Diverse group looks to quash political discord
A new group of community leaders has
emerged intent on softening the rampant political discord that was
vibrantly evident during the recent city election. The Whitefish
Community Partners includes conservatives, liberals and moderates
who meet once a week with the aim of finding common ground on
pertinent issues facing the city. Their current focus is on
promoting the passage of the Whitefish High School bond.
Marshall Friedman initiated the
creation of the partners after reflecting on how divided Whitefish
had become.
“I love Whitefish, but the one thing I
don’t like is the divisiveness,” Friedman said.
“It’s not a good atmosphere and it’s
not a good way to make decisions.”
He contacted a handful of community
leaders who each represent a contingent in town with the hopes they
could regularly meet and eventually develop a culture of working
together. The response, he said, was terrific.
“Everybody was anxious to come together
and see what this was about,” Friedman said.
The group includes Friedman, Richard
Atkinson, Greg Carter, Ian Collins, Bob DePratu, Andy Feury, Don
Kaltschmidt, Marilyn Nelson, Dan Weinberg, Bill Halama and Nancy
Woodruff.
DePratu said the partners are
interested in focusing on the positive things they can do
together.
“This group is interested in working on
the betterment of Whitefish, not our egos,” DePratu said.
He decided to sit down with the
partners simply because he enjoys seeing people work together.
“When you find common ground, it makes
it easier,” DePratu said, noting his experiences while working as a
state senator.
Brian Muldoon acts as mediator of the
group. The partners, he said, is a safe place for members to speak
their mind. Their motto is “Fostering public participation and
collaborative decision making.”
When different perspectives are brought
together, Muldoon said, better solutions are often found.
“Everybody has something to
contribute,” he said.
The group wields no actual
decision-making authority — like city council or the school board —
but that’s not their intent.
“The goal is not to solve problems,”
Friedman said, “it’s to alter the way those decisions are
made.”
Instead of yelling and screaming,
they’re looking for civil discourse.
The partners recently met with school
superintendent Kate Orozco, trustee David Fern, city manager Chuck
Stearns and school bond consultant Bayard Domonick, and offered
them support in passing the high school bond.
The partners will be advising on
strategy, helping with marketing and even going door-to-door,
Friedman said.
“We’ll be reaching out to various
groups in town and urging them to help pass the bond,” DePratu
said.
Going forward they’ll tackle various
issues facing Whitefish.
“We’re developing a culture of working
together,” Friedman said. “There is no model for this. We’re
inventing it as we go.”
In the end, the partners hope Whitefish
is known less for it’s divisiveness and more for it’s unique
ability to find common ground within an array of opinions.
“We can do some exciting things
together,” Friedman said.