Letters to the editor Aug. 18

Government at work

One and a half years ago, I paid the Department of Moter Vehicles in Flathead County for titles to two vehicles I had just bought. A year went by with no titles. I went back again last March. I was given no explanation, just told that I had to pay for them again, which I did.

I went back there again today and was told that I could pay for them a third time. The lady behind the glass partition couldn't have been less friendly, uncaring and unhelpful. And she certainly wasn't interested in anything I had to say. Her solution to the issue? Pay for them again. She wouldn't let me see my application, wouldn't give me any paperwork, wouldn't make any suggestions. I had to pepper her with questions to try to eke out any information. I told her that I wasn't going to keep paying for titles again and again when I had no faith that they'd ever mail them to me. Had she bothered to confirm my address, we could've gotten to the bottom of the problem. 

Turns out the first time I applied for the titles they wrote in the wrong city for my address. No one in 1 1/2 years bothered to follow up and could not have cared less that I still don't have titles. In desperation I asked to contact someone at the state. Then she handed me a card. I called the state. After a half hour on hold, the man told me that they had been sending the titles to the wrong city. Since it was the county's fault, he was gracious enough to not make me pay for them a third time. 

I thought I'd contact the county to tell them what I think of their "service" to me. I went on the website and hit the button to email them. You guessed it — it doesn't work. They don't care, and they're totally unaccountable. They just blame everything on the state, put in their hours, and go home not caring at all that they wasted my time, my money, and taxpayer dollars. A system in which no one is held accountable will never improve. 

— Doug Adams, Whitefish

Dignity for all

For the sake of my daughter and sons, I read with great interest and gratitude Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s letter suspending Public Service Commissioner Brad Molnar. 

Against Molnar, there were multiple accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation. Those alleged categories of behaviors by Molnar are illegal. The most chilling of the alleged incidents of retaliation were when he told a staff member that now that he had her phone number, he could get her home address, come to her home at 3:30 a.m. and take pictures of her sleeping children. A powerful man in the workplace, Molnar seemed to think he was immune from abusing staff. 

Every parent should thank Gianforte for suspending Molnar and thank staff for behaving professionally, including keeping the PSC running through this situation. When my daughters are old enough to work, I want them to have some assurance of their safety and dignity; I want them to experience role models at work who stand for the dignity of all.

— Jessica Barthel, Kalispell