Letters to the Editor

Vote yes for conservation

As a longtime Flathead Valley resident, I am excited about the opportunity to vote yes on a land and water conservation bond in November. It's what the Flathead Valley needs.

My family and I have lived on our place in the Lower Valley for 36 wonderful years now. We have seen a lot of change. I am glad that the Flathead Valley is prospering. At the same time, I think that growth needs to be balanced with a concern for the future.

Look at the Somers Boat and Swimming Access. It's more crowded every time you drive by. We need to maintain and improve access for traditional uses of our land, streams and lakes like swimming, fishing, hiking and horseback riding. Access to outdoor recreation is really important for all of us here. Most of all, we need to protect our clean water and the wetlands, stream-sides and other areas that keep our rivers and streams clean.

I hope that when my kids and grandkids come back to the Flathead Valley it is just as wonderful years from now as it is today. Our future is in our hands. Please support the local land and water conservation bond.

Liz Seabaugh

Kalispell

Essential Stuff

All reports indicate the cost of heating and cooling our homes will go up as fuel costs rise. Indeed, the cost of natural gas is predicted to increase significantly this coming winter, even more than we have already seen. It is prudent to do what we can to make our homes more energy efficient, and reduce fuel consumption, while staying comfortable.

The Essential Stuff Project (ESP) in Bigfork has organized a panel of experts to address your questions on topics such as: home efficiency audits, simple efficiency upgrades, new or upgraded heating/cooling systems, whole-house fans, water heating options (such as tankless water heaters), and solar. Our panel will include representatives from Flathead Electric Co-Op, Northwestern Energy, Sliters, and Bigfork Home Works.

Come to our gathering Wednesday September 24, 7 PM, at Clementine's, 265 Bridge St. in Bigfork. Contact Edd Blackler (blackler@acrossmontana.net, 837-5196), Edmund Fitzgerald (edmund@montanasky.net, 837-5548) or Catherine Haug (cmhaug4@earthlink.net, 837-4577) for more information.

Catherine Haug

Bigfork

McCain Concerns

Senator John McCain just recently picked his running mate, a lady he had met, perhaps, once before. Senator McCain has come under some criticism and scrutiny regarding this decision. Time will possibly reveal whether this decision was wise or unwise. My concern, and what I think should be the concern of the American public is this: What is Senator McCain's process for decision-making.

In Senator McCain's book "Worth the Fighting For", written with his top advisor Mark Salter, John McCain says this about his decision-making process: "I make them as quickly as I can, quicker than the other fellow. Often my haste is a mistake, but I live with the consequences without complaint."

Well, that is surely comforting! Reminds me of President Bush's first meeting with Vladamir Putin, looking into his soul and declaring he's found a kindred spirit, or something to that effect.

It is one thing for a private citizen-type person to make decisions, as Senator McCain does, based on haste, but to have this coming from our president, our commander-in-chief? This should scare the heck out of most Americans.

Can you imagine Senator Barack Obama saying such a thing?

What level of wisdom and thoughtfulness are we seeking in our president? This, to me, is a good part of the change that I want to see.

Bob McClellan

Polson

God loves Obama

I would like to express my gratitude to Focus on the Family's Stuart Shepard for urging their flock to pray for "torrential rain" over Invesco Field during Barack Obama's historic acceptance speech in Denver.

God's answer makes perfectly clear, as nothing else could, that He is increasingly embarrassed to be a Republican. After supporting them through Iran/Contra, Dan Quayle, and finally wiretapping, torture and a bogus war, God is fed up.

All but the most persistent puritans have gotten the word and prominent celebrity wowsers are changing their tunes. Joel Osteen declared hands off politics to his 47,000 Lakewood thumpers. Rick Warren admonished his 23,000 Saddleback herd that religion is about "deeds not creeds" as he shifted from attacking liberals to promoting less divisive rudeness in 2008.

To those for whom the word "liberal" conjures visions of Mephistopheles, fear not, for God does not concur. As we all know, the Demon of Darkness bears an uncanny resemblance to Osama bin Laden. John McCain promises to "follow bin Laden to the gates of hell" but won't go after him in Pakistan, unequivocally demonstrating that Republicans are far more comfortable in the underworld than they are in the real one.

Does anyone else find sublime irony in the scaled down Republican Convention due to Hurricane Gustov? God has answered the prayers of the good Shepard's flock, but His answer, as is often God's wont, wasn't the anticipated one. God is such a divine prankster.

Wanda LaCroix

Arlee