Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.
As our election map shows, the airport expansion referendum was very much a not-in-my-back-yard issue. Votes for the referendum signified opposition to airport expansion, and as the graph below shows, the closer to the airport, the greater the support for the (airport expansion) repeal referendum. But nowhere was there strong support for expanding the airport. Even north of Highway 2, in the prosperous wards where I suspect many pilots and aircraft owners live, opinion was evenly divided.
If those favoring expanding the airport want to succeed in the long run, they’ll need to encourage significant population growth in northern Kalispell and stop population growth in southern Kalispell. That could happen in a decade, as could a legitimate sighting of a flying pig.
Meanwhile, I suspect there will be changes in the airport’s management. Airport manager Fred Leistiko, a good man with a distinguished record of service to his country and community, is 72 and can be expected to retire soon. He’ll want to retire with his good name intact, so there needs to be some resolution of his defamation lawsuit against Councilman Phil Guiffrida III that both parties can live with. Guiffrida prevailed in the repeal vote, so he’s in a position to gracefully give a little to settle the matter in a manner that benefits the community.
And there are other needs:
Finally, both sides in the repeal debate should consider stepping back and letting the passions of the campaign dissipate, especially online. The InterLake’s Tom Lotshaw wrote many excellent reports on the issue. But appended to each report published online were some of the most malodorous, toxic, lowdown, disgusting, comments I’ve ever read. Incredibly, it’s still going on.
