New stadium still has some kinks
A couple of comments about Saturday’s (Sept. 13) game.
The new addition at Washington Griz looks great. It fits in well with the rest of the stadium. It shows someone was thinking. Too bad the thinking seemed to stop there.
I wonder what group of idiots sold the pack leader the theory that no one ever looked at the main scoreboard during the game. That was excellent slight-of-hand. Last year, a quick glance at the scoreboard told you who, what, where and how much longer. If I try that quick look this year, I will have probably missed one or two plays and still not figured it all out. In fact, for the longest time Saturday I thought the score was Griz 25, Guest 25 and I kept wondering what I had missed.
Another thing. Now that Montana has the nation’s best Football Championship Subdivision stadium, will our team forever be playing against “Guest” or is that just another little unimportant detail? Thinking back, I seem to recall that the U.S. Olympic track team even had time to pencil out “USA.”
Lastly, the fact that in the eight-plus months since the last home football game and after the stealth removal of the scoreboard, the university couldn’t seem to spend the time or the money to be sure that all those teeny tiny lights in the secondary, mostly useless, scoreboards were all working. But then, does anybody really care exactly how many seconds are left?
Sharkey Harrison, Frenchtown
Be wary of fire levy that’s on ballot again
During the last election here in Missoula County, voters voiced their opinions on several ballot issues. One of the issues voted down was the Missoula Rural Fire District Mill Levy. Many of the measures on the ballot passed; some did not. The Missoula Rural Fire District Mill Levy did not pass during the election just a few months ago. When did democracy work only when the outcome is favorable?
Before you vote on this issue again, take a closer look. This is a blank check that will cost the taxpayers thousands upon thousands, year after year. This levy will never go away; it has no sunset, which means you pay tax increases forever.
Ask yourself: What will happen as the city of Missoula annexes more in Target Range and the Wye? What will happen to the Missoula Rural Fire station that will sit inside Missoula city limits? The rural tax base will shrink, placing the burden of this funding on fewer and fewer rural residents. This will cost the remaining rural residents more and more every year.
This plan was voted down by the community once. Shame on you, Missoula Rural Fire, for not listening to the residents you serve.
F. Hendrix, Lolo
Constant increases are enough already
Why is it that any time any local governmental group wants funding for any purpose, the only source is to increase property taxes? The governmental pressure to increase our property taxes is never ending.
I am not against any of these programs or budgetary needs per se, but the concept of property taxes being the limitless governmental “cash cow” has got to stop and stop now. I don’t care how the next governmental program or budgetary crisis is funded, but it cannot be from property tax increases. Pass a sales tax if you want, hold a raffle, have a bake sale, I don’t care; but no more property tax increases!
I am calling on the citizens of Missoula city and county to start the “revolving door” of elected office. If an elected official is, in any way, part of an increase in our property taxes, they get voted out.
Enough is enough!
Gary Fee, Alberton
Bush not to blame for bad times
This housing and financial mess we are in got its start with bad legislation passed by Congress during the Clinton administration.
Don’t blame Bush for this, as Nancy Pelosi is doing.
Politics has sunk to a new low.
O.G. Benson, Missoula
Montana rules hurt consumers
I would like to respond to the recent articles on milk being sold by Montana retailers.
Ole’s, Gilly’s and other Montana retailers were offering the highest quality milk product that is available and a brand name that is recognizable to everyone in Darigold. They were not selling old or outdated milk. The milk had the Montana date of pasteurization on it, along with a date that is 12 days after pasteurization, so they were following Montana code.
The issue was that it also had a date on it that qualifies in all other states except for Montana. In August 2002, the Department of Livestock authorized this procedure, allowing both dates to be affixed to the container. The issue is that when this milk became successful because of the more competitive pricing, which by the way is the same pricing enjoyed by neighboring states, they decided to revoke the exemption that had been in place. Anyone who has been involved with this knows that it is to keep out all out-of-state competition.
Where does the 12-day date come from? There is no scientific support for it whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the Food and Drug Administration declines to set a sell-by date or expiration date on milk because the bacteria found in milk when in deteriorates is not harmful to humans. That is why dairies are self-regulated and would be fools to have sell-by dates they could not back up. The 12-day date is a date they want retailers to pull it from their shelves and make it not for sale and destroy it.
What a shame, destroying all this quality product when families are struggling with grocery and gas prices already.
All of us should be thanking Ole’s, Gilly’s and other retailers for bringing families a great product at a great price.
Jeff Dubose, Dillon
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