Election mail bag

Loge is the clear choice

Campaign season this year seems to have gotten a little out of hand with factual information vs. non-factual information. In the election for the representative race for House District 14, incumbent Rep. Denley Loge has been under attack for several votes he has taken, out of the thousands he has made.

HB 113 was one of those. Loge’s vote and 50 other voters, including the House majority leaders vote, killed this bad bill. Loge has explained his vote on this poorly written bill and is willing to discuss his votes on all bills.

Take note of some of the bills he has passed or helped others pass that deal with the bus safety for children, the move over law to protect our emergency personnel, law enforcement, and tow truck workers and bills to keep our highways safer during winter travel. He has worked hard to ensure access to private and public lands for hunting and recreation, still protecting private property rights. His total past records are open to the public.

Don’t buy into the negative sound bites but do your research on his accomplishments and his work for his constituents.

— Patti Curtin, Mineral County

Let's re-elect Loge

On June 7, the citizens of HD 14 face the significant choice of selecting our Republican choice for state representative. The position demands a person with a unique set of temperament, talents and convictions to represent us effectively.

The best person in my opinion is Denley Loge. I have known Denley and his family for over 50 years. The dedication he has shown not only to my community, but to those throughout our district is truly amazing. This gives Denley a unique insight to what our communities current needs are and those that are coming down the road. Denley also has the ability to listen to those he represents and take those values back to Helena and vote accordingly. Do these votes mean he represents my wishes every time? No, but I can assure you he values all of our opinions and considers them when determining how to vote on a certain issue.

I have dealt directly with Denley two times since he has been serving our district over in Helena. The first as a community board member for the St. Regis Resort district. St. Regis faced a significant blow when new flood maps were developed for the town of St. Regis. We reached out as a board with our engineer and asked Denley to help us develop some legislation to help mitigate some of the effects these new maps would have on our community. Denley took this bill, presented it to the legislature and through his direct efforts the town will hopefully see some relief.

Denley also just helped me with a problem that I was having with a permit at the DEQ. I had submitted an application for an underground storage tank for a new gas station I was building. The permit had sat and was only 25% completed after 3 months (the amount of time it usually takes to get this type of permit approved). I called Denley and he made a phone call to the

rector, after an additional 19 days I had my permit in hand and my project could move forward. In both of these instances the positive effects only come if your representative is well reasoned and respected. Denely is not a flame-thrower and both the Legislature that he serves in and the director of the DEQ knew that he wouldn't be proposing legislation or making a phone call without good reason to do so.

It is my hope that the voters of HD 14 will continue to let Denley serve us. It is easy to send someone who says no to everything that comes before them. It is much harder to find an effective representative to help our communities move forward and grow.

— Ken Jasper, St. Regis

Mitchell the true Republican

Democrat Diane Magone’s letter in the May 11 Mineral Independent just proves the case that we have ben trying to show people.

Denley Lodge is the more liberal of the two candidates running for HD14, and Randy Mitchell is the conservative real Republican.

In an open county like ours anyone can run under whatever party they think they have a better chance to win.

One of the reasons we oftentimes don’t have any Democrats running for office in Mineral County is because everyone jumps in as a Republican as they know they wouldn’t get many votes as a Democrat.

Thank you, Diane, for illustrating what we have been saying.

— Joan Carrol, St. Regis

Mitchell stands for liberty

The sovereignty of the state of Montana demands the support of autonomous individuals who are willing to stand in the gap against encroaching tyranny, given, the perilous times that our independence is faced with, such a Man who embodies the attributes necessary for such a cause is my Husband Randy Mitchell.

Many people do not know who this Randy Mitchell is that is running in the primary for HD14. Many have some pre-conceived idea based upon unsubstantiated stories and subjective observations. It is true that Randy is not the type of Man who will whisper “sweet nothings” in your ear just to make you “feel” good to win your vote. He will tell you what you need to hear, out of Love and is a Man who will always stand for the truth (Ephesians 4:14-15).

There are those who want to paint an ugly picture about the Man that I Love, they would like for others to believe that he is a “Bully” that is too outspoken or is a “Hard Right Extremist.” By the way, if it is meant by “Hard Right Extremist” that we believe that government should abide by the original intent and design of the U.S. and Montana Constitutions and expect them to respect the balance of power that is set forth in these documents, then…..Who wouldn’t want that? In that case I think we would all be “Hard Right Extremists.”

I have the privilege of being witness to the incredibly important traditional and chivalrous acts that seem to be lost in the world of today of which Randy makes a part of his everyday life. He is the only Man that I know who makes it a priority to call his Mother every single day to check in on her, he is a Man who opens the door for me and asks total strangers how their day is going? Of which I am Blessed to be able to see light up when they are acknowledged.

Randy is not the type of Man who is self-serving and will not take anything from anyone which is the reason he is self-funding his campaign. Randy has had several donations in the form of checks that he received in the mail of which he takes the time to make calls to these supportive folks to thank them personally and to let them know that he will be sending their money back to them. The question is always why? His answer is that he does not want to be beholden to any special interest but would appreciate their support in letting others know who he is and what he stands for.

Randy is a Man that will always stand upon Truth, Loyalty, Hard Work, and Charity. I know that in Today’s world, telling the Truth isn’t always popular and Masculinity isn’t always accepted but I also know, and history bears witness to the fact, that it is the strong Men of old who did not succumb to public ridicule or rejection over preserving Liberty that persevered in keeping America’s Families and Freedom a priority so as to preserve our State and National sovereignty.

Please remember that your Vote is your voice and the most important vote you can cast will be in this upcoming Primary election on June 7th, 2022.

— Kim Mitchell