McCain’s other war
I read that Sen. John McCain says, “when you win wars, troops come home.” What I would like to know is how McCain feels about the war in which he was involved. Did the U.S. do well to withdraw from Vietnam, or should we have stayed longer?
William Transue
Machiasport
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Food picked by others
On Monday, July 21, the Beehive Collective in Machias presented the photographs of Earl Dotter, both beautiful and disturbing shots of Maine’ s migrant farm workers. It was an evening of potluck dining followed by a panel discussion about the poor conditions endured by the farm workers, mostly immigrants from south of the border.
All who attended the opening enjoyed full plates of a large variety of foods grown locally and from afar, none of which I helped to harvest. My plate is filled most every day with crops picked by another. It was a humbling and eye-opening evening. Healthy working conditions are badly needed in Maine.
Immigration reform is also badly needed, unless we would rather starve.
Les Simon
Jonesboro
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Anti-labor radio
I take exception to the anti-labor radio spots have been aired on local stations in Maine. Their producer, www.EmployeeFreedom.org, claims to advocate employee rights to a secret ballot in union elections. They raise the specter of “union bosses” coming to your home and intimidating you into joining a union.
Frightening specters indeed, but totally untrue. Secret ballots are facts of labor law.
Is “employee freedom” their real agenda? They argue that “since 2001” the majority of citations for illegal workplace acts were against unions. Surprised? Since 2001 the Department of Labor is part of an extremist, anti-labor administration, the latter-day heirs of President Reagan, whose union-busting crusade began in 1981 with the wholesale firing of Federal Aviation Administration flight controllers.
Curbing rampant and illegal abuse of workers’ rights, and funding for workplace safety enforcement, are not the Bush administration’ s priorities. The mining companies, Wal-Mart and others known for their dangerous and illegal working conditions and union-busting are big Republican funders.
The radio spots don’ t mention that American workers’ enormous productivity gains in the past 30 years have gone entirely to swell the already outrageous compensations of CEOs, now 500 times that of the average worker. EmployeeFreedom.com and its clones are advocates for corporate power, and the privilege that accrues from wealth and ownership. Their Web sites don’ t disclose their funders, but their focus and tone betray their true purpose: to keep workers in their place, far below that of the owning classes.
Henry Wyatt
Belfast
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Tranquilizers work
In response to Greg Bailey’ s letter “Bear history” (BDN, July 24), I would note that the key words are that wardens tried nonlethal force first 38 years ago. I am a former zookeeper and we used tranquilizer darts many times which were 99 percent effective. Only once with an enraged Cape buffalo did it fail because the animal was so full of adrenaline.
Mr. Fahey was not justified. He should have tried nonlethal intervention first since there was no mention that the bear was behaving aggressively and actually threatening people at the scene. The police should have been called to clear the area of those people and then a vet called to tranquilize the animal if Mr. Fahey did not have a tranquilizer kit.
The article mentioned the order to shoot was actually given by a supervisor who was not on the scene which indicated that Mr. Fahey was not sure about what to do. And to be treated by the Bangor Daily News to bloody photos of a dead bear for two continuous days was not a great way to start my day.
Bob Brooks
Montville
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Maliseets aided colonists
Two or three weeks ago there were some letters written about the North American continent having been stolen from the natives.
Please be informed that the St. John Valley of northern Maine is an outstanding exception of that. When a small band of Acadians migrated in 1785 to the Madawaska area, they were met by Maliseet Chief Francois Xavier who said: “Today, with open hand, I give you a part of this country.”
With the help of their Maliseet friends, the colonists survived and prospered to this date. Those on the northern side of the river became Canadians and those on the south side of it became Americans.
Just a little point of history.
Bernette Albert
Madawaska
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General assistance
Regarding the Bangor Daily News’ articles on welfare, I have some observations about General Assistance.
While there are many hardworking and compassionate administrators employed by municipalities across Maine, the program they are administering should not be regarded as a dependable means to consistently help people in real need through sound and efficient use of other people’ s money. The state maintains records for General Assistance, and they show big disparities across regions, with per capita expenditures ranging as low as $5-$6 (York and Androscoggin counties) to $60 and $70 in Bangor and Portland.
The program’ s dependability is intended to result from state law, but there are radically different interpretations of entitlement depending upon which municipal offices are approached. And it is an entitlement program — the fact that various towns are engaged in budgeting for General Assistance may be an indication of misunderstanding.
General Assistance depends on local administrators following guidelines that are somewhat complicated and open to some judgment to deliver support that is fair and consistent across the state. This isn’ t the case. Municipal offices show wide ranges in size and capacity across the state. When towns joined by bridges over a river display a difference of approximately $1.9 million, population rates, slight differences in rates or poverty and-or subtle differences in interpreting laws and standards cannot explain that gulf.
We expect fiscal accountability, and that is why potential recipients are required to account for expenses. That is an unreasonable requirement for someone poor, homeless and with a major, untreated illness such as schizophrenia.
GA is a program that needs to be put on the table for review and analyzed in terms of the interests of poor people in need and the taxpayers who support it.
Dennis R. Marble,
executive director
Bangor Area Homeless Shelter