Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor:
Magic in the chambers of the Roosevelt County commissioners. After some reflection on the events that took place at the commissioners’ meeting on March 2, I have to admit I didn’t realize the magic art being performed by the commissioners. It really should have been filmed for all to witness.
The magic act began with the discussion item to the CARES Act stipend, “give all county employees $1,000 using the CARES money.” The discussion item turned into an action item with a unanimous vote to take $110,000 of CARES money for the stipend. Remember that the commissioners said more than once that these funds cannot be used for taxes.
With the wave of their magic wand, or unanimous vote, they changed the name of the CARES money to stipend. Remember this is still CARES money, our tax dollars, but now all county employees can use this $1,000 to pay county taxes or anything else they choose. Amazing!
I am sure our federal government paid some firm a lot of money to come up with the acronym CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) so all that received benefits from this money would feel like they they were being cared for. Too bad the Roosevelt County commissioners felt they should only CARE for themselves and county employees, not the rest of Roosevelt County taxpayers dealing with the pandemic who funded this gift. What a slap in the face to the taxpayers that pay their already generous wages and were affected much more than them by this pandemic.
What they did in this action is to effectively lower their own and all other county employees taxes by $1,000. There is now nothing stopping the commissioners and all county employees to use CARES money to pay their own taxes should they want to. If they have this magic power over this unrestricted money, why can’t they do it for the rest of county taxpayers that elected them? I don’t know! You may want to ask your commissioner. When I did, silence! It is your money, they are taking: maybe you can get an answer.
There is a truism; the government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody. The Roosevelt County commissioners have sure learned how to take money meant for residents affected by the pandemic for their own use.
It is a very sad time in our society when the taxpayers that actually suffered from the virus and supply the funds to operate the county are ignored by the commissioners they elected. The commissioners definitely have a “me first” attitude. By the way, the secret meeting they had to talk about the stipend and the use of CARES money for unilateral stipends is in direct violation of Montana laws and guidelines. Bill Juve
