Reader's Alley
By the Independent Record - 11/25/05
Letters to the Editor
Plastic collection
S.A.V.E.’s next plastic collection is Dec. 2-9 behind the former Guard Armory near the YMCA. We will take type 1 clear (e.g. water bottles) and type 2 translucent (e.g. standard semi-clear milk jugs) beverage containers. Please give a quick rinse, discard lids, and visit www.Savemobile.org for more details. Another collection will be March 3-10 at the same location.
Dec. 9 brings to conclusion the Student Advocates for Valuing the Environment Foundation’s first fundraising and membership drive with a matching grant from the Cinnabar Foundation. Your donation ($25 for membership) will be matched until we meet our goal of $2,000. These funds will equip our Biodiesel truck for cold-weather use, expand recycling in Helena, and help our student projects and Earth Day activities.
Donation and membership forms are available at The Real Food Store, Moon River Goods, Taco del Sol, and at www.Savemobile.org.
Matt Elsaesser, Chairman Alaina Garcia, Treasurer
P.O. Box 1481
Poor access
I spend a lot of time around people with disabilities, many of whom use wheelchairs. My time with these people has made me glaringly aware of the lack of accessibility in Helena. Two of the young women I spend time with, along with many other citizens of Helena who are in wheelchairs, must use specially designed vans for transportation. It is disappointing to go to a store or restaurant in town and not be able to find a van accessible parking spot. It is equally discouraging for the person in the wheelchair to enter a building only to find that they cannot maneuver, cannot shop at their leisure, and, in some cases, cannot even enter the building. I imagine that most businesses in town meet the “requirements” for parking and accessibility, but sometimes it takes some creativity and extra effort to provide true accessibility. The Public Library, Maurice’s in the mall, and the new IHOP are examples of places that we have found go the extra mile to provide total accessibility. Thanks to these and other business for setting a great example and for being so “people friendly” to all of the people in Helena.
Abigail Hood
900 Cole St.
Doubt Bush? Of course
So now most of the public doubts our president’s honesty? Well, duh!
He lost me years ago with “compassionate conservative” (152 executions in six years as governor); reformer with results; uniter, not a divider; no troops for nation-building; his shameless smear campaigns against John McCain and John Kerry; his “Clear Skies” and “Healthy Forests” initiatives; more recently, his “mandate” after winning by one state; and Brownie’s great job on Hurricane Katrina. Of course, there was also Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction and supposed connection to 9/11, along with the idea that democracy-loving Iraqis would welcome our troops with open arms instead of arms. “Mission accomplished!”
His administration’s peculiar insularity and secretiveness, along with its unprecedented efforts to suppress and distort government scientific findings, further convince me that his word is an indicator of truth. You just figure it’s the opposite of what he says. Mr. President, I’m not that stupid. Are you?
Laughing Water
808 N. Park Ave.
Burns’ misdirection
The upcoming hearings on national forest policy by Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., are cynical Washington politics at its worst. Most Americans, including most Montanans, are generally satisfied with how the Forest Service is running our public forests. There is no justification for Burns’s witch-hunt beyond the political strategy of this regime, which always goes like this: When you’re in trouble, vilify somebody and do your best to confuse people and change the subject.
Burns is a lock-step supporter of the Bush agenda n lavishing tax cuts and corporate welfare on the rich, bankrupting the middle class, and hammering the poor and the sick n and public support for this crazy set of priorities is sinking faster than the Titanic. With another election on the horizon, and the corruption and cronyism of the administration and its congressional supporters in full view, what else can Burns do, if he wants to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate, other than dust off the tried-and-true strategy of misdirection?
Next fall we’ll have a chance to clean up this mess. The values Burns represents are bad for us, and I look forward to bidding him good luck in his retirement.
Dean Littlepage
618 W. Curtiss St.
Bozeman
Votes for wealthy
I was angered to read that Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Conrad Burns recently voted to cut taxes for millionaires even further. By creating the largest budget deficit in U.S. history, Congress heaps the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina cleanup costs onto the backs of future generations. Meanwhile, it slashes programs for farmers, college students, and the underprivileged. This is no time to drain more money from federal coffers to help the rich get richer — especially considering Montana is one of the poorest states in the nation. Both senators should be ashamed of themselves.
Tom Dickson
1601 Stuart Street
Mayor and growth
Dear city of Helena residents:
If there is any doubt where your mayor Jim Smith’s allegiance lies as far as city growth goes, did any one happen to notice that he proudly wore a Marc Perriman Construction pullover? The residents of the City of Helena should consider this a slap in the face, especially considering that Marc Perriman was not re-elected. Residents of the Helena Valley beware, the City of Helena will not rest until we are all paying both city and county taxes. Hope that you all look forward to living in the next Bozeman or Missoula. Jim Smith and the rest of the city comission are soundly in the pockets of the developers, and are obviously in favor of growth.
Michael Newhouse
1150 Mill Rd.
Loving Helena
I love living in Helena. I am grateful for clear air to breath, sunshine that warms my living spaces, beautiful gardens to work in and enjoy, and water to quench my thirst. I am grateful to the people here who love me, who give me hugs, eye contact, and friendly conversation. I appreciate all the folks who work to preserve our environment, keep water municipally owned, fight corporate greed and personhood, educate our children, nurture our poor, reclaim peace, support diversity, point out injustice, parent lovingly, create and support art, grow and sell organic food, and balance our budget.
I like to say Helena and Heaven have all the same letters except for L and V and if you put a L on its side it becomes a V—we are that close. Thank you for what you do to nurture earth as it is in heaven.
Ann Wilsnack
715 Highland
Plastic collection
S.A.V.E.’s next plastic collection is Dec. 2-9 behind the former Guard Armory near the YMCA. We will take type 1 clear (e.g. water bottles) and type 2 translucent (e.g. standard semi-clear milk jugs) beverage containers. Please give a quick rinse, discard lids, and visit www.Savemobile.org for more details. Another collection will be March 3-10 at the same location.
Dec. 9 brings to conclusion the Student Advocates for Valuing the Environment Foundation’s first fundraising and membership drive with a matching grant from the Cinnabar Foundation. Your donation ($25 for membership) will be matched until we meet our goal of $2,000. These funds will equip our Biodiesel truck for cold-weather use, expand recycling in Helena, and help our student projects and Earth Day activities.
Donation and membership forms are available at The Real Food Store, Moon River Goods, Taco del Sol, and at www.Savemobile.org.
Matt Elsaesser, Chairman Alaina Garcia, Treasurer
P.O. Box 1481
Poor access
I spend a lot of time around people with disabilities, many of whom use wheelchairs. My time with these people has made me glaringly aware of the lack of accessibility in Helena. Two of the young women I spend time with, along with many other citizens of Helena who are in wheelchairs, must use specially designed vans for transportation. It is disappointing to go to a store or restaurant in town and not be able to find a van accessible parking spot. It is equally discouraging for the person in the wheelchair to enter a building only to find that they cannot maneuver, cannot shop at their leisure, and, in some cases, cannot even enter the building. I imagine that most businesses in town meet the “requirements” for parking and accessibility, but sometimes it takes some creativity and extra effort to provide true accessibility. The Public Library, Maurice’s in the mall, and the new IHOP are examples of places that we have found go the extra mile to provide total accessibility. Thanks to these and other business for setting a great example and for being so “people friendly” to all of the people in Helena.
Abigail Hood
900 Cole St.
Doubt Bush? Of course
So now most of the public doubts our president’s honesty? Well, duh!
He lost me years ago with “compassionate conservative” (152 executions in six years as governor); reformer with results; uniter, not a divider; no troops for nation-building; his shameless smear campaigns against John McCain and John Kerry; his “Clear Skies” and “Healthy Forests” initiatives; more recently, his “mandate” after winning by one state; and Brownie’s great job on Hurricane Katrina. Of course, there was also Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction and supposed connection to 9/11, along with the idea that democracy-loving Iraqis would welcome our troops with open arms instead of arms. “Mission accomplished!”
His administration’s peculiar insularity and secretiveness, along with its unprecedented efforts to suppress and distort government scientific findings, further convince me that his word is an indicator of truth. You just figure it’s the opposite of what he says. Mr. President, I’m not that stupid. Are you?
Laughing Water
808 N. Park Ave.
Burns’ misdirection
The upcoming hearings on national forest policy by Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., are cynical Washington politics at its worst. Most Americans, including most Montanans, are generally satisfied with how the Forest Service is running our public forests. There is no justification for Burns’s witch-hunt beyond the political strategy of this regime, which always goes like this: When you’re in trouble, vilify somebody and do your best to confuse people and change the subject.
Burns is a lock-step supporter of the Bush agenda n lavishing tax cuts and corporate welfare on the rich, bankrupting the middle class, and hammering the poor and the sick n and public support for this crazy set of priorities is sinking faster than the Titanic. With another election on the horizon, and the corruption and cronyism of the administration and its congressional supporters in full view, what else can Burns do, if he wants to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate, other than dust off the tried-and-true strategy of misdirection?
Next fall we’ll have a chance to clean up this mess. The values Burns represents are bad for us, and I look forward to bidding him good luck in his retirement.
Dean Littlepage
618 W. Curtiss St.
Bozeman
Votes for wealthy
I was angered to read that Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Conrad Burns recently voted to cut taxes for millionaires even further. By creating the largest budget deficit in U.S. history, Congress heaps the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina cleanup costs onto the backs of future generations. Meanwhile, it slashes programs for farmers, college students, and the underprivileged. This is no time to drain more money from federal coffers to help the rich get richer — especially considering Montana is one of the poorest states in the nation. Both senators should be ashamed of themselves.
Tom Dickson
1601 Stuart Street
Mayor and growth
Dear city of Helena residents:
If there is any doubt where your mayor Jim Smith’s allegiance lies as far as city growth goes, did any one happen to notice that he proudly wore a Marc Perriman Construction pullover? The residents of the City of Helena should consider this a slap in the face, especially considering that Marc Perriman was not re-elected. Residents of the Helena Valley beware, the City of Helena will not rest until we are all paying both city and county taxes. Hope that you all look forward to living in the next Bozeman or Missoula. Jim Smith and the rest of the city comission are soundly in the pockets of the developers, and are obviously in favor of growth.
Michael Newhouse
1150 Mill Rd.
Loving Helena
I love living in Helena. I am grateful for clear air to breath, sunshine that warms my living spaces, beautiful gardens to work in and enjoy, and water to quench my thirst. I am grateful to the people here who love me, who give me hugs, eye contact, and friendly conversation. I appreciate all the folks who work to preserve our environment, keep water municipally owned, fight corporate greed and personhood, educate our children, nurture our poor, reclaim peace, support diversity, point out injustice, parent lovingly, create and support art, grow and sell organic food, and balance our budget.
I like to say Helena and Heaven have all the same letters except for L and V and if you put a L on its side it becomes a V—we are that close. Thank you for what you do to nurture earth as it is in heaven.
Ann Wilsnack
715 Highland
Not Yet Rated
Click here to register
Reader Comments:
Share Article
