Cleaner Maine
Coal-fired power plants are one of the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in the county. Right now, these polluters are free to dump unlimited amounts of CO2 into our air. This unregulated air pollution contributes to smog pollution, triggering asthma attacks and permanently damaging the developing lungs of infants and small children. As the tailpipe state of the nation, Maine suffers from some of the poorest air quality and the highest childhood asthma rates in the county. Unbelievable.
That’s why I am thrilled that the Environmental Protection Agency recently released its long-awaited standard to limit carbon pollution from new power plants, the New Source Performance Standard. This is critical to protecting the health of our kids and families. The rule will require any new power plant to emit no more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt of electricity produced.
Coupled with forthcoming carbon standards for existing power plants and the steps being taken to cut other dangerous power plant pollutants — soot, smog, mercury and other toxic pollutants — these carbon pollution standards will help protect our health, reduce waste and encourage innovation.
So, with these new standards, we get cleaner Maine communities, cleaner air, healthier children and more jobs. Who can oppose that? I urge Maine Sens. Snowe and Collins to support these important public health standards and not to support attempts in Congress to delay or prevent them.
Gail White
Orono
DNA findings
In the case the state of Maine built against Dennis Dechaine, they claim their investigation and collection of evidence were done with pristine care — well, all except for one piece, and in my humble opinion it is the most crucial of all.
The state claims they used dirty nail clippers when collecting the fingernails from Sarah Cherry. I’m amazed that the only thing that they’ll admit they might have messed up on was the clippers used to remove nails that contain the blood of two people, Sarah and that of an unknown male.
It was decided back in 1994 that Dechaine had been excluded as a donor. Eighteen years ago this was discovered, yet he is still sitting behind bars unable to obtain a retrial. When he was excluded as a donor, the state was left holding the bag and then the dirty nail clipper theory was born. They then tested every person who might have come in contact with Sarah or her fingernails; all have been excluded. Along with this evidence, there is a laundry list of other pertinent evidence which also supports granting this man a retrial.
Prior to the start of his original trial in 1989, Dennis had petitioned for DNA testing, but Judge Bradford denied his request. I pray on May 23 when the hearing based on DNA findings begins that Judge Bradford will finally send this case to a retrial and help restore my faith in the system.
Sheila Ford
Bangor
I-395-Route 9 statements
I am an Eddington resident of at least 25 years. One of the reasons I moved to Eddington was the rural nature, not to mention the school system. Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the I-395 extension proposal. I did not go to the meeting because it is sad to see grown adults whine so much.
Ms. Borrks says that the extension would “hinder development” on Route 9. One can only hope so. Another says that cars will be going 50 mph at that intersection and it’s unsafe. I have a suggestion for those who share that concern: A good way to avoid an accident in that area would be to not pull out in front of a car going 50 mph.
I believe the decision on this issue should be made in the same way the Supreme Court decides its cases: with “the greater good” standard. That project will help the eastern part of the state and help unite the two Maines we all hear about. Don’t let a few influential people decide for the rest of the state.
Gregory Boober Sr.
Eddington
Intelligent taxes
Our governor wants to reduce and eliminate the state income tax, our most efficient tax. Why?
It would be difficult to invent a more efficient tax. Individual tax amounts are easily computed as a fraction of the federal income tax. The state can assign this fractional rate based on each resident’s ability to pay; it need not punish the unemployed or the underpaid. The state can depend on the federal government to ensure everyone files their federal tax form and the state has only to ensure that each Maine resident files a state form.
We shouldn’t be forced to pay wasteful and inefficient taxes. These taxes’ origins can usually be traced to a legislature’s hasty need for additional revenue and their disregard for collection costs. These creative and immediate solutions to perceived problems are sometimes called nuisance taxes.
Is there a persuasive reason why we must have so many different taxes? Each one wastefully requires its own designated state employees. Why couldn’t we eliminate these many taxes and instead collect the lost revenue through the state income tax? The shrinkage of state bureaucracy would produce savings and the greatest savings of all would come from elimination of the sales tax which employs so many state bureaucrats and burdens so many businesses.
We must have government and accordingly, we must have taxes; why can’t we have an intelligent government supported by intelligent taxes?
Richard Sabine
Lewiston
Hollow middle
We in the “hollow middle” are learning about the lack of transparency in the state’s dealings for a east-west corridor. Winners for the corridor would be Cianbro and the Canada-based gas companies. Losers? Mainers.
Gas will travel to New Brunswick seaports. Tourists from southern New Brunswick and southern Quebec province will travel through to Montreal or the Maritimes, not our coastal or forest destinations. What products of Maine need transport across our middle? Canada-owned Maine logs are processed north of Maine. Canadian potatoes feed Canadians.
Generations of homesteads, farms, wildlife, clean water and air in a quiet environment will be replaced by large truck tandems and pipelines. New jobs? Pollution cleaning, tax-funded low-income housing for displaced families ripped off by eminent domain and dead animal removal, perhaps.
Jane Fairchild
Orneville Township
You hit the nail on the head Greg…
Richard Sabine- Great comment. The problem is that you seek the impossible. Intelligent legislation has to come from intelligent people, this is where the wheels come off of your little red wagon of reason. We keep sending the same ilk of dim wit to Washington and Augusta and expect a different result, the sheer definition of insanity. Come back when you have a plan that the slower among us can wrap their minds around and figure out a way for them to make insane amounts of money off it, and you will have what is called bi-partisan support. Your ideas will be touted as the wave of the future. Until then, just keep cutting the checks like the rest of us, knowing that your hard earned money is being handled by people that you wouldn’t trust in your house, without someone there to keep an eye on the silverware set.
Gail White–You think Snowe and Collins are going to choose our health over corporate profits?
You’re dreaming!
Without corporate profits you would have no TV, computer, window, door, house, car, bathroom, heat of any kind, windmills, clothes to wear as you hug the maple, birkenstocks, OWS signs, drugs, etc. And of course Jobs.
Exactly. As if all the programs the Left wants are paid for with seashells. SOMEONE has to make money so you can tax it and give someone a job.
Just the way they like it!
Gail White – The EPA standards that have been in place for the last several decades have been more than efficient in reducing pollutants of all kinds. The new standards are unnecessary, over-reaching, and will cost the taxpayers hundreds of billions in new taxes. And what will we get for our money……… same old, same old. But, we’ll sure make our elected officials rich.
Actually the standards that are in effect now have been by passed by the coal fired power companies by the practice of buy carbon credits from cleaner sources. The technology to make these plants has been around for quite a while but it costs money.
The new standards, when the kick in fully, will eventually triple your energy bills. On top of that, they won’t do squat for the environment, because the standards spelled out in the new bill cannot be met. Of course, waivers will be issued for all the lobbyist buddies so they can be the ones that make the billions and billions in profits.
If you want to put tens of thousands of Americans out of work and raise your energy bills to levels that will require help from the government, then support the changes. I, for one, will oppose any more bills that punish the American people, and the taxpayers in particular.
My guess is Mr. Bubar lives on Route 46 in Eddington . . .
hookskin, his name is Boober. He spoke of an interconnect between the two Maines. Route 9 travels from the eastern end of the “Airline” to South Berwick, isn’t that enough?
Route 9 ain’t exact a highway after it leaves the Airline. But if the folks in Eddington and Holden–particularly those on Rt 46–don’t want it, that should carry extra weight.
Richard Sabine – Depending what you mean by other taxes you propose almost doubling the state income tax. Tourists will love you. All those with connections with Maine who pay no income tax due to non-resident status will love you (Maine has the highest percentage of homes owned by nonresidents in the nation). The middle class will be hit with the doubling of their income tax. You want to eliminate sales tax of 5% or more. What percentage of the middle class income is spent on taxable items? If for example it is 1/2 they will save 2.5% of their income while getting an income tax increase of 8% of their income. Great deal.
Where did the double your income tax come from. Roads and bridges are built all the time with bonds. Most of the money needed will come from the feds. Maine is one of the least business friendly states in the country, thats why we lead only in welfare.
Do you have the right letter? I reponded to Mr Sabine’s letter on income tax not the one on the roads. Mr Sabine wants to eliminate “other” taxes such as sales tax and replace all lost revenue with income tax. I took a budget I had on my desk. Personal income tax was $1,327,000,000. Sales tax was $904,000,000 cigarette tax $137,000,000 other taxes $148,000,000. These taxes are approximately the same as personal income tax. If he is to replace these taxes with income tax without massive cuts he going to have to double the income tax.
Ms. Ford = You’re beating a dead horse. Stop trying to waste our money.