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Member Letters

Big Talk in Big Sky, Where is the Action?

Sadly, I no longer live in the Bitterroot Valley, but I have been attempting to stay abreast of the issues that seem to plague the region. Allow me to begin by saying that I am enamored with the mountains, the clean waters, and the majority of the people of the area. Hamilton and the surrounding locale are like no other place. The natural beauty of the landscape combined with the small town atmosphere is a tremendous part of its allure. The people of the county should appreciate the beauty and tranquility of what they have. I currently live in Pittsburgh, PA, and I can tell you that having 64 Wal Marts, strip malls, etc. in the state doesn't make you safer or happier. We have gang violence, we have excessive taxes on property, and yes we can shop until our credit cards are exhausted. But, the people of the east coast are not happier... they are overweight, stressed, and angry. If Wal Mart is what you crave, then one should consider packing up the household into the RV and living in one of the 1,123 Wal Mart or 2,142 Supercenter parking lots. I hear the view is phenomenal.

On October 24, Mr. Dallas Erickson and the CEO printed a Valley Viewpoint letter calling for support to sue Ravalli County over George Corn’s ruling that restricts city residents from voting on county-wide zoning issues. I too was puzzled by the county attorney's decision. Mr. Erickson writes that because of Corn’s decision “there is no way to tell if his decision to cheat the 5,000 people out of the right to vote on issues that will effect their county will help or hurt our issue to repeal the county resolution to put a cap on the size of stores in Ravalli County.” This was an impressive apparent call to protect voting rights, and I applaud Mr. Erickson’s letter even if it jeopardizes CEO’s position on the big box-store issue.

This begs the question… Where is the lawsuit on the behalf of the disenfranchised?... or is this just Big Talk? I wonder if just for a moment, Mr. Erickson was dubious of his senses when penning this letter. Did it suddenly dawn on him, after the fact, that city voters are much more likely to vote against Wal Mart’s interests because they have everything to lose and very little to gain by supporting this monster retailer? Distilling the argument to its essence, Wal Mart would destroy the very small-town businesses that have been supporting and serving the community for decades.

I agree with Mr. Erickson’s tone in his letter that there is an underlying motive to the actions of the powers that be. Moreover, many citizens appear to be in agreement with Mr. Erickson that they should be allowed to vote on the issues, but where is the action that he proposed? Has Wal Mart offered another contribution to CEO, as they have done in the recent past to the apparent tune of $41,000? Is Wal Mart in Mr. Erickson’s pocket, or is he in theirs? Fodder for the brain.

Regardless, county attorney Corn’s decision to keep city residents from voting on the zoning issues is an extremely bad decision, and it is your right as a tax-paying citizen to voice your opinion either vocally, in print, or at the ballot box. Someone in those cities should file a suit, today, before November 7.

Pittsburgh, PA

Most Important Election in Valley’s History

I believe that the up-coming elections are perhaps the most important of our time, and certainly the most important in Ravalli County’s history. The issue of land development has been cited as the number one issue on the minds of Ravalli County residents, from door-to-door discussions by candidates running for local office. There are many complex initiatives on the ballot and voters are forced to make a serious investment in time and effort just to understand them.

One of the most divisive and poorly understood initiatives is the 1 house per 2 acres, Interim Zoning Initiative, which was developed by Bitterrooters for Planning. I am sure that you have seen the yellow banners opposing this issue. I have a few questions about their claims. Apparently, if you vote against the 1 house per 2-acre initiative, you will:

Prevent sprawl
Promote affordable housing
Protect wildlife

By voting YES, all of these things will suddenly happen in ONE YEAR? How ridiculous! Yes, the 1 house per 2-acres, interim zoning regulation, if passed, will ONLY LAST FOR 1 YEAR! If necessary, the County Commissioners can extend it for one more year, at which time it terminates! So, what we are supposed to believe, is that continuing the status quo (a NO vote) will magically stop these things from continuing to happen. Is there one single developer currently pursuing affordable housing? It seems those most in favor of this initiative NOT passing are those most responsible FOR sprawl. Ask yourself who is funding these big yellow signs? Instead, let’s look at what might (hopefully) happen in real life if this initiative passes.

The interim zoning will give some emergency relief against the massive developments currently under way, until our County Commissioners, Planning Board and Planning Department can (either by choice or by public pressure) move us towards the completion of a better Growth Policy, updated Growth Plan and zoning regulations. We can then, as a community, in charge of its own destiny, establish exactly where we want development in this precious and unique place to occur.

The current, out-of-control, high-density development is entering our wildlife and other special areas right NOW! Legacy Ranch, one of the high-density subdivisions currently under review for approval, lies directly adjacent to the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge. Aspen Springs, which is being reworked by the owner, overlaps with important elk and deer winter range. Flat Iron and Area 2 subdivisions use up valuable, prime farmland containing important waterfowl habitat. Our job is to identify these special places and prevent their damage. The 1 house per 2 acre initiative will help stop growth like this in sensitive areas, but allow higher density, low-income and cluster development where it is appropriate, with zoning.

And, if you want to see one of the most poignant examples of sprawl, destroyed wildlife habitat and unaffordable housing, drive to anywhere south of San Francisco, California and you will see what these corporate developers are attempting to do right here!

What the 1 house per 2 acre initiative does do is give me, you and all of the concerned citizens of this valley the power to control our own destiny. If it fails at the elections, we will be sending a resounding message to corporate developers that we in-fact support their assault on this valley, and they will move aggressively to build thousands of homes, and invite tens of thousands of people to move to this valley. Twenty million baby boomers want to retire in the Rocky Mountains. Is that really what you want? Of course not!

We must vote “yes” to support the 1 house per 2 acre initiative; our future depends on it!

If you have any questions about this important initiative, please feel free to call one of the following individuals:

Chris Linkenhoker
63 Sugar Mnt. Rd., Apt. A
Hamilton, MT 59840

Comments on the Bob Scott Recall Effort

I was raised in the Bitterroot Valley, graduated from Hamilton High School and am now a sophomore in college.

I love the Bitterroot Valley and now appreciate it more than ever. With my parents’ help, I have been keeping on top of many of the issues in the valley, including the campaign against Bob Scott.

Hamilton, Montana: a small-town government body in a pioneering state that prides itself on efficiency and has disdain for bureaucracy. Bob Scott and Bob Sutherland sacrifice their personal family time and embark on a 4-day trip on behalf of the citizens of Hamilton, making less than minimum wage for their efforts. To be resourceful and to use the travel time to discuss city business, they carpool. If they had driven separately, they would have been entitled to $152 each, in travel reimbursement, although wasting gas and valuable discussion time.

Bob Scott turns in a travel voucher for $152 and a disgruntled employee turns him in for procedural violations, rather than bringing the petty error to Bob’s attention, bringing a quick end to the problem. Bob rescinds his claim and gets $0, as well as Bob Sutherland. Meanwhile, other Council members and the Mayor receive more than $300 each, for the same trip.

Bob’s opponents on the City Council then spend the next 2 years and ten’s of thousands of dollars in tax-payer moneys in an ugly and expensive campaign to force Bob from the Council, even though his accusers were guilty of waste and inefficiency.

I believe that it is time for Carol Schwan and her supporters to show true leadership, stop this destructive campaign and allow Hamilton to move on. It serves no good purpose and only continues to degrade your own reputations.

You should voluntarily pay back the many thousands of dollars that you have cost Hamilton, and ask for the forgiveness of your fellow citizens, who have suffered immensely from this undignified behavior. If you do this, then your fellow citizens, including myself, can offer you the respect that you seem to expect.

You should also apologize to Bob Scott, who lives a resourceful life, and is only guilty of passionately fighting for his constituents, which apparently causes serious ideological insecurity to those on the other side of the issues.

San Francisco, CA 94118

“Rotten Pork” in the Bitterroot

If you haven’t had a chance to take a drive on our latest “mini-super-highway”, then you are definitely missing a chance to see the Bitterroot of the future. While our lives were pre-occupied with other “stuff”, our county road department spent a few hundred thousand dollars repaving Golf Course Road and they did an excellent job. If you aren’t concerned about speeding tickets, you can now easily drive 90 or 100 mph without much problem. But of course, this boondoggle just adds to more pressure on our sheriff’s department, forces bicyclists and walkers into the weeds, and endangers the lives of everyone living up there. But, you know what they always say: “that’s the price of progress”. Whose progress would that be?

Now, being that the previous surface of Golf Course Road was in excellent condition a month ago, and dozens of other roads in the county are full of pot-holes and are severe safety issues, you must be wondering just how Golf Course Road ended up at the top of the priority list, just before the end of construction season, right! Well, I was wondering the same thing myself, so I called the county road department, but I’m sorry to say, they just were not very helpful. The response that I received was “we had to start somewhere” and “please talk to someone else about this”, click!

This obviously leaves one to speculate that just perhaps, the Flat Iron Subdivision, under consideration for annexation into the city, and currently being reviewed for approval by the Commissioners, with 600+ houses on it (which will increase Hamilton’s population by 40%), just might have something to do with it. I believe so! This is called standard operating procedure for all large, corporate developments, at least since Washington D.C. crossed over to the “dark side” in year 2000. It is being valiantly fought in Missoula County, right now!

Commissioner-candidate Howard Lions “doesn’t think that it is up to government to mess with economics”, while his political signs sit right on the same developments that are receiving this illegal pork, and right next to the signs of the diabolical, corporate hit-squad, Residents for Responsible Land Use, who are spreading corporate lies to oppose the 1 house per 2 acre, 1-year zoning ordinance, all over the county. It gives the definite impression that Lions not only condones, but actively supports corporate “takings” at your public tax-trough. Just what we need, another corporate lap-dog!

No matter what side of the development issue you are on, or what candidates you support, you should be outraged that your precious tax dollars are being spent, right now, on subsidized infrastructure for multi-millionaire developers, while impact fees are almost nothing. This is corrupt and it is illegal! If you like this and vote to support this, then I suggest you dust off your copy of “The Godfather”, but keep in mind, the proverbial “Sicilian Necktie” doesn’t discriminate!

Call the County Commissioners at 375-2060; it’s time to bring this “house of cards” down for good!

Also call Hamilton Mayor Randazzo at 363-2101 and find out if the City of Hamilton is joining in the pork-fest, like they’re trying to do on the 850-house, Area 2 subdivision, which would increase the population of Hamilton by another 60%!

Voila, in just two corporate subdivisions, we have doubled the size of Hamilton, and these are just the beginning! Join the resistance today: www.savethebitterroot.com or www.bitt4plan.com. Or, call Chris Linkenhoker at 239-6791.

Chris Linkenhoker
63 Sugar Mnt. Rd., Apt. A
Hamilton, MT 59840