Letters to the Editor

Reform needed

Corporate reform, anyone?

Step 1: Dick Cheney resigns his position as CEO of Halliburton to become George W Bush's Vice President.

Step 2: As the most influential VP ever, Cheney uses false and inflated intelligence to convince Pres. Bush to initiate war with Iraq.

Step 3: Halliburton is awarded billions of US taxpayer dollars in no-bid contracts during the Iraq War and its aftermath.

Step 4: Federal investigators charge Halliburton with $2.7 billion in overcharging and waste of US taxpayer funds in Iraq.

Step 5: Halliburton announces it is moving its corporate headquarters from the Bush hometown of Houston, Texas, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a move that may allow it to avoid paying millions in U.S. taxes on the huge profits it has made at the expense of US taxpayers.

Step 6: 2 choices -- 1) U.S. taxpayers and their political leaders once again allow the military industrial complex to loot the national treasury, or 2) U.S. taxpayers and their political leaders demand that laws be changed to favor the interests of ordinary Americans rather than huge corporations.

Jonathan Matthews

1601 N. Benton Ave.

Thanks for support

The Helena Bighorn Squirt A Team would like to thank DBEC, INC. and Domino's Pizza for sponsoring our hockey team this year.

A great big "Thank You" from the Squirt A parents and players: Tylar Holland, Tanner Mohar, Taggart Sullivan, Justin Henderson, Kyle Hayter, Christopher Palmer, Barron Culver, Nolan Davis, Paul Hart, Jake Nelson, Jared Hiebert, Morgan Arzate, Bridger Croft, Blake Miller, and Coaches Brian Mohar, Chip Holland and Tim Hiebert.

Please support DBEC, INC and Domino's Pizza!

Paula Holland, Squirt A Team Manager

113 Microwave Hill Road

Communities decide

I am writing in response to Gregg Trude's letter regarding HB 612. Gregg Trude, executive director of Montana Right to Life, misrepresents HB 612 in an attempt to explain his group's opposition to sex education.

Trude fails to mention this bill left program choice and development entirely up to Montana communities. HB 612's only mandate was that information provided to our youth be medically accurate and age-appropriate. Age-appropriate is a term left open for each community to decide, based on their own needs and values.

Prevention strategies such as sex education and increased access to birth control are proven to be effective at reducing unintended pregnancy. Comprehensive sex education programs have been proven to delay teen sex, reduce the frequency of sex, and increase contraceptive use.

Forty-four percent of Montana teens are sexually active. Ensuring that our young adults are armed with the information they need lead healthy lives is essential not only in pregnancy prevention, but in protecting them from STDs including HIV/AIDS. It's time we made prevention a priority. Our kids deserve that much from us.

Allyson Hagen

Executive Director

NARAL Pro-Choice Montana

PO Box 279

Radicals exposed

The progressive-socialist radical left-wing Democrats have finally exposed themselves. With these people in charge the Democrat Party is not even recognizable. JFK, the Dems' sainted darling, would not even fit in this group; he'd be too far to the right. They just barely tolerate Max Baucus. He sometimes sees some value into the other side's viewpoints.

To be a member of the P-S party it's not enough to be a Democrat. You must pay $30 and then be approved by two-thirds of the group's board. Total agreement on their issues is a must. That includes the legislators, who presumably are there to do the bidding of their constituants for the good of Montana. That does not fit the agenda of the P-S people or the gov. They are not allowed to have their own opinions, nor especially to vote for the Republican bill.

At some point there has to be compromise. Unfortunately, the P-S idea of compromise is to do it their way.

LeRoy Bender

4725 Britins Way

Circus animals suffer

A circus is coming to Helena this month and I beg anyone that cares cares about animals to stay away. The poor animals used by circuses such as this lead lives of cruelty, confinement and often suffer from violent training. This particular circus, the Jordan World Circus, has a long history of abuses recorded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture including failing to provide proper veterinary care, proper handling, nutritious food and clean water, shelter from the elements, and exercise and for inadequate and unsafe enclosures.

This circus uses Asian elephants taken from the wild as babies. Their lives are almost certain to consist of leg chains, hours of lonely confinement in trailers and intimidation. Other animals; like tigers, lions, bears and camels are treated just as badly. They are forced to eat, drink, and sleep in filthy, cramped cages. These animals are deprived of their basic needs to exercise and socialize. They are hauled for thousands of miles around the country in semi-trailers in all kinds of weather. For more information go to www.circuses.com. Please don't support this animal abuse. Children's entertainment shouldn't be cruel.

Lisa Peterson

310 5th Ave.

Getting people to vote

Getting more people to vote -- that is a publicly stated goal of both political parties. The number of people voting has decreased in recent years. Two years ago our voting law was changed to allow late registration and same day registration -- AND IT WORKED: 7,500 more people registered and voted in the late registration period, almost 4,000 on election day! (A 2 percent increase). It was hectic and confusing in some places -- is that a reason to do away with this? I don't think so. But, Secretary of State Johnson, and the organization representing the county's election staff say, "It's too hard!" Give me a break! Please write or call your legislator (especially those of you in Jefferson and Broadwater counties) and tell your senator that Rep. McGillvray's bill, HB 281, is a BAD bill; it is against the democratic process (small d), and it should not become state law. Thank you.

Mary Anne Guggenheim, M.D.

7575 Priest Pass Road

Trash for Trees

Growing Friends of Helena and the S.A.V.E. Foundation have teamed up to sponsor the Trash for Trees recycling event this year. All proceeds from Trash for Trees go to Growing Friends planting projects and to the S.A.V.E. Foundation's activities to expand recycling in Helena.

Trash for Trees will be held Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Northgate Shopping Center parking lot on Montana Avenue. We will be collecting aluminum, glass, steel and tin cans, newspaper, magazines, catalogs (bindings less than 1/4"), corrugated cardboard, type 1 clear plastic (water and pop bottles), type 2 clear plastic (milk jugs and juice containers) and type 2 colored plastic. (More recycling details are available at www.Savemobile.org or 431-0815.)

This event is made possible by the City of Helena, City-County Sanitation, Pacific Steel & Recycling, and community participation.

Please start saving your recyclables now and help make this year's Trash for Trees the biggest recycling event in Helena ever!

Betsy Hall Nordell,

Growing Friends of Helena Board

4002 Spring Hill Road

Kate Wilson, S.A.V.E. Board

P.O. Box 1481

Poor job performance

I am disappointed in the job performance of my representative, Scott Mendenhall. I work at Montana Developmental Center and we provide excellent services. We count on our legislators to stand up for us and the facility.

In past sessions, Mr. Mendenhall had a dismal voting record on public employee issues. I hoped that the 2006 election, which he won by a handful of votes, would convince him to support working people. After all, Jefferson County has more state employees than any other county except Lewis and Clark. Mr. Mendenhall represents most of Jefferson and a portion of Lewis and Clark.

Instead, Mr. Mendenhall has voted over and over against working people. He voted against restoring the negotiated agreement in the state pay plan bill. He voted to cut the minimum wage for tipped employees. He voted against a bill to limit the outrageous interest rates pay-day lenders can charge.

I wonder how Mr. Mendenhall will vote when the Republican "six pack" of budget cutting bills get to the House floor. Will he vote for cuts that hurt children, workers, public safety? Will he stick with his Republican Party and vote against services we state employees provide?

Michael Fitzpatrick

P.O. Box 491

Boulder

GOP playing games

So let me make sure I understand this: Republican Representative Lange is now prepared to chop Montana's Health & Human Services budget by two-thirds -- that's almost two billion to you and me -- for the sole purpose of being able to garner the support of Rep. Rick Jore in order to ram their budget agenda down our collective throats, and probably use it to make hay in the coming election cycle? Don't worry they say, they think they'll be able to put that money back in once they use Rep. Jore to further their agenda.

Make no mistake about it: this is a game of chicken they are playing with everyone's health and welfare ... and only for their own political gamesmanship.

I believe that most voters -- Republican or Democrat -- would be outraged to learn of the games these elected representatives were playing with the budget process, and the many vital programs and services. Tell your representatives that this isn't about making your party look stronger or better, sticking it to the other party or making yourselves look good in 2008. This is about working together to craft a budget that best represents and serves the interests of the citizens of Montana.

L.E. Huber

5575 Autumn Wind Court

A bad session

Having followed the 2007 Montana Legislature closely this year, I must say it reminds me of my days as an elementary school teacher. They are acting like a bunch of kindergarten kids fighting over whose turn it is. Seems like if you won't play the game my way I'll take my ball and go home is the rule of the day.

Before I go any further, I want all parents of school age children to know that I apologize for comparing your kids with this Legislature. Kids have adult supervision and soon resolve their problems. I guess the problem is the Legislature is lacking adult leadership to show up and work together.

Recently I have sent John Ward, R HD84, emails asking for his support and/or stance on current bills. This individual has failed to respond to me in any way. I must assume that what the voters of his district think is unimportant to him. Oh John, wait until election time and you need my support.

To the legislature I say wake up and grow up. We do not need an extended session to know what the people of Montana want. Take five minutes and ask us. We will tell you.

William Waddell

2920 Melrose Road

Messy place

We all dread spring trash cleanup. But what do you do when a neighbors trash keeps you out on your property daily? I live on Lanning Road in East Helena. It is a very short road and all properties are established and well maintained by retired folks for the most part that take a lot of pride in their yards. Except one. This place appears to be deserted -- with the exception of the dozen or more broken down vehicles. I say deserted because though more than 10 people live in this small home, there is so much trash in and throughout the entire property, it appears that surely, no humans can live there! I daily see my elderly neighbors out cleaning up, yet again, trash and debris from this property that has blown onto theirs. Is there no city ordinance that would require this "mulit-family" complex (though just a small house) to at least keep their trash picked up? There is no mistaking this property. One need only drive down Lanning Road to see which one it is. Perhaps a letter in the local paper may "shame" them into taking notice how badly their "sty" mars our neighborhood's beauty.

Julie Hunter

3218 Lanning Road, East Helena

Indian health care

It's really disturbing that the United States Department of Justice and the Bush Administration would take such great lengths to undermine years of effort of the nation's many tribal leaders to pass important health care improvement legislation. The Indian Health Care Improvement Act was temporarily derailed because of the behind the scene actions of these two culprits. Now, the DOJ and the Bush Administration is squirreling around trying to blame each other for a document generated by the DOJ that evidently wasn't suppose to land in the laps of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Too funny. Not really. I want to stress that it is not good public policy for American Indians or the non-Indians living in our community to have the important health care services provided by the Leo Pocha Clinic or the Helena Indian Alliance cut or even blatantly tampered with by these government institutions. The Washington Post called Attorney General Alberto Gonzales the President's Enabler. Frankly, I hope our next president can take all of our health care more seriously. As far as the DOJ, they probably out to stay out of the Indian health care business. I can't imagine a lawyer taking my blood pressure.

Shawn White Wolf

2047 N. Last Chance Gulch #328