Remember the Monday forum: What Missoula Needs to Know, about re-settling 100 refugees in Missoula County. Maybe 100 in the first year!
Here’s what Missoula needs to know about what maybe half of Ravalli County voters might be thinking.
Here is my considered guess at what’s best, lifted up and hopefully transcendent. Written in the voices of imagined people, presenting spoken phrases, in logical sequence!
Flathead votes against refugees. That’s very good news! Relying on the same logic we residents presented to our County Commissioners, Flathead conservatives caused the Flathead County Commissioners to also write a letter to the USA SOS opposing refugee re-settlement in America!
In November, our Fred Thomas, Dean of the Montana Senate, quickly responded to the hot debate about refugees in Congress, and sent out a letter to 55 Montana Legislators to get up to speed about the refugee issue.
Our Ravalli County Commissioner Chilcott reports that other counties around Missoula County are represented by people saying their county does not want Missoula County to take in large numbers of refugees.
Here in Ravalli, 500 citizens actively demonstrated resistance against refugee re-settlement, and our Commissioners voted 5-0 to keep refugees out of Montana.
The Missoula County Commissioners signed a letter supporting a process that leads to a county approved plan to re-settle 100 refugees in Missoula County, without collaborating with neighboring counties.
Commissioner Chilcott reminds us that “inevitably” some refugees would cross into Ravalli County.
What’s needed is a substantial legal wall excluding refugees from entering Montana. And if that’s too broad, then time for Montana legislation excluding refugees from Missoula County.
What’s next of importance to the counties around Missoula County, is the Ravalli County turnout for the June 7 election. The ballot for county, state, and federal offices.
Also the three subjects on the Local Government Study Commission (LGSC) ballot where people can vote preference for being governed from 2018 forward by five County Commissioners, OR vote preference for being governed by three County Commissioners. Also vote preference for Commissioner terms of four years OR terms of six years.
I’m guessing that a third or more of Ravalli voters would be of the mind that Scott Boulanger and Sharon Schroeder were maybe right. The third subject, the subject of voting for all county offices to be elected on a partisan basis, OR on a non-partisan basis, did not need to be on the ballot. But will be, by way of a 3/2 vote by the LGSC.
Therefore it’s important to vote to retain the partisan type of election system for County Commissioners, and all other county offices.
So comes the obvious concern. When all Ravalli County Commissioners are of the same political party, a 5-0 commissioner vote is of more regional authority than a 3-0 vote!
Bob Williams
Stevensville