Letters to the editor April 7

Independent for Heino

I am writing this letter as a more left (environmental policy) leaning but very independent contributor.  

Sheriff Brian Heino has in my mind done a great job managing his roles at the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office. The county has not been sued due to misconduct or officers abusing citizens. The county has not had news articles citing wild viewpoints of his. And we have had a decent response by the Sheriff’s Office when needed. I cannot remember that last time I even heard someone complain about the Sheriff’s Office. 

So even though his beliefs and mine may be cleanly divided by the mass media, I still feel that Heino is serving us all fairly. 

This is not the time to bring in out of state politicians and leaders. Look at what that turned into with Gov. Greg Gianforte. I feel these folks are here to stay and will manipulate our policy to serve themselves.    

Why does this person think she needed to end up here and “fix” our working Sheriff’s Office? No coincidence.

I urge the valley to support Brian Heino regardless of your politics. He has led with fairness, and that is all we ask.

— Jeremy Phillips, Kalispell

A price worth paying

I am confused by Bob Lopp’s letter (Patriotism, March 22) accusing me of calling people unpatriotic. I do write often so perhaps I have forgotten the letter about which Lopp is commenting, but I don’t remember calling anyone unpatriotic for opposing President Trump’s attack on Iran.  

The president may be ineloquent in some of his statements and tweets, but I wonder if Lopp believes we should have left Iran on a path to nuclear warheads and the ICBMs that could drop them on our cities.  

My letter regarding Marc Racicot’s lengthy rant against the president and his actions to defang Iran addressed his claim that the action was “illegal” and “unconstitutional” and that Iran had not attacked the United States. I never called him unpatriotic, just wrong. 

While those that oppose the actions of Israel and the United States, in my opinion, are short-sighted and perhaps ignorant of the facts regarding the Iranian terrorist regime, I don’t recall declaring them unpatriotic. Stupid, perhaps, but not unpatriotic.  

Perhaps Lopp and Racicot would prefer to mollify terrorists by sending them billions of dollars in cash (as former President Obama did) to fund their terrorist proxies as well as their own activities aimed at causing “death to America” and “death to Israel” as the now dead spiritual leader so often proclaimed. But I would much rather see such evil folks buried under piles of rubble.

If that means I need to pay a dollar more a gallon for gasoline for a while, I think that is a price well worth paying, not to mention for a weekly good meal for our troops which the drive-by media seems to find the only waste and fraud they are against.

— David Myerowitz, Columbia Falls

Sheena Sterling stands out

I am proud to endorse Sheena Sterling for Flathead County clerk and recorder.

As a licensed land surveyor, I understand how important the Clerk and Recorder’s Office is to property records, plats, maps and other property related documents that professionals and the public rely on every day. Accuracy, consistency and a strong understanding of how these records connect all matters greatly in this position.

I have worked with Sterling for many years and have seen firsthand the knowledge and professionalism she brings to her work. Early in my career, I also had the opportunity to intern with Flathead County’s GIS Department, which gave me an even greater appreciation for how closely the Clerk and Recorder’s Office, GIS and the Plat Room all work together.

What especially stands out about Sterling is her knowledge and experience over all the entities under this department. She is the only candidate that possesses these qualities. Sterling has and currently does manage all four divisions of this department, which include, Clerk and Recorder’s Office, the Plat Room, GIS, and Records Preservation. She has a thorough understanding of how each of them supports the others. That broader leadership and operational knowledge is incredibly valuable in a clerk and recorder.

She is someone I have always been able to work with productively. She knows the records, understands the details, and recognizes how important it is to get things right. That matters not only within county government, but also for surveyors, property owners, and others who depend on accurate information.

Sterling brings experience, professionalism and a strong commitment to public service. I believe she is well prepared to serve Flathead County as its next clerk and recorder, and I encourage voters to support her.

— Jason Smith, Kalispell