Gas prices
The recent news about slightly lower gas prices in Maine is surely welcome news to Maine families as they prepare to take summer road trips. But the small and likely temporary savings at the pump are nothing compared to the $585 that Maine families would save if President Obama’s proposal for a 54.5-miles-per-gallon fuel economy standard for cars and light trucks by 2025 were in place this summer.
More efficient cars can help Maine families enjoy vacations to beautiful places such as Acadia National Park without creating as much of the pollution that threatens those very places. A new report by Environment Maine finds that Mainers would enjoy significant economic and environmental benefits if the 54.5-mpg standard was in place this summer. Maine could save more than $326 million at the pump this summer — $585 per family — reduce our oil use by 82.6 million gallons and cut more than 725,000 metric tons of carbon pollution.
Real relief at the pump and for our environment will not come until we get off oil. Environment Maine’s findings demonstrate the positive effect tougher standards can have in just one summer. These proposed standards represent the single largest step our country has ever taken toward curtailing our dependence on oil, and Obama deserves recognition for moving these new standards forward.
Sophie Yang
Brunswick
Conflict of interest
There is something everyone in this small community should know about our RSU 50 school board that was recently brought to my attention. First of all, two cousins serving on the board from the same town does not sound quite right to me. Second, a third member of the school board rents his place of business from the family of the two cousins, and one of the cousins works for a fourth member of the school board. As a former board member, I smell some possible conflicts of interest here. How about you?
Come on people, speak up and show your support for one of the best coaches and athletic directors Southern Aroostook Community School has ever had, before it’s too late and a few people succeed in ruining Murray Putnam’s reputation and career.
Dan McNally
Oakfield
American insult
In the Friday (May 25) edition, a story concerning an American who was held hostage in the American Embassy in Iran for 444 days reveals that a bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives (HR5796) which would authorize payments to those former hostages in the amount of $10,000 a day of confinement plus $5,000 per day to their children.
A Somesville man, Mr. Moorhead Kennedy, who was among the hostages, voices support for this bill which would result in a payment of $15.4 million to him and to his family, including the estate of his deceased wife.
I will confine my expression of deepest disgust to the bill itself, which violates the agreement between the U.S. and Iran that no such compensation would be asked or permitted. My question to Mr. Kennedy is simply: Do you feel it’s right to support self-enrichment for your detainment in an embassy building while the veterans of Korea and Vietnam who endured the atrocities of filthy POW camps received nothing but some ribbons, medals and the “thanks of a grateful nation” once or twice a year? Mr. Kennedy says he suffered from PTSD for a “few years” after his release but that he’s “fine now.” This bill is the gravest insult to the memory of hundreds of thousands of Americans who made the supreme sacrifice, and is not worthy of a moment’s consideration by Congress.
Hal Wheeler
Bangor
Memorial tributes
This past Memorial Day weekend, I was touched by all the commemorative activities that I attended around Waldo County. I began this long weekend planting a flag and flowers on the graves of my grandfather who served in World War I (and died soon thereafter due to mustard gas poisoning of the lungs of, ironically, this bugler); my dad, who heeded his widowed mother’s approval for his leaving his mom and 3 younger sisters behind to serve in World War II; and my cousin, who served before losing his life aboard one of the 9/11 planes that crashed into the World Trade Center that awful day.
At this Memorial Day’s activities throughout the county, I joined with many to commemorate the sacrifices made by so many members of all of our families in wars fought to preserve our freedoms. To the residents of Waldo County who volunteered their time this past weekend to organize these Memorial Day tributes, thank you for providing all of us with meaningful opportunities to remember and honor those who have served.
Susan Longley
Liberty
Memorial Day disappointment
Mount Hope Cemetery was a huge disappointment this Memorial Day. We went there Monday to water the flowers and make sure there was a flag for our family veteran. Nothing, no flag and no flag holder (which was removed last fall). We were told there would be new holders this year. We saw a box on the steps of the office on our way out with a sign to take a flag if you need one. So we did take a flag and went back to the lot and placed it at the headstone. Is the cemetery cutting corners on our veterans? I cannot come up with any reason why this should have happened. It is not as if there wasn’t ample time to prepare for Memorial Day. I hope this is remedied soon and all the veterans get their flags.
Esther Trask
Glenburn
Bald eagles
Regarding “Bald eagles thriving in Maine but health still studied” by Kevin Miller ( May 27 BDN), one concern to the health of bald eagles not mentioned in the article is that of lead poisoning as a cause of illness and death in eagle populations.
At one Maine facility I checked, three bald eagles have died this winter from lead toxicity, an increase in lead related deaths there. In 2005-06 at the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center, 21-25 percent of sick and injured eagles were found to have toxic levels of lead in their blood.
One of the probable sources of lead in the environment is bullets and shotgun pellets used by sportsmen. The use of nontoxic ammunition, not leaving dead animals killed with lead bullets in the fields and not dumping animals killed with lead on coyote bait piles will go a long way in protecting the health of bald eagles and other scavengers in Maine.
Bob Brooks
Montville
Committing this country to gas-free vehicles is like curing cancer – it will never happen. As long as there are multi-million (probably billion) dollar companies out there providing “drugs” and “treatments” for these said cancers, we can throw money to the way of finding a cure all we want – won’t happen, and that is a shame. When oil companies are making the money they are off of us, and they’ve got their dirty little fingers in the pockets of politicians, gas-free anything won’t happen, and that is a shame as well..
And I cannot believe that stupid smart car two-seater isn’t getting better mileage than that – horrible – that baby should be getting 50-60 mph anyways.
My guess is that you have never driven a smart car let alone own one. Well I can say I have done both. In fact I ordered one back in 06 and took delivery in 08. Currently it is my main mode of transportation and I LOVE it. You just don’t get it! Over the past 4 years and 45k I have averaged 41mpg and that’s with bike rack and two bikes on the back plus many trips with my kayaks on a trailer See http://www.fuelly.com. What are you getting?
are you concerned where the electricity is coming from when you plug it in or does that just fall from the sky. Coal produces more electricity in this country than any nother source. Smart car gives false feeling of being green
Didn’t see where he/she said that Smart Car was electric. In fact I believe electic Smart Cars are very limited. I have driven them (gas engine) in Europe. Great in the city, scary on the highway. Greatest way to decrease fuel usage? Drive less.
Friday I will be going to Rockland on business, taking the BAT bus from in front of my house to the Concord Bus station on Union Street. The cost will be $32 round trip, and I can work on-line on the bus thanks to the Wi-fi connection. I’ll probably walk home when I get back to Bangor, because the BAT schedule ends less than half an hour before the return bus gets in. The shame is that some people will drive the same route without even considering the bus as a cheaper and more practical option. Since the bus runs whether I am on it or not, I will use no fuel. We have been brainwashed into thinking that car ownership is a necessity, but an ounce of investment in public transportation is worth a pound of subsidies to the auto industry.
Again it would be nice if you knew what you were talking about BEFORE posting. The smart sold in the US in 08 is powered with a 0.9 litre gas engine. BTW, the car is the greenest ever made from the beginning in smartville to recycling at product end. You might want to check out http://www.smartusa.com/. Somehow I think you would rather just post on this blog.
Sophie Yang – The trouble with the 54.5 mpg regulation is that it would cause the auto manufacturers to raise the price of a vehicle meeting that standard by thousands per unit. Instead, the President could re-open all of the public lands that he closed when he took office and allow the oil companies to drill and produce more. In just 10 years, the country could be self-sufficient, and we could be making billions selling our excess oil and gasoline to the world.
Susan Longley – Great letter. There is simply not enough thanks and gratitude that can be given to those who died for this nation.
We’ve never been drilling more, your comment is factually erroneous. What else is new though.
Oil production is the highest it has been in the last 8 years. And oil drilling on public lands is down considerably, while drilling on private land is up. In addition, oil production in the US peaked in the 60s and 70s. You are the one that has been misinformed.
But wouldn’t the opening of public lands only be a band-aid? What happens when the oil is gone, or should that be a problem for future generations? Solutions for the long term should be made in the present and necessary action taken to get us through until an alternative is ready.
There are enough proven oil reserves on American territories to run this nation for over a century. In the meantime, we can develop alternative energy sources that actually work and are affordable. Wind and solar aren’t anywhere close to paying for themselves, and with the recent scare in the nuclear field, I doubt any of the libs are going to promote that, even though it’s been proven to be the safest and highest producing source of energy. We need hydro, nuclear, oil, natural gas, and coal. Solar and wind are fine for small applications, but on a major scale, they are nothing but money pits.
I am in agreement that we need to diversify our energy portfolio and goign cold turkey off of fossil fuels would cripple the country. But the fact is 100 years is not a long time in the grand scheme, if steps aren’t taken int he present than the future is looking bleak.
True enough. But, as has proven time and time again, let the private sector handle it without all the government rules and subsidies, and the problem will be solved faster and better. It’s the government that makes the messes because only a very few in the government know anything about business. All most of them know is politics, and that’s a big problem.
Sophie, most rediculous letter I have ever read, if someone does not have money enough to fuel their current vehicle, how are they going to come up with the funds for a newer more expensive one.
Um, buddy, the idea is that eventually the current kind of automobiles would phase out and the ones with new fuel efficiencies would be the standard. Meaning 5-10 years from now, even used cars would get great fuel mileage.
First off I aint your buddy, second of all if you go back and read the letter, she wanted it to take effect now. The mileage sounds great but is not possible for some vehicles needed for work and towing, such as I operate. Any of the hybrid little cars are priced way above what they should be, you will never even break even on fuel expenses after buying one
Are you serious? You really think the standards for a tow truck and regular sedan would be identical? Good lord.
Another excellent argument for expanded public transportation.
Ms. Yang, you have written a great letter. Lower speeds and lighter vehicles will increase fuel economy. I am already getting better than 54.5 mpg with a 2008 Prius. I know that some knuckle-draggers will insist upon opening all public lands to drilling, which won’t affect the price of gas at all in a world-wide market. Oil is a finite resource and has an environmental cost that we can’t continue to pay.
You can’t defend the nation or fight a war in a Prius. This nation and our military runs on oil products, and we can’t abandon them. And the bunk about the price of gas not changing if we increase drilling has been proven wrong time and again. As soon as the world thinks we’re serious about drilling, the price will take a dive. The libs know this for a fact, but will never admit it because it goes against their job-killing, anti-oil agenda.
And I’d rather be a knuckle dragger than a blind follower.
EJ the more oil saved by driving the Prius, the more oil there is to fight. Also who says we can’t make tanks and things run like the Prius? 30 years ago we didn’t think the Prius could be made. If we had left it to the American car companies, we still wouldn’t have one. We’ll never get off oil, if we don’t try. Need is the mother of invention, and education is it’s father. too bad so many think all we have to do is drill, and everything will be all right.
How are you going to drill your way out of $4 a gallon milk? Or 30K for a new car? Gas prices, when adjusted for inflation, are about where they should be. It is the complete and utter failure of the wages to keep pace with inflation that make gas and everything else seem so expensive. Meanwhile, there is a race going on between a couple of hundred billionaires in this country to see who can be the first trillionaire. At the expense of the rest of us.
They are going to drill into your wallet, give corporate welfare to one of the last surviving super farms that is how! Beyond that I agree with you and wonder what Democrats would do.
You have made an all to common error by trying to make it a Republican versus Democrat thing. They are both guilty of pandering to the top 1% and leaving the working men and women of America to twist in the wind.
This nation runs on war always has and probably always will. Especially if GOP has power, they love putting weapons in hands of anyone willing to use them and starting stupid wars. I wish they would end the wars against the American people at least, but it appears they are dividing us for a reason.
I drive a 10-year-old Prius that I purchased second-hand, and get 47 to 51 mpg, depending on how I drive. It was disappointing recently when I had a locked brake that caused me to get only 35 mpg — when my mileage dropped, I knew something was wrong, and now the car is fixed. Most drivers wouldn’t think that 35 mpg was a problem!
You say you can’t fight a war in a Prius, but then you can’t drive a M1A2 Abrams tank into the gas station, either. It won’t fit. :-)
Because Ford, Toyota, GM and others are developing newer technologies, we are all better off. In the future, we may well be using hybrid technology, or something that develops out of it, for military vehicles as well as civilian ones.
So, EJ, I get around 50 mpg in an old Prius. What do you get? Wouldn’t you rather get 50 mpg?
I have no problem with the development of vehicles that get better gas mileage. My problem is with government mandated standards. When the government gets involved, the car companies have to meet the standards, and they use that as an excuse to raise the price of the cars by a boatload more than it actually costs to meet the standards. The consumer loses in two ways: 1) the consumer has to pay the increase plus markup, and 2) people lose their freedom to choose the vehicle they want to drive.
If a person wants a gas guzzling car or truck, they should have the freedom to purchase one. If they want a Prius or Volt, then they can purchase one of them. And, as one of the other posters commented, there is no way a work truck is going to be able to meet the standards.
The government needs to keep their nose out of the auto business and let the consumers and the market drive what is produced and purchased. If the government gets involved, losers like the Chevy Volt will be the only choice we have.
“Losers” like the Volt? See my other post about the 93 mpg 2011 North American Car of the Year. You’re nuts, EJ, but we knew that already.
Of course the work truck won’t get mileage that is as good as a Prius. But they don’t have to. The standards set fleet averages. Not ever vehicle has to be at or above the average, some can be below.
The auto industry said, in the sixties, that people wouldn’t be able to afford new cars if they had to come equipped with seat belts and padded dash boards. Remember that?
Bakers once complained (around 1910 or so) when the government said they couldn’t put sawdust in bread. Butchers once complained when they were no longer allowed to dye spoiled meat red. So unfair to the bakers and butchers, but so good for the consumers to get bread made of flour, and meat that wasn’t spoiled!
Without a nudge from the government, the auto makers won’t have the incentive to improve the mileage of the entire fleet.
As for losing the freedom to drive the vehicle you want to drive, I want to drive a 1961 Austin-Healy 3000. Can you get me one? No? Darn! There will always be a lot of choices in vehicles, but we can’t always get exactly what we want.
I hate when the government gets involved and enforces quality standards and equality standards. EJP, let’s start a campaign for the right to discriminate and the right to crappy products!
I guess I missed the part of the discussion where people were screaming about the need for electric armored tanks and solar powered missiles.
It’s pretty ridiculous that you have lie about what people are advocating and then attach terrible motives in order to establish your point. It makes it seem like you don’t actually have a point at all. Seems more like blind hatred. But yeah, keep pretending that “libs” want hybrid humvees so they can kill jobs, I’m sure that’s fun for you.
Ms. Yang: “These proposed standards represent the single largest step our country has ever taken toward curtailing our dependence on oil…” Bigger steps can and would be taken…with more drilling. Not “drill, baby, drill.” But some drilling is appropriate while alternate sources are developed.
The proposed mileage standards sound good on the surface, but what most people don’t realize is that in order to meet these standards, the consumer is going to have to pay thousands more for their vehicles. The cost of the vehicles will keep people from buying them. Just look at the failure called the Chevy Volt.
Failure? No. The Volt, which won the North American Car of the Year award in 2011, is the most fuel-efficient car in its class sold in the United States. It’s a handsome car, and it gets 93 mpg (what mileage do you get?). Its operating cost is 3.8 cents per mile (Toyota Prius is 8.6 cents per mile, and the Hyundai Elantra is 13.1 cents per mile). It has lower tailpipe emissions than the Prius. It gets a four star crash safety rating. None of that sounds like a failure to me.
On the down side, I’ll never pay $39,000 for a car, but then I always buy used cars anyway. Sales have been disappointing for GM. In 2011 they sold a bit over 7,600 units, not meeting their sales goal (which was 10,000).
But a failure? Hardly. The Volt delivers what it promises.
You’re just prejudiced against GM, EJ, and you’ve expressed that prejudice that before.
90% of the volts were bought and paid for by the government sales were down so low it has been discontinued, it was a joke from the start, sponsored by GE and thats who bought them all because no one else wanted one!!!!
The Volt is a failure. The government had to up either 7 or 8 thousand in incentives to get people to buy them. They aren’t selling, so GM had to halt production earlier this spring and put over a thousand workers out of work. The batteries are causing fires and have had to be redesigned. And GM, with taxpayer money, is conducting an all-out commercial blitz to try and boost sales. Sure, they’re pretty and packed with new technology, but I’m sure you’ve heard this before: You can’t tell a book by its cover.
Maybe if GM could have been able to discriminate the Volt would have been better?
Yeah, good thing we are still using the same engines we did 75 years ago because otherwise we’d be paying…oh wait…
Susan,
Wonderful letter. Very well written.
Signed,
Class of 95′ Unity College
Hal, Esther, well said.