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When you campaign across our beautiful state, as we both have had the opportunity to do, you learn a thing or two about what it means to be a Montanan. You learn that while there are unique issues in each of our 56 counties, we all share many of the same hopes and concerns from Butte to Broadus. We want our kids to receive a high-quality public education, we want our public lands to be protected and we all want to live dignified, respected lives. Every Montanan wants a legislator that will bring people together to get things done. That’s why w...
Here is how I am voting: Last week’s letter dealt with Propositions, Judges and the Public Service Commission. You can view it here: http://kvs.org/vote/ballot-part1.pdf MT House Rep, HD 92: TOM BROWDER is a native Montanan, who lives in the district. He is thoughtful and pragmatic, headed for the legislature to focus on a rational tax system with lower taxes for poor people. He supports affordable housing, so that we can accommodate a variety of incomes in Seeley Lake. He advocates for quality education from pre-K to college, trade and tech s...
The summer before I turned 17 was the worst fire season in Montana history. The Rice Ridge fire outside of Seeley Lake grew 60,000 acres in a single day, filling the beautiful Blackfoot Valley, where I’ve lived my entire life, with smoke and threatening evacuation for my family and many of our friends and neighbors. And we had it much better than most of the people living in the Seeley-Swan Valleys, who breathed air filled with the particulates of their burning forests for most of the dry summer and well into the fall, and continue to feel t...
I’m writing this letter in support of Tom Browder, as he is a man of character and diligence. I met Tom about three years ago as a volunteer on his Parks and Recreation committee, which he led and continues to lead at this time. I continue to volunteer and have gotten to know Tom very well. He is an intelligent, self-directed, people-oriented person who is committed to whatever he chooses to do. He is devoted to the task. What he says is what he does! Tom is also a technology wizard. He has worked in this field for many years and has done m...
Recently, I have received a couple of misleading mailers from the Montana Republican State Central Committee attacking Kathleen Williams and claiming she “wants to take away your Second Amendment rights.” Don’t believe the Republican and NRA propaganda about Kathleen. It is not true! I have been a gun owner, shooter and hunter for the past 60 years. I know Kathleen and have spoken with her about her views on firearms. Kathleen is a firearms owner and hunter. Like many of my hunting companions, she supports reasonable, commonsense legis...
Around the United States for the last several years, Republicans have pushed legislation and regulations to make voter registration and voting more difficult. As we all know, and Republicans like Trump and a few others have publicly admitted, they do not do well at the polls when more people vote. Back in March of 2020, Trump stated on Fox News that opening up voting to more American citizens would mean “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.” We’ve even had a few Republican state legislators in Montana acknowledge the pro...
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a more disingenuous or out of touch endorsement for a political office than the Missoulian’s recent endorsement of Jennifer Fielder for Public Service Commissioner. They contend she has a “unique capacity to unite a fractured commission.” Anyone that has followed her political life knows that her capacity to unite is because she would be another Republican on the commission. Isn’t that really what Lee Newspapers wants? Another vote to styme the change on the commission that we Montanans desperately need and desire....
In two recent decisions, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that the Public Service Commission (PSC) broke the law when it imposed harsh contract terms on renewable energy developers who sought to sell power to the state’s largest regulated utility. These rulings were welcome not only because they opened the path to future renewable energy development, but also because they affirmed a fundamental principle of American democracy: Nobody—no person, nor government official, nor government agency—is above the law. In another way, however, the rulin...
I have had brief but memorial conversations with Jennifer Fielder. It was apparent from those conversations that Jennifer Fielder has no desire or ability to work with others that may not agree with her. Most concerning to me was how hostile Jennifer Fielder appeared to be regarding outdoor recreation. I remember thinking how difficult it would be to work on the same committee with Jennifer Fielder. That’s why I was stunned to read that the Missoulian endorsed Jennifer Fielder in part because of her “unique capacity to unite.” Jennifer Field...
I am a retired teacher in Missoula and Bryce Bennett has my support for Montana Secretary of State. Bryce is a fifth generation Montanan with a solid history of public service as State Senator. Bryce attended Montana public schools and is enthusiastically supported by MEA-MFT. An important component of the Secretary of State’s job is to interpret election laws and to oversee the election process. I firmly support Bennett’s principled plan supporting mail-in ballots. Montana citizens should not be forced to make a choice between their health dur...
The outcome of every electoral race this November will affect Montana’s air, water, climate and economic opportunities. Montana Conservation Voters, a statewide non-partisan organization, believes we all can help protect our public lands, our environment and our climate by electing conservation champions at all levels of government. To that end, Montana Conservation Voters strongly endorses Monica Tranel for Public Service Commissioner in District 4. Our Public Service Commission is a very small state agency, but it has a very big say in d...
I am a long time resident of the Swan Valley. I am voting for Monica Tranel because she knows her stuff! Take a moment to learn about her, she is the right person for this job. In addition to two decades of experience working directly with the Public Service Commission, Monica served as a staff attorney for the PSC from 2001 to 2005 and worked for the Consumer Counsel from 2014 to 2016. She currently runs the Tranel Law Firm, which is focused on regulatory issues before the PSC, water and property rights, and represents clients who want to inve...
With all the “grades” being issued by the National Rifle Association (NRA) for Montana political candidates I’d like to offer some perspective on this highly partisan organization. I am 74 years old and have hunted for nearly 60 years in Montana. When I was honored to be elected as a Democrat to the Montana House of Representatives back in the 1990s I earned a “D” rating from the NRA the entire time I was in office. The Republican gentleman who defeated me in my fourth bid for re-election had never hunted, fished or owned a gun but received...
With numerous important voting issues, none is more critical than life. God’s Commandment states: “You shall not kill,” meaning to not kill unjustly. Even though science concurs with the Church that an individual human being exists at conception, 60+ million abortions have been wickedly legal in this country since 1973. However, God’s laws overrule man’s laws. We know the mantra: “It’s a woman’s choice; it’s her body”; not according to our Creator: “It is I who bring both death and life…” (Deuteronomy 32:39). Anyone who votes for a political...
By next week, your ballots will have arrived in the mail. For whatever it’s worth, here is how I am voting. You can view a sample of my ballot at http://kvs.org/vote/ballot2020.pdf I will start out with the parts that baffle many people. Propositions and Initiatives: Initiative # 118: would allow adults to possess marijuana (more below). I am voting YES Referendum # 130: Would prohibit local governments from establishing firearm restrictions. “It repeals local governments’ authority to prevent the possession of firearms by convicted felons, adj...
When I looked out the window this morning, the fog was partially concealing our valley. As the sun rose, the fog lifted and I was staring in awe at the brilliant reds, oranges and yellows that greet us most mornings in the fall when you live in this magnificent valley. Since I was a boy in the 50’s, I have always greatly valued waking up to the ever-changing beauty of our vista at Placid Lake. I always knew that Placid Lake would someday be my home. Don’t we all value the beauty of the vistas we experience wherever we are in the See...
As a resident of East Missoula, I am writing to put my support behind Tom Browder for House District 92. I haven’t known Tom for a very long time but what I have seen is an honest, knowledgeable, generous, dedicated and helpful person. I was first introduced to Tom on a blisteringly hot summer day when he was manning a community food drive in the parking lot of Ole’s Conoco Station. The heat was melting the asphalt but there was Tom, smiling and laughing, under his sun umbrella. He was there all day and it was a LONG day. I next met Tom whe...
With the vitriol and enmity permeating politics on the national level it is easy to become jaded and disengage. It often seems that we are relegated to choosing the least onerous candidate. It is difficult to get enthused. Fortunately, for a change, we have a local (and Tip O’Neill said “All politics is local.”) candidate who generates excitement. Tom Browder is running for the Montana House District 92 seat. Browder’s experience in the business world required him to work collaboratively to successfully mitigate problems. Browder will not onl...
I have known Tom Browder for quite some time and have found him to be an interesting, energetic person. Now, he wants to serve the eastern area of Missoula County in the State Legislature. In my opinion, this is good for both this area and the state of Montana. Tom is a very thoughtful person who wants to help make a great place even better. People in the Seeley, Swan area know Tom as a person involved in the community and working for progress in the areas of: a strong public education system; quality healthcare; affordable housing and keeping...
Death and taxes, two realities of life. My opinion today comes from being in the insurance industry for 30 years as a broker, agency principle and insurance company board member. The politicians today are misrepresenting the fact about your health insurance. The facts are your health insurance is already controlled by federal and state regulations and has been for years. The Affordable Care Act did one major thing, the requirement that all pre-existing conditions be covered - probably the most defining moment for many of you. You no longer had...
I am not in the habit of writing to the paper. However, this week’s letter by Tim Adams upset me to no end. This vile and vicious attack on our current House Representative and the Chair of the Missoula Republican Party was not only full of lies and untruths, it was an ugly stain on our community where we pride ourselves on being civil, neighborly and caring, no matter what our political views are. It is bad enough that the climate on social media is unpleasant, aggressive and full of false information, let’s keep hate and viciousness out of...
I like Tom. He has roots in our neighborhood, worked in our woods in his younger days and had a successful business career. Not only is he a full time resident of our community, he is a full time participant in our community. As a lifelong Montanan from Missoula County, his business ventures in other parts of the country benefits us with fresh ideas. His opponent seems like a wannabe politician who only campaigns in this district because he failed to get elected in the district where he lives. I want to be represented in Helena by someone who...
As a resident of House District 92, I am pleased to be able to endorse our Representative Mike Hopkins for re-election. As our Representative, Mike has authored and passed legislation that has created jobs in our community and throughout the State, he fought to defeat more than $800 million in tax increases, to allow property owners to fight fires on their own property and to ensure freedom of speech on Montana college campuses. Mike’s colleagues call him a thoughtful and dedicated legislator who always puts his constituents first, and he is k...
One of the most important votes you will cast this year is for Montana Supreme Court. Most people ignore judicial contests, so your vote will carry extra weight. Mike Black is by far the superior candidate. Black, a fourth generation Montanan, was raised at Havre in a railroad family. He enjoys the support of all seven of the retired Supreme Court Judges. The incumbent whom he is running to replace was backed in her election by a dark-money group, the Montana Growth Network, and is essentially a puppet for the Koch organization. Consequently,...
It’s no secret that there is a diversity of opinion in our community. Politics has become something of a contentious, even nasty business nationally. Sometimes tensions can be high even within the State, counties and local communities. Some politicians seek to divide us or exploit any existing division for political gain. Some will adhere to party line even when it makes little sense with the issue at hand. And some will listen, seek common ground and work to build consensus. In my view the role of our elected representatives is to understand w...
