Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Opinion & Editorial

by Jeff Schahczenski, National Center for Appropriate Technology

We need fairness and common sense in farm policy. We must end the idea that supporting the largest commercial commodity farms and global agribusiness grain merchants is sound rural development policy.

The Center for Rural Affairs recently published a report that shows that the 20 largest farms in Montana received $8.6 million dollars in commodity subsidy payments while at the same time general rural development funding for the 20 Montana counties with the greatest population decline received only $5.7 million dollars. In other words, our federal tax dollars supported 20 farmers at a higher level then we supported the rural development needs of all the folks in 20 of the smallest Montana rural counties.

As rural towns in Montana die, a select few are enriched by our current flawed farm policy.

While we may need to support the average farmers with a reasonable safety net that assures them a reasonable living and protect them from the real risks of growing our food, we must end the waste of scarce federal resources to the very wealthy farmers and agribusiness interests that benefit so greatly from cheap grains caused by a policy that promotes overproduction and consolidation.

Sen. Max Baucus, who is a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, appears not to be committed to commodity reform.

Instead, Sen. Baucus appears to offering to use his important position as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee to place a tariff on imported goods to support a nearly $1 billion dollar permanent farm disaster payment program, which in turn will largely benefit the largest farms in Montana and the nation.

While as a progressive senator it is good that the senator may put tariffs on, for instance, poisonous toys from China, why not raise that same $1 billion to support real rural development and support the effort of the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, in improving the conservation and stewardship of our agricultural and natural resources?

Finally, commodity reform can also free up resources for rural development as well.

In September the United States Senate will begin to create and debate its version of the Farm Bill, which sets farm policy for at least the next five to seven years.

Tell Sens. Baucus and Jon Tester that we want serious reform of commodity policy so that this waste of federal resources can truly build a sustainable agriculture and food system in this state and nation.

More unsubstantiated drivel

Dear Editor,

Shaen McElravy, a devout disciple of Friends of Brandborg, continues his unsubstantiated print drivel on alleged county commission corruption in the 30 August 2007 issue of the Republic. His rant cannot be considered credible by any rational thinking reader, as it is not based on fact, but rather on innuendo, conjecture and bias.

And, regarding corruption, he, himself is fortunate, thus far, to have escaped legal action against him, in an extortion situation. This is documented in his letter to an adjacent land owner dated 4 December 2005.

An Opinion letter in the 30 August 2006 issue of the Bitterroot Star gives yet another very clear picture of Mr. McElravy, his personality, his dwelling site, his agenda, and his relationship with his neighbors. It was authored by yet another adjoining property owner.

Shaen quotes Webster as defining corruption to mean, “to change from good to bad in morals, manners or actions.”

This brings to mind the old sayings that, “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones,” and, “If the shoe fits," etc. McElravy also qualifies as a prime example of why light travels faster than sound. He appears bright until you hear him speak.

Fortunately, there are is no law against ignorance. Extortion, however, is subject to legal action. McElvary needs to document his comments based on fact, which he has not done. Further, he needs to remember that his letter is still on record, and could cause him serious embarrassment if it were to become general public knowledge.

David S. Hurtt
Florence

Great Cowboy Camp!

Dear Editor,

We're writing this letter to let the people of Florence and the Bitterroot Valley know what a wonderful, exceptional, professional, musical and spiritual experience we enjoyed at the Cowboy Camp in Florence June 21-23. We came all the way from Nebraska because we heard how good it has been the past two years and it surpassed anything we could imagine. The speakers and music were phenomenal. Good food, felloship ad aspirtual blessign to all who went.

You are so fortunate to have such talented people come to your beautiful valley from Texas, Oklahoma and elsewhere. God's blessings to all who were there.

Richard & Linda Cox, Gering, NE
Kathy Tyson, Lemoyne, NE
Sharon Kemplin, Oshkosh, NE

Unjust sentence

Dear Editor,

According to the 8/31/07 Lewiston Tribune newspaper, “A Stevensville, Mont. man has agreed to plead guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace after allegedly operating his motorcycle in an unauthorized roadless area and assaulting a group of Sierra Club backpackers last year, according to court records.” Stevensville’s own Timothy David Turner is the thug who purposely ran over the hiker with his motorcycle when he was caught illegally trespassing on a trail in an Idaho roadless area. The reduced charges are a concession made to simplify the work of an overburdened court system and are blatantly unjust. Imagine what would have happened if one of the Sierra Club hikers had gone after the trespassing motorbiker with a walking stick. He would probably be in an Idaho jail labeled as an "eco-terrorist."

Will the off road vehicle users who advocate self-policing instead of necessary and overdue legal regulations decry this situation? Will the Forest Service, given the rare opportunity of having hard evidence and a guilty plea, step forward and actually enforce the illegal motorized incursion into the closed area? Does Tim Turner feel contrite about his illegal, immoral behavior or even just about getting caught? Or does he feel like he got away with something, a hero amongst scofflaws? The motor-bikers with Tim Turner did not self-police him.

My guess is we will simply hear more about a few bad apples. Given recent media accounts of ORV assaults and trespass, the bad apples are apparently multiplying as happens unless the culls are weeded out. Tim Turner should receive jail time and have his driver’s license revoked by the Idaho 2nd District Court as well as have his motorbike/weapon confiscated by the Forest Service.

Larry Campbell
Darby

Dear Editor,

Who spends summers in Montana? From July through September you can‚t even see Montana anymore. Just think about it. Montana in the summer used to mean horseback riding on beautiful mountain trails, or on scenic prairies. Hiking in the mountains and fishing our world renowned streams and lakes.

Tourists photographed our spectacular scenery, and shared those photographs with friends. Friends who decided to come and see Montana for themselves. Visitors from all over the world come here in the summertime. Many come every summer. That will change.

Now we have catastrophic fires. There have always been wild fires in the state, but not like the ones we have now. Forget the magnificent scenery. Forget hiking those trails, or riding them on horseback. Forget fishing the world famous Montana trout streams. Access to them is restricted because of the fires.

From my window I can see the Bitterroot Mountains to the west. Looking east I can see the Sapphires. I am less than ten minutes from the Bitterroot River. The same river that tourists travel across the globe to fish. They spend thousands of dollars in Montana in the summer. They purchase licenses, they pay for lodging, guides, restaurants, and souvenirs. If these fires continue, all of that will stop.

Right now I can't even see the mountains from my window. I haven't seen them in over a week. The smoke is too thick. The smoke this year is worse than it has been, at least since the fires of 2000. Those fires almost burned the Bitterroot Valley from Sula to Missoula, at least that is a report attributed to experts after the fires.

Why is this happening? I have a theory. It has to do with politics. There are people who describe themselves as conservationists, preservationists, environmentalists, it really doesn't matter, as long as you realize that there are common denominators. They are all on the far left politically, and they are all activists. Political operatives.

They have lots of money. They have the money needed to initiate legal action to achieve their goals. I remember the woman who had to be forcibly removed from a tree several year ago. For a while she successfully prevented trees being harvested. She was finally removed, and the cost of her protest was paid by taxpayers. Tree sitting is a tactic used to delay timber harvesting until the real assault is initiated. The courts are used to force the will of these activists on the rest of the people, while Montana burns.

I am not as knowledgeable about forestry and fire fighting policies as I intend to become. There are professionals who disagree about when and how to fight fires in the woods. I admit that my perspective on the issue is biased. I do not trust leftists, whatever they call themselves. Conservationists, environmentalists, it doesn't matter. I have learned not to believe anything that they say. They may not always be wrong on every issue. I just don't believe them until I have proof that confirms it.

These "environmentalists" are against logging. They have destroyed the timber industry in Montana. They do not appear concerned in the least about the economy, or the families that have been impoverished by the elimination of jobs in the timber industry. That callous disregard for the harm that their policies cause other people is difficult to comprehend. It is also infuriating.

Something must be done about the consortium of organizations, some not even based in Montana, that are responsible for the huge fires that are destroying the quality of life in the Bitterroot. A friend of mine just returned from California. He said that he saw signs there requesting donations to help fight logging in Montana. Strong arm tactics are destroying the economy, and inhaling the choking smoke for a month or more every summer jeopardizes everyone's health.

I have been astonished by the articles written by these so called conservationists. Most express no uncertainty about the correctness of their arguments. They certainly sound as though they know what they are talking about. Other knowledgeable people dispute what they say. No matter how many homes are destroyed, or how many people suffer, their solution never changes. Keep doing things their way. They are convinced that they know best. I don't believe them.

Democrats, Republicans, Independents, people who don't even vote, we are all suffering. It is time to unite, and restore Montana's quality of life. Friends of the Bitterroot, the Sierra Club, and all the other radical environmentalist groups must compromise. This madness must end. It can no longer be their way or no way.

Gene Williams
Hamilton

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