Dear Editor: The Cost of Living is Increasing

Dear Editor,

The cost of living is increasing! We see this almost everywhere, but probably more noticeably as Winter threatens.

I don't keep a real close eye on it myself (probably because I drive an EV), but apparently, the price of gasoline has recently fallen, so hopefully, that's a good sign!

Speaking of Winter, though, many families get hit with a double whammy around this time of year; not only has the cost of living increased across the board, with its increased heating costs, but many find it difficult to work steadily during this time of year, especially those with seasonal jobs. Unfortunately, this usually means both parents must work outside the home and this usually necessitates a babysitter or some form of daycare for the children. This brings me to the point of my letter.

In a recent edition of this newspaper, an article described the current deficit in the school's activity funding and possible changes to be made. It is hard to cast blame since schools often function as glorified daycares. Before anyone flies off the handle, I'm NOT saying our local public school's ONLY function is a daycare, because they ARE an institute for higher learning. No doubt, everyone concerned is doing their best towards this lofty goal, but some things seem to be falling by the wayside. Not to point fingers or make unnecessary accusations, but it should be plain to see there are other issues at play!

What these issues are may not be exactly clear, but one thing IS clear; EVERYONE is having a tough go of it (some more so than others). This means we, as a community, MUST pool our resources, so we can all survive this onslaught together! This might be perceived as a different subject, but one thing we can do, even though the costs may seem exorbitant compared to faceless corporations like Walmart or Amazon, is to shop local. Going over the hill to grocery shop may seem like quite a savings, but when you factor in the price of gas, wear and tear on the vehicle, etc., the savings may not be as substantial as we would like to think!

Again, with the rising costs of living, we really can't afford to point fingers! All that accomplishes is unnecessary drama and I don't have to remind anyone; we have more than plenty of that in this little town. Let's stop all the backbiting and infighting; let's pull together to realize we're all in the same proverbial boat. EVERYONE needs a lifeline, so let's BE that lifeline for ALL our brothers and sisters (whether we like them or not!)

Charles Haddon Shank

Whitehall, Montana