The Missoulian from Missoula, Montana • A6

A6 MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022 Missoulian OPINION Those still clinging to hope thatDonald J.Trumpwill return to the presidency mightwant to do a reality check after developments. While his political con- tinues to erode due in large part to his endlesswhining about falsely losing the last election, his legal and business problems continue to grow almost exponentially. Like aGreek tragedy, his seminal faults, fromhubris to his utter inabil- ity to tell the truth, are bringing on his inescapable down- fall. The revelations of theHouse committee inves- attempted January 6 coupwas the lead story in last ever-growing tale of his But itwas far from the only contri- bution to the sad tale of his con- tinuing fall from the once-lofty position at the top of our political ladder.His bully pulpit has become a the crowdwilling to listen to his con- manhucksterism continues to thin perceptibly. Itwould be the rare individual whowatched the J6 commit- proceedings and still found reason to doubtwhat happened during the failed coup attempt responsible.

The committee tied together the testimony of somanywit- nesses fromacross the political spectrumand far toomuch irrefutable documentation for anyone to doubt that the events of January 6thwere anything but a pre-meditated attempt to disruptCongress, do physical harm to targeted individuals, and violently prevent the peaceful transfer of power uponwhich our nation has relied for 246 years. The result of the avalanche of damning evidence culminated in a unanimous vote by the committee to subpoenaTrump himself.Not that they expect any truth to hold him personally accountable before all Americans so they can know the that he swore to abide by the laws of the nation and uphold its Constitution and did neither. Nor, as it turns out, has he been anymore truthful about his real estate dealings. In fact, Attor- amotion for a preliminary injunction to freeze assets in the $250million civil fraud lawsuit against company, and his children, saying: is every reason to believe that theDefen- dantswill continue to engage in similar fraudulent conduct right up to trial unless checked by or- der of this TheU.S. SupremeCourt also appears to have enough of his fraudulent claims and stalling tactics and refused to allowhis emergency appeal to intervene in the on-goingDepartment of Justice andNational Archives ac- tions to recover top-secret docu- ments he illegally took and stored insecurely at hisMar-a-Lago resort.

In fact, there is now suspi- cion hemay have illegallymoved more documents to his golf course inNew Jersey. Bolstering those concernswas the testi- mony fromone of his employees that he had to be after the subpoena for thematerials had EvenRepublican stalwarts such as former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan are now stating what seems undeniably obvi- ous political rather, lack thereof. Ryan just posted a video saying: unelectability will be palpable by then.We all knowhewill lose.We all know he is somuchmore likely to lose theWhiteHouse than anybody else running for president on our side of the aisle, sowhywouldwe want to gowith aremany other Republicans and themajor- ity of American voters.Trump’s time, horrendous as it has been, is done.AndTrump 2024? It gonna happen. George Ochenski is a longtime Helena resident, an environmental activist and longest running columnist. ROBERT BYRON Devastating un- precedented pro- longed drought, unrelent- ing heat waves with record high temperatures: pick a locale or a time, there are plenty to choose from across the United States in each of those categories this year alone.

Even when experi- enced as a single event, each of these has detrimen- tal impacts on health; whenmore than one occurs at once, as is often the case, those impacts worsen. Air pollution, especially in the form of particulate matter (PM), comes from burning fossil fuels, industrial and agricultural processes, and more intense This leads to more emergency room visits and hos- pitalizations from asthma ex- acerbations, premature births, and heart conditions. There is also mounting evidence that PM can harm fetuses. Many people associate the health impacts of extreme heat with dehydration, heat ex- haustion, and heat stroke, all of which are true. Few realize that heat, even with modestly in- creased temperatures, has been associated with increases in heart attacks and strokes, of lung conditions, and compli- cations in pregnancy and worse birth outcomes for mothers and their babies.

Extreme precipitation events can lead to often with loss of life and property. Loss of ground cover and debris can lead to worse in areas damaged by Water-borne illnesses from contaminated water supplies and respiratory conditions from people living in mold-infested homes can follow Often overlooked are the det- rimental effects on pregnant women. Pregnant women and their fetuses are particularly sensitive to air pollution and climate change. Heat has been associated with more pre-term births. PM can increase the risk of pre-term birth and certain conditions in the fetus that will affect the child throughout their life.

Climate change is also hav- ing a major impact on mental health. Climate anxiety affects many people. Farmers, ranch- ers, foresters, and indigenous populations often experience solastalgia, the distress people feel due to changes in their en- vironment. Any climate event drought, ex- treme rain or can lead to worsening mental health, espe- cially whenmore than one event occurs at the same time, such as droughts and heat waves. There are things we can do as individuals or local com- munities to prepare.

Doing an assessment of our home or sur- roundings can help determine the risk of things such as or If there is risk, de- veloping a plan for what to do and take should such an event occur could save lives. smoke is increasingly common. Becoming familiar with air quality indicators, such as the EPA program, can guide responses. Limiting ex- posure by avoiding strenuous activity when air quality is poor helps. Portable or whole-house air can improve indoor air quality.

You can make an air from an inexpensive box fan and Many local orga- nizations will provide these for people who cannot afford them. Addressing climate change and its causes will take the combined effort of all of us. Start by talking to our families and neighbors about what is happening. Let your elected officials know that you think these are important issues. Talk with your school board about switching to electric school buses.

my prescription: de- mand that candidates who ask for your vote have developed plans to address the air pollu- tion and climate change that is affecting health. Robert Byron is a Montana physician and one of the lead authors of the Change and Human Health in Montana released in 2021. Trump 2024? It gonna happen Your health and climate change Founded Sept. 15, 1870 A Lee Enterprises Newspaper Editorial Board ROB CHANEYManaging Editor TANDY NEIGHBOR Opinion Page Coordinator JEFF WELSCHMontana Editor Even GOP stalwarts are now stating what seems undeniably obvious regarding political future GEORGE OCHENSKI GUESTVIEW Expansion good, but not with public funds I love skating at the ice rink at the Fairgrounds. And I do think it would be good to ex- pand the facility to allow for year-round hockey.

But should we increase the cost of hous- ing for all Missoula County residents just to upgrade a recreational facility only a few of us use? Of course not. Be sure to vote no this year on the proposed bond. Tim Barrow, Missoula Willis Curdy appreciates the rights of all Montanans voting for Willis Curdy. Willis is a life-long Montanan with a diverse background that includes a dairy and poultry operation that served Missoula and western Montana. He taught at Hellgate and Big Sky High schools for 30 years and was a wildland on a Hot Shot crew in summers.

With his runs the farm that has been in the family for almost 75 years. He served as a Montana Repre- sentative for the last 8 years, a respected lawmaker who never brings his personal agenda to Helena.Willis represents his district and will continue to do so as a Montana State Senator. Montana faces many chal- lenges andWillis has the ex- perience and ability to work successfully with Republicans and Democrats alike.What Willis do is vote to end a right to decisions about her own body or con- tinue to push the re- sponsibilities for funding pub- lic schools onto local property taxpayers, nor will he push unfounded theories about election fraud; all characterize his opponent, Brad Tschida. If you want representation by someone who appreciates the rights of all Montanans, and has respectful conversations with his constituents and fel- low legislators, I urge you to vote for Willis. Janet Stevens Donahue, Missoula Many reasons to vote for Zinke There are many reasons to vote for Ryan Zinke.

He be- lieves in borders, he knows that this out-of-control spending by Congress and the current administration has to stop, he knows killing fossil fuels is not the answer for the planet, he knows that girls should compete against girls in sports, he knows parents mat- ter in education and he knows Montana. He knows with its high gas prices and high food prices is hardest on those that can least afford it and he knows we af- ford this crazy increase in the cost of housing. My daughter just built a house. In the months it took to build the mortgage interest doubled. The cost of building a house has also doubled.

How is she going to afford that? The current administration is out of touch and Congress is on a spending spree that stop.While the price of gas eats more and more of our family check book his oppo- nent thinks we are in a perfect place to kill fossil fuels. Ryan believes in a balanced all-of- the-above energy strategy. Sending a Democrat back toWashington D.C. is not the answer. Vote Ryan Zinke.

Susan Lake, Ronan Vote Democrat It makes me mad when Ryan Zinke raises the American in his ad. Is that the same his Republican buddies beat the policeman with to break into the U.S. Capitol so they could parade their Confederate and Trump through the halls, all while attempting to shred the US Constitution in order to award their lawless leader his participation tro- phy? Is that the Republican Zinke something to beat people with, something useful to gain entrance to the halls of power, something to be discarded once inside? Vote Democrat, at least to remind the Republican Party that dividing and destroying the United States is a losing path. Conservatives destroy the rule of law to stay in power. Conservatives defecate in the halls of the Capitol building, they condone it, they look the other way.

And they certainly pardon it. TimNielson, Missoula Defeat LR-131 I read Lea Oct. 9 guest view column just now and burst into tears. Thank you for writing about Mae- short life, Ms. Bossler, and thank you to the Missou- lian for printing her urgent plea that vote NO on LR-131 this November.

That this cruelly mislabeled proposition is even under consideration in our proudly independent state is a trav- esty. I urge all readers to take a moment to go back and read Ms. Guest View if you already, and help spread the word to all voters about the urgent need to vote No on LR-131 and to register to vote if you already. Connect with gmail.com and be part of the humanitarian effort to defeat LR-131. CarolWald, Missoula Vote John Repke for PSC District 5 John Repke is the most candidate for PSC, District 5.

According to the Public Service website, the job to balance the interests of ratepayers who are concerned about utility rate increases, with the need to maintain a sound utility that is capable of providing reliable 40 years of experience in private sector nance, strategic planning, and management will allow him to hit the ground running since he already understands the job. He has no other political aspirations. He just wants to serve the citizens of Montana. Contrast this with his oppo- nent, Annie Bukacek. During her brief time on the county health board, she proceeded to cause and encourage chaos at public meetings.

Even now, her slogan for this political seat instills fear in the public by insinuating the unfounded threat that electric customers will experience loss of service. On top of that, she has stated that she would continue her medical practice if elected.We Montanans deserve a logical, intelligent commissioner to ensure that ratepayers are rep- resented in decision making by PSC. John Repke will make the commission his only job. Vote REPKE for PSC District 5. Charlene Iannucci, Kalispell LETTERS.