A few thoughts on the upcoming general election

Here are a few thoughts concerning the upcoming election:

Our sheriff, Roby Bowe and clerk and recorder, Tammy Lauer, have done well in their positions and need no replacements. 

However, Amanda Curtis is strictly an anti-gunner. We don’t need any more of them in the U.S. Senate.

There has been a movement afoot to get federal lands turned over to the state. The state doesn’t have enough funding for what they have now. As I see it, the first move would be the Wild Forestlands Forever group would get its wish and all former national forest lands would be turned into wilderness with no additional roads. 

When the first big fire season comes, this group would insist every spark be put out. Then Helena would say “We don’t  have the money” and the group would insist that taxes be raised for firefighting. 

Have any of them considered the costs of fire? If the fire boss doesn’t order all kinds of air power, people think he or she isn’t doing their job. 

The Wild Forestlands Forever crowd wants wilderness because it brings tourists. Open your eyes while driving to Libby and what do you see? Mobile homes or other camping devices being driven by older people. When they ask where the roads are that lead to the wilderness, and any of our knowledgeable locals tell them “it’s over several mountains and you need to walk in,” they step out and show you their walkers and wheelchairs. 

So the state puts the land up for sale, and wealthy folks buy it up and post it all. Now only hikers and horse persons can use the wilderness. Can the state provide enough law enforcement to protect the wilderness? Is the state rich enough to open and maintain old timber roads?

As to the state logging national forest lands, the Wild Forestlands Forever group will have the state in court where judges with no timber education will say “no.” We also hear from some politicians that we’ll have more jobs. I believe they see the state taking these lands and cutting more timber. Now you have logs in decks that will rot unless they are processed. 

Where are the mills? They left during the last assault on logging.

— Richard Williams, Troy