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When thousands of people donate no more than $100 per person per election, we can build a campaign without money from special interests. _______________________ But it's about more than money. We need your energy and your enthusiasm, too. Sign up to volunteer on Jim Hansen's campaign for Congress.
 _______________________ 
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Montpelier's mayor and other community leaders can teach Congress a lot
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Location: Blogs Jim's Blog |
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| Posted by: Jim Hansen |
6/27/2006 |
One can learn a lot from a small business owner who has run his own radio station for forty years, or a health care provider who keeps on giving his services even when he isn't paid. That's just a few of the examples of what makes the community of Montpelier work dispite federal polices written by mega corporations, or funding cuts that leave the most vulnerable out in the cold.
Spent the day in Montpelier with Mayor Reed Peterson meeting lots of different people sharing their perspective on what makes the Bear Lake Valley such a great place to live. I started the day with Keith Martindale at KVSI Radio. He is everything from owner to host to janitor and has been running the station since 1966. He is the "Voice of the Valley" and is a wealth of knowledge. All day, people commented to me how much they appreciate well he keeps people connected with what's going on in the area. He also served for a few terms as a county commissioner. In rural counties like Bear Lake everyone has to wear lots of hats.
It was so refreshing to see a radio station that has not been swallowed up by the big media conglomerate. Keith led with a whole host of stories and updates about local people, their sports achievements, their business happenings, their community meetings. It is one of the most important ways to help people feel connected to each other. Several folks commented that when the big chains take over, that local role becomes secondary. We've also seen it in the newer media like the internet that open up with small entrepreneurs but soon news rules get written by and for the big telecommunications companies. You want to find out where all those telecommunications polices in DC impact people the most, come to small communities like Montpelier.
Another great conversation I had was over lunch with Shaun Tobler who is a mental health specialist. He works at the hospital but is only funded for 5 hours a week for mental health services for the entire county! Like so many service providers in small towns, Shaun donates most much of his time and talent. He can't just walk away from a neighbor in need. Those folks who do have insurance typically don't have a policy that covers mental illness and, of course, many people who need it can't get insurance at all. Federal and state support for community health services is bad enough, for mental health services it is abysmal.
The community does amazing things by stretching church and other charitable sources to the max and by competing for every possible grant that might be out there. The master of grant development and administration is the Rod Jacobson. I had the pleasure of meeting him briefly at the hospital between meetings. Everyone spoke very highly of his compassion and leadership. He has made sure the hospital has kept its doors open and serving everyone in the valley who needs it. Imagine what could be accomplished if the federal government were more of a partner, instead of cutting funds and adding new debt.
These are just a few of the experiences I had in Montpelier today. I hope I can grab some more time online to share a few more...
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