The Maine Sea Coast Mission is a joke. Its executives draw down six-figure salaries and all get pats on the back from other millionaires for tossing a few crumbs to the poor. I'm surprised DeLong could take the time to climb down off his yacht and utter that meaningless statement. And now people have to apply for vouchers to purchase donated clothing? How Christian of them. I wonder how many Mission employees were fired or laid off this year. Must be nice to give orders from that multi-million dollar, tax-exempt mansion in Bar Harbor with an ocean view. I would be curious to know what his "cost-of-living" increase was this year.

"Mission officials indicated that though approximately one-quarter of children in Maine receive food stamps, about one-third of the children in Washington County receive the same assistance. Roughly one-quarter of children statewide receive subsidized school lunches, but in Washington County it is more than half, they said."

Wow! That's something to be proud of! Good going, Maine! Kowabunga!

Forgot to add that this is the same stupid organization that kept thief of honor, silver-cross medal impostor, resume liar Warren Cook on its board even after it was revealed that the guy had lied about virtually all of his qualifications to get his 6-figure figurehead job at the Jackson Lab. What a bunch of skeevy, dim-witted cotton-tops.

Since the Lobster men have an abundance of lobster and no market, maybe they can donate to the Mission, Lobsters for the poor of Washington County to eat.

The Maine Sea Coast Mission has done a great deal of good for Washington County and Cherryfield but the closing of the Thrift Store will have a great impact on the area. The closing also could have been handled better. Some of the employees were let go without any notice till they showed up for work on Wednesday and are now out of a job. The store was closed suddenly without any notice given to those that shop there. It was done quickly and hastily. The "Recycle Shop" as the thrift store was known for years did a great deal of good for Washington County. People would regularly shop there for clothes during blueberrying and at other times of the year. It also provided a place where people with little or no money could show up and get other essential to start a home such as furniture, dishes, and other things. It is also one of the few spots in western Washington County to get clothing. The Recycle Shop was open for over 20 years first in a building in downtown Cherryfield and later at the Weald Bethel campus. Many people depended on that store and it will be greatly missed. A thank you to the Sea Coast Mission for all the good they have done over the years and that they are currently doing. But the way that the closing of the Recycle Shop was handled left a lot to be desired. Alternatives should have been considered such as running it in a seasonal way such as shutting it down during the winter. It was one of the few businesses left in Cherryfield and did a lot of good for many people, It will be missed especially during the Christmas season and the bad economy. An expanded food pantry is a good thing but the way in which the Recycle Shop was closed seems hasty and in some ways unChristian. A better, clearer, and more open explanation for the closure should also have been given.

The Mission is well known for its thoughtless and "unChristian" employment practices. Just a few years ago a hard-fought, years-long battle was won by a former employee to force the Mission to start paying into the unemployment system because it had unfairly fired or laid off so many employees. They spent a lot of money (donations from hard-working downeasters!) on legal fees so that they wouldn't have to provide the unemployment safety net that virtually all other employers provide. The good news is, at least these newly fired or laid off workers will be able to collect.

Ah yes, the moneychangers are back in the temple despite Christ's attempts to kick them out. Fire thrift shop employees? Close the thrift shop without notice to loyal customers? All to save the cost of opening a larger food pantry? Hmmm. These missionaries could give Bank of Amerika some lessons on down-sizing.

Maybe Bush could use some down-sizing lessons from the Mission. Oh, wait a minute, it looks like DeLong and Co. have already gotten lessons from Bush, such as rewarding poor management with raises and rewarding hard-working, loyal, and underpaid employees with pink slips. Merry Xmas!