UMaine options
Recently there have been several articles on the financial plight of the University of Maine System; i.e., how to manage a $42 million budget shortfall. Some have suggested that consolidation and possible closure of one or more of the campuses might be necessary. Nationally many businesses are having to make painful decisions in order to survive. Unfortunately, UM also is faced with a “business decision” of huge importance for its future.
I was born in Illinois, a state which is 1.7 times larger than Maine in area and which has almost 10 times the population. Yet the University of Illinois has just three campuses: Chicago, Springfield and Champaign-Urbana. Maine has seven campuses. But Illinois is also peppered with private and community colleges. Therefore a reasonable option for Maine might be to reorganize so that various areas of our state offer higher education in some form, on some campus, taking into consideration the presence of nearby institutions, whether public or private.
Given the current financial squeeze, it seems a no-brainer that consolidation, reciprocity (some courses of study at one location, others at another location), streamlining of administration, downsizing and elimination of programs or even a campus will have to happen. Regarding Fort Kent and Presque Isle, for example, how about considering an integrated “University of Northern Maine?”
David P. Frasz
Dover-Foxcroft
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It’s our money
A recent Newsweek magazine article noted: “Chief executives at big banks take big risks, and for that they are paid millions. But what happens when the risks don’t pay off?”
The journalists missed the point. The bankers miss the point. The CEOs miss the point. These corporations belong to us, not them. We are the shareholders through our pensions, our retirement accounts, our savings. They work for us.
These bankers and CEOs are treating the companies as their own, not recognizing that we are the people who own them. The banks take big risks with our money, the money that is in our pension funds, our savings funds.
When the big risks don’t pay off, we lose. They still get their bonuses. AIG is a case in point. The company has a book value of $26.46 per share. The amount of bonus per share that they are paying out amounts to $220 million in bonuses divided by 2,690 shares or 8 cents per share. Now if we look at the percentage of the book value of the share, they are paying themselves a bonus of 3 percent of the share value for their good performance.
What good performance? They are losing $16.21 per share right now. The value of the stock has decreased 98 percent from April 2007.
No, I cannot accept that as a “good performance.”
Anita Haviland
Deer Isle
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Pans theater review
With the understanding that theater criticism involves personal taste, I was nonetheless startled by Ms. Harrison’s review of Penobscot Theatre’s “Dinner With Friends,” not only because of our differing opinions but also due to her characterizations of the audience and their taste. Where Harrison found a “mediocre” play, I encountered a work that evoked issues of mortality and life’s meaning. And as Harrison viewed the Tom character as rather charming, I saw him as the prosaic sociopath, whose deeply rooted self-centeredness is joined by a certain magnetism.
Harrison acknowledges that the audience saw the play differently than she did, but goes on to claim that they must be people who like situation comedies, particularly the television show “Friends.” As someone who likes neither and who grew up in New York on a steady diet of Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway plays, I found this rather puzzling. Even more odd was her view that a more interesting choice would have been a “marital farce,” a genre I find tiresome and unsophisticated.
I write this letter in the hope that Harrison’s review will not dissuade local theater-goers from going to see this well-acted, well-produced, Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
Amy Fried
Bangor
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On Obama agenda
Last week, everyone was focused on the AIG bonuses. We join in the anger and disgust concerning the actions or inaction of many companies, regulators, legislators and citizens — and add our “we’ve had enough.” All involved in the multifaceted gluttony — no regulation mentality of the last 10 years need to change.
However, these diversions are keeping Congress from processing the new policies and programs as proposed by the Obama administration that were voted for last November:
To improve educational outcomes, for example, by adding well-trained math and science teachers and giving college financial aid in exchange for service.
To change our energy systems so that we are more energy-independent and energy-efficient and less fossil fueled.
To revamp our “37th in the world” health care system to save billions of dollars, cover all people and deliver better results.
To build new transportation, electricity, wastewater, Internet and wireless access infrastructure.
To develop new industries and jobs for today and tomorrow.
To withdraw combat troops from Iraq and start new smart diplomacy throughout the world.
To reregulate the financial industry.
We ask our congressional delegation to concentrate on passing these programs that will put Americans back to work and resume the nation’s economic leadership for the 21st century.
Phil and Pam Person
Orland
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Real road safety
Let’s not just force an unpopular minority (motorcyclists) to wear helmets, but also automobile drivers and passengers. There are far more head injuries as a result of car accidents than from motorcycle accidents simply because there are more cars on the road.
Sure, cars have seat belts and air bags, but in a rollover, what better protection could you have than a helmet? Freedom of choice and civil liberties be damned! Who cares? We are savings lives and money. If racecar drivers and fighter pilots can wear helmets, then we can, too.
Come on, Maine. Let’s be the first to have a helmet law for cars. Think how jealous Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey will be.
Chuck Barstow
Perry