Missoula Independent from Missoula, Montana • A4

Letters Street Talk by Michelle Custafson 16, outside the Missoula story this week about a dog chariot. about dog-powered transportation? would you improve transportation in Villa: I think it would have to depend on the size of the dog. You probably want a husky, a sled that would be best. I doubt you'd to see a poodle pulling a chariot. poodle-free: We just moved here are actually on the way now to get bus schedule because we want to to take the public transportation around Missoula.

i i I used to dislike wolves, but thanks to animal rights activists we will always be able to trap them. We also owe a big thanks to our little local anti-trapping group. Beware of their uncompromising stand on trapping and their unethical misinformation. They are trapped in their own lies, completely undermining their own credibility. This group ignores the fact that wolf recovery (as well as lynx, otter, fisher and swift fox) was accomplished with live-catch foothold traps "with no foot damage." "The $2 million collected by the Grizzly Scholarship Association should be divided equally and paid to the men and women who've been on the receiving end of the assaults, sexual and otherwise, by the street thugs UM keeps trying to pass off as upstanding college football players." A quote from L.

David Mech, author of The Wolf: "If we carefully regulate wolf populations instead of overprotecting them, we can prevent a second wave of wolf hysteria, a backlash that could lead once again to persecution." It's a lesson for animal rights activists. Bert Wustner Lolo False job promises When Gov. Brian Schweitzer allowed the heavy-handed and patently unjust eminent domain bill pushed by Canada's Tonbridge Ltd. to become law last year, he called it "a deal with the devil." He got that right! House Bill 198 passed the legislature and became law on the promise of good jobs for Montana workers. It was even touted as the "Montana jobs bill of the session." To "put Montanans to work," HB 198 (unconscionably, in my opinion) changed Montana eminent domain law so that Tonbridge could run roughshod over the private property rights of Montana farmers i I miss parity raids Thank you for your excellent coverage on the local football team "Illegal procedure," April 12.

It's nice to know the University of Montana football program's high jinx have hit the big time. Forget panty raids, bonfires and keggers like the good old days. Bring on the pistol-whipping, home invasion, jaw-fracturing and sex, sex, sex. The latter, of course, only under the conditions of forced, non-consensual and drugged. Which makes one realize that UM is looking in the wrong direction.

They don't need a new athletic director or football coach, they need a producer to promote the latest reality TV hit, "Jizz Follow the sexploits of the errant few Jizzlies as they go from one sex crime to another. Watch school officials bob and weave, as if running the gauntlet of an NFL combine, to avoid blame and responsibility for the actions of players. Faster than you can say "felony sexual assault," watch the new show displace "The Kar-trashians" as the best in reality TV. Go Jizz! In all seriousness, the $2 million collected by the Grizzly Scholarship Association should be divided equally and paid to the men and women who've been on the receiving end of the assaults, sexual and otherwise, by the street thugs UM keeps trying to pass off to the paying public as upstanding college football players thugs who are an embarrassment and disgrace to the students and players of UM whose pursuit in attaining victory in life and on the field is done so by playing by the rules on and off the field. The UM president and provosts should put UM's status as an institution of higher learning to good use in the form of a half-time program featuring the names and mug shots of all the Grizzly players convicted of crimes up on the big screen.

What better way to educate the public, particularly the young Grizzly fans, about the real world of big-time college football programs? Moms and dads in the stands watching with their children can point to the mug on the big screen and remind their kids that that is the type of person they never want to be in life. John Marshall Hot Springs Trapped in lies Thank you farmers, ranchers and sportsmen of Idaho who elected a governor with some balls: Butch Otter. Butch backed predator management controls to protect diminishing deer and elk herds. Idaho's wolf control includes hunting, trapping and snaring by licensed, professionally trained trappers. Idaho's wildlife management can be a model for the state of Montana.

Thank you, Otter! And thanks to animal rights activists for getting their way on the wolf recovery fiasco. Not only has wolf recovery cemented the solidarity of farm and ranch communities, but also the sportsmen's groups that were once fragmented. We are now becoming one voice for managing healthy deer and elk herds. and ranchers and expedite the construction of the Montana Alberta Tie Line. Regardless of any other arguments made for this bill, it simply would not have become law if not for the promise of jobs, jobs and more jobs for Montana workers.

Here's the devil's deal: Tonbridge (now Enbridge) got eminent domain powers to use against Montana farmers and ranchers, then contracted with out-of-state companies using out-of-state workers to build their power line. There were maybe a couple of Montana plates at construction sites. Bottom line: Out-of-state workers now have the jobs Montana workers should have. This is a sad commentary on how our state too often falls for false job promises, even to the point of sacrificing something as valued, sacrosanct and time honored as private property rights. It's time we look out first for Montana values, Montana workers, Montana families and Montana businesses.

And jobs? Absolutely. Jobs for Montana workers Montanans building Montana. John Vincent Montana Public Service Commission Gallatin Gateway Sack the Super PAC At the Flathead Democrat's Spring dinner, we were reminded by Attorney General Bullock that Montana is still standing firm in defense of our state's 100-year-old statute that prohibits corporate spending in nonfederal elections. Unfortunately, there is a serious possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court will not issue a final decision on the Montana appeal or overturn the Citizen's United case prior to the 2012 general election, and a timely constitutional amendment to change the current ruling seems unlikely as well.

This means that the voters of Montana will be subjected to a barrage of unrelenting negative campaign ads designed to influence the outcome of our elections that will be paid for by Super PACS and large, out-of-state corporations that are not required to identify the sources of their funds. In 1912, Montanans recognized the fact that large corporations were having an undue influence on state government, and we passed the Corrupt Practices Act, banning direct corporate contributions in political elections. Over the years this act has served Montana well. 2012 is not the year to allow rich, out-of-state entities to exert unfair influence on who is elected to serve the citizens of Montana. As this election cycle plays out, I sincerely hope and trust that Montana voters will reject the sordid influence of the out-of-state money and revel in the tried and true electoral process that involves interacting with candidates as they campaign by going door to door, meeting their constituents face to face.

Let's try our best to learn about the most positive aspects of our candidates, and carefully choose the ones who we think will work together to make responsible decisions for our state. We must not let people from out of state tell us how to vote. Edd Blackler Bigfork Asked Monday afternoon, April County Courthouse. Cody Dehart: I think it'd be pretty funny to see a dog-powered ride around town. I'd definitely take one, especially if the dog was a St.

Bernard. I know you, rider: I don't take it too often, but when I do, it's good. U-Call-Us the pay-what-you-can cab company is just about the best thing in Missoula as far as transportation goes. John Keele: For dogs, I'm sure it would be okay, but I don't know about how it would be for the people. Little dogs hauling around fat people wouldn't work out too well.

Darn kids: The buses could go a little farther. For example, I live in Maloney Ranch, by North Reserve. It doesn't go into those neighborhoods, and they could improve on that. A lot of kids who use the bus during the summer in those neighborhoods would benefit from that. Cheri Horstman: I'm not for it.

I think it's cruel for dogs to pull trailers for people. People need the exercise more than the dogs do. Beat it: I'd like to see the bike trails be off the major traffic areas. For example, if the bike trails are moved one block off to a side street, then you can still use a parallel bike trail and not be on a major street. Missoula Independent Page 4 The Indy has a What do you think Follow up: How Missoula? Joane would dog; want We're and a learn Bill take they You with little Make by not I'm Atkinson: I used to have a dog in Venice Beach and I'd take him while on my cruiser bike or my skateboard.

You have to the time to train them to do that, so don't veer off and piss in the bushes. take them to a parking lot and practice them, steer them left and right, use a encouragement. Walkin' the dog: it more expensive for people to drive punishing them for using fossil fuels and taking the bus. I walk constantly, and shocked to see only one or two pedestrians on Mullan or Reserve. April 19 April 26, 2012.