by Linda Schmitt, Corvallis
The saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This quote captures perfectly the dramatic choice we Bitterrooters have in front of us. The Bitterroot College will be on the ballot in May: we fund it or it disappears. We can tell our children and grandchildren we are looking out for them, giving them a future right here in the Valley, or we can…. go fishing. It’s that dramatic. We fund the College or assign our kin to low skill, low wage, minimum level work. They suffer and we suffer. Who will help us in our businesses, on our farms, in our health care facilities?
The College offers technical trades and skills. It offers students credits they can transfer to universities, at significantly less cost than they can obtain elsewhere. It means your son or daughter can work towards a degree right here at home. No big commute to Missoula, no time away from family. It means a future they can count on, while you count on them.
The College doesn’t just help young people; the skills they acquire help us every day. The levy is only $13.16 per $100,000 assessed value. If the College ever needs more money, they have to come back to the voters. This levy is a no-brainer! Vote for the College (and tell your neighbors!)