Letters to the editor June 1

Stough for sheriff

We support Chris Stough as the best candidate for Sheriff of Sanders County, because he trusts in all the following ideas: Community involvement beginning with youth involvement as a civic duty. We think Chris has a fresh appeal based on a wide range of professional and management experience. He will support the entire community’s needs regardless of whether people voted for him or not. He has a sincere commitment to due process for all and not just enforcement of particular issues. Mr. Stough does not pander to people based on popular sentiment, but rather has a long-term vision for a county and community which is based on protecting and serving the people and acting as a true, peace officer. He will strive for remedies based on asking others for their input and not just relying on his own ideas. He will create policies and procedures that will implement professional law enforcement standards that will benefit all of the citizens of Sanders County. Therefore, with Chris Stough’s education, management experience, and his vision for the community, he is the best candidate for Sheriff.

— Tony Ferguson, Al Borrego

The Red Cross way

Turning compassion into action has always been the Red Cross way, but we certainly don’t do it alone. That’s why we want to thank you for making Red Cross part of your community.

Last year, Red Cross volunteers helped 18 people in Mineral County following disasters like home fires by providing food, shelter, clothing and emotional support. When disasters strike, we meet families’ most immediate needs and let them know they’re not alone.

About 90 percent of our workforce are volunteers who train year-round to respond to disasters big and small. And as another wildfire season approaches, we stand ready to help.

But we do much more than respond to disasters.

Because so many of you raised your hands and rolled up your sleeves, Red Cross collected 83 units of blood at five Mineral County blood drives last year. That’s enough blood to save up to 415 lives – blood that is vitally important to cancer patients, accident victims, new moms and countless others across Montana.

Through our Service to the Armed Forces program, we support those who serve by providing comfort and care to more than 1,600 Montana military families each year.

Responding to disasters, collecting lifesaving blood, supporting our military families … none of this would be possible without the partnerships, trust and support of our communities.

Learn more at montanaredcross.org.

With gratitude,

— Alexandria McKinley, Montana Red Cross donor recruitment account manager

Mitchell the true conservative

Recently I, and other county residents, have had our mailboxes filled with super large, high gloss, slick postcards touting Denley Loge for re-election and denigrating conservative Republican Randy Mitchell’s attempt to represent us in the next Legislature.

Why is the left so concerned about Randy Mitchell's attempt at unseating an incumbent RINO (Republican in Name Only)? Because, among other things, Randy Mitchell gathered signatures to stop the increases in your property taxes during this period of double-digit inflation. Randy's opponents are all big "tax and spend" politicians.

These out-of-our-county left wing groups involved in this anti-Randy Mitchell blitz have a common goal to promote left wing causes. None of them have mailing addresses in Mineral or Sanders counties. You’ve never heard of any of them before and, probably, never will again. They generally surface under new names every two years or so, then disappear after a postcard mailing. This election cycle they all waited until the deadline to avoid filing early finance reports with the Commissioner of Political Practices. Because they mailed after the normal deadline they will not be required to file until just days before the election. There will not be time to expose the individuals running or financing the various PACs or what their goals really are.

Who are they? “Jobs for Montana” is the left wing super PAC that defends "progressive" Republicans that join with Democrats on spending issues. They are best known as members of the “Conservative Solutions Caucus."

They started as the “Log Cabin Republicans” then became the “Main Street Republicans”, then became the “Solutions Caucus” and now call themselves the “Conservative Solutions Caucus” because no one else will call them “conservative.”

Many of the sponsors of the "Jobs for Montana PAC" also seem to promote increases in residential property taxes. (I have obtained most of this information to form my opinion from the internet ... there is more. I suggest you do your own research. "Dark Money" is a significant danger our Republic!)

I have previously voted for Denley, but based on his recent voting record, can no longer consider him my representative or worthy of my Republican vote. Among the 59 or so times Denley voted against Republicans in the last legislative session, he specifically voted against HB 113 in the last Legislature. HB 113 was designed to protect young children from genital mutilation and/or chemical gender altering injections as part of the transsexual game being promoted by the worst elements of the left wing. Denley voted against HB 113 and against protecting our children.

Please vote for Randy Mitchell, a truly conservative Republican, who will vote to protect our children, and not vote to increase our taxes in these inflationary times.

— Bruce Charles, De Borgia