Coffee politics and Wal-Mart

As former Whitefish residents (one Whitefish native) and online readers of the Pilot, we are writing to congratulate the people in Whitefish who give all they can. These folks believe that taking care of the community's children is incredibly important. Simply put, the kids come first. Or did.

We are happy that commercial developers are coming to your town and adding to the tax base. People are developing and buying ridiculously expensive homes to raise property values in and around town.

We are happy because, logically, this can only mean that the hard-working folks of Whitefish, benefiting from this tax base, are finally able to stop working second jobs to pay for their children's athletic fees. Not only that, they can finally stop working the extra jobs that help them save or pay for their children's higher education.

We cite the obvious example of Montana Expresso, the youth-oriented philanthropy that donates profits for scholarships and funds local youth programs. The people who work for this business do not make a lot of money, but they work with the satisfaction that the money they don't make goes to a greater cause — the Whitefish community's children.

We are sure it's the intent of Safeway and Starbucks to give Montana Expresso's owners and employees a well-earned respite. After all, Starbucks' profits far exceed that of a not-for-profit coffee hut.

We are excited the remaining Whitefish philanthropies will have similar opportunities in the future. Next, the town needs a Wal-Mart so the downtown shop owners and their employees can retire. We hear that Wal-Mart donates more than $1,000 a year to its hosting community. Wouldn't the former Greenwood Trailer Park be a perfect location?

Al and Sara Hammel

Champlain, N.Y.