Wednesday, May 01, 2024
40.0°F

Letters to the editor April 18

| April 18, 2024 12:00 AM

Developer invasion

Only we can control this takeover and invasion of developers in our rural Montana. These developers pray on our elected leaders’ inability to control or stop this invasion in favor of higher tax revenue and intrinsic value of gifting like gratis fire engines for our first responders, and using the cliché, affordable housing, et cetera.    

The same is happening with the proposed Steamboat Landing subdivision, which would double the size of Somers existing population.

We attended the March 13 public hearing on the proposed Steamboat Landing. The majority of the board decided to table the decision and the chairman offered the land owner and developer an opportunity to amend their plan, absent any federal, state or municipal review. 

Now, the planning board chairman has placed the proposed development on our elected leaders docket, absent any revised public comment, and deciding without due process and review by legal oversight such as federal, state and local regulatory agencies. According to the developers’ “re” submission, they ask the county commissioners to allow them to proceed and move forward absent Montana and federal review. They state, in five years, we will be ready in Phase II of the Steamboat Landing project.  

Hmmm? Without guaranteeing that the developer or their LLC will still be here.

Stop the invasion and scarring our rural Montana land. Demand our elected leaders follow existing federal, state and local reviews absent any waiver(s). Attend, speak up, vote!

I am not against growth — it’s inevitable — but we can control it and follow existing due process absent waivers, or developer planning board end-arounds.

— James Mathieu, Somers

Sheehy’s story

After reading the latest story concerning Mr. Sheehy’s bullet wound, it makes me wonder what is the real version? 

He now admits to lying to a Glacier Park ranger concerning the incident. His quote: “I guess the only thing I’m guilty of is admitting to doing something I never did.” 

Wow! This is the new breed of far-right MAGA and Freedom Caucus people that seem to spew falsehoods constantly. 

After reading that his aeronautics company is looking at a $77 million loss, maybe he should consider backing off seeking office and just retire to his Flathead Lake compound, or his ski-house at Big Sky, or just go to his Bozeman house.

— Lewis Moore, Rollins

Reject Tester

It is time for the people of Montana to reject the corruption and propaganda of Jon Tester.  

Jon Tester has become inter meshed in the same corrupt Washington organizations that he promised to fight in his campaign ads. Who do you think that Jon Tester really works for when he has become the top recipient in Congress of money from lobbyists and special interest groups? Jon Tester claims to be a moderate but votes with most radical extremes of the socialistic, progressive wing of the Democratic Party.  

Jon Tester claims that he is a Second Amendment supporter, but he regularly joins with anti-gun liberals to vote against our right to self-defense. Tester supported criminalizing the private transfer of firearms between life-long friends and some family members.

The 17 years that Jon Tester has spent in the Senate has been devastating to Montana. We cannot afford to have him for another term. Please do not vote for Jon Tester.

— Deborah Wilson, Kila