Nugent’s comments
As reported several times recently, Ted Nugent said: “If Barack Obama becomes president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”
Your regular guest columnist, Republican political strategist Matthew Gagnon explains Nugent’s intent away by stating ( BDN, April 26, 2012): “Anyone who listened to what he [Nugent] said before and after that comment would know that he was making a hyperbolic statement, implying that the Obama administration is going to come for his guns, and other freedoms, and his refusal to cooperate will lead to his arrest or death.”
Interesting! Virtually everyone that I have talked to about this comment, including Republicans, Democrats and Independents, including myself, interpreted Nugent as saying: “If Barack Obama becomes president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year,” as a result of an attempt by me [Nugent] to assassinate the president of the United States.
Chuck Roundy
Palmyra
Didn’t I just read It in the Portland Press Herald?
The recent Bangor Daily News Editorial, “ Out of the veto morass,” was chilling. Not for the content, which was the usual LePage-bashing and anti-Republican rhetoric we have grown to expect from this once-proud newspaper. To me, the disturbing aspect to this BDN piece was its striking similarity to the Editorials that ran in the Maine Today Media newspapers the day before.
The Maine Today newspapers have been purchased by first-district Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s husband, and hence we expected an even harsher left-wing view than the liberal bias we were accustomed to. But did I miss something? Did he also buy the BDN? The two columns were obviously written from the same set of talking points.
Both recalled the bipartisan “compromise” budget. Both mention the unanimous vote in the Senate and the overwhelming House vote. Both mock the Republicans, claiming they “fear” that they might anger the governor. (This is just silly.)
Both wonder how Democrats will ever be able to trust the Republicans again. (It’s a line-item veto. The rest of the budget is intact and these items can be addressed at the next scheduled sessions in May.) Both are righteously indignant at “the secret vote.” (It really wasn’t a secret vote.)
The similarities are beyond coincidence. These two Editorials from Maine’s two largest newspaper chains were obviously written from the same set of talking points — straight from Democratic party headquarters.
Earl Inman
Round Pond
East-West Corridor
Mr. Peter Vigue, Chairman and CEO of Cianbro, Gov. LePage, and Sen. Doug Thomas say they have our best interests in mind when they promote the massive proposed east-west corridor.
They think we should be pleased to give up 54,000 acres of picturesque rural land including around the Appalachian Trail, prime outdoor recreation land near the Forks, the beautiful Carrabasset River Valley along route 27, our farms and our vistas without knowing anything about the private investors who plan to build this 2,000 foot-wide corridor (compared with the I-95 corridor of 300 feet), where it would run, whose land is in jeopardy of being bought or usurped, and what the plans are for its use.
What would it cost us in taxes, maintenance, policing, potential for land degradation? They say it would bring tourism to northern Maine, provide jobs, and enhance our poor economy. But the details are private.
We do know that we value hearing birds sing in the morning rather than the rumble of big trucks, the streams far from the pollution of oil pipelines, fracking fields and industrial waste, clean water, our farms and homes.
We value “The way life should be”. So do the tourists. We do not want to be a “corridor” to carry Canadian gas, trucks and oil to foreign markets at our expense.
Citizens of Maine, become informed. Hear Mr. Vigue present his plans at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 15 at the Piscataquis County Commissioner’s meeting, and question Mr. Vigue and Sen. Thomas at a public meeting at 6 p.m. May 31 at Foxcroft Academy.
Lesley Fernow
Dover-Foxcroft
College debt
I am responding to self-satisfied O p-Ed about college debt and the foolishness of those who misread their own futures (BDN, May 2, 2012). Let’s follow his logic. Let’s start charging for education at kindergarten and then see how educated a society we get.
Education is an investment for and benefit to us all. The better educated our society is, the better the jobs Maine will attract. The opposite is also true. The tragedy is that a generation or two ago we understood this and practiced it in Maine.
I went to the University of Maine Law School in the 1970s. My starting tuition was $275 a semester. I have spent a lifetime in public interest law in Maine and am incredibly proud of the contributions my classmates have made to Maine as lawyers, judges, professionals and businesspeople. The point is that whatever our post-law school direction turned out to be, profit was not the only measure of its value to our society.
Cut tuition and debt. Invest in ourselves. Unleash the imagination and energy of the next generation. Let’s remember where we came from and who gave us a start.
Judson Esty-Kendall
Glenburn
State ethics
There seems to be much debate about corruption, work ethic, team playing and unions with regard to Maine state employees.
The GHRT show on 103.9 raised an important question during the broadcast on Tuesday, May 1, with regard to state employees who have retired and remained a “state employee”. Often referred to as “double dippers,” I understand some of these employees are receiving well in excess of $100,000 per year from the state of Maine.
If true, the salaries of the “double dippers” is greater than the salaries of many of the commissioners of Gov. LePage’s cabinet. One such individual is the Colonel of the Department of Marine Resources, who has retired but continues to serve as Chief of the Department of Marine Resources receiving both Maine state pension and Maine state salary.
While very expensive to the state, perhaps as important, in the case of the Chief of the Department of Marine Resources, is the fact that an employee who retires and never leaves prevents the advancement of capable members of one of Maine’s most important agencies. When a state employee retires from state service, state service should be ended.
Don Brown
Bucksport
So Judson, what are you suggesting? We raise taxes to subsidize state colleges? “Cut tuition and debt” is a fine dream, but implementing it requires practical solutions. What are you proposing?
Don Brown, the only reason “double dipping” exists because we are far too generous with our pension packages for state employees. In the real world, the rest of us don’t have the opportunity to double dip.
Nonsense. I worked for almost 2 years after applying for and receiving Social Security. I guess you could say I was double dipping. I looked at that I worked since I was 10 years old and I earned every cent I was making.
If the State decides to re-hire employees who have retired because they can’t find anyone capbable of doing the job. So be it.
There is nothing wrong with working while you’re on Social Security. But if the state wants to hired you back, are you a contractor or employee?
no, hophead2, “we” are not far too generous with pension packages for state employees. ”
Most could make better money in the private sector and the state offers a contract to them for wages and future pension. Many of these employees may also be entitled to a social security pension due to past work or entitlement on a spouse’s record; however, they cannot receive this due to the WEP/GPO provisions enacted by Congress years ago. It should be duly noted that Congress, in their esteemed wisdom (or self-serving thoughts) exempted themselves from these provisions…so they may collect their social security. VA, state or federal pensions with no consequences. Fair? I don’t believe so.
State employees, and federal employees are employed under a contract for their pay and pension. For many years, they paid more of a percentage of their salary towards their pensions than those working under social security. Is that fair? Yes, because that was part of their contract.
Working after retirement is a common theme, especially in these times. If you retire under social security, you can still work…even at your same job, with limitations. Same with state employees, and they no longer contribute to the state pension, nor do they get an increase in their pension because of this extra work.
FYI, I am not one of those “double dippers”…..but am one that will not be able to collect my social security benefit because of a governmental pension.
Fine, but the benefits are still to generous in my opinion. There are better paying jobs in the private sector, yet you remain. Therefore, too generous.
My father retired from the Air Force after 24 years and receives a pension from the US Air Force, he worked 10 years at a (union) machine shop and receives a pension from them, he finished out his working years working in a factory and now receives SS payments. that sounds like 3 different pensions and he worked in the “real world”.
2000 ft? Why on Earth would they need a path that wide?
Most likely so they can put in restaurants and gas stations to make more money off of the traffic using the corridor. So much for boosting the local economy if that is true.
What people are really forgetting is that one of our biggest industries is tourism. We are always going to be a logistically impractical place for business development, it is just too expensive to get goods from Maine to major markets, with or without an East-West highway.
If we try to develop Maine into a place that is more industrialized or more developed, we will lose not only the beauty of our State, but also a lot of tourist dollars. Putting a highway through the middle of Maine will benefit a few large companies yes, but what will it really do for the every day Down Easter or Central Maine resident? Do we think that all of a sudden companies from all over the USA are going to move into Maine? We need to focus on what we have, this is one of the only places of it’s kind on earth and it would be stupid to destroy it. All this talk of developing new business and improving logistics is ridiculous. We are still FAR AWAY from the major markets and we will begin to lose all those tourist dollars. Let development stay down in the Portland area, not in this part of Maine, they are part of metro-Boston as it is and should have no say on what happens Down East.
With your kind of thinking, we always will be FAR AWAY from the major markets.
But, that fits in well with the depopulation agenda of the environazis.
Preserving the environment could hardly be termed a Nazi endeavor. Did you just add that barb to be nasty?
Here’s a novel idea!
Improve the economy, create jobs AND preserve the environment.
Problem is that the environmental industry has targeted this state for preservation, and one of the cornerstones of that agenda is to force people to move away by sabotaging the economy as they have done for the past thirty plus years.
Hence the environazi moniker.
That’s a bit of stretch, wouldn’t you say – comparing a tree – hugger to a Nazi?
Your contention that environmentalists have forced people to move out of state, is also a tough stretch for the imagination.Paving over Maine so the Canadians don’t have to pass through Newport or Bangor, whilst gutting out Western and Central Maine, is a hard pill to swallow. I’d say the autobahn, courtesy of Vigue and Le Page fits more into the Germanic category. Maine is a beautiful state. We need to keep it that way. Prime industries such as lobsters, potatoes, boat building, ship buildings, agriculture products, rails, paper production, forestry products, mining, energy production, canning, and so much more, seem to flourish, along with the most dominant industry of all -tourism. The latter still the best and yet not fully developed. To equate the scourge of Nazism with environmental protection is a disservice to the thousands who enjoy the outdoors, trees, wildlife, parks, woods, mountains, hiking, camping, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, skiing, sledding.Obviously, you freely court the word without having experienced its horrors.
So Norman Vincent Peale was right. With positive thinking we can change geography, geology and plate tectonics. Who’d a thought.
We are always going to be far away from markets no matter what we do. Our economy is becoming more and more centralized to maximize profits.
You speak as if profit is a dirty word.
Why is that?
Nowhere in my post do I say profits are a dirty word. I was responding to you implying that we can somehow get closer to the economic hubs by building a road.
In your narrow mind you interpreted something I did not say nor did I imply. It is just plain economics of distance why Maine struggles so much with industry. WHy do you think industry is moving into southern Maine but not downeast or northern Maine? The regulations are the same. It is just a result of the Economics of Distance.
Massachusetts and New York, (to name two states) are more liberal than Maine and yet they do not have the same issues with industry leaving.
Agreed. The biggest problem with manufacturing in Maine has always been – distance from bench to shelf.
You might want 2/3 ‘s of Maine to have a tourism based economy where the average person works part time, half the year, minimum wage, and depends on welfare and Mainecare to survive.
The rest of us would like to see good jobs. I am guessing that since you hold these views that you hold one of those few good paying jobs that do not rely on tourism.
Couldn’t agree more. But, unfortunately a lot of the slightly more than one million population of this state believe we can, and should become a smoke-blackened industrial state. The proposed autobahn is strictly a Canadian deal. The only people prospering from a venture is the pusher -Vigue, and the Canadians.
Chuck your comments are nothing more than liberal agenda and a bad joke. How on earth do you consider a comment about the possible results of Obamas agenda a threat against Obama. Got over it UNCLE TED FOR PRESIDENT!!!!
Your last statement says more about you than it does about Obama or his agenda. It is clear that you have been painting in an unventilated room for far too long.
conservatism and common sense would be much better for this country than socialism and a teleprompter reader, but maybe you think we are in good shape. Apparently you believe the bogus numbers claiming we are coming out of the recession. Things are far from over, and as long as they keep spending, and keep printing the US dollar and de valuing it we havent even bottomed out yet!!!
I love how you think Conservatives have common sense. I mean anybody who believes that we can reduce the tax rate to increase revenue is certainly displaying common sense. I suggest you actually look into the Laffer Curve and see where that kicks in at (hint, it is about double what the current tax rate is in Maine). I do believe the numbers, because honestly, they are the only metric we have. I am sure you would prefer instead of jobs created, unemployment, and the stock exchange you would prefer that we used numbers based on total number of Unicorn Horns in the US, but I will stick to actual economic indicators. But you stick with that “common sense” thing you claim to have.
I would suggest that you don’t have a complete understanding of the “Laffer Curve”
The Laffer Curve does not say whether a tax cut will raise or lower
revenues, nor does it
predict that any and all tax rate reductions
would necessarily bring in more total revenues. Instead it says that
tax rate reductions will always result in a smaller loss in revenues
than one would have expected when relying only on the static estimates
of the previous tax base. This also means that the higher the starting
tax rate, the more dramatic the supply-side stimulus will be from
cutting the tax rate. It is possible that this economic effect will
swamp the arithmetic effect, causing an actual increase in tax revenue.
David Stockman had some first-hand experience with Laffer curve theorists as Reagan’s first OMB director and found them to be hopelessly unrealistic.
We are dealing with a curve drawn on the back of a napkin for journalist, Jude Wanniski, not a peer-reviewed scholarly study.
While there is going to be an optimal rate of taxation that maximizes revenue, the empirical evidence that is out there suggests that it would involve a top marginal rate of 50-70 %. The top tax rates today’s Lafferites are proposing (15-28%) will simply decrease revenue dramatically.
This is Grover Norquist’s ultimate dream: to make government so small one can drown
it in a bathtub. All but four Republican members of the House (238 out of 242) have signed Norquist’s pledge. Too few Republicans are willing to denounce this insanity.
ltr77’s misunderstanding of the Laffer curve and misapplication was the subject of my post. It is fact that the concept was explained to Jude Wanniski on the back of the napkin, but it was Wanniski that gave it it’s name. 35 years have come and gone since Winniski’s article and Art Laffers work has been peer reviewed many times. Whether you believe it or not it played a role in the Reagan administration pulling us out of the hyperinflation and high interest environment that the Carter administration left us with.
I have not read much about Lafferites as you call them and their projections… but I think a better indicator of future revenue growth is not tax rates as much as revenue as a percentage of GDP… right now slightly over 15.8 % I understand. Projected going forward in 2014-17 it is estimated to rise to about 19.2% if everything is left alone in terms of rates. (That depends on Obama growth projections) When that happens according to some dissenting economists, backed up by historical evidence, revenue as a % of GDP will start to decline then.
Norquists pledge has no bearing on revenue projections already in the pipeline.
http://www.laffercenter.com/supply-side-economics/laffer-curve/
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=205
http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/judd-gregg/225655-opinion-vote-in-french-presidential-election-should-be-a-warning-for-america
Sorry Cheese, was AFK for the day. It is not a misunderstanding of the laffer curve. Laffer projected that at a certain point on the curve revenues would diminish as tax rates increased. Basically people would stop working hard because there would be no reward in it. That point is projected around 70% taxation. We are far short of that now, so if we raised the taxes on the criminal class we could raise revenues without hurting GDP growth.
We all have to work… no problem.I am not sure where you got your info… it doesn’t jive with Art Laffer’s website description. I posted what the curve does above. Here is a website read it yourself.
http://www.laffercenter.com/supply-side-economics/laffer-curve/
Reading the description Cheese, that is kind of what it does. If your goal is to set a tax rate that promotes the most efficient tax structure that will maintain growth and revenue to pay for the infrastructure (that you need to run your businesses) there is an optimal rate. Below that, the American people get a diminished return on their investment if you will (the money that they have put forward to support your rise into the top income bracket including education, roads, power distribution, keeping you fed and keeping you healthy when you were not wealthy). Now the Laffer Institute starts with an idealogical bent that reducing the tax rate promotes growth. We know that to be true, however we also know that the country cannot live on a tax rate of 0% so we should aim for an optimal balance, don’t you think? In terms of you arguing that you could not live on a tax rate of 70%, we have a progressive system of taxation in America. You would not actually be taxed 70% on your entire income. Personally I would keep the rates where they are, and then place it at 70% on anything over a million dollars. Personally, I feel if the rich leave, the country will be just fine without them. Obviously if they leave, they have no real pride in this country and the workers are the ones who produce everything anyways.
A couple of things …. I would not pooh-pooh the notion of people taking their money elsewhere because of high taxes. It happens all the time. Many of the middle class not only the wealthy have foreign bank accounts. I do, when I have the time to dabble in foreign currency. It is not a hard thing to move my liquid assets over seas.
As I get older and I think about such things I have been spending more and more time at websites of countries that have growing ex-pat American communities. More people have given up their American citizinship primarily for tax reasons in the past 3 years than the previous 20 combined.
Secondly Your description of the “laffer curve” is mostly inaccurate. I would believe that you have “hitched your wagon” to a phrase that justifies your position rather than to what it actually means. You can change my mind on this if you provide a link from an authoritative Laffer source.
secondly. I’d personally be out of the money making business long before the 70% mark.
The new leader of France has already indicated he was going to tax income at 75%. Guess what is happening. According to the Financial Times rich French folks are already moving their money to Great Britain.
Obama is taking this country down the toilet and all of you liberals are still blaming bush.. How long before Obama starts getting the blame for his failed policies. Ten more years if Afghanistan now theres a good one
Sure, could you point out the part where I was blaming Bush? Or was Bush using Unicorn horns as his metric for a stable economy?
I didnt figure you understood what you were saying, if you did you would have seen how foolish it sounded. You should read things back to yourself before posting. Maybe you could see if Obama will appoint you a proof reader seeing that all of you liberals are on him campaign trail
So in other words you got nothing? Got it.
Don’t expect miracles. Eight years of Bush and Cheney put you where you are today. Keep the faith. It’s better than lay-offs and pink slips as well as bankruptcy, repossessed homes, excessive credit and debit card fees, forced medical exams for women, compulsory wartime registration to vote. I don’t think Mitt remembers whether the dog is still on the roof or in the animal shelter.
actually I am in good shape thank you. I was in better shape before Obama. I guess thats because I take responsibility for my actions and work as hard as needed to fulfill my responsibilities. I own 2 homes free and clear and almost break 3 figures from my hard work. I do not want to share my wealth I have worked for but thanks for the offer
Congratulations. My “wealth” is spread between doctor’s bills and over excessive drug costs and treatments.
However, I still don’t mind divvying up a few bucks to help those less fortunate.
Most of us do help the less fortunate. It’s that compelled under penalty of law part I object to.
What are a few pennies, if someone is able to eat?
I am willing to help anyone needy and un capable of work. My problem is my hard earned money being handed over to all of thiose who are as capable of working as myself. I have gone to work on days when my back was in such bad shape that I could not dress my own feet, and others say they cant work because they have some ficticious disorder that is a load of crap!!!
Overtaxed, why don’t you post and discuss the conservative policies that would be so much better for the country instead of making unsupported, generalized statements.
Earl Inman, what facts are wrong with both editorials? Do you have anything that refutes the editorials? Other than you don’t like the source of the information, is there or was their anything that wasn’t true?
Yes – no Republican is “afraid” of the governor. There was no “secret” vote. All items can still be addressed on the 15th.
Both editorials were wrong and used the same set of talking points. That is scary and it should be even to a Democrat.
Lesley Fernow, I have to ask where you found that the east-west highway was requiring a 2000 foot right of way.
I have to ask how putting a highway is stopping birds from doing what birds do?
Perhaps you could explain how tourism is supporting young families in Washington County year round?
Chuck Roundy – The problem is not with what Nugent said, it is the sick way you have interpreted it.
The problem with Ted Nugent is that he is a county fair circuit musician who can’t make it musically and is making up for it by appealing to those who believe foul language, inane accusations, sexual innuendoes, physical threats and personal insults are a measure of intelligent protest.
Seems to be working for him, tickets are sold out !
Everybody has to put food on the table somehow, someway.
That would be the chicken hawk crowd that want war at all……….. oops I mean at someone else’s cost. No skin in the game makes it easy to be a war hawk. I have met very very few republicans that served in combat in Viet Nam, nowadays that appears to be different but back then………….Bring back conscription. Let the howling from the “mommies boys” begin now.
Back then, in the 60s and early 70s, one could be proud to be a Democrat. However, somewhere along the road, the Democratic Party was hijacked by the Progressive left, and the party left the good Democrats in the dust. That’s when the Republican Party wised up and started walking the American road. But, even they strayed from the path of justice and fairness, and that spawned the Tea Party to try and get the GOP back on track.
In 2010, the Tea Party did a great job starting the process. This November, the Tea Party will continue with the healing process. If we fail, then America fails.
By the way, when our military goes into combat, no one really cares what political party they associate with. Anyone that does, is quite small minded.
Judson, Two solutions.
If you have done so well set up a scholarship fund at the school of your choice or possibly at your high school. It doesn’t need to be a lot. May be $250-$500 per year to help some worthy kid go to college.
Alternatively you could get your buddies who now run the university system to cut expenses so they don’t have to increase tuition at such a rapid rate.
Double dipping for state employees–also goes for employees of our school systems.
With SS recipients there is a cap on what one can earn along with receiving SS, and it is lifted when one turns 70, I believe.
Teachers do not receive Social Security. The Maine retirement pension used to be with-held if a teacher went back to work after retirement. Maybe the rules have changed. I doubt if teachers double dipping has caused our financial problems.
So someone who retires, can only live on there retirement. 1200.00 in this day and age is not enough to live on. and the health insurance goes away at 65.
Proper field of study is a big deal, don’t go get a degree in underwater basket weaving and expect to get a good job. Do your research first!!!!!!!!
Ref: Earl Inman:
It’s irksome to read the almost daily lament of republicans groaning about insufficient GOP coverage in this daily paper.
Especially irritating when you take today ‘s newspaper. Page one carries two 5-column stories with two pictures. The lead is the GOP convention with a 2-col pic of Le Page with right arm extended in a tea party salute. A flat palm would have been more appropriate. Below that story, another five column spread with an accompanying 5 col pic of Snowe and hubby Jock smiling into the camera as I eat my morning toast.
Not enough? Page 2 belongs to the republicans and tea party clan. That’s all there s – republican news. All about their inability to get their act together in Portland and how some are attempting to revive Ron Paul to shove Romney aside. What a waste. Ron’s an old man.
Still not enough, Mr. Inman? Jump to the Editorial pages where you’ll find that denizen of the democrats, Murdoch’s and the Washington Post’s Chief Obama Basher – Charles Krupthammer. One full column of his usual distaste. But then, when you hate someone as much as Krupthammer hates Obama, the BDN generously allows him four full years to ease his pain. Murdoch naturally encourages him to work it off as a “commentator” on his TV stations.
Now don’t go away. Almost opposite to Chuck, Karl Ward gets a a 4 column spread to praise Le Page. Appealing to our consciences and humanitarian instincts. Overlook the man’s uncouth attitude. Look upward and beyond what he says. I’m searching. Send out the Wardens – I’m lost.
But in any case, it appears the republicans and tea party either get all, or, the biggest portion of the paper, or else its condemned.
That’s unfortunate. Because of your condemnation and other powerful republican’s condemnation the BDN is blindly written off as too “Liberal,” and no longer a republican stalwart. Hence, the inability of people – primarily of the republican tea party gender – to accept free speech, other than that of their own party, which threatens the very existence of the media.
Having read ultra-conservative web sites like Glenn Beck’s “The Blaze” and “Godfather Politics” I have come to understand that the conservative idea of news coverage is a total abandonment of objectivity in reporting and editorials of irrational anger against President Obama, his wife, their personal life, his character, his origins, his philosophy, his religion, his education, his birth and occasionally his policies.
Conservatives seem unable to understand that the purpose of a newspaper is reporting news as it happens not as they want it to appear. The BDN is a well written, even handed news paper. We are very lucky to have it instead of some dreadful rag like the Manchester Union.
Couldn’t have been said better. Republican business people seem to have lost touch with reality.
The squeeze is on by the radical right wing and te once “conservative” party to make sure the media is under its control. Now where did I hear that before?
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You have to have nerves of steel. I confess that I only occasionally read it. I usually leave reading sessions at “The Blaze” with my eyes popping out of my head and my nose bleeding from the out in space atmospherics of their thinking. LOL
I usually just laugh hysterically
That’s a chemical imbalance. Have it checked out.
Naw, just a normal reaction to the idiocy of conservatives that read and believe things things like “The Blaze”.
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Glenn Beck isn’t “Ultra-Conservative” — He’s a “Neo-Conservative” Mormon.
Besides the point, but some times the guy gets things right, because he factors in the intent of the person when presenting information as news. But attempting to explain things based on a person’s intent, is a tricky thing. It isn’t always 100%, but it is an educated guess based on the words and actions of the people being reported on.
You’re blinded by your left-leaning ideals, and don’t consider the intent of the left-leaning news outlets to be a negative thing because of it. Likewise, people on the “right” do the same thing. See, you’re just as biased as Beck or any other “talking head”, picking a choosing things that you feel are good or bad when presenting information.
We ALL do it. We all filter information based on what we THINK is good or bad, right or wrong. A lot of this has to do with intent, that by supporting someone who has a like-mind, who then votes for things they feel is “good” (or “more good than bad” in most peoples’ cases).
So because we have different views of what is “good” or “bad”, or because of miscommunication, we vote accordingly. (I would venture to guess that more than 50% of the problems we have as a nation, is because of miscommunication).
I’d really like to know what you think is good or bad, and more importantly, why you think so. (Not really, or at least not in this format [Disqus], it’s a rhetorical question).
I agree we all filter. I’d rather do my liberal filtering from the “Wall Street Journal”.
Well said
Mr. Roundy:
After watching and listening to that contemptible man whining and complaining because his crude comments “had been taken out context,” and “misinterpreted,” I was surprised the Secret Service dismissed his putrid outbursts as “nothing.”
Objecting to his appearance in Bangor only increases ticket sales – and already has.
Why anyone would want to spend one hundred bucks to hear more of the same defies comprehension.
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Mr. Inman – You live in one of the most beautiful places in our state. I envy you. We make several trips from Winslow each summer to visit the Granite Hill Store, despite the preponderance of “visitors” (which I’m sure is a catagory in which you place my family). However, your vision of collusion has been severely fogged.
Gee, Mr. Roundy – getting straight to the obvious point without a lot of unnecessary and irrelevant interpretation. How refreshing.
Re Nugent’s commentsThat’s amazing, that was my take on it also.
Chuck Roundy, Judson Esty-Kendall, Don Brown; good letters.
Earl Inman: maybe both the Portland and Bangor editorialists are wiser than all toomany conservatives. Besides, how about the “unity” of the conservative propagand outlets?