Letters to the Editor

Being polite not enough

You know, the residents, the primary travelers on the East Shore Route south of Bigfork, ARE polite. This can be witnessed by the fact that we haven’t strung up the DOT directors over these many years.

No, indeed, we have met with, listened to, and tried to persuade these “powers” to make our highway more safe.

The only action from our myriad of meetings last year is a littering signage urging everyone to “Be Polite, Do Not Tailgate.” My reading of the Montana driving laws indicates that tailgating is an infraction, which is ticketable, because the act is “following too closely” and a display of “unsafe driving”.

The “Be Polite . . .” signs go hand-in-hand with the re-striping of the road to allow only a very few passing areas over the thirty miles between Polson and Bigfork. No new passing lanes are available, so the sign should really admonish us to “Be Patient!”

We, the East Shore residents, have been EXTREMELY patient and polite. Now it is time for the highway department to step up and admit that: 1) accidents that have involved semi’s with toxic and non-toxic loads have not happened when they are passing or are being passed; 2) our highway is not engineered to the standards of US Highways with regard to width so that semi’s with pups could be accommodated safely; 3) our Lake is such a precious treasure to our state and its residents that it should not be subjected to hazardous spills; AND 4) something meaningful needs to be done about Hwy 35!

Restrict long trucks that are likely to “catch an edge” of the pavement (there are only minimal shoulders) and be sucked into the borrow pit and overturn. Immediately restrict trucks carrying hazardous chemicals or materials from Highway 35 along the shore of Flathead Lake, except for local deliveries.

Rose Schwennesen

Bigfork

Pilots’ medical work is admirable

Each month, volunteer pilots from Angel Flight West fly patients needing specialized medical care, including chemotherapy and dialysis, to hospitals throughout Montana. Many of these patients are from rural areas and would otherwise be hard-pressed to receive the care they need.

These flights are part of General Aviation (GA), which includes all flying except the scheduled airlines and the military. Right now GA is being imperiled by misguided plans in Washington, D.C. If these proposals are enacted, the outlook could be grim for patients who use Angel Flight West, as well as for millions of other people throughout the country who depend on General Aviation for services and jobs.

Among the proposals are new costs and regulations. Since Angel Flight West pilots already donate their time and planes and pay for their own fuel, these increased costs could ground them. The impact on patients who live in rural Montana could be devastating, because they would have to drive long distances to receive care.

The new charges and regulations would involve not only medical volunteer organizations. With an estimated 65 percent of General Aviation flights conducted for public service and business, many industries and services would be affected, including agriculture, emergency medical evacuation, law enforcement, aerial fire-fighting, package delivery and the Civil Air Patrol.

In addition, millions of jobs depend on GA, which pumps more than $150 billion into the U.S. economy. Two members of Congress deem GA so essential that they formed a caucus to educate their peers on its value to the American economy and transportation system.

Recently, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the world’s largest pilot organization with more than 415,000 members, launched General Aviation Serves America. The goal of this national grassroots campaign is to educate policymakers, opinion leaders and the public about the vital role GA plays in our local communities and the nation’s economy. Actors Harrison Ford and Morgan Freeman, both avid pilots, are volunteering their services in support of the campaign. (To learn more about the General Aviation Serves America program, please take a few minutes to visit www.gaservesamerica.com.)

The importance of GA and its impact on the citizens of Montana cannot be overstated. For more than 80 years, General Aviation has played a significant role in the lives of millions of Americans across the country. I hope you will join me in our efforts to ensure that it’s around for another 80 years, and well beyond.

Craig Fuller

President

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association