Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Opinion & Editorial

by Alan Thompson, Ravalli County Commissioner

It's always interesting to read revisionist history in regard to planning. Some people have selective memory and only listen to and remember what they want and not the truth. For instance, one writer says this growth is the fault of the Republicans and they have done nothing to control the same. A few facts. The greatest amount of growth in this County occurred in the early nineties before any current member of the Commission was in office. The majority of the Board of Commissioners were Democratic; namely Steve Powell and Allen Horsfall and then Jack Atthowe. I believe these gentlemen did the best they could with what they had to work with and find no fault with their decisions. The citizens of the valley at that time were against any kind of zoning and in fact when I was first elected in November of 1998, the voters voted against Vision 20-20 which was a growth policy put forth by the County. Only recently have the citizens decided to implement zoning and try to control what the County looks like. To even mention zoning just a few years ago brought out comments about tar and feathers and riding a rail out of town.

Letters to the editor complain that we do not fund the planning department properly. A few facts. When I was first elected there were 3.5 employees in planning and their budget was $201,000, now the staff consists of 9 employees and the budget is $539,000. We have also created a GIS office with two full time employees that assist in all aspects of planning.

There is an old saying, "if you tell a big enough lie, often enough, people will begin to believe it." In respects to planning that is exactly what is happening. A few facts. In the last several years we have implemented a growth policy, a right to farm and ranch ordinance, a vicious dog ordinance, a sign ordinance, a cell tower ordinance, begun to implement streamside setbacks, worked on zoning for highway 93, begun to work with Corvallis to zone that school district, put into place a recreational master plan, worked with the City of Hamilton to zone Area Three which is next to the City, worked with others to promote and pass an open lands bond and the list goes on. At the same time there is a group of citizens who say they are pro-planning and they will tell you the Commissioners do nothing, are corrupt, only care about subdividing the valley and never listen to the voice of the people. Personally life would be much easier if that was the case.

At the same time we have put into place all these programs we have also bought and remodeled the old hospital for our administrative offices, remodeled the old courthouse so there are now two district courtrooms and two justice courtrooms, expanded the juvenile detention area from two beds to six and made it a long term facility that saves the County thousands each year, bought and paid for the office building at the corner of Third and Bedford, paid off the Detention Center bonds, increased the public safety budget from $2.3 million to $4.1 million, managed to build our reserves and that list goes on. Commissioners across Montana are always amazed at what we are accomplishing in Ravalli County, but revisionists would tell you we do nothing.

I am very proud of all that has been accomplished in the last eight years I have been in office and look forward to working with the newly elected Commissioners to continue to move this County forward. With respect to the candidates for the two new Commissioner offices, I have been disappointed that they fall so easily into the trap of the "big lie" that we have done nothing. Once in office I hope they can look back in eight years and feel good about what they have accomplished.

We have never been very good at patting ourselves on the back and letting citizens know what we have done. We hope to change that in the coming weeks and put forth a regular column that will keep everyone up to date on what we accomplish.

Citizens' rights trump professinal lingo

Dear Editor,

Much is being made of the planning department and the county attorney offices differing interpretations of the interim zoning initiative. The county attorney says it means one residence for two acres. The planning department says is means developments must have an average density of no more than one residence per two acres. Unless professionals (scientists, planners, engineers) have a legal opinion that says otherwise, they should interpret language in professional terms. In professional planning circles the word "density" means average density so the interim zoning initiative with its words, "limited to a density of one residence per two acres" means that.

The trouble with this interpretation is that the initiative did not come from professional planners. It came from citizens. Legally, the county attorney must take into account the intent or purpose of the initiative. Mr. Corn is correct when he says the initiative's intent is to halt rampant growth while county wide zoning is implemented. Temporarily limiting lot size to two acres does this. An average density of one house per two acres does not.

We are a nation of laws. The legal rights of citizens, who do not always use professional language, trumps professional lingo. Our professional planners understand this and agree that the legal opinion is the final word.

Let's hope the the County Commissioners have enough sense to also agree.

If they don't, a lawsuit is inevitable.

Fritz Tossberg
Hamilton

A Watergate, or worse

Dear Editor,

Wake up! In 1973, attorneys were fired and Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned. In 1974, when impeachment was imminent, President Richard M. Nixon resigned. This scandal brought disgrace to the Republican Party when only a few were involved.

Today it is the few again and our great, wonderful nation.

Please wake up.

Pauline M. Baltz
Stevensville

Thank you from Soroptimists

Dear Editor,

On February 24 and March 3, Soroptimist International of Hamilton held a Community Baby Shower to collect “gifts” from the community for needy children. The response was amazing! Over 200 new items were donated within a short time period and at least that many gently used baby gifts! The generosity of our community is overwhelming.

The gifts were donated to the Ravalli County Public Health Nurse, WIC, and to Child and Family Services. Each agency will distribute gifts to clients as they see the need.

A big thank you to the Bitterroot Community for their generosity to those in need.

Marilyn Wildey (for)
Hamilton Soroptimists

Political party truth in labeling

Dear Editor,

As Chairman of the Ravalli County Republican Central Committee, I am continually asked by party loyalists, "What can be done to verify that a primary candidate is really a Republican and not just a crossover candidate?" It is not a simple answer.

Regardless of your political party preference or the degree of loyalty you normally exercise in the voting booth, there is no ''official'' way to be a "registered" Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Constitutional Party voter or member within the State of Montana. Montana election law does not provide for a "closed" ballot primary that requires the primary voter to declare or register party affiliation to vote in that party primary. Instead the voter is given a ballot for each party participating in the primary election and the voter may vote one of the party ballots and return the other unused ballots. This guarantees the privacy of party affiliation for the individual.

This system, while good for maintaining voter privacy, creates conditions that can result in some wild and even unethical political practices. A number of years ago Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger was in a heated primary race for the State House of Representatives. As a fairly liberal Republican he generally went unopposed by Democrats in a largely Republican voting district. In order to guarantee Bohlinger's place on the ballot in the general election, a number of voters wrote his name on the Democrat primary ballot and in a strange twist, Bohlinger won both primaries.

It is customary for the Ravalli County Republican Central Committee not to endorse primary candidates and I believe that practice is important to encourage free discussion of issues within the party. At the same time I also believe that it is disingenuous for any primary candidate to seek nomination by a political party that he generally does not agree with. The April 3rd primary for the three County Commissioner Districts is an interesting case in point. A new political support group (I don't know if they have legally filed as a Political Committee or not) seeks to influence the outcome of the primary elections (Republican and Democrat) based on the growth issues that confront Ravalli County. Republican candidates that they have endorsed include Rick O'Brien, Chuck Stranahan, and Steve Hall. Each of these candidates (until seeking nomination in a primary election) has been conspicuously absent from organized Republican activities within the county. Do they generally support the cornerstones of republican philosophy: limited government and free enterprise?

Primary voters have profound influence on all political parties engaged in the primary process and the resulting general election campaigns. Candidates who are not at home with the fundamental beliefs of their chosen party will sooner or later suffer the consequences. Partisan politics is a team sport: walk-ons are welcome if they are good teammates and others need not apply. The electoral process provides for those candidates who are truly non/bi-partisan and reject the "confinement" of party structure: run as an Independent.

The American political process will eventually reveal the truth of every candidate and office holder if they participate long enough. As an elected office holder I have watched colleagues sweating bullets over every decision to be made. Telling the voters who you truly are and letting them make the decision of who will represent them best is the key to good decision making and getting a good night's sleep.

Matt Brainard, Chairman
Ravalli County Republican Central Committee

Support the Young Life Program

Dear Editor,

We attended the Young Life Banquet on Monday, the 26th, in Hamilton, and what a wonderful banquet it was. A very tasty meal was provided, great speakers and entertainment, and both a silent and live auction were held.

The best part, however, was seeing all those young people from local schools involved with preparation, serving, speaking, cheering, escorting, and anything else that needed to be done. What a joy they were.

We learned a lot about the Young Life Program and how it reaches out to the unchurched kids by simply loving them and listening to them and becoming a part of their life. The ultimate goal is to give every adolescent in the valley the opportunity to meet the person of Jesus Christ, accept Jesus into their hearts as personal savior, and to follow Him.

We have very dedicated people involved as Young Life directors and leaders that dearly love teenagers – unconditionally – and want to give them the message of hope which is in Christ.

If you would like to know more about the Young Life Program, or would like to help out in any way, please contact the area directors, Andy and Sherry Chidwick at 546-7130. It is a program well worth supporting because the teens in this valley are well worth it. So to all the youth we say, "God loves you, very much."

Don and Grace Wilson
Stevensville

Porn has negative effects

Dear Editor,

I recently volunteered to serve on the advisory board for the Bitterroot Healthy Values Alliance. Why? I am a concerned "Bitterrooter" and pastoral counselor with a bigger picture than most, and I am acutely aware of the pervasive, profound unfortunate effects of pornography on us.

I was moved to public action by having seen Ravalli Christians incarcerated for sexual crimes that started with pornography addiction. I have become alarmed also because Bitterroot churches have "split" over the consequences of this and other sexual sin in our spiritual leadership.

Yet the problem remains largely un-addressed. I wonder why. Do we just hope that if we ignore the problem it will go away?

When sex is not a loving act, not considered as sacred or sanctified, then the participants become victims. Every pornography victim or participant has experienced any of a wide variety of consequences: physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, relational, and/or financial. These effects have bled over into our families, neighborhoods, faith-based assemblies, towns, county, and our state and country.

This is not a political issue. It is about the victimization of our valley. It is an ethical, moral and spiritual sexuality values issue.

We must take a stand on this issue. Along with education, awareness raising, and compassionate interventions by public and private services, we need new laws in place in order to quell this pernicious monkey on our Bitterroot backs.

A Clarion Call for you to action: get involved, sign the new petition to place a new obscenity ordinance on the fall ballot, take the lead to help your valley return to healthy values and to our individual responsibilities for our sexuality. I encourage you, join me, be involved with the Bitterroot Healthy Values Alliance.

Pat Goldson, clinical member
National Christian Counselors Association
Corvallis

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