Letters to the Editor

Immigration bill

Many employers are unaware of the employment verification provisions in the Senate immigration bill currently being debated in Congress.

I know how challenging it is to accurately ensure an applicant is legally authorized to work in this country. Identity theft and document fraud are significant issues. The wide array of legally acceptable identity documents and the lack of a secure electronic employment verification system make it all but impossible to distinguish a legal worker from an unauthorized one.

The bill would require employers to begin to verify all new hires' (as well as current employees) eligibility to work using an online system known as the Basic Pilot system -- a system with capacity and accuracy issues.

Under the bill, employers should be prepared to face stiff penalties for not complying with federal employment verification procedures. The Swift Meatpacking company participates in the Basic Pilot, yet on December 12, 2006, the U.S. government raided six Swift production facilities and detained 1,282 employees. Although Swift was NOT found to have violated the law, it was subjected to adversarial treatment by the government costing them more than $30 million. The Senate bill contains proposed fines and jail time even for inadvertent violations.

Jim Nys

Personnel Plus! Consulting Services

Helena Regional Office

210 E. Lyndale Ave Ste A

Lost opportunity

Back in 1992 when ShopKo was being built, I was working heavy construction and was told that ShopKo offered to foot HALF the cost of the interchange. I was told that city and county officials declined ShopKo's offer. Why? Imagine the dollar amount which would have been saved by beginning construction in 1992 and what is going to cost when they eventually begin construction? Does half of what it will now cost sound fair?

Steven Lodahl

2553 Southridge

No respect

I stopped at a Helena grocery store this Memorial Day. While the shoppers were picking up their picnic supplies, our national anthem was played over the sound system. No one in sight stopped. No one faced the music and placed their hands over their hearts. No hats were removed.

When and where the Star Spangled Banner is played, or our flag displayed, doesn't matter. We should always be proud to honor our country.

Arwen Cochran

27 Bridger Mountain Road South

Clancy

Buzz in the Bob

One of many, I enjoyed National Trails Day with a hike into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex -- the first of this hiking season. I was reminded again of the treasure we possess in Montana. Yet, my hike was marred -- someone had used a chain saw to clear the trail of fallen trees. Oh how I grieved this. Yes, I know, there is heavy downfall throughout the Bob, making it difficult to journey to our destinations. But, I grieve because this chain saw use diminishes the mystique of the Bob. The mystique of quiet, simplicity, cross cuts, and time away from the noise of our modern lives. Instead of using chain saws, let's work together to clear the trails. If all of us who enjoy the Bob -- hiking, packing, backpacking, fishing, floating, hunting, etc. -- if all of us give one day, one weekend, or one week back toward clearing these trails, we will be able to have the experiences in the Bob we desire, while preserving this mystique. Let's give back by volunteering with organizations such as the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation ( thebmwf.org). I will be volunteering this summer. Will you?

Chany Ockert

130 W. Reserve

Kalispell

Great party

We just experienced the most wonderful evening. We have worked, as parents, for the entire 2006/2007 school year to raise money and put together an All-Night Graduation Party for our graduating seniors. We wish to express our gratitude for the communities which have so willingly supported us in this endeavor. Townsend and Helena have both helped us so much along the way. We appreciate the donations from the following businesses: Albertsons, Papa Murphy's, Quizno, Vanity, Hallmark, Ross, Steffano's, Sara's Blue Ribbon Porkies, Taco Johns, Planet Gyro, Bagel Company, McDonald's, Woody's Car Wash, Burger King, Dillards, Dr. Lube, Big Sky Cyclery, Murdochs, Wal-Mart, Costco, Townsend Town Pump, Rocky Mountain Supply, American Federal and Townsend State Bank. We know that much of the success of the evening can be attributed to the many people who cared enough about our sons and daughters to donate to their graduation party. Thank you so much for all you have done.

Chris and Michele Christensen, the parents and graduates of the Class of 2007

Broadwater High School

3482 Hwy. 284

Townsend

Different person

I would like to clarify that the Steven D. Bartsch, age 44 years, from East Helena, is not the same person as Steven C. Baertsch, age 47 years, who resides in Winston.

Steven C. Baertsch

P.O. Box 173

Winston

VA care great

Recently, I was a patient at the VA hospital. I had a total knee replacement. As a clinic patient, the care I received as an outpatient has always been outstanding. With the recent surgery, this was my second admission as a patient. As with the first admission, the care I received was excellent from the minute I walked in the door until my discharge.

Veterans have a wonderful facility at Fort Harrison. It is very clean. From housekeeping to dietary to lab and nursing staff and everyone in between, I can find no fault with their care and concern. As a former nurse and having worked in many different states, Fort Harrison is an excellent facility especially in light of recent reports of other such facilities.

Sharon Doig

115 N. Cedar. Stop 2

Townsend

Parking solution

The city of Helena has several parking lots that are never filled to capacity. Why don't they offer the employers downtown as well as the federal building employees a special monthly discount? I have always thought that something is better than nothing.

I live on Jackson Street and the overflow in our area as well as the Benton area has become an issue between the businesses and the residents. This would keep the parking lots full and everybody happy. I would think it would bring more people to shop at the Great Northern as well as in the downtown area. It would also be an act of good will.

The city parking commission could quit ignoring the illegal parking on 14th Street! This is done to allow more parking for the business in the vicinity. It could also stop trying to put parking lots in residential areas.

Doreen Filson

811 N. Jackson

Cheap labor

It sounds as if the current backroom proposal for a new immigration law will not pass the Senate, if it does it will surely not pass the House. I will be happy to see either result. This would be totally unnecessary legislation, most "experts" on the net seem to agree, had the current administration been enforcing the 1986 law currently in force. However, business interests have clearly once again prevailed in getting the White House to go easy on enforcement so they could receive cheap labor from illegal immigrants. In my mind that is clearly illegal collusion on the part of OUR government and corporate farming interests. One of the moves to kite profits and keep wages down in America, of course, and cry about welfare and education costs.

Ray Peck

2412 Columbia Ave.

Blow it away

I read with great interest the June 7 article concerning the painstaking rehabilitation of a young porcupine that lost its tail in an unfortunate encounter with a dog.

After years of witnessing similar encounters between my Labrador retrievers (silly dogs), which typically result in much of the porcupine's tail deeply embedded in the dog's mouth, I've perfected a much simpler and less costly remedy. A carefully placed 1 oz. load of #6 lead shot immediately dispatches the porcupine to a better place.

This technique also works well with skunks and raccoons.

Cary Hegreberg

4165 Highway 284

Townsend

Good job on bison

Governor Schweitzer is constantly searching for creative ways to solve problems. If anyone can solve the brucellosis problem, Brian can. Just like he did last week working with the Park to craft a historic solution to protect Montana cattle producers.

Governor Schweitzer came up with an excellent solution to getting bison back into the Park and saved the baby bison from slaughter. How disappointing that Errol Rice of the Stockgrowers called Montana's efforts to haze hundreds of bison back into the Park "lackadaisical." He must be unaware of the long hours of hard work on the ground and in the air by Department of Livestock personnel working side-by-side with Fish Wildlife and Parks, Forest Service, Park, and local law enforcement folks. Instead of criticizing, maybe he should try his hand at herding bison through deadfall timber and wetlands on horseback at all hours like our agency folks have been doing for weeks now.

Errol Rice and the Stockgrowers insist that every bison that leaves the Park be slaughtered, including baby calves. That's what he meant when he called our efforts "lackadaisical." The Stockgrowers also oppose the hunt as a way to help manage herd numbers. What are they thinking?

Emily Samhammer

1601 N. Benton

Light sentence

Shame on you Judge Honzel for allowing Shawn Martin to serve only 30 days in jail after murdering an innocent man. What kind of message is our justice system sending to our youth? I see people convicted of DUIs -- without even killing anyone -- get one year in PRISON and then have to go to treatment after that. I know every case is different, but honestly, who cares if he had personal issues going on in his life? Everyone has problems and somehow the majority of them manage to overcome them without killing anyone. This man had options. I could care less if he was a firefighter, or a judge for that matter. There is NO excuse for what he did, and I for one am appalled by the decision to let him off with such a light sentence. That poor family did not deserve what he did to their grandfather, and our system failed them. Is this the message we want to send to the younger generation? "Just plead guilty if you drink and drive and kill someone. You'll only get 30 days in jail." NICE!!

Sandy Vincent

P.O. Box 353

East Helena

Branding hooey

Brand Helena? With all due respect to Matt Cohn and Advantage Helena, this is a bunch of hooey and hogwash -- marketing gone gonzo.

Let's say, for the sake of discussion, that we decide to brand Helena as the Toothpaste Town of -- the West, the Rockies, America, Lewis & Clark Trail -- whatever. What happens in a few years when the Toothpaste Town brand is old and tired; do we pep it up with "new and improved," "bright and refreshing," or "family economy sized"? Why don't we sear an H on all of our backsides and carve our niche, so to speak, as the Most Branded Town in the U.S. of A.?

And one final comment. Mr. Cohn et. al. should be subject to citizens' arrested for felony turning perfectly good words into meaningless mush, signifying nothing. What the ache ee double hockey sticks does that first paragraph actually say anyway? Not a dang blasted thing I kin discern.

Janet Seymour

402 Dearborn