals experiencing homelessness in Bozeman.
In order to answer this health crisis, a group of Montana representatives has created a plan to create better health care opportunities for these individuals around Montana. This plan includes House Bill 507, which allocates funding to help individuals who require short-term medical care, and is currently being heard by the Human Services Committee.
In order to continue moving toward equal human rights for all Montanans, we as a community need to stand with those who are seeking to change the face of homelessness in Montana. By funding the creation of shelters and adequate health care for individuals experiencing homelessness in Montana, we, as a community, can impact the lives of thousands who seek safe, secure housing and fair health care. To support these movements you can reach out to your legislators about the importance of medical care and shelters for those in your community who face homelessness.
Kendall Ryan
Bozeman
It has come time for me to paint the target on my own back. But the question needs an answer and I can no longer fail to personally ask it. I own guns. I freely admit it. My father ran a gun shop. I was a lifetime member of the NRA. That said, those things happened back when the NRA was not just a gun lobby organization. I took lessons, my children took lessons — gun safety was the priority.
But, that is no longer true. The NRA spouts the hardline view, “They are trying to take your guns!” Hogwash! Not even possible. Those of you who donate to any lobby in which such obvious deception is prevalent, help to lock our children in their classrooms fearing for their lives. Can any of us step into a grocery store with no fear? Why? Common sense is gone. If six out of 10 of you do not even own a gun, why can we not pass common sense gun control? Military grade weapons, ammo, etc. belong in the military, not the hands of a neighbor, a hunter (overkill) or a child (too often). I ask you all to think for the safety of my family and yours. Can we not act as individuals? Must we hide behind a huge lobby organization?
Judy Thompson
Thompson Falls
The Tuesday, Feb. 21, Billings Gazette carried a story about former Gov. Marc Racicot being essentially "kicked out" of the Montana Republican Party. This is astonishing to say the least.
Marc Racicot is a former two-term governor of Montana. He also served as the state of Montana Attorney General prior to that time. And after his terms of office he went on to serve our country in various capacities and did so in a manner that brought pride to our state.
For the state of Montana Republican Party to disown him is indicative of their unwillingness to moderate their mission and to work together with other political factions in our state government.
Marc Racicot is a man of intelligence, integrity and great concern for the welfare of the people of our state and our country. He also was a champion of the values upon which our state and country were founded.
The Montana Republican Party demonstrates a serious lapse in judgment by this action. And also it is a very indignant thing to do to an older man like Marc Racicot who served his state and country with honor and dedication. He was a true statesman and could probably be compared to Mike Mansfield, another Montanan who serviced our state with great skill and rigorous honesty and integrity.
The current Montana Republican Party looks more like an adolescent social club than an organization of statesmen and women. They are in fact pathetic in regard to their indecency and callousness toward Marc Racicot.
George Sorensen
Billings
This is a "David and Goliath" story carried out in real time, "President Zelensky and all Ukrainians remind the world every day what courage is. They remind us that freedom is priceless. And worth fighting for. For as long as it takes." (words of President Biden).
"David and Goliath" is a metaphor for an underdog (Ukraine) who nevertheless is victorious over a more powerful opponent (Russia)," World History Encyclopedia. We can do more than just hope the metaphor holds and Ukraine wins back its freedom. We, as America, won our own freedom from England in 1776. We can do it again — eliminating MAGA tyrannical extremism in our own country and tyranny from Russia in Ukraine — in real time.
Edith Sloan
Roundup
I am adding to a conversation started by J.W. Knell, Feb. 12, ‘NWE deserves gratitude’. My question: if methane powered generation is such a good thing, who is it really good for? The need for the facility in Laurel was supposedly spawned by the need to purchase power from outside NWE’s owned facilities for 64 days during one of the coldest winters in Montana history.
Never mind that the makeup energy was available and easily acquired from the market. So, what was the response by NWE? Build a methane powered generation facility at a projected cost of a third of a billion dollars. Supposedly this is for our benefit, but it forces us to pony up the funds by increasing our rates and adds insult to injury by tacking on the sale of methane at a very profitable competitive market rate as part of the process. Does anyone think this facility will sit idle over 300 days a year? NWE’s business plan apparently allows export but never the import of energy. Is there a plan to reward the ratepayers if this happens?
In exchange for allowing a monopoly to operate in Montana, we were promised that our government would oversee NWE and assure that we were treated fairly. I feel like this promise has been broken. If my above speculations are wrong, why isn’t there a single government authority willing to give us the opportunity to ask these questions and get answers about NWE’s intent?
Larry Bean
Billings
Dictators do not tolerate any difference of opinion from theirs. Dictators control what is printed and said every way they can. Democracies encourage difference of opinion and listen to different views to arrive at best decisions. Do you think our Republican leadership in Montana is now acting like dictators by ousting Mark Raciot because he does not support everything they want?
How small minded it is to think everyone must go along with you, or they are not your friend. I have been a Republican for a long time, although I do not often vote a straight party line. I will no longer claim to be a Republican and no longer support that party with donations. And I will not support their censorship. Time to change our primary voting to get rid of the stranglehold small minded party leaders have on primary voting. We need to vote for the candidates we respect regardless of party. We need leaders with good views that they are not afraid to present for debate. If your view is strong it can stand up to challenges. That is the American way.
Tony Seitz
Billings
I am a fourth generation Montanan and a student at Montana State University. I care deeply about our state Legislature because its impacts are so significant in Montanans’ lives.
This session Representative Windy Boy has introduced House Bill 338, and I worry that the bill’s importance may fall to the wayside without public engagement.
HB 338 proposes amendments to Montana’s policies on Indian Education for All. IEFA was established to ensure that Montanans receive quality education on Montana culture and acknowledge our seven tribal reservations and twelve federally recognized tribes. IEFA is consistent with claims throughout the Montana Constitution that center educational goals around the preservation of the cultural integrity of our Indigenous peoples.
I grew up in Montana under the IEFA Act and near the Apsaalooke Nation, yet my education on Native history was severely lacking. This was because IEFA was created with no mechanisms to enforce its operations and without the continual contribution of Native peoples’ voices. I realized all I was missing when I took a Native American Studies class at MSU. I would have already considered myself someone who was passionate about Native history, yet I knew so little. My knowledge needed to be supplemented by education formed with Native knowledge at the center of it. HB 338 would provide enforcement mechanisms to track spending and progress in schools to ensure that we are making good on our promises. I encourage support of this bill, for the continued educational good of Montanans.
Taryn van Steeland
Bozeman
In the words of Ellen Glasgow, "All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward." A central characteristic of our new republic was an apolitical Supreme Court. This provides an essential component to our unique democracy featuring essential checks and balances, at both the state and federal levels.
A quote from Ron Chernow's book, "Alexander Hamilton" reads: "Give all power to the many." Fearing aristocrats as well as commoners, Hamilton wanted to restrain abuse by majorities and minorities. To curb abuse, Hamilton recommended, "a Supreme Court that would consist of 12 judges holding lifetime offices on good behavior.
In this manner, each branch would maintain a salutary distance from popular passions." If I heard right, our recent state Supreme Court election process included a $50,000 donation from a political party for the election of their desired candidate. This, if true, was a blatant attempt to politicize the judiciary. How sad.
It seems to me future elections should curb this abuse of principle. Also, I ask our current legislators to deny any effort to decrease the size of the Montana Supreme Court. The current size provides appropriate opportunity for relevant debate resulting in decisions consistent with our beautiful Constitution. To paraphrase Glasgow's quote, all change is not progress, and all movement is not forward.
David Krueger
Billings
Both the 1889 and the 1972 Montana Constitutions directed the respective legislatures to create a public school system. Additionally, Section 6 of the 1889 Constitution and Section 1 of the 1972 Constitution required the Legislature to fund the public schools in an equitable manner.
As it now stands 94.5% of eligible children are enrolled in Montana’s public schools. Of those, over 4,000 are homeless due to a variety of factors. All of these children (except for a handful of high school seniors) cannot vote, nor are they rich enough to contribute to legislative candidates. As a consequence, they are fully dependent on Montana’s legislators to guarantee that their school’s buildings, supplies, and faculty are adequately funded to meet these basic needs.
So where does Montana rank among the 50 states of our union?
Average beginning teacher pay: 50th — last in the nation.
Average top pay for a bachelor’s degree — 48th in the nation.
Average top salary paid — 37th in the nation.
The foregoing statistics do not bode well for providing children with an adequate education to meet the present or future challenges which Montana’s children face.
John C. Board
Helena
The Montana Legislature meets once every two years, and that time is now. As one of the "50 laboratories of innovation," we have much to be grateful for in our state, and for legislators who are demonstrating their willingness to make improvements.
Some of the issues that the legislature has been grappling with: a flood of illegal drugs, human trafficking and the associated crime; fiscal responsibility (a balanced budget is required); tax relief; judicial restoration; high suicide rates; patient rights; and a more or less complete overhaul of our education system.
Each of those issues has a tremendous effect on our lives. But if you have been lured onto a bus to Helena to be a "change agent" or "social justice warrior" or advocating for one group at the expense of another, then perhaps you are being used. Twenty years from now, will it matter more that you "fought for the right" to use correct pronouns? Or that you have food and heat.
As we lurch from crisis to crisis on the federal level, it should be reassuring to know that the majority of the Montana Legislature is actually working for you — and not just the yelling and chanting crowd.
Linda Lien
Billings
In Montana, we care about protecting our children and ending bullying in schools. Instead of seeking to prevent hate speech and bullying in our public schools, Montana House Bill 361 would protect the bullies. The text of this bill would make it impossible to discipline students who use a transgender or nonbinary student’s name and sex assigned at birth, even once they have expressed their preferred name and pronouns.
Over 80% of transgender kids have considered or attempted suicide; this is largely due to the bullying and cruelty they experience at the hands of hateful peers. If we want to see more children grow into happy, healthy adults, we should work to eliminate bullying, not give it legal protection. Tell your senators to protect our kids, and vote no on HB 361.
Makayla DeLange
Bozeman
Montanans can’t get to 3.1 million acres of our public lands.
If a neighbor wants to let us walk across their land to access public lands, they should be able to do so, encouraged to do so, and rewarded for that, not prohibited from it.
Unfortunately, landowners are currently ineligible for FWP’s Unlocking Public Lands program and the Public Access Land Agreements if someone else holds the lease on public lands a landowner wants to open access to.
This provision reinforces the mindset that just because someone leases the public's grass then they also get to control the access to the public's lands. That's not only wrong, it's untrue.
Myself and groups like the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers believe that rather than perpetuating this incorrect way of thinking, it's time to correct it. Doing so would increase the number of landowners eligible for these programs, meaning more financial incentives for our neighbors, and more public acres being voluntarily opened for hunters.
Senate Bill 408 introduced by Sen. Brad Molnar (R-Laurel) seeks to solve this problem, and all Montanans should ask their state senator to support this effort.
Mike Mershon
Billings
Our Montana governor spent almost $1.9 million of taxpayers’ money for a research company to recommend an appropriate state contribution amount for Medicaid recipients needing nursing home care who are frail and elderly.
Our governor rejected the recommendation and is suggesting a smaller increase. He acknowledges this is not enough to cover the cost of care and he also suggests a reduction in the state contribution for next year. Does he think the cost of nursing home care will actually decline in the next two years?
Some Republicans are recommending a small increase, acknowledging that it is insufficient, “but puts some oil on a squeaky wheel.” The only realistic suggestion for a state Medicaid nursing home amount came from Mary Caferro, representative from Helena, for a $500 rate with a built in cost of care increase. At that rate, our nursing home Medicaid contribution would approach North Dakota’s, $535.00.
I could explain that doctors and hospitals value nursing home care for their patients for physical therapy, medication management, etc. Do we really want to pay over $2,000 a day to keep their patients in the hospitals because there are no nursing home beds available? Does this make sense/cents?
If I remember correctly, the last time Montana state government threw seniors and people of limited financial means under the bus, Brian Schweitzer got terms.
Thank you for your kind consideration of this important matter.
Carol Newman
Billings
Let me say at the outset that I am not a wordsmith nor master of the English language, and I have been having a hard time understanding what this whole “woke” concept means. The best word association in English that I could find is the past tense of “awake” or having a sense of awareness, as in: “I woke up yesterday,” which is not necessarily a bad thing. If this is true, then the opposite of “woke” would be sleep, unawareness or worse yet...death. Therefore, I think I would choose “wokeness” over the alternatives.
Marv Keller
Billings
HB 234 is moving through the Legislature. It will remove protection for employees of public schools, museums and libraries accused of having “obscene” materials.
The bill is carried by Bob Phalen (R). He claims the bill will “reduce the amount of obscene material shown in public schools, libraries, and museums.”
This mean-spirited bill’s intent is imposing a minority’s religious beliefs on all Montanans. It must not pass. Why? 1) It implies that schools and libraries are full of obscene materials like smutty magazines. They are not. If an employee brought obscene materials to school, there are already legal remedies available to school officials to remove a teacher from their position. 2) This bill is not about keeping our children safe. Rather it is an attempt to classify as obscene materials that mention LGBTQ youth and trans youth. 3) This bill encroaches on the rights and responsibilities of elected school board members. It will remove local control of schools and curricula and transfer it to the legislative body.
Is this bill an example of “Montana values” GOP members proclaim? No. Consider contacting your representatives to make them aware this bill doesn’t represent Montanans’ values of decency and respect for neighbors.
Lesley Butler
Billings
Flathead Lake is now polluted with micro plastics. I spend a lot of time on the lake and have also seen a significant increase in other plastic pollution such as shopping bags and plastic bottles floating in the lake.
In 2021, Rep. Mark Nolan (R-Bigfork), rushed through HB 407, which banned local cities and municipalities from regulating the use of single-use plastics, the same products that are already polluting Nolan’s own Flathead Lake and Montana’s roadsides. Why would Nolan want to keep polluting Flathead Lake?
Do lakeside communities want plastic pollution in their waters? HB 407 was passed under the rationale that any one-time plastic use regulations should be statewide, rather than under local control. So Flathead Lake communities like Polson, Bigfork and others can’t address the lake’s plastic problem unless far removed communities like Circle or Sidney also want to address plastic pollution?
To correct this, HB 413 has been introduced to repeal HB 407 and return local control to local communities, the very issue the current super majority espouses so loudly.
If you’d like to keep Flathead Lake and other Montana gems unpolluted, and our roadsides free of plastic litter, please ask you’re your elected state officials to support Rep. Stafman’s (D–Bozeman) HB 413.
Andy Kulla
Missoula
Research is good, ignorance is not
In the interest of promoting efficiency in government, Sen. Barry Usher (R) has introduced legislation to reduce the number of Justices on the Montana Supreme Court from 7 to 5. His explanation is noteworthy:
“I’ve always wondered how much work our Supreme Court does,” Usher told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. “So I did some research and it was amazing to me that California, which has got 39 million people, has the same amount of Supreme Court justices as a state that has 1 million people.”
Not that it would ever have occurred to Sen. Usher, but had he done just 2 minutes additional research, he could perhaps have discovered that California has an intermediate court of appeals divided into six districts with 106 appellate judges. He also could have discovered that the California Supreme Court has discretionary jurisdiction over all except death penalty cases.
On the other hand, Montana has no intermediate appellate courts and the Montana Supreme Court is required to hear every case that is appealed to it. In 2021, the Montana Supreme Court issued 139 Published Opinions and 204 Memorandum Opinions. The California Supreme Court issued only 59 written opinions — for all 39 million Californians.
Research is good. Ignorance is not. That’s worth bearing in mind both when you read quotes from your elected representative and, more importantly, when you’re deciding who gets your vote.
Gene Jarussi
Billings
Delta products a threat to youth
Delta products are derivatives of legal hemp and many within the hemp industry previously argued that the language in the 2018 Farm Bill — which legalized hemp and its derivatives — would extend to delta as federally regulated and legal. However, the DEA states that delta products are not naturally derived from hemp, but must be chemically synthesized and thus do not qualify as derivatives.
Other counterarguments to delta’s legal status have cited the Federal Analogue Act, which states that any chemical that is substantially similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance will be treated as if it were scheduled if it is intended for human consumption.
By not being exactly the same as Delta-9 THC, other chemically synthesized delta products have existed in a nebulous space as far as legality is concerned. This gave some entrepreneurs the cover they wanted to aggressively pursue the development, marketing and sale of delta products outside of the state legal cannabis regulatory framework. This week the DEA acted to clarify delta’s status.
Since its development in 2020, delta sales research report estimated that delta-8 products generated $2 billion in sales and delta products are being sold widely outside of dispensaries in conventional retail, often gas stations and convenience stores. The products are technically unregulated, have been blamed for one death and have triggered over 104 overdoses including overdoses in Billings high schools.
What will Billings City Council do to protect our children?
Jason Smith
Billings
Thank you, Pinocci and O’Donnell
Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU) recently filed for a rate increase with the Public Service Commission (PSC). The proposal would increase rates for residential electricity customers by 19.2%, small businesses by 15.1%, and large businesses by 12.9%. By MDU’s calculations, electricity bills will increase by over $200/yr. for the average residential customer. The Dawson Resource Council opposes this excessive rate hike and asks the PSC to deny it.
While waiting for a decision about the permanent increase, MDU asked for an interim increase of 2.6%. Sadly, the PSC voted 3-2 to approve the interim increase, but Eastern Montana commissioners Randy Pinocci and Tony O’Donnell both voted “no.” Dawson Resource Council thanks them both for standing up for working families.
MDU already raised rates over 15% in 2019 and 2020. Either this new proposed increase is a predatory move or MDU is running its business negligently. Either way, Montana families shouldn’t bear the burden of yet another unnecessary rate hike. Our budgets are already stretched thin.
If approved, this rate increase would drain millions of dollars from Eastern Montana communities in utility bills alone. This would cause inflationary price increases for all goods and services as grocery stores, meat processors, farm suppliers, etc. negotiate higher costs that they’ll be forced to pass on to consumers. Our communities cannot afford this. MDU’s shareholders and executives should not be allowed to use the PSC to artificially inflate profits on the backs of working families. Please deny the rate increase.
Melissa Holt, chairwoman
Dawson Resource Council
Glendive
All change is not progress
In the words of Ellen Glasgow, “All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.” A central characteristic of our new republic was an apolitical Supreme Court. This provides an essential component to our unique democracy featuring essential checks and balances, at both the state and federal levels.
A quote from Ron Chernow’s book, “Alexander Hamilton” reads: “Give all power to the many.” Fearing aristocrats as well as commoners, Hamilton wanted to restrain abuse by majorities and minorities. To curb abuse, Hamilton recommended, “a Supreme Court that would consist of 12 judges holding lifetime offices on good behavior.
In this manner, each branch would maintain a salutary distance from popular passions.” If I heard right, our recent state Supreme Court election process included a $50,000 donation from a political party for the election of their desired candidate. This, if true, was a blatant attempt to politicize the judiciary. How sad.
It seems to me future elections should curb this abuse of principle. Also, I ask our current legislators to deny any effort to decrease the size of the Montana Supreme Court. The current size provides appropriate opportunity for relevant debate resulting in decisions consistent with our beautiful Constitution. To paraphrase Glasgow’s quote, all change is not progress, and all movement is not forward.
David Krueger
Billings
Racicot is man of integrity
The Tuesday, Feb. 21, Billings Gazette carried a story about former Gov. Marc Racicot being essentially “kicked out” of the Montana Republican Party. This is astonishing to say the least.
Marc Racicot is a former two-term governor of Montana. He also served as the state of Montana Attorney General prior to that time. And after his terms of office he went on to serve our country in various capacities and did so in a manner that brought pride to our state.
For the state of Montana Republican Party to disown him is indicative of their unwillingness to moderate their mission and to work together with other political factions in our state government.
Marc Racicot is a man of intelligence, integrity and great concern for the welfare of the people of our state and our country. He also was a champion of the values upon which our state and country were founded.
The Montana Republican Party demonstrates a serious lapse in judgment by this action. And also it is a very indignant thing to do to an older man like Marc Racicot who served his state and country with honor and dedication. He was a true statesman and could probably be compared to Mike Mansfield, another Montanan who serviced our state with great skill and rigorous honesty and integrity.
The current Montana Republican Party looks more like an adolescent social club than an organization of statesmen and women. They are in fact pathetic in regard to their indecency and callousness toward Marc Racicot.
George Sorensen
Billings
We must defeat Russia, MAGA
This is a “David and Goliath” story carried out in real time, “President Zelensky and all Ukrainians remind the world every day what courage is. They remind us that freedom is priceless. And worth fighting for. For as long as it takes.” (words of President Biden).
“David and Goliath” is a metaphor for an underdog (Ukraine) who nevertheless is victorious over a more powerful opponent (Russia),” World History Encyclopedia. We can do more than just hope the metaphor holds and Ukraine wins back its freedom. We, as America, won our own freedom from England in 1776. We can do it again — eliminating MAGA tyrannical extremism in our own country and tyranny from Russia in Ukraine — in real time.
Edith Sloan
Roundup
Choosing ‘woke’ over alternatives
Let me say at the outset that I am not a wordsmith nor master of the English language, and I have been having a hard time understanding what this whole “woke” concept means. The best word association in English that I could find is the past tense of “awake” or having a sense of awareness, as in: “I woke up yesterday,” which is not necessarily a bad thing. If this is true, then the opposite of “woke” would be sleep, unawareness or worse yet...death. Therefore, I think I would choose “wokeness” over the alternatives.
Marv Keller
Billings
Who is NWE’s plant really good for?
I am adding to a conversation started by J.W. Knell, Feb. 12, ‘NWE deserves gratitude’. My question: if methane powered generation is such a good thing, who is it really good for? The need for the facility in Laurel was supposedly spawned by the need to purchase power from outside NWE’s owned facilities for 64 days during one of the coldest winters in Montana history.
Never mind that the makeup energy was available and easily acquired from the market. So, what was the response by NWE? Build a methane powered generation facility at a projected cost of a third of a billion dollars. Supposedly this is for our benefit, but it forces us to pony up the funds by increasing our rates and adds insult to injury by tacking on the sale of methane at a very profitable competitive market rate as part of the process. Does anyone think this facility will sit idle over 300 days a year? NWE’s business plan apparently allows export but never the import of energy. Is there a plan to reward the ratepayers if this happens?
In exchange for allowing a monopoly to operate in Montana, we were promised that our government would oversee NWE and assure that we were treated fairly. I feel like this promise has been broken. If my above speculations are wrong, why isn’t there a single government authority willing to give us the opportunity to ask these questions and get answers about NWE’s intent?
Larry Bean
Billings
No longer claiming to be Republican
Dictators do not tolerate any difference of opinion from theirs. Dictators control what is printed and said every way they can. Democracies encourage difference of opinion and listen to different views to arrive at best decisions. Do you think our Republican leadership in Montana is now acting like dictators by ousting Mark Raciot because he does not support everything they want?
How small minded it is to think everyone must go along with you, or they are not your friend. I have been a Republican for a long time, although I do not often vote a straight party line. I will no longer claim to be a Republican and no longer support that party with donations. And I will not support their censorship. Time to change our primary voting to get rid of the stranglehold small minded party leaders have on primary voting. We need to vote for the candidates we respect regardless of party. We need leaders with good views that they are not afraid to present for debate. If your view is strong it can stand up to challenges. That is the American way.
Tony Seitz
Billings
Putin’s cruelty acted out by others
The first segment on “60 Minutes” recently covered the war in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people’s refusal to give in to Putin. As I watched, I admit I had tears flowing — not only from seeing the physical devastation of cities, but also seeing and hearing what Ukrainians are having to deal with — shortage of food, little or no electrical power, no way to heat their homes. They are surviving on pure grit and pride.
My primary question has been, why? What drives Putin to such brutal lengths — killing and torturing innocent people, knocking out the entire power grid of Ukraine, and destroying the very land he wants to rule? It is well beyond any rational explanation.
But that put me on the path of considering all the violence, robberies, theft, destruction of businesses, and riots taking place across the cities of the United States.
Somehow, the people who are committing these crimes, stealing or destroying other people’s property, justify themselves by saying they are taking what is rightfully theirs. I’ve long maintained that if you were to take something from a known thief or crook, they would kill you on the spot in the name of justice.
The fundamental truth is that we have little Putins running around every day all over the United States, stealing, taking from others, destroying others’ lives. Just the other day, a lady killed another lady, arguing about a parking space. Putin is doing the same thing at an unimaginable level.
What’s also worth noting — once they accomplish whatever their mission or actions were, they won’t be happier, or satisfied, and will only pursue their next victim. When will this madness end?
Edward O. Hoem
Billings
SB 137 aims at cyclist safety
Driving on the congested streets of Bozeman is an exhausting task. The added danger of running over a cyclist makes it all too important to pay attention while driving. On many intersections (like the intersection on Garfield and 19th Street) you must merge into the bike lane to turn right onto the next street. This makes city biking — and driving — a dangerous endeavor. Biking at night is a treacherous experience if you do not wear the appropriate equipment, i.e. a “lamp on the front emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front,” reflective wear and a lamp facing the rear. While biking day or night in Bozeman you seem like an invisible pedestrian within a growing city of around 55,000 people (as of the census 2021).
Passing the Senate Bill 137 will support the safety of cyclists within the city of Bozeman. The bill proposes the right of way for bikers to be protected and the enforcement of protective equipment during night biking. With thousands of cars adding to the growing congestion of Bozeman’s streets it’s more important now than ever before to protect the safety of the community of bikers in Bozeman.
Keelin Monaghan
Belgrade
Horse slaughter is barbaric
As the Montana state director for a nonprofit focused on animal wellness, I was horrified to read a new comprehensive report on horse slaughter that largely ties into our great state. The report may be accessed by this link: http://bit.ly/3lmwzvq and includes a graphic and detailed view of what is actually happening to our American horses that are being hauled off to slaughterhouses on foreign land to be packaged as meat for non-Americans to eat.
The report focuses on auctions in Montana and other states that are especially cruel to horses.
Billings holds one of the largest slaughter horse sales in the country. After the Montana sale, the slaughter horses are seen put into pens where they stay overnight, without access to shelter, even in the harsh Montana winter months. It is the kill buyer’s responsibility how and how many horses he loads into his trailer, and there is no oversight by the auction. There are severely overloaded trailers and excessive force being used (slamming gates on the horse, beating, hitting over the head with a stick, poking) to get the animals into the trailer, the report documents.
This report, which was jointly done by Animal Wellness Action, Center for a Humane Economy and Animals’ Angels, shows photos of horses with bloody injuries even before they reach the border, and then it gets worse.
Why keep such a revolting industry on life support when we have much better choices that afford equines the dignity and respect they deserve?
Carolyn Hall
Whitefish
Where did common sense go?
It has come time for me to paint the target on my own back. But the question needs an answer and I can no longer fail to personally ask it. I own guns. I freely admit it. My father ran a gun shop. I was a lifetime member of the NRA. That said, those things happened back when the NRA was not just a gun lobby organization. I took lessons, my children took lessons — gun safety was the priority.
But, that is no longer true. The NRA spouts the hardline view, “They are trying to take your guns!” Hogwash! Not even possible. Those of you who donate to any lobby in which such obvious deception is prevalent, help to lock our children in their classrooms fearing for their lives. Can any of us step into a grocery store with no fear? Why? Common sense is gone. If six out of 10 of you do not even own a gun, why can we not pass common sense gun control? Military grade weapons, ammo, etc. belong in the military, not the hands of a neighbor, a hunter (overkill) or a child (too often). I ask you all to think for the safety of my family and yours. Can we not act as individuals? Must we hide behind a huge lobby organization?
Judy Thompson
Thompson Falls
