Letters to the Editor

Elect Cohenours

As the election draws near, it is essential that voters carefully weigh their options when selecting candidates. Legislators this session will be charged with a myriad of tasks, including supporting a quality education for Montana schools and exploring renewable energy sources. Two candidates that will represent us well are Jill and Joe Cohenour.

Jill Cohenour's record of accomplishment in the past has shown her to be a tenacious legislator. She needs to continue that momentum in the upcoming session. Jill is actively involved in education and spends time with teachers to really understand what comprises a quality education. In addition, Jill's experience will help her work toward addressing energy issues that affect everyone.

Joe Cohenour not only says he will support quality education -- he does it everyday. Joe is the chairman of the East Helena school board. Under his leadership, East Helena is a leader in such areas as educational technology and full day kindergarten. Joe demonstrates the leadership we need in the legislature.

Jill and Joe Cohenour have both publicly expressed their support of renewable energy. We need strong leadership to make this a reality now. I urge you to vote for Jill Cohenour, HD 78 and Joe Cohenour, SD 39 on November 7.

Alyson Mike

2004 Montana Teacher of the Year

3778 Fox Crossing Road

Re-elect Liedle

In each of our life's experience certain people will stand out and above most others. One such woman I know is a unique and exceptional friend to all of us. She is Cheryl Liedle, the Sheriff of Lewis and Clark County.

Cheryl is known throughout Montana law-enforcement as a leader in public safety and, as President of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, she sets the tone for law enforcement in Montana. Her quiet strength under pressure is widely known and attested to by those who work with her.

Cheryl, who holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration, has hundreds of hours of law enforcement training in public safety, gained through 19 years of experience at all levels. Because of her deep passion for her community, she has dedicated her life to protecting us and has the proven ability to face danger, putting the safety of her deputies and the citizens of Lewis and Clark County foremost. While enforcing the law she also recognizes our individual rights and liberties.

I'm grateful for Sheriff Liedle's presence in our community and know that with her protection and dedication, we are all safer. I urge you to vote for Cheryl Liedle for sheriff.

Annabelle Richards

2412 Columbia Ave.

Now we know

Now we know! "Stay the course" never meant stay the course. "Mission Accomplished" never meant mission accomplished. "Bring it on" never meant bring it on. Very soon we will be told "Cut and Run" never meant cut and run. Conrad Burns better reach quickly for his secret plan for victory. In the meantime Montana's and America's soldiers keep dying in Iraq and American taxpayers keep paying for this tragedy at the rate of two billion dollars per WEEK. Have many lies and deceptions will we tolerate?

Paul W. Turley

6558 Big Rock Rd.

We want Andy

Hi, my name is Kenji Swain and I want Andy Hunthausen for County Commissioner. Even though I am only 11 years old I still care about these things and I am not the only younin in all of this even the 2 year old that lives across the street says go Jon Tester. I think that Mr. Hunthausen would be a great County Commissioner because, he takes time to listen to what people really have to say, and he knows how to be a great leader without taking control and at school when he is over the intercom he sounds pretty darn good. Weather you have a Liann Taylor sign or a Andy Hunthausen sign in your yard do the right thing and VOTE FOR ANDY HUNTHAUSEN. Also on November 7th remember to vote for my mom Mary Caferro H.D. 80, Sheila Hogan H.D. 77, Jon Tester senate, Ken Tool PSC, Jill Cohenour H.D. 78, and Christine Kaufmann H.D. 81. And I know what you're thinking that my mom told me to write this but she didn't.

Kenji Swain

P.O. Box 1801

Vote for Liedle

I worked in the office of the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's department for almost ten years and retired as administrative assistant to Sheriff Chuck O'Reilly. Cheryl Liedle advanced steadily from the time she came on board and was liked and respected by everyone. I've had the pleasure of watching her progress to become one of the most effective sheriffs in this state! She knows the land and she knows the people. Law enforcement needs in Montana are unique to this state and I can't imagine that anyone, knowing that. would vote for a newcomer with no experience and few qualifications!

Just had to get my two-bits in. You know, when you pass 80 you know the answers, but no one asks you any questions.

Syd Slattery

2615 E. Broadway

Negative ads

Stop with the negative ads. You aren't helping me make up my mind, you're just making me angry.

I'm tied of the half truths and out and out lies.

Tell us what you'll do and how you'll do it to make our lives better and our country stronger. I don't want someone representing me who tells half truths.

If you want to represent me be truthful, honest and act like a gentleman, not a thug.

I'm so angry that if it wasn't so important I wouldn't even vote. Wake up, candidates and parties! It's time for a real change -- truth!

Gwen Hartman

3660 Rainbow Drive

Vote while you can

Last week Pres. Bush signed the Military Commissions Act into law. With it Bush killed one of the most fundamental civil liberties taken for granted in English-speaking society for almost 800 years: the writ of habeas corpus. Without this right, the enforcement of other civil liberties becomes impossible. The law applies only to non-citizens, but how are any of us able to prove our citizenship without this right? Did you know? The mainstream media has been strangely silent.

Section 802 of the PATRIOT Act is specifically aimed at US citizens and announces any crime as "domestic terrorism." Citizens can be held without a trial as "Enemy Combatants."

Republicans would like to distract us from the severity of this development by labeling any dissent "party politics," but whoever holds office -- were it Mother Teresa -- this should be alarming to every American. It is only the noisy vigilance of the populace that safeguards our freedoms. We have now lost a major one. If the terrorists had done it it would constitute national defeat. What's it called when the president does it?

Remember all who have died for America. For this? Vote while you still have it!

Tim Holmes

933 8th Ave.

Troubling letters

In this long campaign season, I have been startled to see so many letters that promote voting for one candidate over another based on the amount of money that has been brought to the state. If our representative democracy is based on the amount of pork brought home, as opposed to wisdom and judicious thought, we are in grave trouble.

Susan Butler

6217 Canyon Ferry Road

Keep Funky

Please keep Funky Winkerbean in the daily comics. This strip is a part of my daily enjoyment of reading the IR.

You may get rid of "Pearls before Swine." This is psycho and deserves to be on the adult editorial page where comic reading children aren't shown this is regular or normal behavior.

Thanks for putting Bloom County in the Sunday comics, Breathed is hysterically funny. Reminds me of Little Abner when it was above my maturity as a child but still had comic value without poor taste.

Ed Dawes

1 Leaning Tree Ln

Clancy

No oversight

Sometimes it matters more where the buck starts, not stops. Senator Conrad Burns has squandered his power on the Senate Appropriations committee. As one of twenty-eight overseers of the largest appropriation in the history of the world, he fails to demand a strict accounting of inept projects, programs, and policies. If you complain about large government, taxes, huge deficits, waste, etc. why have you not demanded Burns retire? Perhaps you are scared to do so? Recently, the Republican ad campaign uses the word terror as if we were watching the previews for Scary Movie Six. Often people are more emotional than reasonable. Political consultants count on us to vote feeling over fact. Yet, fear is no substitute for leadership. Conrad Burns brands us with fear. I'm sick of such cowardly politics. I'm voting for Jon Tester because he is a reasonable and passionate leader. As president of the Montana Senate, he already has more experience than Burns did when he started office. In any case, someone better for America than Burns will fill Burn's spot on the Senate appropriations committee.

Bill Hallinan

438 Clarke Street

What Burns isn't

For many years now the liberal community has been relatively silent as their political opposites worked at defining the term "liberal" as a word denoting a group barely worthy of any respect. Why they let the sneering go on and on without much response is hard to fathom but perhaps the thought was that the public would see the demagoguery for what it is.

Since Conrad Burns is proud to NOT be a liberal it might be useful to refer to the Random House College Dictionary and check out what Conrad Burns isn't. Conrad isn't "favorable to progress or reform." Conrad isn't for "measures of progressive political reform." Conrad isn't for representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies." Conrad isn't "favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties." Conrad isn't for "favoring or permitting freedom of action especially with respect to matters of personal belief or expression." And finally, Conrad isn't "free from prejudice or bigotry."

Tom Larson

2001 9th Ave.

Vote for Toole

If you care about what you pay for electricity and natural gas, I encourage you to vote for Ken Toole for the Public Service Commission. Ken has a strong record as a citizens' advocate and is a fighter for Montana consumers.

His opponent, Mike Taylor, wants square deals for corporations. Ken Toole wants square deals for you.

Wendy Raney

9420 Highway 200

Wolf Creek