Out of touch with reality

The Whitefish City Council has indeed demonstrated once again that it is either out of touch with reality or consumed with the arrogance of power. When the council decided to appeal the district court's ruling denying its effort to rule the "doughnut," the attitude displayed in that decision is alarming to anyone that treasures the American principles of representative government and liberty.

When one council member expressed the opinion that "we can kiss the entrance to our city and water quality good-bye," he insulted the thousands of property owners and American citizens who live in that area and have the same dreams of prosperity and quality of life that the "good intentions" of the council express.

But those citizens are frustrated, just as the Patriots of the 18th century British colonies in North America were frustrated, at the concept of taxation and control of their lives without representation in the government. To assume that only the city council of Whitefish can make prudent decisions about the property surrounding the city is the imperious attitude of elites that claim to have sole access to the truth.

I urge the council to stop wasting the taxpayers' money by pursuing this appeal and have faith in the common sense and values of their fellow county residents and the county commissioners to make wise decisions about what is also their property.

Responsible growth, land-use policies and property rights have always been contentious issues. They will always stir strong emotions that will impede the ability to arrive at consensus. But in America, there is one inviolate principle — the ability of the people to be represented in their governing bodies by individuals that they vote for or against.

To lose an election, and consequently have the government agency adopt policies that one does not agree with, may be discouraging, but to be subjected to policies and decisions that you have been denied the Constitutional right to participate in is counter to the very principles of representative democracy itself. Totalitarianism begins when we decide that the "common good" is more important than other peoples' lives.

John Fuller, of Whitefish, is the Republican candidate for Montana House District 4.