Editorial

Enjoy dinner with a few hundred of your friends and neighbors

Letters to the editor

Property taxed incorrectly

Editor,
We have a small piece of property one fifth of an acre, 22/100 of an acre to be exact. Lake County has assessed this property at $53,151, which figures out to $241,595 per acre. This is unbelievable.
When the previous owner put this property up for sale and had it surveyed, he found out that some of his drain field encroached on the neighbor’s property. So he bought a small triangular shaped piece from the neighboring property.
This was not our fault, nor is this little piece of brush of any added value to us. And of course it can’t be sold as a separate parcel. The value should actually be zero, or at the most $1,000. This little piece of property is costing us $338.31 a year in taxes. Which would figure out to $1,537.77 per acre. And we have been paying taxes on this for the three years we have owned it.
We contacted Lake County last year and were told we would have to wait until 2009 to file a dispute, which we did. We have also talked to them on the phone. We told them all they have to do is look at their plat maps, and they can see what we are talking about.
We told them this is a mistake that they should be able to take care of in minutes, but were told it’s much more complicated than that. I guess only because they want to make it complicated. We also contacted the county commissioners about how outrageous this was but, of course, have never heard a word from them.
Besides the money issue, it’s just very frustrating that an outrageous mistake like this cannot be taken care of in a timely manner, especially when it is so obvious and without any merit.
John and Teresa Backs
St. Ignatius

Your vote counts

Editor,
Prior to the last primary election, you indicated that you wanted to make a change in our Tribal Council.
All the complaints and dissatisfactions I heard about the council, concerning pay raises and the way council members were treating tribal members was not important because all the incumbents were voted back.
When you voiced your opinions to the council and question their pay raise, those were rescinded except for the chairman's pay raise. Maybe this was enough to change your minds about any change in the Tribal Council.
In another paper, I saw letters that complained and questioned the council's actions. I was very hurt and deeply disturbed by the number of voters each incumbent received winning all the districts over their challengers.
If you want to make a change in your council, you have to get out and vote. Vote for the individual you think will make the changes you want.
I am tired of hearing after each election — "Why did that incumbent get back in for another four years?" When you had the chance to vote for a candidate that you knew would make the difference or a change in your Tribal Council.
I am writing this letter to each of you, my tribal members, to get out and vote in the general election on Dec. 12. Don't take it for granted that your vote does not count, because it does. Do you know that only 42 percent of us voted in the primary? We still have 2,100 tribal members that did not vote.
Fred R. Cordier
Ronan

Live Locally race huge success

Editor,
Race Coordinators Sarah Hartsoch of HealthCare Plus and Heather Knutson of Country Pasta would like to say thanks to all the local businesses that contributed to the race, and to the volunteers.
With their support, the race was a success in raising $2,250 to be donated to Mission Valley Aquatics.
Sarah Hartsoch
Heather Knutson
Polson

Doctor eases the pain

Editor,
I would like to thank Dr. Uli and staff of the Southshore Veterinary Service. Bindi, my golden retriever and best friend of eight years developed cancer. While nothing can ease the heartache of losing your dog, Dr. Uli made it easier. The degree of professionalism and care was unlike any I have seen.
Thank you to all at the Southshore for your care and kindness during a very hard time for me. May God bless you.
Pat Lundgren
Polson

It's time to clean up our house

Editor,
A wise and learned Russian philosopher 100 years ago said this to a group of Russian anarchists working to topple the czar, "We are not the doctor, we are the disease."
Quite a statement, and in my view quite applicable today right here in America. Just look at all the finger pointing, in-fighting in Congress, posturing for political gains, outrageous examples of greed and fraud, and the many examples of erratic and destructive attitudes and behavior right in our own grass-roots communities.
It is not popular nor pleasant to hear from someone with wisdom and status, such as that Russian philosopher, that we should "clean up our own house first."
What are you talking about? We ask ourselves. Just look at what's going on with our leadership. Nobody seems to want to really fix anything. All they want to do is make speeches, argue, protect their own cherished positions, get re-elected, and all the time pointing the finger at someone else as the culprit who is working against real reform and change.
It's suggested that these people are doing all these weird things and are not representing the true wishes of the American public, who put them in these leadership positions.
What does this tell us? What can we do about it? Are we willing to "clean up our own house first?" And this cleaning up involves, for many of us, shifting our habit thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs from putting all the blame out there to really taking a thoughtful look at our own lives, how we live them, what motivates us. We need to look at the ways in which we so often undermine our many relationships with others out of fear, anger, and attack.
Anyway, philosophy has always been one of my passions, and upon reading that comment from the Russian philosopher, it caught my attention and got me to thinking about my own country and its many problems and challenges which have been self-imposed.
Bob McClellan
Polson

Health care bill poses many questions

Editor,
This isn't a pro-or-con Health Care opinion. It urges identifying unintended consequences for any decision. Health care legislation providing full coverage for pre-existing conditions without evaluating unintended consequences is one example.
Americans consume about two thirds of the world's narcotics. Obesity affects one in four Americans, it's even present in elementary schools. Obesity, drug use, tobacco addiction and even alcoholism are pre-existing conditions.
They do lead to diet related diabetes, heart disease, and weaken immunity systems. Our average age is increasing and medical needs of the elderly do contribute to health care costs. Obesity is a pre-existing condition for some seniors and may require health care that is preventable in some cases.
These pre-existing conditions are facts. Yet we don't know the total costs of covering pre-existing conditions. What if the estimates relied upon by lawmakers prove to be wrong? What do we do in five years if these costs were under estimated by billions of dollars?
Maybe medical coverage that mitigates pre-existing conditions needs a separate health care plan with requirements and incentives to correct these conditions before they become disabilities. Rushing to provide coverage for all pre-existing conditions without incentives to take better care of ourselves will not help save costs.
Signing into law a bill neither we the people nor our representatives can review and finessing vigorous debate through political gamesmanship shreds the Constitution. Members of Congress involved are not fulfilling their oaths of office.
Ambiguities in any law are interpreted then written into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) by Executive Departments. How many ambiguities are in a 1500 page bill? Will czars write the CFR? If yes, will they have federally mandated security clearances? Do all presidential appointees requiring clearances have them?
Sotero Muniz
Polson

Bells will ring support during playoffs

Editor,
To Mr. Frank Swain, as parents of Polson High School athletes, we would like to thank you for attending one of our recent sporting events. I am sorry that you did not enjoy the Polson-Ronan football game because of the cowbells, but I am hopeful that you are willing to come again.
Cowbells have been part of the atmosphere at Polson football games for many years. I am not sure when the tradition started, but it has been a sign of support for our Pirate teams and it is accepted by the administrators at Polson High School, as well as the Montana High School Association. 
Football is an outdoor sport with many rallies and disappointments. The players on the Pirate team enjoy hearing their parents ring the bells as a show of support for their productive efforts. Only a parent knows the true effort a student/athlete makes to entertain us on a Friday night. 
As fans of high school sporting events, we know that we are expected to act with sportsmanship in mind at all times. Cowbells are an innocent noisemaker and part of the atmosphere at the Polson High School Stadium. The parent-bell ringers have always sat in the same area of the stadium. They watch the game intently and not the looks or stares of those around them.
Once again, thank you for supporting the Pirates, but the bells will indeed be ringing at the football playoff games.
Lori Picard
for the Polson Pirate Football Moms
Polson

Thanks for bringing the library to us

Editor,
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Preschool would like to thank Polson City Librarian Marilyn Trosper and Trude Hunsucker for bringing the Library Story Shuttle to our preschool. The time spent with Miss Trude is some of the children's favorite of the week. They especially liked all of the books about pirates.
Thank you for all of your efforts to encourage reading in our community. We are a small preschool and truly appreciate your time.
Joyce Shima
Polson