Comments on: Flathead County Could Learn Something from Kalispell
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By RussCrowder on 09-24-12 @ 7:48 am
What Mr. Hadden, the director of the local chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association and other radical anti-growth/Smart Growth leftist groups in the valley are concerned with, has nothing to
do with protecting water quality or good planning. Through a recent Montana State Supreme Court
ruling that ignored Montana’s Growth Policy statutes, Growth Policy’s and their Amendments
(Neighborhood Plans are now “regulatory” (Zoning without using the “Z” word). So if you were
among the many thousands of Flathead Property owners that were told that your Neighborhood
Plan was non-regulatory, YOU WERE LIED TO! These little anti-property rights groups like
Hadden’s and Citizens For a Better Flathead are upset because they see this court ruling as an
opportunity to control everything that county property owners are allowed to do on their own private
property, particularly rural property.
The Flathead County Planning Board in it’s five year review of the county’s Growth Policy, chose to
stand by State law in it’s update, unlike the Montana State Supreme Court, that chose to uphold
the lie, not the law.
The so called “Smart Growth” agenda promoted by these radical little leftist groups must be forced
on people and property owners to work. For Smart Growth to work people can’t be allowed choices.
This is why the all out campaign against the recommended changes to the county Growth Policy
has been organized by Hadden and the anti-property rights crowd in the valley.
By Dave Hadden on 09-26-12 @ 8:55 am
Thanks, Russ, for your response to my op-ed. However, you are not correct on many points. Itwould be great if you would some day respond to your ‘opponent’ with respect and decorum rather
than by attacking their affiliations, or by labeling them as you have done in your response above.
For example, I do not, as you claim, work for the Montana Wildernes Association.
The point of the article was that Kalispell thinks planning is a good tool to use to dircect
intelligent development. It asks the question, ‘Why can’t/won’t Flathead County’s planning
board take the same approach?” It’s a fair question. But apparently you don’t think so.
You respond to the question with vitriol about ‘Smart Growth’, ‘radical little leftist groups’,
and the like. It’s as if you’d prefer to shout down a fellow citizen and stifle debate, just as
you did when you were chair of the planning board.
I look forward to the coments of others who wish to debate the differences between Kalispell and
county planning efforts. I am not a planning expert by any means, but it would sure make sense
to look at the tax costs and other costs of unplanned vs. planned growth at the county level and
use these real costs as a major basis for informing growth decisions. If the Kalispell approach
is correct, then Flathead County (it’s citizens that is) would probably benefit greatly from a
similar approach.
The draft revised county Growth Policy all but abandons planning. Is this the direction the
citizens of this county wish to go?
At this point I would still ask that folks contact the County Commissioner and ask that they
reject the revised Growth Policy. Cheers!
By RussCrowder on 09-26-12 @ 12:22 pm
Sorry Dave…That MWA association must be in your deep dark past…You are right that I will “question with vitriol about Smart Growth, radical little leftist groups, and the like”. Events in the 20th century
demonstrate the need to demand nothing less if one values individual liberty, freedom & private
property rights when confronted by these “radical little leftist groups, and the like”...Cheers!
By RIGHTOFCENTER on 09-26-12 @ 8:02 pm
Well it really depends on what Hadden thinks “abandonment of Planning” is. If he thinks doing something to stop radical green groups like Citizens for a Better Flathead from filing lawsuit after
lawsuit using the GP as their weapon of choice then I guess he is right in his own little world. But I
do not think the divisiveness and continuing turmoil the activists in Citizens for a Better Flathead of
created in Flathead County is what I would call planning. I think it is chaos. Their tactics have
turned neighbor against neighbor and have divided our county. They push the “smart growth
agenda” and the only thing smart about “smart growth” is the name. I have reviewed the update of
the GP forwarded to the County Commissioners from the Planning Board and I think they did an
outstanding job of the update. One of the biggest indicators of how great the job the Planning Board
did is how much that little leftist green group Citizens for a Better Flathead criticize it.
By Red Green on 09-26-12 @ 8:21 pm
“Flathead County Could Learn Something from Kalispell”
Perhaps, but not much. The two entities put together have about as much planning aptitude as a 5th-grader. Whatever they are teaching in university municipal planning
courses sure ain’t working. With regard to government work, the terms “planning” and
“common-sense” are about as far apart as I’ve ever seen.
By JosephineDoody on 09-28-12 @ 12:34 pm
The radical, leftist, anti-growth, Citizens For A Better Flathead Group will stop at nothing totrample all over private property rights. This socialist group #1 agenda is to strip the
private property owner of all of his/her rights and they can’t do it fast enough.
Citizens For A Better Flathead is against anything that will provide jobs or protect property
rights in Flathead County.
A good litmus test is this: If Citizens For A Better Flathead supports it, it’s bad for Flathead
County. The end.
By cs1 on 09-28-12 @ 1:50 pm
Thought I’d check into the group. Wow, those rotten commies. We can’t let this continue, it’s so, so, uhhh, ehm, anti-American? Think I’ll join them.
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By Mark Phillips on 09-28-12 @ 1:50 pm
Learning from others. Sage advice.
By danen anderson on 09-28-12 @ 2:08 pm
it seams that most people are hostile to the idea of a whole county learning from 1 townenough with the crazy people that think that what thay are doing is the only way it has to be
By Debo Powers on 09-29-12 @ 1:19 pm
We live in one of the most beautiful places on the entire planet. Why would we want to squander the things that make this place special and unique by not planning for development
and protecting our water and landscape? Unrestrained “property rights” infringe upon the
property rights of those who chose to live here for the beauty and clean water that this valley
offers. It’s ridiculous when people who want to maintain a beautiful Flathead are labeled
as “radical.” I agree with Dave Hadden. I encourage the county commissioners to stand for
sound planning and reject the revised growth policy.
The views expressed in the comments section do not reflect those of the Beacon.