RICHARD D. LIEBERT

289 Boston Coulee Road

Great Falls, MT 59405

406-736-5791/wwranch@3rives.net

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE 6 JULY 07

As Independence Day fades from memory, America’s warriors are still on the ‘frontlines’ doing their duty. Back home, it’s our duty as citizens, journalists and candidates to ask the ‘Hardball’ questions – especially in public forums – and here’s a few:

WHO in City Hall negotiated the water contract with SME, offering them very ‘generous’ conditions with our precious water while city residents pay premium prices to irrigate their lawns and gardens?

WHAT will city taxpayers be liable for if the Highwood plant isn’t built?

WHERE can Great Falls do better investing $100 million dollars in bonds than a coal plant? The Great Falls Development Authority could create far more innovative enterprises, jobs, clean energy and larger tax base with that kind of capital.

WHEN will your Cascade County Commissioners improve the integrity of the county zoning regulations? Answer: you can help by sending comments by 17 July and advise them to follow state law, due-process and ‘measure twice and cut once.’

WHY does your Congress allow the USDA to squander funds on a toxic and obsolete $720 million dollar coal plant that will harm farming communities, pollute your air, water and our nation’s Lewis and Clark portage landmark? Congress has the ‘power of the purse’ to stop this travesty.

HOW can City Hall sign contracts governing water/sewage treatment when the city still has no formal agreement with SME to the citizens? The city enforces ‘other’ contracts vigorously, right?

Visit cce-mt.org and sites like Electric City Blog to help in your quest.

Richard D. Liebert

Great Falls, Montana