Reader's Alley
By IR Staff - 11/23/07
Letters to the editor
Ultra-conservative?
In the first paragraph of the Nov. 16 “Your Turn” by Travis McAdam, a lobbyist for the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN), the Montana House of Representatives is called “ultra-conservative.” Ultra-conservative?
There is more than ample voting evidence to show the current Montana House is not “ultra-conservative,” as Mr. McAdam states. Bills such as HB 215, HB 712, as well as the few House introduced “immigration legislation” bills that the MHRN strongly opposed couldn’t pass in the House. Conversely, a review of bills that did pass, such as SB 419 (short titled on LAWS web site: “Allow children to remain covered by parent’s health insurance to age 26”) also show a more liberal or moderate legislature that is quite far from “ultra-conservative” in my view.
Additionally, the MHRN has individually labeled the legislators with a zero-percent to 100-percent rating based on 16 bills the MHRN either support or oppose. Twenty-two percent of the House Representatives showed a zero-percent voting-record rating with the same percentage scoring a 100-percent rating, hardly ultra-conservative lines being drawn here.
With such a blatant misrepresentation of common sense such as this, why should I believe any other of Mr. McAdam’s 550 plus word opinion piece? James Schell
Box 1610
East Helena
Warming is cyclical
I am now well into my 60s and I hear the young talk about global warming. I wonder what they are teaching in the schools in science. I have seen global warming end, global cooling, and now global warming coming to a end again in my life. I ask when are people going to do a little research on the topic and learn that this is a cycle the planet goes through. In 900 CE it was a heck of a lot warmer than it is now and the planet went through over a 1,000 years of warming, The little ice age began around 1000-1100 CE and continued for 500 years. When this ended we began cycles of 25- to 30-year periods of warming and cooling. The cause was not human activity. The cause of this was the sun and increased sun spot activity and decreased activity. If you then throw in several extremely large volcanic eruptions that also contributed to global cooling, i.e. the year without summer in the early 1800s which was the Tambora eruption, which was larger than Kratatoa. Both of these are in Indonesia. I just wish folks would stop being led around by the nose on global warming.
Douglas Brown, M.A.
York
Hypocrisy
How does one define hypocrisy? A few examples from President Bush’s behavior might help.
Bush tells Pakistan President Musharraf he can’t be president and head of the army, but Bush himself brags of being Commander-in-Chief, puts on a military costume, claiming, “Mission accomplished.”
S-CHIP is too expensive, but he bankrupts the country continuing disastrous war and fattening war profiteers.
Takes ownership of No Child Left Behind, but doesn’t fund the failed program.
Shock, awe, occupy, then accuses Iraqis of not restoring government and infrastructure. (“Blame the victim.”)
Mislabels his mess in Iraq as “War on Terrorism,” although it recruits more and more terrorists.
Glories in ceremonial honoring of military, but leaves homeless veterans in the streets without medical care.
Asks Americans to sacrifice their sons and daughters, but doesn’t send his own.
Claims, “We don’t torture,” but wants to be able to continue waterboarding.
Politically exploits pro-life position, but opposes birth control and programs for children after they are born and has presided over record number of Texas executions.
Justifies his resource war as effort to spread democracy, while propping up friendly dictators, supporting efforts to overthrow democratically elected leaders, and attacking the U.S. Constitution.
Endless hypocrisy!
Rea Knight
553 State Street
Bad idea
The governor’s proposal to deal with the threat of brucellosis to Montana’s livestock industry by “splitting” the state into two areas with the area around Yellowstone National Park being set aside from the rest of the state is misdirected. It would penalize those ranchers who reside around the park and takes pressure off the federal agencies who have failed to control the disease in the park. Previous governors have stepped up to support our livestock industry by keeping pressure on the government to eradicate the disease in the park’s bison and elk. At a recent Montana Board of Livestock meeting more than 100 ranchers traveled to Helena and many testified in strong opposition to the governor’s proposal. Following the meeting, our governor once again lashed out at those who don’t agree with him, blaming one of the state’s livestock associations for misinformation. The ranchers who testified, including three state legislators, were very knowledgeable on the subject. To say they were misinformed is an insult to a number of well respected Montanans. It is time the governor realizes that Montana ranchers will not be fooled and will stand up for their industry when they feel the administration has failed them.
Steve Pilcher
4521 Paydirt Drive
Great support
The 9th Annual Cup of Prevention, held Oct. 22-25 in conjunction with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, was a great success thanks to the enthusiastic and generous support of a number of local coffee shops and their wonderful customers. The Friendship Center is grateful to the staff and management of Dive Bakery, Filling Station/The Creperie, Fire Tower Coffee House, General Mercantile, Hard Back Café, Mom’s Famous Soup and Salad, Starbucks (Prospect and Last Chance Gulch) and Gourmet to Go. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed a cup of coffee at any of these coffee shops during Cup of Prevention Week.
The “Cup of Prevention” contributions made by these businesses help support local women and families who are survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault. Last year over 880 people were given safe shelter or emergency assistance by The Friendship Center. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this event a success!
Loreen Smith
Outreach Coordinator
The Friendship Center
1430 Sanders
Support appreciated
For the past 16 years the Center for Mental Health, formerly Golden Triangle, has hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner for its clients and families. This year it was on Nov. 20 at the Montana House, the Center’s Day Treatment facility which is on the lower level of the out-patient clinic on 900 N. Jackson. Since 2002, Van’s Thriftway has donated a total of 87 turkeys and 75 pounds of ham. We could not afford to host this event without this generous donation! We also want to thank the following businesses and individuals for their donations: Rockhand Hardware, Sweetgrass Bakery, Albertson’s Supermarkets, Doubek & Pyfer Law Firm, Patti and Dan Jacques, Tami and Wayne O’Brien of Downtown Properties, Ray Peck and Carol McKerrow. Patients staying at the Care House, a voluntary crisis stabilization facility, will be fixing a Thanksgiving meal with the staff and they would like to thank the neighbors for bringing over food and especially to neighbor Zoe Ann Stoltz for coordinating food donations from co-workers at the Montana Historical Society. Thanks to all of these folks for supporting mental wellness.
Joan Higgins-Smith, Program Developer
Center for Mental Health Foundation
900 N Jackson
Ultra-conservative?
In the first paragraph of the Nov. 16 “Your Turn” by Travis McAdam, a lobbyist for the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN), the Montana House of Representatives is called “ultra-conservative.” Ultra-conservative?
There is more than ample voting evidence to show the current Montana House is not “ultra-conservative,” as Mr. McAdam states. Bills such as HB 215, HB 712, as well as the few House introduced “immigration legislation” bills that the MHRN strongly opposed couldn’t pass in the House. Conversely, a review of bills that did pass, such as SB 419 (short titled on LAWS web site: “Allow children to remain covered by parent’s health insurance to age 26”) also show a more liberal or moderate legislature that is quite far from “ultra-conservative” in my view.
Additionally, the MHRN has individually labeled the legislators with a zero-percent to 100-percent rating based on 16 bills the MHRN either support or oppose. Twenty-two percent of the House Representatives showed a zero-percent voting-record rating with the same percentage scoring a 100-percent rating, hardly ultra-conservative lines being drawn here.
With such a blatant misrepresentation of common sense such as this, why should I believe any other of Mr. McAdam’s 550 plus word opinion piece? James Schell
Box 1610
East Helena
Warming is cyclical
I am now well into my 60s and I hear the young talk about global warming. I wonder what they are teaching in the schools in science. I have seen global warming end, global cooling, and now global warming coming to a end again in my life. I ask when are people going to do a little research on the topic and learn that this is a cycle the planet goes through. In 900 CE it was a heck of a lot warmer than it is now and the planet went through over a 1,000 years of warming, The little ice age began around 1000-1100 CE and continued for 500 years. When this ended we began cycles of 25- to 30-year periods of warming and cooling. The cause was not human activity. The cause of this was the sun and increased sun spot activity and decreased activity. If you then throw in several extremely large volcanic eruptions that also contributed to global cooling, i.e. the year without summer in the early 1800s which was the Tambora eruption, which was larger than Kratatoa. Both of these are in Indonesia. I just wish folks would stop being led around by the nose on global warming.
Douglas Brown, M.A.
York
Hypocrisy
How does one define hypocrisy? A few examples from President Bush’s behavior might help.
Bush tells Pakistan President Musharraf he can’t be president and head of the army, but Bush himself brags of being Commander-in-Chief, puts on a military costume, claiming, “Mission accomplished.”
S-CHIP is too expensive, but he bankrupts the country continuing disastrous war and fattening war profiteers.
Takes ownership of No Child Left Behind, but doesn’t fund the failed program.
Shock, awe, occupy, then accuses Iraqis of not restoring government and infrastructure. (“Blame the victim.”)
Mislabels his mess in Iraq as “War on Terrorism,” although it recruits more and more terrorists.
Glories in ceremonial honoring of military, but leaves homeless veterans in the streets without medical care.
Asks Americans to sacrifice their sons and daughters, but doesn’t send his own.
Claims, “We don’t torture,” but wants to be able to continue waterboarding.
Politically exploits pro-life position, but opposes birth control and programs for children after they are born and has presided over record number of Texas executions.
Justifies his resource war as effort to spread democracy, while propping up friendly dictators, supporting efforts to overthrow democratically elected leaders, and attacking the U.S. Constitution.
Endless hypocrisy!
Rea Knight
553 State Street
Bad idea
The governor’s proposal to deal with the threat of brucellosis to Montana’s livestock industry by “splitting” the state into two areas with the area around Yellowstone National Park being set aside from the rest of the state is misdirected. It would penalize those ranchers who reside around the park and takes pressure off the federal agencies who have failed to control the disease in the park. Previous governors have stepped up to support our livestock industry by keeping pressure on the government to eradicate the disease in the park’s bison and elk. At a recent Montana Board of Livestock meeting more than 100 ranchers traveled to Helena and many testified in strong opposition to the governor’s proposal. Following the meeting, our governor once again lashed out at those who don’t agree with him, blaming one of the state’s livestock associations for misinformation. The ranchers who testified, including three state legislators, were very knowledgeable on the subject. To say they were misinformed is an insult to a number of well respected Montanans. It is time the governor realizes that Montana ranchers will not be fooled and will stand up for their industry when they feel the administration has failed them.
Steve Pilcher
4521 Paydirt Drive
Great support
The 9th Annual Cup of Prevention, held Oct. 22-25 in conjunction with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, was a great success thanks to the enthusiastic and generous support of a number of local coffee shops and their wonderful customers. The Friendship Center is grateful to the staff and management of Dive Bakery, Filling Station/The Creperie, Fire Tower Coffee House, General Mercantile, Hard Back Café, Mom’s Famous Soup and Salad, Starbucks (Prospect and Last Chance Gulch) and Gourmet to Go. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed a cup of coffee at any of these coffee shops during Cup of Prevention Week.
The “Cup of Prevention” contributions made by these businesses help support local women and families who are survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault. Last year over 880 people were given safe shelter or emergency assistance by The Friendship Center. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this event a success!
Loreen Smith
Outreach Coordinator
The Friendship Center
1430 Sanders
Support appreciated
For the past 16 years the Center for Mental Health, formerly Golden Triangle, has hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner for its clients and families. This year it was on Nov. 20 at the Montana House, the Center’s Day Treatment facility which is on the lower level of the out-patient clinic on 900 N. Jackson. Since 2002, Van’s Thriftway has donated a total of 87 turkeys and 75 pounds of ham. We could not afford to host this event without this generous donation! We also want to thank the following businesses and individuals for their donations: Rockhand Hardware, Sweetgrass Bakery, Albertson’s Supermarkets, Doubek & Pyfer Law Firm, Patti and Dan Jacques, Tami and Wayne O’Brien of Downtown Properties, Ray Peck and Carol McKerrow. Patients staying at the Care House, a voluntary crisis stabilization facility, will be fixing a Thanksgiving meal with the staff and they would like to thank the neighbors for bringing over food and especially to neighbor Zoe Ann Stoltz for coordinating food donations from co-workers at the Montana Historical Society. Thanks to all of these folks for supporting mental wellness.
Joan Higgins-Smith, Program Developer
Center for Mental Health Foundation
900 N Jackson
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