Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
Sorted by date Results 451 - 475 of 569
To the Editor, I am a registered Republican. I have never written to the editor before in my 64 years. I cannot stay silent any longer. This midterm election is too important. I’ve never been very good at understanding politics, but in the last eight to 10 years I have been paying more attention. Our country seemed to be going in the direction of meaningful civil discourse, services for everyone, respect for everyone, protection for our environment, and basic common sense. What is happening now under our current administration is d...
“We must show, not merely in great crises, but in the everyday affairs of life, the qualities of practical intelligence, of courage, of hardihood, and endurance, and above all the power of devotion to a lofty ideal, which made great the men who founded this Republic in the days of Washington, which made great the men who preserved this Republic in the days of Abraham Lincoln.” — Theodore Roosevelt You will not find any person more dedicated to the betterment of this county than Carol Brooker. As her employee of seven years, I have seen her ...
In 2010, Sanders County voters decided to make several of the county elected positions non partisan. There was wisdom in this as these positions are intended to serve the entire county and not just party politics. We have a candidate for commissioner actively promoting himself as a Republican because “these are MY values” and encouraging others to vote Republican. NOT who that candidate is or what they stand for or what their verifiable track record is. Just vote Republican no matter what. Do we really need another local elected official tha...
Please Vote YES on I-185 It will no doubt cause many smokers to quit smoking; protecting their life and health. Two of the members of my family died of cancer; both smoked. Look how much the tobacco companies are spending to defeat it. Let the users pay their medical bills in the price of the tobacco product. Thank you. Dick Christopher, Polson...
Editor, We are lucky, in Sanders County, to have commissioners who are willing to listen to all of their constituents, genuinely care for the residents of their communities, and work for the best interest of their citizens. In this election year, we have the opportunity to re-elect Carol Brooker, a commissioner whose experience, compassion and knowledge, make her the best choice for Sanders County. Rather than pie-in-the-sky promises of controlling smoke in our area, Carol has reasonable, attainable and sensible goals. Her values of hard work,...
While I share Jim Elliott’s feelings about the “big tobacco” anti-185 advertising, I don’t want to vote based on a knee-jerk reaction. And, as much as I dislike that “big tobacco” funds the anti-ads, I’m equally unhappy to see corporate medicine, which has a financial stake in expanded Medicaid, pouring money into the pro-ads. It seems there are more than enough lobbyists to go around. Drawing a line between tobacco and health care costs is a ruse. If I-185 raised the tax on tobacco, included electronic devices in the tax, and applied that...
Kim Christopher is the best candidate for District Court Judge of Lake and Sanders counties. She has excelled in this position for 18 years. She is steadfast, honest, fair and professional. How do I know? I’ve watched her in action and I’ve seen her behind the scenes. You see, Kim is my big sister. When Kim puts on her robe and sits at her bench she becomes the fair, stern, tough, experienced judge that resembles the judges we see on TV or in movies. Behind the professional, is a warm hearted, caring woman whom has raised three amazing boy...
Editor, I have had the opportunity to work with Ashley in the Polson Public Defender’s Office. As a new lawyer looking for guidance, I often turn to Ashley for her wealth of knowledge and her ideas on building a better community. Knowledgeable Ashley’s keen legal mind and knowledgeable approach to the Montana laws and Constitution are highly respected by her clients and colleagues alike. Ashley not only has a deep understanding of the law, she understands that as society evolves to face the new difficult challenges facing this modern wor...
Editor, We support the re-election of Carol Brooker for Sanders County Commissioner. Carol understands the parameters of this non-partisan position and she works fairly for every citizen in the county, regardless of their ideology or political affiliation. Carol has earned the respect of all who know her because of her honesty, integrity and her ability to get the “hard work” done that benefits all Sanders County residents. Carol is always available and willing to discuss the reasoning behind her decision making. We have known Carol Bro...
Editor, At the candidates’ forum held in Thompson Falls, candidate for Sheriff Darlene Lee stated in her closing remarks that she has “a medical retirement from the Montana Highway Patrol.” My initial thought was if she is medically (disability) unable to work for MHP how can she be able to work as a sheriff? When the forum was over, I asked her. She stated that the sheriff’s job is an “administrative” position and that her disability would not affect her performance. I told her that Sanders County has a working sheriff and not confined to the...
Yes, the U.S. is a democracy I grow tired of folks trying to create divisive issues where there are none. Yes, the United States of America is a democracy, according to the modern definition of the word. The archaic definition of democracy as “direct rule by the masses” fell out of use over 50 years ago. Look up the definition in any modern dictionary and you will see the definition includes rule by democratically-elected representatives. To merely state that we are republic is also lacking because it does not specify how those rep...
Ever thought about why vaping/e-cigarettes come in berry & bubble gum “flavors”? Big Tobacco has reportedly spent $12 million against Initiative 185/Healthy Montana/Tobacco Tax. This new line of products that appeal to the younger crowd will continue to entice them and lead them to become tobacco users, thus assuring tobacco profits for the future. Who of your family and friends are dealing with high blood pressure, stroke, lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or lung cancer due to tobacco use? In Montana, 28....
Local elected positions are technically defined as “non-partisan,” but that doesn’t mean the candidates are not aligned with a political party. They are, and it is important to understand which one because there is a BIG difference in how they operate. First of all, Carol Brooker has been a county commissioner for 24 years. It’s a six-year term, so if she wins this time, she will have controlled this county for 30 years. That’s too long for any politician to hold power — Democrat or Republican. Elected people need to know what it is like hol...
To the editor, On Oct. 5, 2018 at Deer Lodge, Thompson Falls’ football game against Deer Lodge was one of the best games I have ever seen. And I have seen a few. The Blue Hawks got off to a slow start and we were down 26-8 at halftime. There was no quit in either team. They came all the way back and actually took the lead with one minute left at 50-46 before losing 54-50 with 6 seconds left. They scored six touchdowns in the second half to four for Deer Lodge. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the comeback actually felt possible. Wha...
Hopefully, the members of the Noxon community have noticed the landscape work being done to the Noxon Emergency Services building. In an effort to make our community more attractive, Noxon Rural Fire District board members Harley Allder and Joel King have volunteered hours of labor to the project. However, this project was also a community effort with the help of many others. The Noxon Rural Fire District would like to recognize and thank the following individuals for their contribution: Kevin Johnson of Johnson Hardware, Rob Conn, John...
Hello Sanders County! This election season has seen much drama and contention with the discussions of choices to be made among the candidates for the various offices. Here in Sanders County we are fortunate to have one clear and simple choice in our candidate for County Commissioner. In this day of divisive politics a person who can see more than one side of an issue and can bring those views together is rare, and to be valued. In Carol Brooker we have a candidate who is objective when hearing opposing sides of an issue and uses clear thinking...
I am writing in response to Blaine Blackstone’s column from September 27. Specifically, I would like to address misunderstandings perpetuated in Mr. Blackstone’s column around how traumatic experiences are stored and recalled. Mr. Blackstone refers to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s telling of her story as not being “rational” because of her inability to recall exact dates and timelines related to the traumatic experience she had, and the response that she had immediately following the incident. At the same time, she could recall details of the ro...
Editor, After attending the Candidate Forum held at the REX Oct. 6, 2018 it is clear that: Paul Fielder will be a superior choice to the current, decade plus, status quo of our County Commission. Paul will bring fresh approach and outlook: pro economic growth, pro-government accountability. Paul has a long history of working with government agencies federal and state, a plus for being an effective County Commissioner. Sheriff Tom Rummel is doing a FINE JOB; is experienced, well trained, and physically capable to be active in the field...
Years ago, voters in Sanders County passed an initiative that all elected county positions are to be non-partisan. We note that Carol Brooker has been endorsed by members of all major parties. We appreciate Carol Brooker’s service to Sanders County for many reasons; including but not limited to: 1. Her experience and knowledge of the county 2. Representing the county at MACO (Montana Association of County Officials) and dealing with County and State matters 3. Her neutrality in dealing with people and issues 4. She supports keeping all f...
In his three C-5 Financial Reports through June 20, Paul Fielder reports receiving slightly more than $5,000 for his County Commissioner campaign and spending slightly more than $5,000. But a few details deserve consideration. Sixteen of his 46 campaign contributors do not reside in Montana. That is 35%. For a county commissioner position that seems to be a disproportionate percent outside the county you would represent. More revealing is the fact that he reports $3,428.11 in expenditures outside this county. And every item in that total could...
Editor, Kudos and Hats Off to Tony Kimberlin of Libby, Montana, who so correctly pointed out that our United States of America is a republic and not a democracy. His “exact and truthful definitions” need to be re-learned by many citizens of our great country so each person truly understands the vast differences. The use of the word democracy by so many of our politicians, media, motion picture industry, and especially the academic community falls prey to the Saul Alinsky tactic that if you just keep repeating and repeating a word often eno...
Jon Tester bought a million-dollar mansion in Washington, D.C. Matt Rosendale bought a ranch home in rural Montana. Jon Tester has supported all of Obama’s nominations for the Supreme Court, but he has opposed ALL of President Trump’s nominees. Tester claims to be for the second amendment, but he voted in favor of Justice Sonia Sotamayor who said, “The right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental right.” Tester can talk all he wants about protecting our gun rights, but his voting record is horrible. Matt Rosendale, Greg Gianfor...
Editor, Less than 100 years ago, you could not vote unless you were male and owned property. Today anyone 18 and over can vote, if they are registered. Those who moved here recently and those who did not vote in the last Presidential election are not registered voters. Check the county courthouse to make sure. Registration closes on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Please remember to vote on November 6. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain afterwards. Hal Vosen Heron...
To the Editor: In the May 2018 Rural Montana magazine (p. 12), Senator Jon Tester begins his response to a posed question with this statement: “Attacks on our democracy can come in many different forms.” I would like to point out to Senator Tester that we are a republic and not a democracy. To say we are a democracy is an attack against our U.S. Constitution and the republic it stands for. The word democracy does not appear in the U.S. Constitution, but reference is made to the word republic in Article 4 Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution whe...
This letter is in reply to Blaine Blackstone’s disgraceful article about Christine Blasey Ford. He questions her decision to come forward with her story at this time. Gee, let me guess … She doesn’t want a sexual predator to become a member of the Supreme Court! And as Ms. Ford expected; she and her family have received death threats and other harassment. You continued in your letter to attack Ford, doubting she would testify and if she did her testimony would be discredited. What do you have to say now that she has testified and many people an...
