Wednesday July 28, 2010

Opinion & Editorial

by Veto J. “Sonny” LaSalle, Hamilton

There have been numerous articles and letters concerning the revised subdivision regulations and the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) map. First, I would like to say that I am not a member of Friends of the Bitterroot (FOB), nor Bitterrooters for Planning. In fact, I have been a vocal opponent of FOB for many years. I strongly support growth! We have to have growth in order to have a strong local economy. Growth is an economic engine that we need. I was on the Planning Board when we were the fastest growing county in the state AND when we had the fires of 2000. I would like to share some observations with you.

During my tenure on the Planning Board there were some consistent messages from farmers, ranchers, and developers. We were told many times that our subdivision regs needed to be revised in the following  areas:

• Reduce the amount of subjectivity! The criteria we were using to evaluate subdivision proposals were so broad and poorly defined that we could interpret them almost any way we wanted.

• “Tell us what the rules are so we know how to design a proposal to get it through the process quickly and efficiently.” The process was cumbersome, expensive and the outcome was uncertain.

• Farmers and ranchers wanted the option to sell a few lots to generate income, while continuing to operate on the most productive land without having to go through the formal subdivision process.

• Homeowners wanted to build a guesthouse without having to go through the formal subdivision process.

• People buying lots or larger parcels in the WUI on both the east and west sides of the Valley had no clue what they were doing or the responsibilities they were assuming. They were building and moving into a fire prone ecosystem with a long history of fire activity with no knowledge of the situation.

• The requirements to get a variance were almost impossible to meet and it’s not possible to write regulations that cover every possible situation that could be encountered.  

The subdivision regulations we have today have been revised a number of times since 2000. The proposed revision to those regulations being considered today are intended to be responsive to all the six situations I have described in this letter as well as others. This revision started in early 2009 with a lot of opportunity for public involvement. The actual document is available on the county website or you can get a copy at the County Planning Office.

I have studied the regulations for subdivisions in the WUI. I found them to be reasonable and prudent. I would have made them stronger, especially the long-term requirements for vegetation management, as I have considerable fire experience and am quite concerned about fire fighter safety.

I don’t understand all the “uproar” and paranoia about these proposed revisions or the separate but important adoption of the WUI map. It seems like some folks will object to any change, even if it is an improvement, and will make wild outlandish statements to support their position.

Our Commissioners need to hear from the reasonable people in our County. They need to stay on the published course for approval of the regulations. There is a message on the marquee of a church on Westbridge Road that says something like “Courage is not the lack of fear, but action in spite of it.” Our Commissioners and our residents need this type of courage to take the actions necessary to have growth and quality of life.

Roubik letters make sense

Dear Editor,

Kathie Roubik gets my vote as one writer who makes sense. Her recent letter in the Ravalli Republic noted that ZONING is spelled with one N, not two; that zoning can protect property rights, and prevent other harmful activities in a town or community.

In a guest opinion in the Bitterroot Star, Kathie assures us that we need not fear the improved Subdivision Regulations now nearing completion after two years’ effort by the Planning Department, with considerable community outreach and input. John Lavey, Tristan Riddell, and other members of the Planning deserve appreciation for a difficult job well done.

It is plain to all that lack of planning, regulation and oversight resulted in severe economic hardship for millions, and one of the worst environmental losses in our history. Hopefully the nation is learning from these drastic results. And hopefully we in the Bitterroot Valley will see the need for sensible planning, regulation and oversight in the proposed, updated, Subdivision Regulations.

John Carbin
Stevensville

Sharing beliefs

Dear Editor,

What do you believe in? Here’s my quick list. In no particular order. And no doubt incomplete.

I believe in my wife, family, and friends. I believe in community and shared sacrifice. Personal responsibility and accountability. Respect for elders. Social programs like Medicare and Social Security. Right to privacy. Right of every man and woman to make their own healthcare decisions for their own bodies. Family values. Family farms. Private property rights. Common sense land planning. Respect for fellow man, no matter the politics or religion. Freedom of religion. Tolerance. Living within our means. Hard work. Fair wages. Fair taxation. Our Constitution. One person, one vote. That people, not corporations, are humans! The value of our natural resources. Wilderness. Sustainable industries and economy. That free markets are imperfect. Sensible regulations and laws. A strong nation. The smallest effective government. Affordable, accessible healthcare. The value of a good education – be it self-taught, university, technical school, whatever. Public libraries. An open and curious mind. The pursuit of happiness. A healthy lifestyle that includes good food and lots of hard physical labor. Respect for the less fortunate. Our representative democracy. Public service and our public servants. Living simply and sustainably. Being good land stewards for future generations. Our veterans, past and present. The richness of our multi-ethnic heritage and living history. Sensible gun rights. The value of the arts. Capital punishment for extreme cases. Getting involved with local issues. A clean environment with plenty of wild places to hike, hunt and fish. That Montana is the Last Best Place!

These are some of my beliefs, values, and principles. Full disclosure. I am a proud Democrat. With an independent mind. Who lives a conservative life. Surprised? What’s on your list?

Van P. Keele
Hamilton

Glad LBC isn’t popular here

Dear Editor,

Not wanting to” rake coals over a dead fire,” or some such euphemism. Speaking of the Liberty Bell Convention [LBC]: Who is or are these LBC people ? Or more to the point, who funded the LBC?

The Adams Field House doesn't come cheap! [$13487.16] Plus, all the food and concessions. They planned for a crowd of 2000-5000 attendees. Only 250 showed up. What did “they” do with all that leftover food? (Do you think the excess went to the Poverello Center?)

Since “they” were expecting such a crowd, “they” must have reserved some parking facilities. Who paid for that? There were fees for speakers, insurance,[$3000] honorarium, etc. Who paid for all this and how much did it cost? Safe to say it was in the thousands of dollars.

The citizens of Montana aren't interested in their fringe conspiratorial agenda, as shown by the attendance, but: Who is funding, feeding us their extremist minority rhetoric?

I'm happy to see most Montanans aren't interested in their right wing dogma.

Nancy Oesau
Corvallis

No improvement for student aid

Dear Editor,

I am a part-time online student with Regent University. I received a letter from Sallie Mae dated July 1, 2010 regarding my financial aid. The letter informed me that my loan request “has been cancelled due to recent changes in federal law that prohibits us from making this loan.”   President Obama, on March 30, 2010, signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. This eliminates the ability of private lenders to originate federal loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program as of July 1, 2010. I must now reapply through the U.S. Department of Education under the Direct Loan Program. However, it seems at this point the schools are carrying the burden of dealing with this mess. I am to contact my school to get more information and reapply.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_Aid_and_Fiscal_Responsibility_Act> , was attached as a rider. This in itself gives me some concern. These kinds of attachments in my opinion should not be legal. Education is important enough to be considered by itself. One issue should not be used as leverage against another. Are our lawmakers so petty that they must manipulate and bribe each other to get the legislation they want?

I also cannot help but wonder how many people at Sallie Mae just lost their jobs? How many more people have just been put on the government payroll to run the Direct Loan Program? How can this change help anyone? Government is growing, the private sector is shrinking, and I wonder if my only job option after graduation will be to work for a government that is complicating my life.

Belle L. Belanger
Stevensville

Apathy the cause, not Libertarians

Dear Editor,

In reference to the emails circulating and letters from the Libertarians concerning how the "Democrats select the Republican Candidates in Montana," I have to respond because even though Democrats have always voted in Primary Elections on the Republican ballot, and that is a problem and needs to be changed, the reasoning behind these emails is flawed. The numbers aren't there to prove their point in the least.

In the Republican Caucus a few years ago the Libertarian candidate, Ron Paul, did not win, and it was the Republicans, only, that participated in that Caucus. Even though the Libertarians participated in that Caucus in large numbers and their so-called Republican (but better known as a Libertarian) Ron Paul spoke at that Caucus, their candidate did not win.

The only accurate conclusion that can be made about the recent Primary Election, and there is overwhelming proof of it, is that the apathy of the voter is alive and well in Ravalli County and in Montana. The numbers are the proof. There is no resurgence of people who support the Libertarian position, or conservatives for that matter. The problem in our nation is still apathy and the only way we are going to get good candidates elected is to wake up the public and to educate them.

It is extremely important for us to remember that Libertarians are NOT conservative. They claim that our local Representatives and Senators are "liberal" and RINO Republicans. Libertarians have no reason to be critical of any of them since their stands on the moral or social issues are far to the left of the Democrats and their banner carrier is the ACLU on those issues. Again, read their platform (www.ivotelibertarian.com). They are pro-aborts, pro-gay marriage, pro-drugs, pro-prostitution and you name it. It is very clear that their extreme positions did not bring out the voters in large numbers even though there were Libertarians running as Republicans.

The November election will be very revealing to those who wrote these letters and emails. The sad thing is that some of the Libertarians are poised to make sure a Democrat gets in. Tell me what is worse, a Liberal Democrat or a Libertarian that assures a Liberal Democrat will fill a Republican controlled seat?

Again, there is no evidence the claims of the Libertarians and others are valid. The Democrat crossover has always been a problem and needs to be corrected and those efforts have failed in the legislature every year they have been brought up.

In the meantime we need to make sure we elect Reagan Conservatives to office, not Ron Paul Libertarians.

Dallas D. Erickson
Stevensville

Why I might run for Congress

Dear Editor,

Don't laugh! I might run for Congress. I've never wanted public office, never ran, but now I'm desperate! Using the "Congressional Exemption" is the only way I can see to avoid being mandated into the 2nd-rate Obama-Care and its taxpayer-financed abortions, to which I am morally opposed.

My family thinks I'm nuts. But don't forget that Barack Obama, the most power-grabbing, revolutionary President in the history of America, started as a humble ACORN, growing, under the loving nurture of Bill Ayers and Rev. Jeremiah Wright, into an all-powerful socialistic giant.

I'll have to wait a few years and run for the Senate because I know that the people won't vote out Representative Rehberg, the only member of their Montana delegation who consistently votes "No" to big government, deficit spending, and radical, Constitution-changing judges.

I think I’ll run as a Democrat because these days it is all about party, and the Democratic Party throws the biggest parties. Some years ago a Freedom of Information Act inquiry revealed that Speaker Pelosi spent $101,000 for "in-flight services" to pay for her guests' liquor, beer and wine while flying on her big Air Force jet. If she flies that high on the taxpayers’ dimes in the air, think about what great parties she must have on the ground! Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton says she "has a history of wasting taxpayer funds." That indicates to me that the Democrats' partying is the way to go. What the Pelosi/Reid/Obama triumvirate wants, they get! Our Montana Senators have always helped make sure of that! Working for the Obamacrats isn’t as tough as one might expect. They never require legislators to read a single page of the gigantic bills they force them to help ram through into law. And they hide the treasury-busting budgets until after the elections so the voters won’t be afraid the Obamacrats are going to bankrupt America like in Greece.

My campaign slogan is "Charley is good enough for Obama-type government work!" If Charley Brown will endorse me, as another "Charley," I'll answer opponents with, "Why is everybody always picking on me;" or, "It's Bush's fault." I'm not worried about President Obama's support. He'll want my votes to confirm the additional Supreme Court Judges he'll need to protect, through the coming decades, his legacy of making America a second-rate, globally-dominated nation. Voters who are "on the take" needn't worry--I'll continue our Montana senators' tradition of compassionately giving the politically needy the shirts off taxpayers' backs.

I can win, if I can just keep China continually lending America more money, and can prevent President Obama from coming to Montana to campaign for me. When I officially declare myself for the Senate, you'll read it first here, in the Star.

Charles E. Wissenbach
Pinesdale

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