Monumental Milestone

Edd Blackler, Bigfork

Whatever the outcome of the 2008 election, we have witnessed the United States pass a monumental milestone, and an unprecedented number of Americans have been a part of this historic event. My participation in this election, as a local candidate for a seat in the Montana House of Representatives, makes the event especially meaningful to me.

I am humbled by the fact that 2290 voters in House District Nine had confidence in my ability to represent them. I consider them to be the truly forward thinkers in the valley, and I can't say enough about their tremendous support and encouragement which I received during this campaign. The constant involvement of my wife and loyal friends provided the incentive for me to forge ahead against overwhelming odds.

I am encouraged by the fact that there are a sufficient number of Americans who realize that we can not continue to do things the same way, and expect different results. Apparently there are still those in the area who feel that gridlock at the state level is the preferable way to operate the multimillion dollar business of State government. Although that may not be the intent, there is a good chance it will be the result of voting for an administration from one party and a legislature from the other.

I honestly hope that voters voted for the candidate whom they felt would be the most qualified, and not just the candidate from their favorite political party. The challenge for all of us is to stay involved by making sure that our elected representatives take actions to address our needs. Our national, state, and local governments face the most challenging situations that have ever been presented. We must all put aside our partisan proclivities and work together to discover reasonable solutions to the problems we face.