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Hank of Bangor, ME (08/19/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: Jim of Amity, Last I looked, Peurto Rico was part of the United States. So how would incarcerating him there save Americans money?

Stevey-D of Tinkersville, ME (08/19/08) Hospital sued under labor law: He must be one strong guy to pick a guy up and hold him there.

j gordon of Prospect, Maine (08/19/08) August 19 Letters to the Editor: Hi Lettie, Why is the U.S. involved in solving global issues even though we must borrow money from those who support the perpetrators? The answer is simple. Some years ago our international policies were based upon National Security. National Security was defined as action taken to guard our nation from foreign aggressors. As the global economy opened up and American companies started profiting from foreign labor, lack of climate regulatory restrictions, and access to foreign natural resources our National Security metamorphosed into something called National Interests. National Interests are based on our economic interests. For instance; Iraq was never a threat to the U.S. national security. In fact, under President Clinton they couldn?t even put a plane in the air without our permission. However they were a threat to our national interests. The result will plague us for years. Now take Monrovia, a country named after one of our presidents. When they were on the verge of civil war the U.S. did nothing. Apparently they don?t contribute to our National Interests. In fact, Africa is rife with social discord and the U.S. does very little to influence or end the misery. Why? Most of these countries can offer nothing in our National Interests. That is the answer to your question Lettie. Vote for change in America, vote for Obama.

davida of bucksport, maine (08/19/08) Maine facilities lack space for those with dementia: getting old is ugly and unpleasant. your mind feels like it usually feels young but the body doesnt lie. as one gets older you can do less and less. one cant take that walk down town they used to talk. old age aches and pains then that person becomes housebound. they rely more and more for people to get them around. sometimes they cant always get the ride. to get out in the world. then they become isolated from the world. then that person they arent a happy camper. the get angry thaey cant do what they used to do. they know they are getting old they know time is ticking for the grim reaper to come and make a visit especially if they have lost a husband or wife that they have been close to many years that mate is gone. they consider themselves a burden to society. i dont call that demented. that person is becoming locked within himself. the family doesnt understand that

R. M Nixxon of Downeast, Maine (08/19/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: I would like to add a bit of un-PC commentary. First, why are we dragging Catholics in on this? The liberal media knew it would sucker you in, just like me. Now, this boy made dumb choices. He chose to have sex and wind up with a kid. He chose to quit school his senior year. He chose to sell drugs. He chose to violate bail. He could have chosen to join the military. He could have chosen to work at his mothers? hospital. There were plenty of responsible, legal choices he could have made. But nooooo; he chose the dumb-ass route. So, Jeff of North Attleboro, MA, do not try to make me feel sorry for him and his situation. He made his situation now he has to live with it.

Ben of Old Town, ME (08/19/08) John Buell: Torture's political invisibility: John Buell if by "ticking time bomb" you mean an extensive network of terrorist all training, plotting and executing plans to kill innocent Americans by any means necessary (perhaps nuclear), yeah I guess harsh interrogations techniques are necessary. Sometimes soldiers don't even torture terrorists, they just kill them. Seems how we have yet to have another attack on our soil, I'd say keep up the good work boys, and don't listen to the shameful voices like Mr. Buell, who are just writing to get their name in the paper.

t of Addison, Maine (08/19/08) Hampden mail process shifts south: Ben Franklin would roll in his grave! Where is Olympia Snow on this? Susan Collins always has something to say but I never hear from Olympia. Maybe if they work together, they could get the PO to put "Service" back into their name.

tim of calais, ME (08/19/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: i do not condone this kind of conduct, again people are quick to call names in this forum,you know who you are,i happen to know your extended family,they are not alter boys themselves.

Lauri of Ashland, ME (08/19/08) Hampden mail process shifts south: Yes, they have done it again. USPS can say there will be no delays but all our priority mail know takes about 6 days from New York to Northern Maine. They gladly take your money for priority shipping at the window and then deliver the package like it is first class....Sounds like they are saving money to me.....But at whose expense again ..... YOURS and MINE....

John of Tumauini, Isabela, Philippines (08/19/08) : Here we are in hurricane season once again. I just saw on CNN weather, Florida is currently being whipped by a new hurricane. Yesterday, we watched the evacuations taking place there. With me at my home, is a relative visitor who drove up from Manila who joined us for a few days. She was amazed by the Florida evacuation process and the numbers of the people obeying the order. We do not "evacuate", here. She was asking me about why hurricanes cause so much destruction in the US. I explained to her that the US Gulf areas are bordered by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico...so forth, and so on. Furthermore, destruction by high winds and rising waters cause damage to the wooden homes (stick-builts) in the US as a rule. Although we do not have wooden structures in the Philippines, every structure and homes are made of reinforced concrete, (finished smooth and painted). No damages occur to our homes here, except, maybe, loosely-secured roof panels may fly off. There is no real damage at all. But, also as I make this posting, residing in northern Luzon, we are expecting Typhoon Nuri to hit us Wednesday, and Thursday, into Friday, until it moves from the Pacific Ocean to our east, across Luzon, then out into the South China Sea, on it's way to Hong Kong and China, a short distance away. There are no chances of flooding in our area, or landslides, but the dangers be to the farmers whose corn, rice, peanut and other vegetable crops may become damaged from over-watering and flying branches from trees. We expect a Signal 2 typhoon; wind speeds from 113 to 160+ miles per hour. Note: Typhoons in the western Pacific whre we are, are generally much stronger and more deadly than their Atlantic Ocean hurricane counterparts. This is because the Pacific Ocean is much larger than the Atlantic, the typhoons have more time to develop before striking land, and the wind currents are directed towards the Philippines. Maybe to the delight of some readers, we will get a "brownout" (loss of power for a time), but if it goes off, "I'll be back!"

John of Tumauini, Isabela, Philippines (08/19/08) : Now it is my wife's turn to start in on me about Senator Susan Collins' triad against Senator John Edwards. But, there's a glitch! Sometimes I make postings in my Yahoo internet, in the WLBZ and WABI local news websites I'am registered in. It was just this past weekend on one of the TV station webs that I posted a comment concerning Sen. Collins' home-based vernacular while on a radio station in a live broadcast with a female radio personality. Although my comments were to the point, I remained restrained. My wife called me to her computer in the family room and asked me to look at the picture and video of Susan Collins that was on the web site while she was actively giving her radio narration. As she "buttoned-up" the photo, it was insignificant to me at the time, but in the studio, behind Senator Collins were poster-size photos of women posing in bikinis. It would seem to me, if I were the radio host and I had a visiting Senator on a live broadcast in the radio station I worked for, and displayed in that studio were posters of posing girls in bikini's displayed, prior to the Senator coming to the stations studio, those ridiculous photos would be put away, out of sight, with some respect to Senator Collins, at least. I personally do not agree with her narrative concerning Senator Edward's affair, and his alleged child, however, it seems insipid and distasteful to have those photos pinned to the wall, for all the world to see, surrounding Senator Collins. It sure does not tell me too much about the station management, does it?

Jeanne Svhiyeyi Aga of Hiram, ME (08/19/08) Maine candidate condemns labor ad: This ad is very misleading. It portrays Tom Allen as being anti-union and in support of no privacy in union voting by its members. This is an outright lie and this same misleading ad is being promoted against other democrats in the country who are up for election. Susan Collins states it has nothing to do with her - which is not true and she knows it. Those donations and the promotion of that ad, are to support Republican candidates and that is what Susan Collins is, a Republican. She, like any other republican, is benefiting from this false advertising and a purposeful intent to mislead the public into thinking Tom Allen is against unions and privacy in voting. Do not be mislead! It's time to vote Collins out!

Peggy of Calais, Maine (08/18/08) Maine food stamp benefits to rise: I cannot believe some of these comments. To those who think people are going to have another kid because food benefits went up approx 1.50 (per person based on three) a week: Get real!! I am a widow on Social Security. Clearly, my children's father is in no position to help us. Because he made us family of three (down from 4), we are not entitled to any benefits. I should mention that I am not getting by on survivors benefits, our Social Security is from my being disabled. I have had two heart attacks and a stroke all before the age of 50. I am not obese and have no coronary artery disease (not a junk food junkie.) I do have a genetic condion and am the fourth woman in three generations to be affected. One did die of cardiac arrest at 78. The next died of lung cancer at 51. And the other was murdered at age 85. But after my second heart attack, I decided if I wanted to see my kids grow up, I had better take care of myself. I have had numerous injuries since I moved to Maine 6 years ago, most related to my health condition. I frankly have no idea how I am going to heat my home and feed my kids this coming winter. Last winter, when things got really tight, I pretended to have a really bad appetite, so my kids would not realize that I was not eating cuz there just wasn't enough to go around! Sean, I asked for a raise-they said no. Now what should I do?

JAY of HOULTON, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Jon, At least the nuts just believe what they believe. You just seem to be a contradiction. Bush sending the drill now message means nothing, but shooting a one time load of the reserve is a good message? What are they suppose to worry about then, you can only do it once. Also if you dont believe they will drill then why do yo care? As for McCain, tell me one real suggestion Bama has that will heat my house. Other then putting air in my tires. I tried that and it was still chilly in the mornings.

James W of Hicksville, NY (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: I see that predjudice against Catholics is alive and well in my favorite vationland. As a New York resident I am familiar with our local Liberal media always attempting to denigrate Catholics, probably because of their pro-life position. Why your reporter has to identify the person in this story as an ex-altar boy, and the fact that he attended Catholic school, reeks of intentional bias against my chosen religion. These fact were not germaine to this story and just shows that the writer habors these bias feelings. Who is responsible for this miscarriage of justice and where are your editors who approve of this?

Kevin of Bangor, Maine (08/18/08) Hampden mail process shifts south: Bob of Brewer the United States Post Service might be a government entity but they are not run by the federal government. Look at their web site, it ends in .com not .gov While they might have recieved some money in the past years from the government because they barley survive the majority of their money is self funded and these types of stupid decisions are made by just an avg. person, not some elected official. It's best to view the USPS as a hybrid company that is semi private. Even the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the USPS was not a government owned corporation.

John of Tumauini, Isabela, Philippines (08/18/08) : Well, here we go again, for another week of fun and surprises! I guess the little concern for person-to-person postings are over...finally! Even though on 8/17/08, I could only locate 1 personal message, (apparently the internet display did not have space for all the postings made on 8/17) but on 8/18/08, there were 16 person-to-person postings. My postings make the point. My, my, my! I'am beginning to think that the Bangor Daily News is becoming the most popular daily newspaper publication in the country with some internet responses coming in from coast-to-coast! Thanks so much, again, Mainelyme, for that informative tour...and the hilarious depiction about your sisters Kay and Ella getting rained-on by Mrs. Kelly's bedpan (sic). My wife, Ester, tells a similar story. When she was a little girl, about 7 years old, she was "borrowed" by three or four neighbor girls in their teens for the evening. (In the Philippines, you can "borrow" kids to accompany you; keep you company or just to be with you so the elders in the family will have someone to tell them the truth if something happens - babysitting in reverse). So, she goes on to say, along comes two local guys. They sit under the open windows of the house these teenaged girls are in, alone, with the "borrowed" child, parents gone out for some reason. The two guys start to strum their guitars to serenade the girls. Serenading is a Filipino tradition to this day! After several hours of serenading, my wife said the neighbors were getting upset, as they wanted to sleep. So, all the girls, to include my wife (as the 7-year old girl then) went "#1" in the porcelain bedpan. Then, with the boys singing away, strumming their guitars and paying no heed at all to the neighbors' protests, out the window came the full bedpan, directly on top of the two serenader's! Of course, Ester, my wife (the 7 year old), was the one to throw the bedpan out. The problem was, the parents of the teenaged girls came home just at the exact moment in time the bedpan was chucked out the window. Everyone was a recipient of the "fallout". Little Ester was promptly sent home, to receive a midnight spanking, and the girl's party was abolished, never more to happen again at that house. My wife, who is generally a staid, serious-type of person, literally cracked up at your story; again. By the way, I also was a member of Council #114, Knight's of Columbus in Bangor. Doug Denning was the one to recruit me. I recall, in one of the postings Mainelyme made on 8/18, the recognizable picture of Mrs. Arvilla Verceles. I had no connection to the Filipino community in Bangor at that time, but do remember Arvilla. I think we need to thank Wayne Reilly, of the Bangor Daily News for his story on automobiles at the turn of the century. Bangor's history is once again being reflected in the News. We can never forget, can we? Keep up the occasional historic cameos of Bangor, Wayne. Whan I was President of the Enchanted Oaks Civic Improvement Association, Spring, Texas, (outside Houston) in the early to mid 80's, I also was the editor of the Enchanted Oaks subdivision newsletter. I always sought people to write historic articles for the newsletter (15 pages, generally), and all these articles met with great acceptance. Everyone seems to enjoy history.

Doug of Verona Island, Maine (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Don't you just love the liberal mind (sorry - lack thereof)? On one hand, by his suspension of the executive order on drilling, President Bush and his cronies are engaged in manipulation of oil prices. Yet, on the other hand, actual drilling won't bring down oil prices. Honestly, you guys need to square up your conspiracy theories with your lack of economic understanding. Maybe then you'll start to make sense...

Doug of Verona Island, Maine (08/18/08) Telling the whole truth: Jon, could you return my Reynolds Wrap, please? You said you needed to only borrow enough for a hat...

Dee of E Podunk, ME (08/18/08) Hampden mail process shifts south: Just another separation of the Maines as far as I can see....better service below the 95 beltway...sounds so familiar

Peter of East Berne, NY (08/18/08) Maine candidate condemns labor ad: Glad to see that some still believe they can go it alone and that large employers will treat them fairly without a union. Good luck getting into or remaining in the middle class.

TK of Frankfort, ME (08/18/08) Baldacci to propose income tax cut: Baldacci could reduce the income tax - but then how would we pay for the poor people to live this winter? How would they afford their satellite TV bills, school supplies, oil and food? The State has to tax those that actually work in order to pay for those thousands that are on the welfare rolls here in Maine. If Baldacci can figure out how to manage that conundrum, well, John's a genius.

TK of Frankfort, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: Why are there so many hand-outs in this State? Why do the "haves" always "have to" pay for the "have-nots?" Maine is welfare State that cannot afford to pay for fireworks on the 4th of July, cannot afford road paving projects and cannot even fund the myriad of social programs we already have. It's time this sort of thing stopped. A "hand-up" I agree with - a "hand-out" I do not.

John of Tumauini, Isabela, Philippines (08/18/08) Auto firsts a century ago included preaching, politicking: Thank you, Wayne Reilly for that informative and reminiscent look into the automobile and Bangor's history per your article on 8-18-08. I remember my mother and her father (Mary Elizabeth Gehigan and William Gehigan) sitting in her father's 1919 12-cylinder Buick (open, with folding top) in the yard of one of my grandfather's homes in Bangor in 1920 (per the date on the back of the old photo). My mother said she used to drive that car around Bangor during those "times", and took it to Augusta now and then. It is always nice to take views of historics as your article so vividly and accurately pointed out. My wish is that more readers should tell their stories, also. Maybe BDN could publish articles such as yours in each weekend edition of the News as an ongoing feature. I printed out your article and put it in my "Bangor, History" binder for my home library. Thanks, again!

Cynthia of Dixmont, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: As a parent of older children and a teacher I can empathize with the costs associated with the beginning of a new school year. When you have more than one child to outfit it becomes very expensive! One of my concerns about a tax holiday is that districts may require parents to foot the bill for more schools supplies than usual. In the district my niece attends, the list of ?necessaries? is a page long! Facial tissues, hand-sanitizer, and basic supplies are among the items each child is expected to provide. Families should only be expected to provide pencils, a backpack or something for their child to carry papers and assignments home in, and in older grades an assignment book and perhaps notebooks. To require parents and caregivers to supply more materials sets up a caste system. Who has the ?coolest? notebooks, scissors, and glue sticks? Some families cannot afford the trendier, more expensive items. I can hear Bill Gates saying ?Life isn?t fair ? some of us have it, some of us don?t?, but in the classroom, all children need to have access to the same quality materials. As far as a tax holiday for school clothes, forget it. The same social status argument applies. In Maine we have a 10-week summer break. If your child has outgrown or needs to replace the clothing they ended the previous school year with, then go shopping. The media has manipulated parents into spending an excessive amount of money on back-to-school clothing! Assuring your child(ren) is/are dressed in clean, well-fitting clothes will help them feel comfortable. I am not concerned about the state?s revenue loss from a tax holiday, as a matter of fact, I think the taxes in our state are out of proportion to the rest of the nation, but in my opinion, supporting this tax relief will open a can of worms.

lisa of Bangor, Maine (08/18/08) B-I-N-G-O!: I think the best place to play bingo is of couse Penobscot High Stakes Bingo. I have played there several times and won a few times. The people are nice and it is really exciting to play there. The prizes are high and it does cost quite a bit to play but if you win, you win more than you could at any other bingo. I hope they get slots eventually it would be fun.

George of North Yarmouth, Maine (08/18/08) Telling the whole truth: Hello, if the media was doing its job in an unbiased way we would not need a truth commission. I have not seen any Maine Newspaper dig into the mess in Augusta. It is so sad that all the Maine Newspapers seem to tout is,"Bush lied & people died." Get real, start locally and then to the state and do fair and honest investigative reporting, letting the chips fall where they may. The people of Maine still need to know who in DHHS allowed the $100 million debacle that wasted our good taxes money.

Gerald Weinand of Rockland, ME (08/18/08) Maine candidate condemns labor ad: The ads, unfortunately, are lies. The EFCA does NOT eliminate the secret-ballot vote that is part of the NLRA; card check is the most common way that unions are currently organized. The EFCA does increase the penalties for owners that engage in illegal union busting. Fact check my comments yourself.

Tiki of DownEast, ME (08/18/08) Palmyra man held in 1995 slaying claims self-defense: Oh please..If it were actually self defense he should have come forward 13 years ago when this happened!!! What a crock!

Mark of Millinocket, Maine (08/18/08) Baldacci advances energy plan: I guess this must mean that Clean Coal may have a chance after all. Part of the problem has been green groups that say it cant be done, or self promoting experts such as Steve Hinchman legal stiff for the Conservation Law Foundation that say its not good for Maine. There has been a proposed low cost zero emission, coal and biomass gasification facility to be located in the northern region, but to date the numerous ecobarriers only seem to only slow progress and have not swayed backers.

P of Lincoln, ME (08/18/08) Hospital sued under labor law: Poor fella. Everyone is out to get him. LOL, I know whenever I want to get someone, I go right for their ankles! Your town meetings in Dover must be a joy judging from the excerpts posted online. Anyway, Mr. Simpson wasn't half bad, though he was a shy, quiet person. Shame to see him go. BTW I wonder if he suffered an anxiety attack during his fight?

C of Ellsworth, ME (08/18/08) Maine candidate condemns labor ad: Condemning the ads? The ads are spot on. How would you feel if you were handed your public election ballot by a Democrat or Republican, who then looked at it and tried to tell you you were wrong and force you to change your vote? You would go ballistic. Unions are in a panic because they have lost huge amounts of membership. The only way they can get money from your pocket is to force you to join and pay dues. Might want to check on their history of where those dues go, by the way. If Tom Allen is against the right to vote in private, that is one scary thought for the future of this country. Your election ballot is next.

Ken of Lake Elmore, Vt (08/18/08) : Having just returned from a week long bicycle tour of Down East Maine I would like to thank the motorist of the area for their courteous driving. With the shoulders being so narrow some of the area roads can be scary to bicycle on but every driver that passed us last week gave us a lot of space. I only wish more of the drivers in this area were as willing to share the roads. I just wanted to let you know that your fine driving habits do not go unnoticed and that they are appreciated. Thank you again for a fine week along your beautiful coast.
Break in Cutler

David of Greenville, ME (08/18/08) Maine candidate condemns labor ad: Sounds like this struck a nerve with Allen, oh I meant his campaign. I have friends that have been "talked to" by union thugs on "how to vote" at their home. It's happening, and after all, Allen is in bed with big labor....OUCH!

Stevey-D of Tinkersville, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Wind and Solar power.. T-Boone Pickens, lets do it.

W.R. of Glenburn, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Both J. Ed Robeau from Belfast and Jim of Veazie believe that climate change is real. That's nice! I don't know of any credible earth scientist that disagrees. In fact, if you are looking for a consensus, the belief that the earths climate is always undergoing change is pretty much universal. Where disagreement occurs, is in the interpretation of those changes both in degree and impact. Until recently the controversial term "anthropogenic global warming" was used to espouse climate changes but there was a lot of baggage with that term and the associated believers were termed to be "hysterics." Since then the science has matured and a more level headed approach has resulted in a better understanding of climate change. There are still some self promoting hysterics out there like Al Gore and Jim Hansen but their methods of hype are beginning to fall on deaf ears. Anyone who has occupied this planet for more than a half century has probably experienced local changes in climate. Maine and much of the Eastern U.S. set many record high temperatures in the 1930's most of which still stand today. In the 50's and 60's we were into cooling weather and many harsh winters. Of course this changed around in recent decades and we again enjoyed warmer weather, although not as hot as the 30's. To promote climate change as "catastrophic" and insist on making costly changes based on computer model programs which are based on insufficient or inaccurate data, is foolish. The panic that is in the minds of ignorant people or the agenda of select environmentalists are poor choices for making national policy that will affect every U.S. citizen. There are many people questioning the significance of climate change and those numbers are growing daily. You may be surprised how many of those so called "facts" get revised in the coming years.

Linda of Winterport, Maine (08/18/08) Hampden mail process shifts south: Government stupidity at work again, how does sending 044 improve delivery, thats bangor, brewer, hampden, winterport the last time I looked, drove, shopped and went to work we were closer to hampden then Portland. Don't take no brain surgeon to figure this one out let's continue to create jobs for southern maine and keep the north poor.

maurice of bangor, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: Perhaps he can be a plumber when he gets out.

Ginger of Hampden, ME (08/18/08) Hampden mail process shifts south: Why the Pony Express gave better service than this. So let me get this straight: mailing something in Bangor will take 2-3 days, mailing it in Portland will take 1 day. I think it'd be fair then to get a half price stamp to go with our half fast service. Wink.

marvinsawtelle of lubec, ma (08/18/08) B-I-N-G-O!: for Diane: Eastport youth center wed night 6pm Bingo starts. Bingo begins on time, the breaks, which are two, are held to the time allocated, the food is great and cheaper then Mc Donalds, the prizes are worth the try to win them. The workers are friendly and the over all atmosphere gives a relaxing time. Come and play an evening. marvin

N of Bangor, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: When will the handouts end? What's next? A tax credit on Halloween Costumes? Come one, if you can afford to buy back to school supplies, you can afford to pay the taxes. You know in the end the state will get it back anyways. How about buying plain paper notebooks instead of the expensive ones if you want to save money? Time after time I see kids with expensive pens and pencils because they are fancier than the plain ones. You know, they all work the same way. Why pay more when you don't have to? Oh, because the kids are spoiled and have to get what they want. There are lots of ways to send your kids off to school without spending a ton of money. Go back to the basics.

J of DOWNEAST, ME (08/18/08) Hospital sued under labor law: "Olszewski alleged that to defend himself, he grabbed Simpson around the waist and lifted him off the ground upside down. After being held by other hospital personnel, Olszewski set Simpson down so he would not fall on his head, according to the lawsuit." SOOOOO a man in severe pain, having a heart attack actually defended himself this way. GIMME A BREAK!!! SOMETHING IS MISSING HERE!! IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE HE WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT FOR THE PHYSICIAN TO COME BACK AND FINISH HIS WORKUP!!!!

J of DOWNEAST, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: Stevey-D of Tinkersville, ME - 08/18/08 YOU JUST 'CRACK' ME UP!! GREAT 1 LINERS MAN!

Jon of Dixfield, Me (08/18/08) Telling the whole truth: Let's start with current events. What role did John McCain play in the Georgia invasion of South Ossetia? The President of Georgia stated that he talks to McCain twice a day. John McCain has visited Georgia on average once every two months for years. McCain's senior political advisor has Georgia as one of his clients. The President of Georgia appeared shocked that western military forces were not on their way to rescue him. Did McCain promise military aid? Did he encourage the Georgians to once again break their pledge in the ceasefire of 1992 and attack South Ossetia? Why is a US Senator meeting with a head of state so frequently? Was John McCain interfering in US foreign policy for partisan political purposes? Is John McCain so reckless as to invite a shooting war with Russia?

t of Addison, Maine (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: If I knew nothing about the politics of the State of Maine, and just read these posts, I would be certain that this State would vote overwhelmingly conservative in the November elections. But, you know what? I bet all of you that the voters will put the same folks who are creating the problem right back into office again! Could it be that posters on this site do not represent a good cross section of Mainers? Could it be that most Mainers prefer the Government take their money and then redistribute it as they see fit?

Bruce of Clifton, Maine (08/18/08) Hampden teenager charged with assault after stabbing: Sorry Nick, but the story the boys are telling doesn't pass the smell test. How did they get there? The boy didn't know it was not his mother's car! Sorry if I have trouble believing that one. Especially since the mother was not there. It sounds like the boys had no right to be there and refused to leave when told to by someone who did have authority to be there. At that point the victim should have called the police himself to have the boys removed. So there is some blame to go around to everyone. If the boys really wanted to calm the victim down they should have left the property. As if I believe the boys were only trying to calm down the victim and didn't say or do anything to escalate the situation. Right... And you say the victim broke through the screen door. That means the boys must have entered a house they had no legal right to be in and locked the screen door? Then you say that Mike had the knife in his hands and only raised it when the victim ran at him. That would indicate that the stabbing was an accident. But then in your second post you say that Mike stabbed the victim in self defense. So which was it? An accident or self defense? And explain just why he had a knife in his hands in the first place. This is one of those cases where the police should have been called at the beginning. All three should consider themselves lucky they were not charged with trespassing and for stealing the car.

Jon of Dixfield, Me (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Why did the price of oil fall immediately after President Bush revoked the Presidential ban on off-shore drilling? The two had nothing to do with each other. Global demand began falling several weeks before the President lifted his meaningless ban. The drop in demand caused the drop in prices as speculators withdrew from the market. Why release oil and home heating from the reserves? To send a quick and easy message that further action will follow immediately. For example, passage of the anti-speculator bill. Why is McCain misleading. He has no energy policy. Drilling off the Continential Shelf is only possible at these oil and gas prices. Should they fall the Oil companies will not drill. Drilling will not produce oil for 7 to 10 years. Oil drilling will not contribute to supplies or reduce prices.

J of DOWNEAST, ME (08/18/08) Machias: Handgun theft leads to 4 arrests: Tara of Smalltown, ME - 08/07/08 DEAR TARA..THAT WS NOT A TOY GUN.... But I do support the fact he was off duty, there was nothing criminal there, it just was a very stupid thing to be doing, showing his badge behind the wheel and shooting guns while intoxicated. This is shall I say conduct unbecoming an officer.... I have seen more punishment for cops doing lesser things than this person received.... It was just an immature thing to do, but hopefully he has learned from his mistakes..

J of DOWNEAST, ME (08/18/08) Machias: Man charged with burglary: get it done of downeast, ME - 08/07/08 OR ARE YOU JUST JEALOUS THAT YOU DIDN'T GET THE BREAK AND THE MDEA DID AND GOT THE GLORY THAT YOU WERE SEEKING? REMEMBER YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO WORK A CASE TO BREAK IT OPEN!!

J of DOWNEAST, ME (08/18/08) State helps move residents from welfare to work: To anon of Bar Harbor, ME - 08/11/08... I agree, those who WANT to move out of the program. There should be a plan to get all that are able to work off the program within a certain period of time or they lose their benefits!!! CUDOS to those of you who too the iniative to better your lives!! You deserve a pat on the back!!! Thank you!

Jeff of North Attleboro, MA (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: Everyone is right about the headline having nothing to do with the article, other than providing the "shock value." Now about the article. I live right near Central Falls, and while I am not sure how much you know about Central Falls, so - it is a city that is about 1.6 square miles with about 18,000 people living there. It is very poor, and has alot of violent crime. Children under 18 have to be inside by 9pm because of recent shootings between teenagers. Central Falls High School has about a 40-50% drop out rate. While I am clearly NOT MAKING ANY EXCUSES for this guy, I think it is important for everyone up in Maine to realize where this guy came from. He dropped out after having a kid in high school, which is a stupid decision. But back when I was in high school down there, that was not an uncommon situation for a young man to be in. You can either stay in high school and work part time, or drop out and work full time for minimum wage somewhere. Every penny counts when ur gonna have a child at 17 and you already live in Section 8 housing. So while I agree with you guys about how it is obviously a stupid thing to do, you really shouldnt call him the "scum of the earth," because you do not know what you would've done in his situation.

Robin of Brooklyn, NY (08/18/08) Maine parents embrace controversial treatment model for autistic children: Actually, it is not a matter of being caused by a missing chromosome. There have been ties to autism being caused by certain childhood immunizations which researchers are currently looking at.

Jim of Veazie, Maine (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Mr. Robeau: I share your sentiments. I am amazed at the emotional, almost zealot-like refusal of many people to accept the abundance of strong scientific evidence linking CO emissions to global temperature. Where do you people get your information? Do you find websites run by extreme right wing wack-jobs with no scientific training that claim there is a lot of evidence that says global warming is a hoax? In science, we call that selectively seeking evidence to support your hypothesis (not to mention using poor sources to get you data). Instead of looking objectively at all data in front of you, you cherry pick to support your already ingrained conclusions. I love how you all believe that the overwhelming number of scientists who support global climate change either have some ulterior motive or are just ignorant and have bought into a myth. Yes its gotta be those wacky scientists. Those same people who discovered the medicine you take. Those same people who actually discovered how to efficiently harness the energy out of organic carbon sources to run our cars and industrial economy. Maybe I should start a web-site saying that the world is still flat and throw in some obscure sources of data with selected quotes of some scientists and see how many people start believing.

Robin of Brooklyn, NY (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: We had the sales tax weekend here in NYC but then last year they passed not paying sales tax for clothing/shoes items under $100.00 all year around. What you save in sales tax could add up to a tank of gas or monthly fee's for internet service. The way I look at it, every little bit helps.

Lisa of Bangor, Maine (08/18/08) State helps move residents from welfare to work: I wanted to let you know I am living proof that this program works. I recently got divorced and I had to resign from my previous job due to health issues and needed to find another job. I had nothing coming in and had to support myself and my 13 yr old daughter. I was so embarrassed about having to go on welfare. Something I had always strived to stay away from, but this time I needed it badly. I was so happy to find some of the workers there were so nice and helpful but there are some that make you feel like you are less then them and I think that is wrong. You already feel bad enough about having to go on welfare it does not make it any easier when you have someone from the agency making you feel worse. I was only on the Aspire program for 1 month before I got a job working for the state of Maine through a temp agency. Now I am in the transitional services portion. It is a wonderful program.

Timothy of Winterport, ME (08/18/08) Telling the whole truth: While I commend the BDN staff for their accurate assessment of our nation's current plight, I would agree with those posters who declare this to be equivalent to "tilting at windmills.' Incidentally, for those who like a good mystery, getting to the truth has been an excercise in frustration even for the most well-respected politicians over the years. Take the Reece investigation for example: Back in 1954 the Reece Committee, chaired by Congressman Carroll B. Reece, produced its findings (despite harrassment by the Rockefeller family) regarding the influence of tax-exempt foundations on the social order of our county. The extensive report addresses their influence in politics, social sciences, international affairs, and propaganda. The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Foundation and others were discussed during the hearings. A predominant theme found in the Committee?s findings is the desire of the foundations and those behind them to create a system of world governance, thus subverting the sovereignty of all nations. Also identified were other organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Institute of Pacific Relations, which have been instrumental in crafting globalist policy. It is interesting to note that the IPR lost its tax-exempt status in 1955, when the IRS alleged that the Institute had engaged in the dissemination of controversial and partisan propaganda, and was subsequently dissolved in 1960 (morphing into more contemporary entities such as the Trilateral Commision). Congressman Reece himself declared: 'It was never the intention of Congress to provide tax-exempt privileges exclusively for institutions sponsoring ideological subversion of (our) traditional principles of life and government.' (Wikipedia). These are serious charges against some very elite folks that continue their work today under many guises. It remains a mystery that the Fourth Estate has continued to show little interest in such importance issues as the history of the Federal Reserve (and those who run it), and our illegal system of taxation. For until we dig beneath these layers of subversion and propaganda, we will forever be in the grasp of those who would do us ill -- regardless of any commissions designed for 'closure.'

Tiffani of Bucksport, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: This would be such a help esp. to the teachers that have to go buy supplies out of their own pockets!! not to mention the families!! It is jsut common sense.. but then again, the govt doesn't have much of it these days~!

bev of caribou, ME (08/18/08) Maine senator comments on Edwards affair: It`s sad she is more interested in John Edwards life than the life of the folks from Aroostook County, her home, and how they are trying to find ways to survive this winter! Maybe it is time for her to go.

Michelle of Presque Isle, Maine (08/18/08) Maine senator comments on Edwards affair: My mother taught me "if you don't have anything good to say don't say anything especially with no facts to back up what you say. Collins would have lost my vote by her action if I was going to vote her party but I wasn't going to before so it doesn't matter one way or the other McCain is an old grey haired fart who can only deal out a slanderous campaign and Collins is follwoing the leader. She really needs to go.

Patricia of Orrington, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: I fail to see why the fact that this man went to Catholic schools or that he was an altar boy is pertinent to this story. Do headline writers ever begin a story with "Protestant church volunteer gets life for crack dealing" or "Protestant goes to jail for OUI"? It seems Judy Harrison in particular never wastes an opportunity to denigrate the Catholic Church. Whenever there is any story at all about Bishop Malone, or other diocesan news, she always feels she has to add comments from a sex abuse survivor's group to get their personal opinion of him.... even though he hasn't even been a bishop for more than a few years and never was responsible for transferring any abusive priest. I guess all Catholics are alike to her and you may as well cast aspersions on any and all of them as long as you can get away with it.

J of DOWNEAST, ME (08/18/08) August 16 Letters to the Editor: GOP puppet masters Hmm and it only took 1 DEM to turn the lights off when the Republicans wanted to keep negotiating on the Energy Crisis!!! The Beloved Speaker Nancy Pelosi!! Guess the Republicans wanted to do things CORRECT not just do "any old thing"!!

Anne of MDI, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: Mark of Sanford: Wah, wah, wah crybaby. If you want to live for free then move somewhere where you won't have to pay taxes. Where might that be? And please let us know if it's possible to earn a living when you get there.

J of DOWNEAST, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Joshua of Bangor, Maine - 08/18/08 I disagree. Look at other countries that drill and keep the oil for their use only. It is not a waste of time, it is a good plan to put forth ALONG with finding alternative energy... Fact is WE NEED OIL... OUR COUNTRY CAN'T SURVIVE WITH OUT IT AT THIS POINT UNTIL WE 'WEAN' OFF FROM IT!!! WHY OH WHY DOES THE US HAVE TO TAKE ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR GLOBAL WARMING, OIL CRISIS, LOOK AT CHINA AND HOW MUCH THEY USE, HOW MUCH POLLUTION THEY PRODUCE PER SQ MILE COMPARED TO THE US!!! DO you thisn China give a Rats behind about the rest of the world and how their actions effect the US or other countries. GIMME A BREAK IT IS HIGH TIME WE PUT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FIRST!!!! OR we will not have a country left in 50 years!!! We will all be under the Chiense rule (they are buying up America as it is)!

Stevey-D of Tinkersville, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: Going to sell a lot of crack in prison to pay that hefty fine. He will be lucky to live a year in prison.

Hugh of Warren, Me (08/18/08) Keeping the heat in: There is a simpler an more effective answer and if done now will certainly affect the price of oil in the winter. Don't drive your car one day a week; if you remove demand the price of oil will go down. By reducing the demand,the same oil speculators who have ripped you off the last few months will drop the price. Stop the price gouging and manipulation, don't drive one day a week.

Mainelyme of New York, NY (08/18/08) : John of Tumauini, Isabela, Philippines (08/18/08) In a reply to you that wasn't posted I stated that it wasn't Kitty's husband but rather her father who didn't return from the store, and that there was some talk about gamblers from Lewiston at the time. Also, as they didn't post my reply to Susan Collins' needlessly minding John Edwards' personal business it proves that the News does censor the comments, but in some instances; not very well!

L of DFW, TX (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: We have a sales tax holiday here in Texas and it's overrated at best IMO. The chaos and crowds at the store arent worth dealing with to save a few bucks.

doug of belgrade, me (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: Karen I agree with you. It has nothing to do with this article.

Mainelyme of New York, NY (08/18/08) : Another Church Lane Memory! My older sister Ella, who still lived at home at the time, and my even older sister Kay who was already married with children and renting Betty Blustein-Koritzy's big house on Hancock Street between Church Lane and Newbury Street were having a rare moment in their lives when they just happened to be talking to each other. Only they chose to talk this time while standing under the lamppost that was about 500 yards down the hill from our house, and on the corner of Hancock Street and Church Lane. The trouble was the site they chose for their latest peace talk was also just under the open bedroom window of Phoebe Politz' mother, Mrs. Kalel. Mrs Kelly (Kalel) shouted out the window to stop the talking because it was ten o'clock at night and she was trying to sleep. Well, Ella and Kay had a lot of sister talk to catch up on so they kept right on chatting. Another couple of times with ignored requests from Mrs. Kelly to quiet down, and suddenly an object came flying out of the upstairs bedroom window, smashed with a loud thud against the telephone pole, and with liquid showering down on the two sisters crashed to the ground at their feet. When Kay and Ella looked down in dripping wet surprise they suddenly realized that Mrs. Kelly had thrown her piss pot out the window at them! I know Ella and Kay talked to each other off and on for the next couple of dozen years after that but, I don't know if either one of them ever talked to Mrs. Kelly again!

JAY of HOULTON, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Why is joshua worried about the cost of drilling and pipe lines. Even if he was right, which he is not, and it is a waste of time and money; why does he care if it takes away from the oil companies EVIL profits. Also to the nut attacking McCain, if drilling cant lower price then why would the Dem's want to release from the reserve what amounts to even smaller amounts of oil. If drilling for billions of gallons wont help then how can releasing a few hundred thousand? Now who is pandering. Last but not least for the global warming nut. Only some of us that remember when 30 years ago the experts said we were causing global cooling get to call it a hoax.

Thomas of Bangor, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: "sales tax holiday" I san NO, only because our State will come up with another full time tax or fee to replace what they think they would have lost during the "sales tax holiday". Just it will be a every year year around fee or tax instead of a one day tax holiday.

Jeff of Corinna, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Re: John Alexander-We have waited for decades for those much-vaunted wind-up cars that produce no pollution and for those perpetual-motion machines that will magically produce all our energy from gerbils, but so far your side has produced squat. Get used to the idea of two new nuclear plants here in Maine.

Stevey-D of Tinkersville, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: He was the stunt double for Ned Beatty in deliverance. He had a lot of previous work experience.

Gerald of Bangor, ME (08/18/08) Keeping the heat in: Thank you Dawn Gagaon and the editors at the BDN for your continuing converage and editorals regarding the fuel crisis. I get phone calls every day from people who from no fault of their own can just not pay for the high cost of fuel. Thanks for pointing out that the governor's proposal is indeed a "modest" one. We need emergency help right now. Cold weather is not far away and many people don't have hot water right now. God bless, Rev. G

Norm of Podunk, Me (08/18/08) Mainers puzzled by boom: Okay, Stevie D., You were an Airdail, That explains your mind when commenting, Too much pure oxygen enhances the Mental State. Thanks for your comments, They bring enjoyment to my life.

dan of eagle lake, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: To John Alexander, re McCain misleading voters. Either lead, follow, or get out of the way. Something has to be done, and when 70-80% of americans are for drilling, to reduce our dependence on foriegn oil, you sir are out of touch, and obviously in the minority on this subject. I guess you would want us all do what the Democratic congress has done, nothing. Well I take that back, they did go on vacation. Even the queen of the left wingers, Pelosi, is changing her stance on this subject. Unless of course she is just doing this for ploitical reasons.

Les of Argyle, ME (08/18/08) Hampden mail process shifts south: The resent discision on transfering the mail to southern Maine in my mind is a big mistake ,living in a rural area of Maine I resently had an overnight letter sent to me the sender was told that since I lived in a rural area it would take an extra day.now my question is how long would overnight delivery take with this new plan the Postal Service has comeing from southern ,Maine ? Just a short while ago there was an increase in the Postal Stamp , thinking wasn't this to keep up with the times and service that we all ready had .

Jared of Lewiston, ME (08/18/08) August 16 Letters to the Editor: Two things: Susan Collins isn't running the ads. They are horrible and misinformed, but not hers. I would agree that she should denounce the ads, but she isn't the one responsible for them. #2: Pearl Harbor was a naval port, right? Hiroshima and Nagasaki were primarily civilian targets (sustained bombing of military/industrial sectors had decreased the strike value of more military-minded Japanese cities). I know that we like to think that war justifies anything and that because we were attacked that no response goes to far, but I respectfully disagree. Hiroshima was a tragedy, but unquestionably an action of war. We had never used an atomic weapon where there were people before, we didn't know the true effects. Nagasaki, was a masacre meant to force the Japanese to fold before the Russians could take root. America is a great country. America is not and has never been perfect. We have committed terrible atrocities, we have ended terrible atrocities. We have supported freedom, democracy, republicanism, fascism, and totalitarianism throughout the world. To look back at the past and refuse to see error is denying freedom of thought. There once was a Frenchman who came to America to study us. He said that he loved our nation, but that our freedom of speech often interupted our freedom of thought. He said that America encourages consistant mediocrity rather than crafting a more intensified brilliance. He thought more countries should encourage such an atmosphere and that though faults exist we were one of the best nations he'd ever had the pleasure of experience. (He adored the political atmosphere of the localized north, specifically the community values encouraged there). Accept, understand and clarify our past. Trust DeTocqueville, you can still love the country afterwards.

mark of sanford, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: lets see, I walk out of my heavily taxed house, to my double taxed vehicle "sales/excise", purchase taxed and a NEW ENVIROMENTAL FEE taxed gas,pay a toll and drive to New hampshire to save money on grocerys, electronics and whatever I can haul back in a single run, Robbing the state? I pay thousands and I mean thousands to the state, the more I can do to keep em out of my pocket the better. Ive even started buying my fuel there. Maine has too many hands in the till and until they smarten up Im just going to go for a drive and keep my mouth shut about it.

Joshua of Bangor, Maine (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: We burn the same amount of oil in about two years as is estimated to be contained in all the areas of United States territory where drilling is currently banned. At a sustainable rate of production this amount of oil would change nothing as far as oil prices go. In addition, even the US Department of Energy says that developments in these areas would only produce 7% more oil by 2030. Anybody want to take a guess as to what oil prices will be in 2030? Where is the intelligence in spending billions of dollars, not to mention building miles and miles of pipe to the ocean floor, especially in such unstable waters as the gulf of Mexico. I understand that oil prices are high, but hasty solutions rarely make good solutions. Before we waste billions trying in vain to feed our addiction, we should look at solutions which might actually be viable.

Frank of Brewer, ME (08/18/08) Maine senator comments on Edwards affair: Too bad Senator Collins doesn't demonstrate the same level of professionalism as Senator Snowe instead of shooting off her mouth about something she knows nothing about. She will do anything for a little "spotlight". Of course we all know that she is above reproach.

j gordon of Prospect, Maine (08/18/08) Telling the whole truth: This is a great idea but it will never happen. Neither the GOP or the Democrats want the Executive branch of our government called to task for anything more serious than stains on an interns dress. Both parties will say that such depth of accountability will hobble the ability of the president to do his/her task. They will claim it is an attempt to curtail presidential authority. Too bad. If the Bush administration, including Powell, were held accountable it might actually restore bi-partisan government. Meanwhile I'll vote for change.

Sean of Bangor, ME (08/18/08) Maine senator comments on Edwards affair: I don't think I've ever seen a weaker, cheaper attempt to pander for a few votes. After all of her time in Congress, this is the best she can come up with?

Jessica of Orland, me (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: How about the bigger picture? Decrease the gas taxes. I took my 15 year old son school shopping and yes it was pricey, but the running around Bangor was the cost. Taxes on my purchases is minor in comparison. We as parents have no choice but to purchase clothing, footwear and school supplies, I spent about the same amount of money as last year but got 40% less stuff for my money. I chalenge the governmnet officials in taking a 1% pay cut and cutting the gas taxes until gas prices drop below three dollars. ( the 1 % can fund our shortfalls in the system)

J of DOWNEAST, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Re:John Alexander-Old Town What are you talking abour misleading or ignorant???? Tell me then why the price of oil starting dropping so fast as soon as the President announced his plans to lift the ban on off shore drilling??????

Mike of Presque Isle, ME (08/18/08) Telling the whole truth: The irresponsible media strikes again. Torture at Guantanamo? Are you still on about that? Non-uniformed enemy combatants are classified as spies and have the right to be hanged. Everything else is courtesy. But not in the Maine's al Qeada press office. Where terrorists are innocent victims, American soldiers are the bad guys and the only side of the story being told is the enemy's. These prisoners at Guantanamo beheaded women in public, we wrap their head in an Israeli flag, and we're the bad guys? How about you report the truth for once, and stop playing everything for political gain?

Stevey-D of Tinkersville, ME (08/18/08) Mainers puzzled by boom: Oh its true, damn true.. LOL!!!!!!!! Photos cant be doctored.

Jim of Amity, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: So this dirt bag gets the low end of an already reduced sentence and NO FINE?No wonder its so easy to recruit drug dealers if there's no penalty.He should serve his whole 20 years in PR so he won't cost Americans money.Get him out of Maine.

Stevey-D of Tinkersville, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: You would think that this ex-altar boy would have learned that selling crack doesnt pay. Who would want to buy used crack.

Rick of Lagrange, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: Don't you people understand, anything that the people want, Augusta is against it. Just imagine what a bind they would be in if TABOR had passed. But the legislators sold everyone a pack of lies and the state is still in a serious hole. I am just glad that group got the 90,000 signatures to repeal another one of those late night deals.

Michelle of Presque Isle, Maine (08/18/08) Telling the whole truth: So now we need some kind of committee to fix our bad image. What a sad state of affairs this country's leaders have gotten us into. Lying cheating and stealing from the very people who put them into office to begin with. I know some of the people in government are honest and above board with their conduct, but some ... are just pathetic takers never really giving anything back. We as people of America have just let these people that are out of control stay in control of our most important assests. Public Service is just that for the public. I don't remember one time when something important to me was also important to one of my elected officals.

Linda of LA, CA (08/18/08) Hampden mail process shifts south: Whenever another "transport" is added to our mail, it increases the time between mailing and receiving the mailed item. Our usual one day delivery here in the Bangor area will a fond memory once the mail is shipped south to be sorted. In California, the mail that goes from Palm Springs to Redlands for sorting almost never arrives the next day. (Redlands is an hour away). The record, so far,is 8 days for a thank you note to reach it's intended address, 9 from drop off point!

Alan of Presque Isle, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: Wow, this kid got suckered. This sounds like a maunufactured crime. They talk the kid into getting them some crack from RI and probably told him how much money he was going to make and he fell for it hook line and sinker; dumbass kids. They aren't playing childs games though. If we didn't have this prohibition on all these substances there would be no black market in the first place. This just shows how manufacturing crimes keeps the system going. Those drugs never would have come to Brewer if the police didn't set it up and create the whole crime. We have to keep cutting our education budgets every year to afford to play these cops and robbers games and house the victims of the "war on drugs".

stewart of machias, ME (08/18/08) August 18 Letters to the editor: Dan Sullivan: Good idea's I'm sure Tom Allen will be putting that in a bill when he gets back to work. LOL only problem if Allen did that he would have to start paying the tax payers of Maine back money for what he has done for us. NOTHING

Karen of Palmyra, ME (08/18/08) Ex-altar boy gets time in crack deal: How on earth is it relevant to mention this man is an ex-altar boy?

stewart of machias, ME (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: Augusta give the people of Maine what they want? Tax relief! It will never happen with the fools we have in Augusta now. And with the party that has been in power in Augusta for the better part of 30 years in Maine.

Hank of Bangor, ME (08/18/08) Tailgate tactics: The best thing to do is take the bus. The problem in a nutshell: too many cars on the road.

Robert of Greenbush, Maine (08/18/08) Baldacci advances energy plan: I have an energy plan...Pull out all the hydro dams in the state...deny permits to build Liquid Propane or Natural Gas ports in the state...create new regulations that severely curtail outdoor wood boilers...deny permits for windmills...and of course, complain about the price of electricity and gas. Let's use what we have. Hydro power was clean and renewable. Quit pulling the dams and use them to generate more power. Put up the windmills, heck build some nuclear power plants. It won't provide everything we need powerwise, but it's a start. We don't need all the oil. Just some of it.

Robert of Greenbush, Maine (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: Since the state is looking at this, (sort of, even if it's to say no), maybe they should realize that when we have to go beyond our budget, we have to cut somewhere else. The state needs to make more cuts so they can live within their budget, instead of living in our budgets and forcing us to make cuts that force us to choose food or fuel or medicine or food or any other hard decision that the state would never make because it's political suicide. When taxpayers can't afford something, they either cut somewhere else to get the money or they go without. It's time the state did the same thing and quit raising our taxes!!

Tim of Pendleton, SC (08/18/08) Back-to-school tax holiday lacking panel support: We have a tax holiday here in South Carolina. Many of the local retailers also put much of their merchandise on sale for that weekend. It's a great deal all around. The article says the tax break helps folk save "a little", but that little coupled with the sales amounts to a lot. You really do want this in Maine.

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