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There seems to be a need for a "regime change" in Libby

| September 15, 2006 12:00 AM

To the Editor:

I recently visited Libby, as I do about once a year, and I walked away scratching my head.

I grew up there and I remember Mayor Fred Brown teaching forestry at the high school and being forced to attend city council meetings as part of senior social studies. I found them to be civil and above-board meetings. After reading some recent articles in The Western News I have come to the conclusion that the days of "civility" and openness are gone.

I fail to understand the change in Libby. I know that most residents of Libby care little about the city council or how the city is run. The "Can't see it from my house" attitude is common everywhere but runs rampant in Libby. Until more residents decide to take an active interest in City Hall, Libby will continue to slip further and further into one of those places you don't want to visit and God forbid that one of Libby's finest decides to take an interest in you.

When a 3-year-old points to a Libby police cruiser and says to her 10-year-old cousin, "Better watch out, those guys will beat you up and pull out your hair," there is something fundamentally wrong with the local government. This is reflected in every aspect of government, and the way the police and city council are run in Libby continues to show it.

I cannot help but wonder when someone, somewhere will say "enough is enough" and take a closer look at how Libby is run. There seems to be a need for a "regime change" in Libby.

R. Corey Foreman

St Louis, Mo.