Letters to the Editor: Protect the irrigation project

Protect the irrigation project

I received a racially worded letter from a group calling themselves Cooperative Management Entity (CME) asking irrigators from the Flathead Indian Reservation to choose either "to surrender all Flathead irrigation assets and control to the CSK tribe" or not, and to" agree with a management entity with CSK tribe in majority control" or not to agree.

In 2010 an entity calling themselves a cooperative took over the management of the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project. In 2014 a group called Flathead Joint Board of Control (FJBC) took over management. They spent $1 million between 2016 and 2017 in litigation opposing the SKC water compact, using water user funds. They spent $596,691 in 2016 and $400,848 in 2017 in legal fees. They misappropriated $220,000 of water user money, which was being investigated by the FBI. They built fish screens that had to be ripped out and rebuilt. People working for FJBC had their retirement accounts mismanaged and will be working far past retirement age. They fired most tribal members and put incapable people in management positions.

Now the same group of people want to run the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project again, and the tribes are considering allowing them to do so. This group is not capable of management. They are, in fact, disruptive, untrained and underhanded. I am asking the Tribal Council to think, evaluate, remember and DO NOT allow the CME to take over the irrigation project again.

— Carol Olson, Ronan

Choose love over hate

I don’t see why we can’t have all the friends we want. In fact I don’t see why heaven can’t be right here on earth, while we are at it – literally. I don’t see why the guns of hate and fear can’t have a brand new generation of souls able to believe in a better way and law enforcement can get back to keeping the peace. It would be a lot easier for them if we didn't make guns for everybody legal. It is time now for some Peace Pilgrim: love over hate and truth over falsehood is the path to good undoing evil and bringing down the walls that separate us. Sometimes honesty and integrity, kindness and friendliness without fear seem like only a bittersweet memory from the distant past, tarnished by big, medium and small lies to ourselves and to nations. If we can go into the future with open minds and hearts and our feet on the ground, with the courage of a mother and newborn saying hello to a future full of hopes and dreams and possibility, maybe we can make it through the minefields of this time of changes and keep the faith. For the sake of our kids and grandkids and the world we want for them, let’s give peace between us a chance.

— Debbie Jakovac, Polson