Dems offer "Platform for the People"

Montana is changing. Freedoms we have taken for granted are being threatened by intolerant political agendas spawned at the national level.

The incessant hate and fear dialogue emanating from a relatively small sector of extreme right-wing interests dominates our lives. We are better than this; we have more desires, hopes and needs in common than this fringe group of individuals would lead us to believe.

A living wage, affordable housing, quality education for all of our children, affordable daycare, fair taxes, functioning infrastructure, affordable healthcare, accessible use of our amazing Montana wildlands, and freedom to make our own healthcare decisions are all universal needs.

As a member of the Lake County Democrat Central Committee, I am proud of our party’s tolerant, inclusive political platform.

The Democratic platform varies considerably from the Republican platform, which promotes transferring federally-managed lands to state control. This would give our state legislature a say in who ranchers sell their land to, an obvious conflict of interest. The platform also reduces funding of our struggling public schools, creates laws that make it harder to vote, and imposes a complete ban on abortion to name a few.

Our candidates running for office in Lake County should represent our voters’ needs and desires, not just “rubberstamp” their party’s platform. Shirley Azzopardi (HD 13), Shelly Fyant (HD 91) and Thedis Crowe (HD 15) can be depended upon to vote for the interests of all of our citizens and not fear being “primaried” if they deviate from their party’s platform.

– Craig McClure

Polson