Whitefish PACs register with state

One will not support or oppose candidates, the second one will

By RICHARD HANNERS / Whitefish Pilot

Two political action committees in Whitefish registered last week with the Office of Political Practices in Helena.

Quality Whitefish has interviewed candidates and run newspaper ads listing a phone number to call for information.

With Bick Smith named as treasurer and Dennis Kono-patzke named executive director, Quality Whitefish states its purpose is "to encourage the citizens of Whitefish to educate themselves and vote."

As for endorsements, the C2 form Quality Whitefish filed in Helena states, "We neither support or oppose any one particular candidate or issue."

Common Sense in White-fish Government (CSWG) registered with the Office of Political Practices in Helena the same day. Rick Blake is the treasurer.

The group's C2 form lists no other officers, but the group supports candidates — Mike Jenson for mayor and Turner Askew, Martin McGrew, John Murdock and Kent Taylor for city council.

Konopatzke is linked to both groups. He has sent a letter to the editor for Blake and advertising information for CSWG using the e-mail address qualitywhitefish@yahoo.com.

An attorney with a home on Houston Point, Konopatzke is an owner of Great Northern Brewing Co. in Whitefish and Woodtech Trading in Columbia Falls. He is also a member of the Iron Horse Golf Club.

Last year, Konopatzke teamed up with Spokane developer Stephan Byrd to propose a 904-unit development on 90 acres of former Forest Service land in Hungry Horse. The Flathead County Planning Board turned down the project in December.

For his part, Jenson told the Pilot he has received no money from any political action committee and that he is not allied with the four council candidates supported by CSWG.

Montana Conservation Voters (MCV), a statewide political action group, has also interviewed Whitefish candidates. Executive director Theresa Keaveny said the group's local Flathead chapter tried to get responses from all candidates, but some declined.

All three mayoral candidates participated in MCV interviews. Nick Palmer had been endorsed by MCV as a council candidate in 2005, but the group chose to endorse incumbent Cris Coughlin.

The group's four-page October 2007 newsletter states there are six council candidates in Whitefish when there are actually seven. Four candidates were interviewed. MCV turned down Mark McGlenn and Turner Askew and endorsed incumbent John Muhlfeld and Ryan Friel.

In mid-October, MCV mailed out about 1,500 six-by-11-inch cards with pictures of the Coughlin, Muhlfeld and Friel. Keaveny said MCV only endorses candidates in local races if it has a local chapter.

Headquartered in Billings, MCV has 2,716 members statewide. About 300 live in the Flathead and 63 — about 2 percent of its membership — live in Whitefish. MCV also has some out-of-state members, Keaveny said.

Formed in 1999, MCV's political action committee had a $130,000 budget last year and has a goal of raising $50,000 this year. Member dues are $35 a year, but MCV also raises money by donations and fundraising events. On Oct. 24, MCV held a chili cook-off contest and potluck dinner at the Whitefish Armory.

Citizens For A Better Flathead (CFBF), a local watchdog group which has shown an active interest in both the critical areas ordinance and the city's draft growth policy, interviewed nine of the 10 Whitefish candidates.

Their responses were published in the Fall 2007 "Citizen News." Council candidate Kent Taylor chose not to respond, and CFBF did not endorse any candidates.

Several other watchdog groups in Whitefish have been actively involved in local politics, but they aren't registered with the state as political action committees. Both the Commission for Fair Land Use and Government (CFLUG) and Sensible Land Use (SLU) have focused their attention this year on the city's proposed critical areas ordinance.

Both have posted op-eds in newspapers, and SLU has mailed out two flyers opposing the ordinance, but neither has specifically supported or opposed any candidates. SLU has also called for delaying a council vote on the ordinance until after a new council is seated.