Special interests trying to subvert election

I just wanted to take a moment, just in case you're unaware, to bring you up to speed on recent disturbing developments related to our ability to guide and direct the future growth of our rapidly changing town.

Back in November 2007, we, the registered 3,500 voters of this small but vibrant community, voted through a democratic and fair process to elect the city leaders who will guide our home town through the daunting, future challenges that lay ahead. We had three city council seats to fill, and seven or eight qualified candidates from which to choose.

As the results of the mail-in ballots were processed and tallied, it became apparent that an overwhelming majority of our community desired John Muhlfeld to continue his obvious commitment to Whitefish and high-quality leadership abilities for at least another term. Muhlfeld won by hundreds of votes. It wasn't even close.

In second place, was another high quality individual. Although lacking the leadership experience and scientific-knowledge base of Muhlfeld, Ryan Friel more than makes up for any deficiencies through personal integrity, open-mindedness and love of the Whitefish community. Although 100-plus votes behind Muhlfeld, he generated more than enough votes to dominate the rest of the field of candidates.

In a distant third, and I mean distant, was the lackluster performance of both Askew and McGrew. After multiple recounts, they tied and remain tied. Through the repeated iterations of the vote-counting process, the results were solidified. The community of Whitefish had spoken and their message was loud and clear. Muhlfeld is our "go-to guy" to help us through our future trials.

Now enters big money, special interests and personal gain. As citizens of this fair nation, these people are entitled to their opinion, their candidates (non-winners) and their own special-interest group, Common Sense In Whitefish Government. They are even entitled to hire a private investigator of their choosing to dig up any dirt possible to further their own hidden agenda.

What they are not entitled to do is subvert the will of the registered voting majority. The vote was cast, the ballots were counted, the results are in. They lost. They lost by more than a substantial margin. And apparently they are poor sports.

Now this special interest group is desperate and grasping at straws. They are trying everything and anything they can to "restrain" Muhlfeld. And all they can dig up, after hiring a private investigator, their only recourse, is to try to nullify Muhlfeld's eligibility based on a very minor technicality (defined as a detail that is considered insignificant).

The insignificant detail? Muhlfeld got engaged and spent some quality time with his fiancee at her home, approximately 0.25 miles out of town. He retained his room in his house in town and brought in some roommates.

This detail is considered 'insignificant' because he has lived, and still lives, in his Whitefish city home for more than eight years. This is considerably longer than the 60-day requirement stated in the vague and unspecified criteria established to run for city council. However, if you do the math, Muhlfeld has been a Whitefish resident for just under 3,000 days preceding the election.

He seems to meet the 60-day minimum to me. To underscore the vagueness of the 60-day rule, it makes no mention if the 60 days have to be consecutive. That doesn't apply here, but it is an interesting point.

Lastly, as a tax-paying, home-owning, year-round resident who is also a registered voter in this small town, I am personally offended that an outside interest group, whose members are mostly county residents and not members of my community, would have the audacity to circumvent our democratic process and the will of the voting public. With suspect methods, they are trying to take our future land-management decision-making ability from us and form it to the vision of their hidden agenda.

And yes, there is a hidden agenda, Richard Atkinson, and it looks and smells like Vail and Aspen.

To my community — as voting citizens of Whitefish, you should be personally offended as well. I know the snow is good right now, but you have to wake up and take part, your town needs you. We can manage and direct future development of our town and retain high-quality habitat for ourselves.

Jonathan Ferree lives in Whitefish.