Story shined light on opiate abuse
A great big thank you to reporter Tristan Scott in doing the articles on addiction and drug abuse (Missoulian, July 20-23).
Also, thanks to the medical professionals who helped with all the information. Triple kudos to the ones in recovery; it takes a lot to open yourselves up and lay it all out there. I am so proud of all of you for doing that in hopes of helping others. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
I hope and pray that the state will get a program in place so no "doctor-shopping" will work. If this works in other states, I don't see why it wouldn't work in Montana. Let's get another facility in Missoula to help those in need.
Thanks again, Tristan Scott.
Judy Anderson, Missoula
Groups made our home possible
It isn't often you have a story so uplifting as mine ("Home makeover: Missoula parish rallies to help woman keep her home after difficult, expensive year," Missoulian, June 28).
Your reporter, Amy Faxon, covered the story very well, and the photos, of course, were just excellent.
The extreme makeover of my home in one weekend was astonishing. Please allow me to publicly thank these magnanimous people. My appreciation goes to Vann's (for top-of-the-line, all new kitchen appliances), Pierce Flooring (for spanking new carpets throughout and beautiful laminate in the kitchen), Pete's Palmer Electric (the city inspectors said it was a perfect job, way to go Darrin!), Sherwin-Williams (yes, the inside looks just as colorful as the outside), who donated paint, and the managers of Home Depot (for donations of many various materials). Design Air modified our heating system to warm Hannah's wonderful sewing area in the basement and Valley Pipe assured the new plumbing was exactly right.
Our gratitude also goes to Lowe's, Eko Compost and Anderson Masonry, for creating the most magnificent flower beds and landscaping. And thanks to Montana Glass for being willing to replace our damaged living-room window. And many, many thanks to Atonement Lutheran Church's members, who sacrificed their weekend to work like slaves. And thanks also to the Youth Group who willingly tackled the jungle.
And finally, thanks to the benevolence of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, who helped create this warm, wonderful home.
Joy and Hannah Stocks, Missoula
Law enforcement made weekend safe
Thank you, Police Chief Mark Muir, Sheriff Mike McMeekin, the Montana Highway Patrol and all of the outstanding men and women serving in law enforcement, for a job well done last weekend during the "angel visitation" and Testicle Festival.
I can believe that a lot of planning, long hours and interagency cooperation went into keeping our city, county, property and citizens as safe as possible.
Professionalism at its finest! Good job and thank you.
Lonna Poling, Missoula
Barack Obama: Candidate needs to give real answers
Sen. Barack Obama, would you please tell me how you would handle the many problems that face our country today?
There are all the normal matters such as the economy, education, taxes, welfare, health insurance coverage, Social Security, etc., as well as the problems caused by the Bush administration. You have mentioned several approaches to ending the war in Iraq, but that was about it.
You talk a lot about yourself and your family history, but that isn't what we really need to know.
I don't think you can expect people to vote for you if you won't tell us how you plan to settle these problems. I'm a Democrat and I'm very concerned about your failure to be forthcoming in regard to these very important matters. Please give us definitive answers.
A. Tillotson, Missoula
Distribution of checks was unfair
I would like to comment on the economic stimulus payment.
It is bad enough we had to borrow from China to pay for it and put us in even more debt. Then you have people who paid taxes and did not receive the payment.
I have two adult children who attend college and work all year, but since we help them with college costs we claim them on our taxes, which makes them unable to receive the payment. (We did not receive anything for them on ours.) They pay taxes, filed their 1040 - and are not eligible. But if you make $3,000 or more and did not pay taxes, you can receive it. Something is wrong with that picture. College students trying to get through school could use any help they can get since college is so expensive.
I wrote our congressman, Denny Rehberg, and both Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester. Tester wrote back the next day but the other two never did yet.
Anyone who paid taxes and filed their 1040 should have received the stimulus payment. That should have been easy; if you filed, you received the payment. It was very unfair to college students; evidently the plan was not thought through very well.
Then you have families with 17-year-old children still at home that did not receive it, nor can they get the child credit, thanks to President Bush!
And by the way, did you know it is illegal for the federal government to tax our labor? This country is so messed up. The only way to make this country better is to have Ron Paul in the White House. So if you want the right person in the White House, write in Ron Paul on your ballot in November.
Kelly Bailey, Polson
GOP must compromise for bills to pass
Readers continue to complain that the Democrats' majority in Congress has brought no change in domestic or foreign policy. The reason is Senate rules, not Democrats' intentions.
Before a bill or a nomination is voted on in the Senate, it is debated on the floor. In order to close debate and move toward a vote, Senate rules require a supermajority of 60 percent of the Senate (60 votes) in favor of cloture. Since there are only 51 Democrats in the Senate, passing any measure requires the votes of nine Republicans or Independents both to close debate and then to pass the measure. Any bill the Republicans oppose will fail because of the supermajority-60 vote requirement.
So blame Republicans for refusing to abandon their party line and explore the values of bipartisanship.
Lynn Ascher, Missoula
Letter count
From Aug. 3 to Aug. 8, the Missoulian received 48 letters to the editor. Of these, 38 were printed in the Opinion pages, and five more were published online. Five letters were not published, either because of inappropriate content or because their authors could not be reached for verification; one writer asked that his letter be withdrawn.
The five letters posted online this week covered an array of topics. One writer questioned a response to a previous letter suggesting that supporters of CI-100 were essentially illiterate cave-dwellers. "I don't mind that Randi Stewart (letters, July 25) called me a dimwit," the writer responds. "A matter, perhaps, of a pot calling a kettle black?"
A second letter asserts that war is "the cause of high (gas) prices, shortages and aimless empty-headed drifting."
Another letter questions a now-defunct proposal to tighten a rule requiring taprooms to stop serving beer at 8 p.m.: "I doubt the perceived crime or problems justify these measures. Instead, I would guess these measures are a sign of other agendas."
A fourth letter compares President Bush to Radovan Karadzic, and suggests the same treatment for both.
And finally, a fifth letter from a family in Nampa, Idaho. thanks the people of Missoula for the consideration and care shown to a family member who experienced a stroke while visiting.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)