Our readers speak

By The Standard Staff - 06/04/2006

Morrison good choice

for Montana senator

I grew up in a political family. My dad, Chris Carroll, was a Butte alderman and county commissioner for over 25 years. Back then political races were about ideas and solutions to everyday problems. Campaigns talked about moving forward under strong leadership. Back then it was about substance not gutter attacks by opponents.

John Morrison’s campaign has brought me back to those days. His campaign has the momentum in this race for the U. S. Senate. And the clearest indication of that momentum? The non-stop attacks from his opponent. It’s disappointing to see Tester resort to these gutter tactics.

This past Sunday, a Mason Dixon poll showed that John Morrison is the strongest Democratic candidate to beat Conrad Burns in November. Even after months of nothing but false, negative attacks from Jon Tester, Montanans know that John Morrison has the common sense solutions to bring everyday Montanans together to get the job done. With a Congress currently run by the special interests and lobbyists, John Morrison will be a courageous senator on the side of everyday Montanans.

The fact is, Morrison is the best candidate in this race to beat Conrad Burns. Morrison is the only candidate in this race who has made a career of standing up to big special interests to deliver for everyday Montanans.

Refusing to back down from big special interest has been one of the hallmarks of Morrison’s work as Montana’s state auditor. He’s taken on the big insurance companies when they broke faith with their policyholders. He’s cracked down on scam artists who prey on Montana’s senior citizens. And he’s broken up fraudulent schemes that target everyday investors.

I know Morrison to be a fair and decent public servant, who is passionate about making Montana an even better place for families and kids, seniors, and all the people who live and work in this great state.

Morrison is the only candidate for the U.S. Senate who has earned the endorsement of the trusted National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

Morrison is focused on bringing real leadership to Montana, and working everyday to put the public interest before the special interests. When voters hear his message, they know that Morrison is the candidate to carry us to victory this November.

Morrison has a vision to expand the Democratic Party, based on core Democratic principles. In the Senate, Morrison is the only candidate we can count on the fight for us and bring Montana common-sense solutions to Washington.

Mickey Boysza

2540 S. Montana

Butte

Morrison should

support Tester

Beth Sirrs’ recent letter to Readers Speak reveals an in-depth knowledge of the real character of John Morrison. Her article exposes his apparent willingness to betray the health care needs of we the people in order to curry support and favor from a large insurance company. Consequently his quest for personal and political gain is reprehensible.

This is not the only example of Morrison’s motivations and questionable actions. For several years now his office has repeatedly and publicly projected itself as a fearless defender of investors.

His repeated attacks on Piper Jaffrey personnel seems more a vendetta designed for personal gain and power. Recently his ruthless use of power succeeded in forcing Piper Jaffrey’s corporate personnel to abandon two of the most honest and respected stockbrokers the firm had.

We all know the ethics of corporate America and should not be surprised that the firm acquiesced to Morrison’s pressure and would not defend (for fear of unfavorable publicity) these longtime employees attacked in Morrison’s unfounded claims of malfeasance.

I am proud to say I have known and worked with both investment brokers for over a decade. I know there are no more liked, respected and trustworthy individuals in the profession. It is sad and alarming that both were successfully victimized by Morrison’s character assassination strategy.

To destroy others for personal gain and fame without a chance to defend themselves is not an admirable character trait especially for a politician. It is however a well-known political tactic based on the principal that if you create enough diversions it will cover up and defuse ones own confessed indiscretions.

Should Morrison win the Democrat nomination the party will have lost the moral high ground in the current Burns/Abramoff corruption issue. For the sake of the Democratic party’s future Morrison should remove himself from the primaries and support John Tester around whom controversy does not swirl. While not the richest candidate he is the best candidate and devoid of a thirst for power.

Dale Fredlund

Box 160

Butte

Tester will protect

the state’s public lands

It was disappointing to see a recent TV ad of John Morrison’s, using Nita Perimen of Gregson as an example of a person that had been taken in a stock swindle. Morrison was just doing his job as a state auditor in protecting folks from stock and insurance rip-offs.

The fact that he used a person who gated off an old public road near Fairmont was a very poor choice. The council of commissioners voted that the German Gulch road was a public right of way, but she is litigating their decision.

The big concern in my opinion, is that John Morrison is weak on public lands and recreational issues.

In fact, Jack Atcheson Sr. and I made a special trip to Helena to try to talk Morrison out of co-authoring a bill to sell public school trust lands. The whole purpose of the bill was to sell isolated parcels of school land and purchase lands with public access and high wildlife recreational values. Unfortunately, the bill was bad, the timing was bad, but the bill passed both houses and was signed into law.

Our Butte delegation did a good job in amending some of the worst parts of the bill. To date zero acres have been sold or traded and zero acres have been purchased, thus far.

With the ever escalating prices of land in Montana and the push by the present federal administration to sell public lands, we need a strong voice in Washington to protect the public’s heritage. Public lands are a huge part of Montana’s second largest industry —tourism and recreation.

Jon Tester, like our present governor is not in favor of selling public lands. As president of the Senate, he has worked with us on recreational issues and as a big bonus, he is a strong advocate of education and healthcare.

He is straight forward and honest and is a good example of what our next senator should be.

Tony Schoonen

Ramsay

Not all veterans

receive flags

I read the Standard’s great article on “Local Veterans Honor Dead With Flags.”

You should know, however, that not all vets get a flag. My father was a veteran of World War II. He always honored his flag and always flew one outside his door.

When he died I asked for a veteran head stone as he requested. He died in the month of November a couple weeks before Thanksgiving. The following Memorial Day I expected to see a flag on his grave when we placed our flowers. None appeared. I thought perhaps they just missed him.

The next Veteran’s Day, no flag. This went on the next year as well. I then contacted the local VFW to see if I could get a flag for him.

“What veteran’s organization did he belong to?” they asked. I told them as far as I knew he did not belong to any and wondered what that had to do with him deserving a flag on his grave. They told me they would look into it.

This was two years ago and my father still does not get a flag on his grave on Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day.

My father served his country, my father honored his flag. He taught his children to do the same. How many out there can tell you flag etiquette?

I can. My father taught it to me. He taught me that you don’t let the sun go down on a flag, you take it in before the light is gone. He taught me you don’t ever let the flag touch the ground. He taught me how to handle a flag that is torn or damaged. He even taught me how to fold a flag.

Yet the veterans won’t honor his grave because he didn’t belong to one of their posts. Shame on them. My father was John Balfore Mac Donald and he proudly served his country.

Wanda J. Walks

P. O. Box 448

Whitehall