Rein in earmarks
A recent BDN editorial discussed the 9,000 earmarks in the omnibus spending bill that President Obama signed into legislation. The editorial discussed how most earmarks are for good and how much of this bill had been crafted under the Bush administration. Although that may be true, isn’t Obama supposed to represent “hope and change?”
It sounds as if some are blaming the past president instead of focusing on the fact we now have a new president who was supposed to rein in earmarks. Sixty percent of the earmarks were from Democrats and 40 percent were from Republicans, so it’s obvious that both parties are equally to blame. I think that along with earmark reform we need to ask ourselves what we want to spend our money on; $200,000 went to removal of gang tattoos, $1.1 million to study swine odor in Iowa and $1.9 million for a pleasure beach water taxi in Conn.
Is this what we want our money going to? There is no excuse for this bill on either side of the aisle. Furthermore, even though Obama says that this is “last year’s business,” the American people are not stupid. We all know that he could have had this bill cleaned up, but he chose to spend our money instead.
Brynn Moulton
Glenburn
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State fiscal forecast
On March 10, the governor gave his State of the State address to the Legislature and people of Maine. In the midst of the worst recession in decades and Maine unemployment approaching 10 percent, he told us that everything was looking up and we had nothing to fear. He said his fiscal prudence coupled with the great actions of the Democratic controlled Legislature were what was making everything so rosy.
But, late on Friday the 13th, his henchmen slipped an announcement into the middle of a number of announcements admitting the DHHS budget for the current year (which ends June 30) now has a $235 million hole in it. Of that, $65 million must be raised from Mainers with the balance coming from the Feds if the Legislature can find that $65 million.
I doubt the $235 million appeared between Tuesday evening and Friday afternoon. When did the governor know about this shortfall? Why was everything rosy on Tuesday and the bad news slipped to us this way?
Lowlife politicians always release bad news late on Friday afternoons so the media won’t ask tough questions and the public won’t learn about it until Monday, by which time the political hacks will have been able to cast blame on someone else.
What’s next, governor?
William Chapman
Rockport
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Employee Free Choice
Arrogant corporations are using the taxpayer bailout money they have received to fight the very working people who are financing their revival.
The taxpayers!
According to the AFL, Citigroup has received $50 billion in bailout money with which it has sponsored strategy sessions and conference calls to companies and individuals with deep pockets to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act. Other co-conspirators are the Bank of America and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (which happens to be the world’s biggest anti-worker organization). Millions of dollars are being spent trying to beat down workers with lies and distortions. They are taking billions from the taxpayers and trying to block vital legislation that would give workers a chance to make things better for them and their families.
For shame! Support the Employee Free choice Act!
James Landry
Frankfort
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Laptops a luxury
As a student at one of Maine’s high schools (Leavitt Area High School) I was brought up on our state’s laptop program in middle school. Now that it is expanding to high schools I have only one thing to say: there are about 25 million better ways to spend $25 million.
This year my school has had to cut math lab which was stopping kids from failing math and, for many, from dropping out. We also had to cut teacher positions, heating, and can’t even afford to send report cards home through the mail. Our art department is having to consider having AP classes every other year because there are simply not enough teachers to fit student course demands.
I know our school is not alone in this. Other schools all across our state are facing similar struggles. To add a highly expensive and widely unpopular laptop program on top of this would be folly. As a student, I would rather have a teacher than a laptop.
Meagan Maguire
Turner
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Helmets are a choice
Mandating motorcycle helmets because one judge says society picks up the tab for injuries doesn’t tell the whole story (“Helmet law overdue,” BDN editorial, March 19). That judge presumed all motorcycle riders injured in crashes not wearing helmets did not have insurance. He further presumed society would pick up the tab in the form of unemployment insurance and disability insurance. What about those of us who have insurance?
What that judge failed to mention was that both of those insurances are benefits available to society at large. I’m sure the number of injured motorcyclists collecting permanent disability pales in comparison to the number collecting that same benefit for less than honest reasons. He also failed to differentiate between permanently injured riders who were wearing helmets and those who weren’t.
Motorcyclists make up a very small percentage of “users” of Maine’s highways. As a rider, I have observed more than two-thirds of fellow riders wearing helmets, despite their freedom to choose otherwise. I believe in riding with a helmet, but I like being able to make that choice rather than having that mandate legislated.
It is dangerous to operate a chain saw without proper protective equipment and OSHA has made that equipment mandatory for professional loggers. I don’t know of any law requiring homeowners cutting their winter supply of firewood to do the same … yet.
I think legislators need to move on. Leave the few freedoms of choice that we have alone.
William P. Mehrhoff
Stacyville
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