Letters to the editor March 12

I’d like to address a recent letter written by Donna Maddux regarding public education.

As a retired superintendent of public schools, she has some interesting ideas. Her question: “Should taxpayer money support the various groups that claim funding for their religious values regardless of how strange they may seem to others?” is a curious one, considering that my taxes are funding things happening in public school that are distressing and strange. So my question to her is this: by whose standards do you evaluate “strange”?

I also question the “common values” she says need to be respected. Whose values are they? I think my values are good and respectable, Also, why should some taxpayers, such as homeschooling and private school families pay via taxes for benefits they don’t receive and others do? I do not agree that public school is the only place that turns out the well-educated. I also disagree that democracy is solely dependent on a well-educated voter population. Regardless of educational background, a well-informed voter is what I believe makes democracy work.

And while education is important and valuable, parents, not government, should be able to choose which education is best for their children and not be penalized by paying for something they don’t get.

—Pat Murphy, Kalispell

I take exception with Mudman front page article which states “people just want their burgers.” Those people established a cult, not a religion, and why on earth would anyone in the Flathead want to patronize a place still owned by the Rozells when they should have been held accountable for their actions? What about all of the people they hurt and kept in such miserable conditions? Why hasn’t the labor department prosecuted them? Sad state of affairs when money seems to rule over the conscience of Montanans.

And for Daily Inter Lake to suggest it was a nonprofit; you don’t think there was a profit? People who read your paper are not stupid. Must be a better story for front page of your newspaper. Just pathetic.

—PaulaJayne Wheeler, Kalispell

Is climate change real, or not?

Being in denial is a beautiful thing, really?

By being in denial about climate change we tell ourselves it’s not a problem, we are OK. Are we? Because of the extreme heat created by the emission of carbon into the atmosphere, 17 of the 18 warmest years have been since 2001. The last three years we have had record hot years. May of 2018 both Norway and Sweden had the hottest month in history resulting in wildfires everywhere. So did Germany and many other countries. Unprecedented brushfires are raging across Australia now. A recent article in the New Yorker Magazine said the climate apocalypse is coming; there is no hope except for us. Who is “us”?

I belong to Citizens Climate Lobby. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on national policy to address climate change. CCL advocates for the bipartisan climate solution, HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. It will reduce carbon emissions at least 40% in the first 12 years.

Another group I belong to is the Catholic Climate Covenant. In the U.S. nearly 800 Catholic institutions, health care systems, universities, parishes, and schools have signed the Catholic Climate Declaration that affirms the Paris Agreement.

The Union of Concerned Scientists commissioned the Yale University on Climate Change Communications to conduct a nationwide survey and results were posted in June. 53% surveyed said global warming is already harming their local communities. 57% think fossil fuel companies are responsible for a moderate to a great deal of the damage and should pay for most or all of it.

Scientist predict unless we start reducing the emissions now it may well be too late ten years from now to reverse the trend to an acceptable level of emissions.

Call Congress today!

—Kurt Hertrich, Columbia Falls

Greg Gianforte just made a strong decision in selecting Kristen Juras as his Lt. Governor for Montana.

Juras is a fourth-generation Montana native. She is a strong conservative who supports traditional family values, private property ownership, preserving Second Amendment rights, limited government, lower taxes, individual freedom and free enterprise economics. She is a perfect complement to pro-business Gianforte, and having them together will benefit all Montanans with proven leadership who will work with all people to make Montana a better place to live and work.

Well done, Greg!

—Fred Miller, Cascade