Articles written by Don Larson

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 By Don Larson    Opinion    July 7, 2022

Reproductive rights and gun control at the local level?

The primarily male U.S. Supreme Court has recently determined American women cannot decide for themselves what to do with their bodies. It trashed their reproductive rights while fiercely defending (primarily male) rights to carry an AR 15. Let’s...

 

Realtor commissions raise housing costs and promote government growth

Realtor Kevin Wetherell has noted home prices in the Seeley area have jumped by 53%...to an average price of $399,000. So much for affordable housing in Seeley Lake.  What he does not mention, discuss or analyze is the impact realtors’ sales...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    July 29, 2021

Sewer Board headed in right direction

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board is sorting out its priorities and finally heading in a good direction. I appreciate the work done by Beth Hutchinson who has worked tirelessly on behalf of Seeley Lake to ensure a sensible wastewater...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    June 3, 2021

Hold Health Department accountable

SEELEY LAKE - Voters unanimously defeated a $35-million albatross sewer proposal but the message seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Now the Sewer Board wants to charge resident homeowners $250/year for each parcel in the district. Many residences...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    March 11, 2021

Dissolve the sewer board and start over

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District voters have spoken....again....loudly and clearly. They do NOT want a $35 million sewer to grow the community for a half dozen developers who have touted the proposal. If the board is listening it should:...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    February 4, 2021

Rebuttal to Friede's sewer letter

SEELEY LAKE - Curt Friede’s letter to the editor about the sewer proposal last week suggests we “get the facts.” Here are a few: Fact: Mr. Friede of one of the parties suing the sewer district board to force them to build the sewer. Fact:...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    January 28, 2021

Stop misinforming sewer voters

Walt Hill’s comments on our Seeley Lake sewer mess would be laughable except for the fact he is a respected community leader. His ignorance of the facts of the case are scary and dangerous. Here are some facts: • Sewer District residents have a...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    January 7, 2021

Where is democracy going?

Senator Steve Daines is one of 12 senators who have decided your vote doesn’t count.  Those officials, led by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, have organized to protest Joe Biden’s victory and are making a futile effort to unseat the...

 

State leadership needs to carefully consider direction

The Federal Government has only the powers specifically enumerated to it...all other powers accrue to the states. That’s the way the U.S. Constitution reads. However we all know, because it controls the big purse strings, the Feds make state and...

 

The message from Republican sweep

The Seeley-Swan, and Montana generally, stayed red this past election cycle. What are the messages in this continued move to the right? Voters are apparently demanding less government, less in-your-face regulation and permitting, lower taxes and,...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    October 29, 2020

Montana - The welfare state

For those voters who worry about Montana becoming a socialist state, you’re too late. Montana already IS a welfare state. We get more back in federal payments than we pay out to the federal government in taxes. The Medicaid, Medicare, Social...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    October 15, 2020

Give Browder a chance

Mike Hopkins is asking to be re-elected to the Montana Legislature as the representative from the Seeley-Swan -Potomac-Bonner-Clinton area. Here’s a fact to consider in your decision to vote or NOT VOTE for him. Seeley residents have been...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    October 8, 2020

Treat NRA grades with skepticism

With all the “grades” being issued by the National Rifle Association (NRA) for Montana political candidates I’d like to offer some perspective on this highly partisan organization. I am 74 years old and have hunted for nearly 60 years in...

 

Consolidation an answer to high cost government

It is time to fully examine the idea of combining Missoula with the county to streamline our governments. Communities such as Butte - Silverbow have done this successfully and dramatically reduced government costs by increasing efficiency. There is o...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    August 6, 2020

Let's get back to the drawing board for the sewer

Missoula County Health Department Specialist Jim Erven doesn’t seem to get it. The residents in the Seeley Lake Sewer District fully understand the Health Department is a bully, it does its work poorly and the $40-million sewer project it is pushin...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    July 2, 2020

Daines, be honest and tell us how you will bring back jobs

Steve Daines’ campaign ads that claim he will bring back the jobs from overseas suggest he is either stupid or naive.  Here’s why... The jobs, if they ever were in the U.S, went overseas because there is cheaper labor and less government...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    June 18, 2020

Tax relief for Montana property owners?

COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are at more than 100,000, more than 40 million people have filed for unemployment and the U.S. economy is officially in “recession.” While Montana has experienced relatively few deaths, its economy, too, is taking a...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    April 23, 2020

Restoring the right to vote

SEELEY LAKE - I would like to remind Sewer Board candidate Kyle Zumwalt, the Sewer Board and Missoula County, their actions overturning the 2016 public vote declining the project caused the lawsuit. The solution is obvious - restore the voters...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    April 16, 2020

Vote Morris and Gilpin for a change in direction

SEELEY LAKE - I am writing to recommend Tom Morris and Jason Gilpin for election to the Seeley Lake Sewer District board. Here is why. With only one recent exception, current board members have blindly pursued an exorbitantly expensive sewage...

 

New candidates bring possibility of change

SEELEY LAKE - Missoula County officials have spent more than a half-million taxpayer dollars in the past decade trying to sell a community sewer here in Seeley Lake. Unfortunately, the proposal the sewer board settled on stinks. It does not clean up...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    November 7, 2019

Another opportunity to protest the Sewer

SEELEY LAKE - Sewer District residents have an opportunity to again protest against the proposed sewer project. The District’s engineering firm is asking to schedule meetings with residents to identify septic and line locations assuming...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    October 31, 2019

Missoula policies do not fit healthy rural economy

Commissioner Josh Slotniks’ suggestion that Seeley Lake create a Business Improvement District suggests a certain naivete, or to use a football metaphor, a rookie mistake. Seeley’s business community seems fine. That we have to commute to...

 
 By Don Larson    Opinion    October 10, 2019

The Health Department is damaging Seeley Lake's economic health

SEELEY LAKE - President Trump’s trade war with China is expected to cost Montana families an extra $1,000 next year. Missoula County Commissioners have just announced an 11 percent increase in property taxes for 2020. Medical costs are out the roof...

 

Sewer Rules & Regulations - A must read

SEELEY LAKE - The Sewer Board has published proposed rules for governing its sewer operation. They are a must-read and are available online, at the County annex and the Seeley Lake Public Library at Seeley-Swan High School. They are disturbing. They...

 

Everyone should have a say in sewer debate

SEELEY LAKE - The sewer debate is about justice and fairness. Here are a couple of parameters. We all perform the same daily bodily functions, whether we’re registered to vote, own property or not. Fairness suggests we ALL have a say in this sewer...

 

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