Cut a lot to save a little
Let me see if I have this right. I see that there are people, or editors of some papers, out there who want the state workers laid off or to give up some parts of their benefits (insurance), use furlough days, etc., that would add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars every year for the individual worker so that they, the advocates for cuts, won’t have to pay a lot less ($58-$100 dollars per year) through some new tax.
Harold Halliday
Belfast
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RV parking rates
A few years ago while traveling through North Carolina, I stopped at a campground off I-95 just for the night. They wanted $16 just for electricity. About three miles back on the highway was a motel that was advertising two double beds for $21. I informed the people that I would not pay over $10. They didn’t seem to care abut getting my business so I proceeded along the road for about two miles and parked in a garage yard. He didn’t want to take any money but I insisted he take at least $5. He believed that an RV in his yard would prevent burglaries and welcomed me back any time.
I have very descriptive words for anybody who would waste their legislative duties on such a bill as LD 114, but I am sure the paper would not publish them.
Cracker Barrel restaurants place an ad in Good Sam magazine and welcome RVers overnight, and we have stayed there several times. What a pleasure to get up in the morning and have a pancake breakfast in their restaurant.
I can see a day coming when a coin-operated electric connection will be available for overnighters. The prices that RV parks charge for overnighters is very unreasonable. And by keeping their rates high, they only shoot themselves in the foot.
Richard Eaton
Fairfield
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Unlucky with Obama
How lucky can we be? We have a leader, backed by many of our elected officials, who has been the moving force in putting us in debt by more than “three thousand billion dollars” and now is telling us that he is willing to trim “sixteen billion dollars” off the budget to help us get out of debt. He also, with the same backing, is willing to trim our defenses and make us safer, open our borders and give us more job security, apologize to the world for upsetting terrorists, and God knows what else he is doing behind closed doors.
I used to be a proud Democrat but now I’m a discouraged Democrat, hoping that our elected officials get their heads on straight and start working together for the good of the country and not their political pockets. How lucky are we? It depends what kind of luck we’re facing — good or bad.
Timothy Smyth
Millinocket
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No fan of FairPoint
Jason Philbrook’s comments (Letters, BDN May 14) on the number of Internet service providers we have was right on. What he failed to mention was that most of us in rural Maine have only dial-up as the way to connect to our Internet providers. Therefore, we are totally depend on FairPoint.
And they are not too dependable. I just got telephone service after three days of being out of touch not only with my family and friends, but also with the Internet. Plus, when I am able to get an Internet connection, my computer connects at 21.6 kbps. That translates to waiting seven minutes to bring up bangordailynews.com on my computer. Plus, I have a small business and am unable to have a Web site because of the slowness of the dial-up connection.
My neighbors and I are so frustrated with periodically losing phone service that we have called Time Warner Cable and other alternate methods of hooking up to the Internet and they all say, “Sorry, it isn’t profitable for us to service such a rural area.” I wonder how many more “rural” areas and frustrated Internet users there are in Maine.
Diane Collar
Eastbrook
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The root of the cause
Underage drinking is an issue that touches anyone who has a child or works with children. It is referred to as a common problem that we must all be vigilant in identifying and confronting to avoid tragedies such as that which occurred in Old Town in February. What makes underage drinking a common problem is the fact that unless it has an immediate effect on someone, it seems that most of us pay it good lip service, shake our heads and hope it goes away. Unfortunately, hope has not done much thus far in helping reduce the incidents and severe consequences for many of our youth and adults.
I don’t think we can continue to refer to underage drinking as a common problem. Instead, it needs to be viewed as a potential tragedy. In order to change the mind-set of our young people, we must first look at ourselves and how we view drinking. Young people absorb both our spoken and unspoken messages, and when they see that we are OK with drinking, when they are faced with an opportunity to drink they will more than likely have less concern about trying it. Until adults see that we are the main cause for the perpetuation of underage drinking because we are role models who significantly impact the views and beliefs of young people, this problem will remain all too common.
Nate Gardner
Glenburn
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Miss California a hero
Freedom of speech may be in danger of being lost. One poignant example of this occurred with regard to the response Carrie Prejean, Miss California, gave at the Miss U.S.A. competition. As a homosexual himself, judge Parez Hilton asked for her opinion on homosexual marriage, one of the most controversial hot-button issues he could have raised. When she answered honestly that she feels marriage should be between a man and a woman, a firestorm resulted.
Since she simply stated her opinion, precisely what she had been asked to do, that should have been the end of it. But no! She was ridiculed, maligned and called ugly names by Hilton online, had every possible perceived negative thing written about her and debated for weeks.
Donald Trump, owner of the pageant, deserves praise and honor for doing the right thing, deciding that she will keep her crown as Miss California. None of us should be afraid to speak up about the issues of the day. Therefore, I’m saying right here that I, too, oppose homosexual marriage, and I’m greatly disturbed by the law passed in our own state recently. My feelings on this point have nothing to do with hatred, as I hate nobody. I have every right, however, to express disapproval and disappointment.
Will the so-called “hate crimes” bill being discussed in Congress keep pastors and others from being able to speak freely on this subject? Freedom of speech is a precious right worth fighting for.
Rosalie Johnson
Bangor
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