HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-10-25 Public Comment - A. Shchemelinin - Bozeman City Commission's letter to Oakland & Co has no legal grounds and no moral justificationFrom:Anna Shchemelinin
To:Bozeman Public Comment; Terry Cunningham; Joey Morrison
Cc:Sam Worthington; Mike Maas; Nora Shelly
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Bozeman City Commission"s letter to Oakland & Co has no legal grounds and no moral justification
Date:Tuesday, October 7, 2025 3:12:30 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
To whom it may concern,
When my husband and I bought our house in Bozeman, it wasn't very affordable, but it was
definitely one of the safest, friendliest, and most welcoming places we've ever lived. However, after the City of Bozeman's claimed efforts in "prioritizing affordable housing," Bozeman
became one of the least affordable mid-sized cities in the nation. This isn't entirely the fault of city officials, as Bozeman's location naturally attracts the wealthy. Unfortunately, Bozeman is
no longer safe or friendly. Moreover, the city is not welcoming toward those who disagree with the commissioners' beliefs—particularly anyone who thinks that, like everywhere in
America, in Bozeman, no one is entitled to other people's money. And this is largely due to the policies enforced by the city and the city commissioners' attitude.
I leave it up to Deputy Mayor Joye Morrison's ethical judgment—assuming he has some—to explain the clear conflict of interest in interfering with Oakland & Co.'s business. However, all
five members of Bozeman's elected City Commission must remember they have no legal authority or moral justification to shame Mr. Oakland into "sharing his good fortune with
others" for any purpose, regardless of how noble it may be.
The City Commission should be aware that Frederick Billings, Alberta Bair, P.B. Boyd, and
Jon Dehler are remembered for their contributions to the economy, education, youth sports, and sustainable land practices (as with Frederick Billings Jr.). None entered history because
they surrendered their property rights to cover for politicians' failures in creating a business-friendly local economy and family-oriented community.
The letter to Oakland & Co. that the city commissioners plan to authorize on October 7th, 2025, is nothing but the city commissioners' disingenuous virtue-signaling to fool King Arthur
Park's residents into voting for them, or a warning to local property owners that they must be prepared to be coerced into selling their property below market price, or both. This makes the
letter yet another example of how Bozeman city commissioners would rather keep Bozeman equally poor rather than unequally wealthy—a model that might suit communist China or
North Korea, but not the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Anna Shchemelinin
4065514405 ·anna@bridger3d.com
Socialism Means Slavery