Letters to the Editor, 12-4

Letters to the Editor, 12-4

Tax system needs to be fixed

I am writing to you tonight more than a little ticked off. I got home from hunting today to find a property tax notice in the mail box that was delivered yesterday (Saturday, Nov. 29) and is due today. The original notice was mailed out on Nov. 20, returned to the county on Nov. 26 for using an old address, re-mailed to us on Nov. 26, and received on Nov. 29.

We called the county in May to ask about the property taxes and to update our address. We called about the taxes again in October concerned that we didn’t have a notice. We were told both times not to worry about it as nothing was due until the notices were mailed out by the county. It turns out we were right to be concerned, and it is very irritating to have been blown off and then have this happen.

To avoid being late, I had to pay another 3 percent to do this online instead of writing a check. It took several attempts to get the payment to go through on the website - I suspect it is overloaded by all the other folks who picked up the mail yesterday or today and didn’t have time to get a check out. How about all the folks who went away for the Thanksgiving holiday and won’t be back until Sunday and probably won’t get through their mail until Monday night after work? Are you going to charge them all late fees due to your failure to issue timely notices? Mailing tax notices out 10 days before their due date is ludicrous! Those notices need to go out at least 30 days before their due date similar to the rest of the free world.

Kelly Newman, Bigfork

Allegiance is tied to God, country

The Bible did not arise out of the birth of the Christian Church. It existed in the mind of God since forever and was put into written form by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. With this authority behind it, seems to me we should pay attention to its instruction. I haven’t found any “suggestions” in Scripture, but I have come across a whole lot of commands. Some of these commands have to do with our relationship with those in authority. We are to pray for them: local, state and federal.

It is not a bipartisan command. Whether you voted for the president-elect or not, you are required to pray for him. He is not a Muslim, a communist or the anti-Christ. Pray that our leaders will ask for the godly wisdom that He promises in the book of James. This just isn’t the time to vilify any elected representative of the people … they need our support, they need our prayer. They are in their positions of authority by the will of God. Jesus told Pontius Pilate (John 19:11) that he would have no power over him if it were not given to him from above. God repeats this in Romans 13:1, “for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” I am not the one saying this, He is. If you “pledge allegiance to the flag, etc.” you are pledging allegiance to those under the authority of the flag by God’s will. I like this pledge also; I pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ, And to His word on which I stand, One Lord, one faith , one baptism, With mercy and grace for those who believe.

Joe Forte, Ronan

Charlo volleyball well supported

I would like to take this opportunity to reply to the letter written by M.A. Wells in last week’s Leader. In her letter, she asks about the pep bus for the volleyball team.

It is true that a pep bus went to Twin Bridges for a football game. What Ms. Wells does not realize is that the football pep bus was organized by parents of the football team, not the principal or superintendent. A parent donated his time to drive the bus. The booster club, not the school, paid for the fuel. The parents of the volleyball team could have also requested a bus for volleyball if they chose to do so. Her characterization that the girls volleyball team was somehow mistreated and that the school owes them an apology is, in my opinion, extremely misleading. Our girls and coach (Sheryl) Kain did have a great year. I thank her for supporting them. However, the facts were not correctly represented in her letter. Go Vikings!

Steve Love, High School principal, Charlo School District 7J

The real reason for the season

We have reached December 2008. Christmas draws near once again, with all of its deep wonder and marvelous meaning. Over the years the tendency to overlook the true meaning of the season has robbed the world of experiencing God’s greatest demonstration of love. This year Christmas will be blurred and buried by the attention given to economics, politics, terrorism and all of the tragic circumstances which grab the headlines in the evening news, all the more reason that we should once again turn our attention to the true meaning of Christmas and to the declaration, “He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). In the midst of all of the horrendous and tragic events taking place in America and in other nations of the world we need to receive and embrace more urgently than ever, God’s greatest gift of love, Jesus.

The measure of love is always its willingness to give; its capacity for sacrifice. God’s love expressed at Christmas must be understood in the light of the birth and death of Jesus; which led someone to write: Love ever gives, forgives, outlives; And ever stands with open hands; And while it lives it gives; For while it gives it lives; And this is Love’s prerogative- To give — and give — and give.

If we would measure God’s love, we must measure it by Christ’s death on the cross.

“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” We can never know the costliness of Christmas to God, nor can we ever measure the love that lay behind it.

This we do know: that in giving us Jesus, God gave Himself; for “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus is not merely an agent through whom God sends the message that He loves us. He is God Himself actually come to earth loving us. Jesus does not simply declare or expound the love of God; He is the love of God incarnate.

Yes, Christmas draws near once again. Will its true meaning be blurred and buried by heartaches and hopelessness; crises and calamities; politics and economics? Probably, except for those who, in the midst of life’s experiences, choose to respond to God’s fabulous expression of love in Jesus; their Christmas will be a true celebration of God’s wonderful gift of love, Jesus.

Harvey A. Town, Polson

Thanks for self defense class help

We would like to extend our thanks to the following people who worked so hard to help us in the Women’s Self Defense class at Polson High School. Each person played a big part in the success of the class. Rick Rafter, principal of Polson High School, school Resource officer Kim Leibenguth, William Cleveland, Alan Booth and also thanks to Mike Cast, the reporter for the Leader who wrote a wonderful article on the class and to all of those that came out and participated in the class. It was a great experience for all involved. We enjoyed teaching the class and we are looking forward to what we can do in the future to be a help to the people of Polson.

Anthony Dentler and Wes Foster, Polson