Strange change of heart
Strange. Until recently, the GOP members of the U.S. House of Representatives did not want to pass the payroll tax deduction extension for any period of time. However, when the Senate recently passed a two-month extension, the GOP members decided that they would not agree to this unless the extension was for a whole year.
It doesn’t make sense to me. I wonder what they’re up to.
Mike Gagnon
Fort Kent
Insider trading and earmarks
It is time for OWS protesters to make others aware of how and why politicians are accumulating great wealth. These protesters understand that the salaries and perks of members of Congress are not the cause of their emerging wealth, but the result of a loophole in a law that the public did not know about.
Peter Schweizer’s tell-all book, “Throw Them All Out: How Politicians And Their Friends Get Rich Off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals and Cronyism That Would Send The Rest Of Us To Prison,” explains in full detail. Please read this book and understand that not all members of Congress are honest and ethical, but instead, some became greedy and developed an interest in primarily increasing their own personal wealth.
You may be surprised to learn this not a Republican or Democratic thing, but rather bipartisan. By reading this book, you will learn why earmarks are so popular with many members of Congress, but their own personal financial gain will never be disclosed.
Some of our multibillion-dollar investors seem to have a Midas touch, however, they in fact receive inside tips. Tips such as these are illegal for every other American. Why is it legal for politicians to cheat the system, when ordinary Americans would be punished if they were to do the same thing? This entire system of insider trading by politicians should be publicly disclosed and recognized so that this loophole will finally be closed.
Peter Benedetti
Southwest Harbor
Season to help
Times are tough. Many people are struggling to get by and Congress rewards their efforts by cutting heating assistance by 25 percent. With fewer and fewer people having the ability to pay for expensive health care, the state recommends cutting 65,000 people from MaineCare.
Here’s where private citizens have started picking up the slack that the government is leaving behind. Thanks to a challenge from Stephen King, his radio station has raised almost a quarter of a million dollars to help Mainers pay for heating oil! Ongoing donations from Lafayette Hotels go toward the Lafayette Family Cancer Center in Brewer giving Mainers a more local and comfortable place to go when they fight their battle with cancer.
At the same time, from Thanksgiving to Dec. 30, Lafayette Hotels’ Home for the Holidays program gives free rooms to people who are visiting loved ones in the hospital or have lost their homes to fire.
These are just a few great examples of people stepping up for others. For those of us with the wherewithal to support ourselves, we should take a look around and see the needs of others this Christmas season. Even the smallest deed can make a big difference.
Ryan Asalone
Hampden
Poverty in perspective
Long ago, when blueberries were mostly harvested by hand, I was a raker up in Washington County, camping out for the five-week season every year. On rainy days, I worked in the Cherryfield processing plant. So it was I came to know the men and women up county.
One day in the barrens, a woman said to me, “some people call us poor. Sure, our husbands don’t have steady jobs. But we have our own homes and gardens. Plenty to eat. How many Americans can say that?”
Perhaps a statistician, if he still has a job, may not be aware of us. We fall between the cracks of the percent scale. However, we have our homes and gardens. Plenty to eat. And have adapted to go where the work is. How many Americans can say this?
In Depression-stricken Chicago during the 1930s, my parents lost their store where we lived in the back. We called it the school of hard knocks.
Russell Vesecky
Harmony
Remove the gate
In the Piscataquis County Registry of Deeds, Vol. 5, Page 317, a 1987 Appellate Court ruling reversed the Piscataquis County commissioners’ 1895 decision to discontinue Little Wilson Road. This ruling is still in force.
In a January 2008 review of local roads with the Maine Department of Transportation Local Roads Center, the county manager confirmed that Little Wilson Road was maintained for summer use.
A 1990 printout of local roads, by the same Local Roads Center, lists Little Wilson Road as a seasonal summer townway.
Little Wilson Road is a legal public easement and not on privately owned land and is under the jurisdiction of the county commissioners. Are the commissioners more interested in protecting private interests than the public interests?
They should have Roxanne Quimby’s gate removed.
Roy McSorley
Clowes Brown
James Buchanan
Elliotsville
The gift of wisdom
I discovered a gem of a book called “The Delany Sisters’ Book of Everyday Wisdom” by Sarah and A. Elizabeth Delany. It was published in 1994 when the sisters were each over 100 years old.
They were remarkable women and what they had to say will always be well worth listening to and learning from.
Christmas is a perfect time to hear the Delany Sisters’ inspiring words about “How to Handle Money.”
1. When it comes to money keep your mouth shut.
2. Cut back on your possessions. The more you own the more time you waste taking care of things.
3. Don’t spend what you don’t have. Forget credit cards — they are the Devil’s work!
4. Don’t live above your income. If your income goes down, your spending must go down.
5. Out of every dollar, give the first ten cents to the Lord, the second ten cents to the bank for hard times, and keep the rest — but you’d better spend it wisely.
6. Once you put your hard-earned money in the bank, leave it there! Smart people invest it, and then they’ll always have some to fool with.
7. Teach your children to save money from day one. Give your child an allowance so she can practice responsibility. A child who doesn’t learn thrift at home will have money trouble all her life.
If parents want to give a meaningful gift to their children, it would be hard to beat the gift of handling their money well. Maybe one gift that would top knowing how to manage money well might be the gift of time. Time and attention are the gifts most children really want.
Koko Preston
Rockland
Mike Gagnon–In response to your query about the republican house members might be up to, that’s easy, they are pursuing their top priority–trying to make sure we don’t re-elect Obama next year–pretty shallow and self serving agenda, eh?
By wanting to extend it a year? and just not 2 months?
No, for willing to be total hypocrites in the pursuit of their one stated goal. Enabling the rich to get richer on the backs of the rest of us is their unspoken goal–not stated.
Sounds like you are a bit frustrated by the results of the peoples voice and the last election. What are you going to do now that hope is gone?
No, I’m frustrated by the declining intelligence level and lack of social engagement of so many Americans.
Redouble my efforts working for justice and equality.
Gotcha, people who disagree with you must not be very intelligent. Thanks for being so open-minded.
So you are against justice and equality?
Great job, asking a question having no bearing on what I wrote, Master Of The Red Herring.
As opposed to your response to my post which was attacking the messenger. No, in response to your original post, there are many very intelligent people who I disagree with. The general trend in this country, however, is towards less value on education and less involvement with and understanding of current issues that directly affect us all.
“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”
I wasn’t attacking you, I was summarizing your view without criticism. You are making a factual statement regarding the “general trend in this country”; provide evidence, please. I see none.
There again you directly state your view: I must be uninformed if I’m not outraged. That lines up directly with my summary of your view, rather than refuting it.
Just out of curiosity how do YOU define “justice and equality”?
What’s their one stated goal, pray tell? And what’s your source?
MCCONNELL: We need to be honest with the public. This election is about them, not us. And we need to treat this election as the first step in retaking the government. We need to say to everyone on Election Day, “Those of you who helped make this a good day, you need to go out and help us finish the job.”
NATIONAL JOURNAL: What’s the job?
MCCONNELL: The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.
Last I checked, Mitch McConnell was in the U.S. Senate, not the U.S. House of Representatives, and this discussion was about HOUSE REPUBLICANS.
So, tell me what the one goal is of HOUSE REPUBLICANS, please.
To resist anything that Obama might remotely be in favor of.
And that includes ideas that were originally from the republicans because it might make Obama look good.
The Republicans did not want to extend the tax cut for the rest of the year or they would not have added all of the poison pill amendments to the bill and would have passed it without amendments.
As usual, you’re wrong. But at least your batting 1.000.
What is the R’s top priority, since you called kcjonez wrong and also Mitch McConnell as Mitch stated that his number 1 priority was to make Obama a one term president.
It seems you have information not available to others.
The Tea Party’s top priority is to return this nation to the people and rid DC of the corruption and abuse of powers. In order to get the ball rolling, Obama must be defeated next year.
Sounds like the Occupy movement’s platform.
Which OWS platform? There are so many out there.
No there is only one OWS agenda which you can find on their website. You can find Occupy Bangor’s on its website. You just do not ‘get’ what Occupy is about, do you? Why not come to the General Assembly, Jan 6, 5:00, Peace and Justice Center to find out.
EJ, I did not get a chance to wish you a Merry Christmas. I hope yours was excellent. Happy New Year, and the very best to you in 2012!
Christmas was great, and we’re all looking forward to a better year next year. Hope all is well with you and yours, too.
It might have been in the begining but they have been taken over by big money just like the rest of the Republican Party.
Good luck with that, the whole of congress are like banana’s, they start off green, become yellow and shortly thereafter become rotten. That includes all Republicans and Democrats and Tea Partiers in case you don’t consider them as R’s.
I suggest you go to “getmoneyout.com” and sign up to get the money out of politics.
Thank you for sharing that link. Not one I have been alerted to. I have “spread the word”.
I find it interesting that Republicans do not seem to have taking care of the people’s business anywhere on their agenda. They have their priorities all wrong from my point of view.
Actually E.J. the GOP hit squad is batting a 1000 under Coach McConnell and batboy Boehner.
They’re batting 1000 at getting bills out of the House that would help the economy and the job situation. And Harry Reid is batting 1000 at blocking them once the reach the Senate.
Boy E.J. I believe the actual consensus among most rational thinkers is the opposite.
Don’t let your skewed consensus get in the way of the truth.
Name some bills that would get the economy running and increase jobs that this House has passed.
Here are a few:
H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act
H.R. 910, the Energy Tax Prevention Act
H. J. Res. 37, Disapproval of FCC’s Net Neutrality Act
H.R. 1315, Consumer Financial Protection & Soundness Improvement Act
H.R. 2587, Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act
H.R. 2401, Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN ACT)
H.R. 2681, Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act
H.R. 2250, EPA Regulatory Relief Act
H.R. 1230, Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act
H.R. 1229, Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act
H.R. 1231, Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act
H.R. 2021, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011
H.R. 1938, North American-Made Energy Security Act
MIKE,
We’re always up to saving you some of your tax dollars.
PETER,
We have created the ultimate monster ( government ), and it appears no way to deflate it.
RYAN,
It was never intended for the government to take care of all our needs. It’s always been about people caring for others.
RUSSELL,
I’ve said it many a times. We live in a time when many think they are entitled, with no appreciation for what their given, and no effort to do better.
KOKO,
Sounds like a copy needs to be sent to all politicians across the nation.
Mike Gagnon – You really need to keep up with the news. Trouble is, you have to turn off the lamestream networks in order to keep up.
Peter Bennedetti – The OWS group are incapable of focusing on reality, so why address your comments to them? It’s the American people that need to realize that our politicians are corrupt. They live above the laws that they write. It’s time for half of them to go home and the other have to jail.
Ryan Asalone – There was a time in our history when we took care of those that needed the assistance. Now we live in an entitlement society where we depend on the government for far too much. It’s time for us to get rid of government entitlements and depend on each other. Trouble with that is that we’ve become such a selfish nation that that will never happen.
Koko Preston – Wisdom is a dying attribute. Education or intelligence is worthless without wisdom. It’s good that the Delaney sisters got theirs into print before they passed on.
When was the time ‘we’ took care of those needing assistance? Do you mean the so called poor houses of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries? If so, I suggest you look up the conditions which those being ‘helped’ were subjected to.
Your reference to poor houses is fatuous. They are an anachronism and even the worst conditions today are much better than conditions then. What is needed with public assistance is local control and accountability. No state and federal bureaucracy and no anonymity for the assisted. Buy local – sell local – give local.
My question was when was the time EJ considered that we took care of those in need.
Each of us has a responsibility to help those that can’t help themselves. And if we all did our share, everyone would be taken care of.
Peter Benedetti, very disturbing stuff. Back when all of the Banks were getting bailouts, our politicians were cashing in. Pretty scary. You have to wonder how much they are manipulating the machine to line their own pockets at the expense of putting the country first. We need an amendment to the constitution that would make it illegal for the House and Senate to exclude themselves from any laws that are inflicted on the rest of us.
Mike Gagnon, I believe that they started to look at their chances for re-election if they cut the legs out from under their constituants. They couldn’t figure out how to spin the hard line position to people who are just barely making ends meet.
Even Mitch McConnel, whose stated sole purpose in the Senate was to make Predident Obama a one termer, voted for the extension.
Peter– One thing missing . Congressmen should be required to wear NASC uniforms so that we are
able to identify their corporate sponsors.
I can’t take credit for this as I received this in an E-mail but I sure do agree with the requirement.
Mike Gagnon, republicans are finally starting to realize the public is not buying their anti-american policies, no matter how much they try to spin it.
Yes, I have been wearing black since Wisconsin because black is what you wear when you are in a period of mourning. When politicians stop beating up on the American worker I will cease wearing black.
Peter Benedetti…. I urge everyone to go to this web site which discloses all of the assets of Senators and Congress. Their stocks going back as far as the 1990’s…You will be shocked at the wealth these folks have accumulated. here is the link: http://www.legistorm.com/
These are the actual disclosures signed by the Congressman or Senator. To enter the site you must agree not to use the information for a political or other use beyond public disclosure.
I also urge everyone to go to this website which discloses the donors to Congress and Senators.
Senator Snowe alone received millions from thousands of Corporate donors, Big banks, Big oil and companies like Goldman Sachs and other well known big corporations.
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_ind/S4ME00055
(click on any contributor and the document which was filed to FEC is available).
The majority of these are out of state donations. There is no level playing field. If voters look at this and realize how bought and paid for these politicians are, would they vote for them. If they do, they are voting for continued corruption in this country.
Remember to post that again around election time.
Mike I can tell you exactly what they are up to. They wanted a year and didnt get it. The democrats are using this as a focus point trying to make the republicans look bad to take focus of all of Obamas failing policies. When have you ever seen a president run for re election and not use the accomplishments from his former term for a focal point. Obama isnt because all of the plans the dems tried just made the hole deeper. So what else do you do in that situation if you cant make yourself look good you try and make your competitors look worse which is exactly what Obama and the failing democrat party arfe doing
In comparison to the Republicans in the House and Senate, Obama doesn’t really have to work too hard at looking good. These representatives should be working to help their constituents instead of trying to serve their financial backers.
Obama’s approval rating isn’t great, but the Congress approval rating is a disaster.
I believe they objected to a year in the beginning, and then did some doublespeak and tried to cover the mess they made of it all. Have you missed all the commentaries on that episode, even from conservative commentators who usually defend the Republican position? Do not think they will recover quickly from that bit of ridiculous posturing.
sounds similar to Obama telling us all that he was against the war, campaigned that he was against the war, and now is trying to take credit for the success of it allowing them to have a democracy
Gagnon’s letter is simply innacurate; House Republicans always pushed for a year-long extension that was paid for. Sadly, they caved to the WH, just like always.
Don’t think that is exactly correct. I saw a lot of heads being shaked when that one hit the roundtable discussions. It was a huge faux pas.
Oh, yeah. I’m going to take financial advice from people who believe credit cards are a tool of the devil. Sounds like they really know what they’re talking about.
Mike Gagnon, Ryan Asalone: good letters.
Yup, Occupy Bangor will be talking about some direct action around this issue as I plan on putting it on the agenda. As one Occupier I think it is time to Occupy Snowe, Collins and Michaud’s Bangor office. We will see what the General Assembly decides.