Candidate support
What should you look for in a candidate for the state Legislature? I look for a range of experience and expertise. That is why I am supporting Brian Jones for District 45’s representative to the Legislature.
Take a look at his record. He has taught at both the high school and college levels, and has served as a school principal. But he has plenty of experience outside the classroom as well. He has served the community of Freedom as a selectman and a volunteer firefighter.
Brian is not running for office for his own glory, but to continue to serve his community as he has done so ably. I’ll be supporting him, and I hope that the voters of Palermo, Montville, Freedom, Knox, Thorndike, Unity, Troy and Burnham will as well.
Paul P. Foisy
Freedom
DaVita will benefit patients
Thirty-three staff members of Dialysis Care of Maine would like to express our support for the sale of Dialysis Care of Maine from Eastern Maine Medical Center to DaVita. As the patient census has grown, it has become increasingly clear to the staff and our patients that EMMC has a limited ability to respond to the complexities of this specialty. DaVita will give us access to the latest research and technologies that set it apart as one of the best dialysis providers in the nation.
After careful consideration most of our staff has chosen to sign on with DaVita and remain in our positions. We feel this transaction will not only benefit our patients, but our staff and the communities we serve. While we have worked very hard providing high quality care to our patients, DaVita shows some of the best patient outcomes in the nation for its chronic hemodialysis patients, which could mean an improvement in the overall health and well-being of our patients. DaVita has also been listed by many respected organizations and publications as one of the best healthcare service providers, as well as one the best places to work in health care. We are excited at the opportunities that this relationship presents, such as more staff education, the potential creation of new positions, and a broader spectrum of services. We feel very strongly that this sale is in the best interest of our patients and staff.
Jennie Garden, RN
Enfield
Coverage complaint
Thanks for Abigail Curtis’ coverage (BDN, June 18) of the 28th Maine American Lung Association’s Trek Across Maine.
Yes, I have diabetes (1981 — insulin-pump) supported by Waldo County’s Diabetes Services Clinic but it does not “take care of him” as Abby misstated — diabetes is one disease self-controlled by the diabetic’s informed use of exercise, diet and a med/insulin regimen, physician prescribed, supported by clinic support staff.
While I appreciate including my story, it’s but one of 2,500 untold stories of Trek Across Maine’s 180-mile, three-day, 2,502-plus fundraising riders from Bethel to Belfast. I submit many more unreported were more newsworthy than the “war story” used as the understory of your photo selection.
I question your judgment selecting a war story/photo lead for a significant Maine health-related charity’s fundraising event, the antithesis of war.
It’s telling that you chose Abby’s war picture of two U.S. Afghanistan veterans memorializing fallen buddy “Mike” instead of stories more in tune with the spirit of the trek’s apolitical fundraising event to help combat lung disease and promote healthy air in Maine by the American Lung Association of Maine, which you inartfully headlined “lung group.”
Yes, I rode in support of Waldo’s Diabetes Clinic, honoring service to all diabetics and support of my ride, including diabetes educator Sue Maxwell, Dr. Linda Tyer, and office manager Debbie Blake.
Jeff Smith
Belfast
A need for a new direction
With oil drilling processes threatening the health of marine ecosystems, we must rethink our current national direction as we sit on the congested highways that oil has created. Many people believe that an expansion of offshore drilling off our own coasts will dramatically lower gas prices. However, the Department of Energy reported that gas prices would decrease by only 3 cents per gallon by 2030 if we fully developed all potential oil sources off our coasts.
Despite this report, last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012, which seeks to increase the amount of land leased for drilling. This bill proves that we are not moving in the right direction.
As a college student studying environmental policy, I worry about the focus of our country. Much of the American public is not willing to believe that cleaner energy innovation and long-term sustainability represent issues that need to be taken seriously.
People justify their behavior and opinions on the basis of convenience rather than being concerned with the long-term consequences. A change in focus and mentality must stretch from our elected officials to the commuters in our work force. With clean energy options such as offshore wind development, coupled with fuel-efficiency innovation, we have substitutes for oil. Without ending offshore drilling and increasing clean energy development, oil companies will continue feeding us a substance that creates immense risk and damage to oceanic ecosystems.
Grey Benjamin
Waterville
Montana common sense
The U.S. Supreme Court has done it again. First, they opened up the floodgates of corporate money into federal elections; now they have made clear that states may not slow the flow in their own state elections.
I agree with Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois who said, “This Supreme Court just doesn’t get it.”
How arrogant for the five-member majority on the court to overturn a 100-year-old Montana law that banned the state’s big-money mining interests from wielding undue influence over state government. This law was in place for a reason, and it was kept in place for a century for good reasons, too. When challenged, the state vigorously defended it, and it was upheld in state court and on appeal.
But never mind all that. Justices Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Scalia and Kennedy know better than the people of Montana, their attorney general, their state judges and their elected officials.
I do not share the court majority’s belief that the First Amendment protects unlimited corporate spending in elections. I think this decision, and the ones that preceded it, are a far bigger threat to democracy than Montana’s common-sense law ever was.
Gary Friedmann
Bar Harbor
The vision thing
Many thanks to the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce for its “vision” of Bangor as the drug, alcohol and gambling center of Northern New England.
What’s next, legalized prostitution at the Casino?
Carl Rella
Bangor
Gary Friedmann
You are totally against the floodgates of corporate money influencing elections based on the SCOTUS decision but why when you talk of faults you always leave the unions out of the conversation. Don’t unions have that same corrupting influence that corporations have?
The SCOTUS decision on Citizens United lets unknown corporations and individuals contribute unlimited amounts of money into our political process.
SCOTUS could have required that said corporations and individual, foreign or domestic, had to identify themselves. They did not.
Don’t We the American people deserve to know who is trying to buy our votes and corrupt our voting process?
Unions were not given the same deal as corporations. They have to disclose where their money goes and the amount of money that unions have available to them to spend on elections is miniscule compared to what corporate billionairs have to spend. To answer your question,NO unions don’t have the same corrupting influence corporations do.
Unions cast millions of votes for their patrons the democrats. Corporations have no vote and a billionaire only one.
Union “members” cast votes and many of them are Republican. It’s no secret that unions usually support Democrats but they don’t tell the membership how to vote. I worked union for 37 years and no one ever told me how to vote. On a few occassions I did vote for a Republican but with todays crop of extreme Right Wingers thats not going to happen any time soon. Surely you jest when you say corporations don’t vote . They have members also and you can bet they vote and they spend millions trying to influence the ill informed ,like yourself, to vote against their own best interest.
After 37 years of union indoctrination you have the audicity to suggest that I am ill informed. To in the same post suggest that unions do not influence their membership to vote in their patrons, the Democrats, best interest is laughable and patently false
And corporations? Billionaires? They can buy a very large number votes.
Have you been a member of a union? Do you have experience with being ‘influenced’? If not, then your argument is laughable and patently false.
Does this go along with the claim that only women can know what a woman’s concerns are, only Blacks can represent blacks, only Mexicans can represent Mexicans, Cubans, GLBT, …
We are all Americans and need to be represented by the best qualified American that we can be.
Um, don’t think you got my point. To accuse you need evidence to support your accusations. I was just asking if he had any.
After 37 years of making a very good living.which included good pension and medical benefits, I still know how to vote for what is in mine and my fellow Americans best interest. If you, and people like you, don’t have the guts to organize to try to make your life better don’t whine about us that do. The middle class is disappearing because of all our manufacturing jobs being shipped overseas and the jobs that are replacing those lost jobs are of very low wage and no benefits. Those jobs didn’t get sent overseas because of unions they were sent there because of corporate greed and incentives offered to them by our politicians. President Obama has offered to give businesses that bring those jobs back here many tax breaks if they do so. What are the Republicans doing except repeating the same old tired rendition of “Let the Free Market Work”.
After 30 years of watching middleclass incomes decline I think I’ve seen enough of an un-regulated Free Market.
Unions do not tell members how to vote? Are you out of your mind?
As a union member I was constantly told that the Democrats are the only ones to vote for and my union dues were used to campaign for Democrats. Unions donate million of hours of volunteer (free) labor to the Democrat Party every year and far more on election years.
If only 10 % of the 7.6 million members gave just 10 hours a year and we calculate the value of that labor at $12/ hour this in kind donation is worth $91.2 million, and this above and beyond the hundreds of million dollars that the unions donate through their PACs and “educational” outreach programs.
That is not to say that union members are not absolutly free to volunteer for whatever person or cause that they please but it cretainly is influence.
And unions have how much power? Especially in Wisconsin.
Of course they do. All ads are manipulations. People major in marketing to learn how to manipulate people. There is big money in manipulation. I mean why do you buy Charmin instead of Marcal? Those cute little bears won you over right?
No.
The initial SCOTUS decision regarding unlimited campaign spending hinged on the fact that the Justices (supposedly) couldn’t see a scenario where this kind of anonymous and unlimited spending could ever impact or sway an election. Whether you think they were being honest then is irrelevant, because in the past few years we’ve seen it in action. It does sway things and I personally think it’s unfair that non-voting entities are able to drown out the free speech of individual voters.
Any ad, commercial or message that is not followed by the candidates endoresement is from a super pac.
Grey Benjamin – your letter is silly. What sort of employment do you expect to achieve with your study of environmental policy?
He probably expects to help create a sustainable industry. The industry based on petroleum is about ready to die, whether you think so or not. Petroleum is a limited product; there is only so much left. More wells will make it disappear quicker. This young man is smart. He is trying to create a new industry. People your age are dying off, just like the p[etroleum industry. Times are changing. If you don’t change direction, you end up where you are headed. Science and young folk like Grey will save us in spite of armchair know nothings like you. Get up to speed.
His comment was silly; yours is just stupid.
Grey’s comment is ‘silly’ though it is based on logic. My comment is ‘stupid’ because I point this out. Your comment is obviously emotional, lacking logic. A petroleum based economy is bound to come to an end in as much as petroleum is a finite resource. Please explain that fact away. Use logic and science this time instead of emotional name calling.
He can’t. You will not hear from him on this subject.
Asinus asinum fricat…
You should not post about you and your friends that way. Please try to be civil.
Thank you!!!!!!!!
Your comment is stupid because there is no science or logic to it. No facts, no understanding of the vital role petroleum plays in our civilization. You bray that it is finite but you give no timeline. The sun is finite but like oil, it will be here for a very long time. Fracking, deepwater, oil sands, pre-salt, Nigeria, Angola, Hibernia, and Tanzania will be providing oil long after your “emotional” argument has become irrelevant. And for the record, ring piece, I did not call anyone names – I just said the comment was silly – or in your case, stupid
You have a very negative way of agreeing with me. You do admit the petroleum supply is finite. I think it is a good idea that we have young folks like Grey searching out new ways to carry on our industrial superiority, even though you do not seem to think that we need enterprising young folks. After all, being a thinker and attempting to bring about prosperity is “silly”, isn’t it? I’m guessing it’s because you are afraid of change. I guess that’s what it means to be a conservative. If our young people thought like you we would never have reached world superiority. We’d still be in caves burning sticks.
“And for the record, ring piece, I did not call anyone names ” Ring piece is not a name?
Illegitemi non carborundum.
I’ll tell you what – if Grey Benjamin invents a cost-effective and ubiquitous technology that displaces the energy density of petroleum, I’ll hire a sky writer to apologize for being so cynical. I’m betting your boat race on my fundament that he won’t.
Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant!
Grey Benjamin–Thank you for your letter. You give me hope that your generation may have the vision to correct what previous generations have not–hopefully before it is too late for our fragile little race.
This unlimited spending needs to be stopped. There needs to be a Constitution amendment to stop it. There should be no PAC’s allowed, all money should go to the candidate up to a , maximum
maybe $10,000 for federal offices, and $5000. for state offices, and then the amounts received must be disclosed within 24 hours. Maybe only the amounts over $1000 need to be disclosed. The figures are open for conversation but I feel strongly about the remaining. We need to know who is buying or trying to buy our government. I sit back and listen to certain things like the NRA is going to score a vote, Grover Norquist gets congress people sign a pledge to never ever raise taxes or no money for support, I still question “WHO IN HELL IS RUNNING OUR GOVERNMENT”?
Right now, George Soros is in control of a lot of the government. His billions helped pay for the occupant of the White House.
How about ALEC, Koch Bros., etc.?
The Koch Brothers donations and involvement pale in comparison to the money and influence that Soros has. But, the left cover for him and try their best to deflect to those “evil” Koch Brothers.
So, when it’s people you agree with, it’s fine and when you disagree it’s not okay. Sounds a lot like hypocrisy. Remember that double standard thing you were screeching about the other day? Here you are again guilty of the exact behavior you complain about.
Your ability to read things that aren’t there is amazing.
Do you realize how much you undercut your non-points when you resort to personal attacks?
Just pointing out the obvious.
What’s obvious is that you don’t have a point. Not one you can defend at least.
Oh, the proof is out there. Just as plain as the nose on your face. But, you are just like many on the extreme left; you will accept no proof that contradicts with what you believe. I will admit that I am a hard-line conservative; but, I can at least see and point out the problems with my own party and representatives. I can’t remember the last time a hard-line liberal dissed his or her own party, representatives, or President.
Your comments literally describe your own behavior to the letter. Now, I’m not a psychologist, but what you’re doing looks a lot like projecting. “Psychological projection is a psychological defense mechanism where a person subconsciously denies his or her own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, which are then ascribed to the outside world, usually to other people. Thus, projection involves imagining or projecting the belief that others originate those feelings.”
Finally, you’re right about something….. you’re not a psychologist.
LOL, just personal attacks from you.
Your hypocrisy and double standards speak for themselves.
Personal attacks? You need to read your own comments. Talk about hypocrisy.
Look, this is what it all boils down to: you don’t like my comments, and I disagree with your attitude. I’m a far right conservative, and you’re a far left liberal. We have nothing in common, and even if we did, you’d deny it just to be obstinate. So, the best thing is to just ignore each other. Starting now.
Left of center, but definitely not far left.
So, just as I suspected. The only views you acknowledge that exist are “extreme left” and “hard-line” (extreme?) conservative. No views or no nobody somewhere in between, eh?
Wrong. Never said that.
Facts, figures and sources please!
George Clooney’s in for $10m. The LGBT leadership Council is a ‘bundler’ with $8.8m.
Obama counts billionaires like Salesforce.com chief Marc Benioff and hedge fund king Marc Lasry among his bundlers.
Need any more?
This does not answer the question but thanks for weighing in. So Obama has rich funders. So what? Except that we need to get the money out of these elestions and out of politics so we the people have a say as to who represents us. Now it is who can raise more money. Would fools like Romney or Trump have a say about anything if they were not rich or didn’t have huge money behind them? Can you imagine Cain, Trump, Bachmann, Gingrich as running because they had the money behind them?. This is an embarassment that someone is running who was succesful with a plan that the president and republicans embraced and that was passed by the SCOUTUS as constitutuional and now he is dumping on himself? What a disgraceful predicament we are in. Next thing is to get rid of CU if they need to repeal something.
The Koch Brothers have pledged to give the Republicans at least $400 million in this election and Karl Rove’s PAC is kicking in another $300 million. Need any more?
complete nonsense..
Nah, he gave up on America when we elected Bush, twice.
Do you really think that our economy would be as bad as it is without manipulation?
George Soros has manipulated, and collapsed economies in the past and made billions. While not proof he is doing it again but there is a pattern.
I would like to find a way to get rid of all undue influence in politics but recognize that is not possible. Special interests abound businesses, sports organizations, unions, the rich, the press, Ethenic groups , social groups …
What needs to happen is that the voters have to understand the reality and act on them. I doubt that can be done either.
Boy I agree with you wholeheartedly. I would like to hear one politician say to any lobbying group…… Can’t talk with you right now. Have work to do. Have your members who are my constituents contact me. Well, actually when I get emails asking me to contact my legislators about this or that that is a group doing it the right way. But I have heard no politician say that.
I see you refuse to believe or at least mention any of the rich that might be helping the right wing, man you are really so far right I expect you to come around soon and be on the left, even though you don’t mean to be there.
Wrong. I’ve never denied that there is money driving the right wing. It’s the left that denies the influence of the money that drives it.
So bottom line should we get the money out of politics, corporations, unions and individuals over a certain amount and that they all should be known by everybody?
Maybe we could agree on something.
We agree 100% on that. The way the system is set up is that the common man can’t run for US Congress or the Presidency. It’s all a money game, and the money corrupts and buys the person being funded.
Here’s what I would like:
– Limits on donations and a cap on total donations depending on the office being sought.
– ALL debates and political ads run on PBS and NPR, with the exception of no more than two debates each for the President and VP on a major network after they have been nominated.
– Interactive conventions with limits on how much can be spent for each one.
– ALL donations must be reported and confirmed prior to being added to election funds.
– ALL money left over after the elections goes into the treasury, not the pockets of the politicians.
– NO union donations. NO corporate donations. NO lobbyists donations.
– One PAC per party, with limits on how much they can spend.
– And a lie detector should be attached to everyone running for office with a monitor that displays if they’re telling the truth or lying. (just thought I’d throw that one in)
Wow we agree !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you think there is a snowballs chance in you know where that this could ever be accomplished. I think if you polled the country there would be a large percentage of the people who would agree with us.
The lie detector should be connected to an electrical current and they should be zapped when a lie comes out of their mouth. Wow we wouldn’t hear much from most of them as they handle the truth so callously. I think it is up to all us voters to question those running if they are in favor of getting the money out and if they are not then we don’t vote for them.
Have a great 4th !
Unfortunately, it will never happen with the present group of politicians, because they’ve been bred into the system and all they want is power and money. And that’s quite obvious on both sides of the aisle.
And you have a great 4th, too.
Sounds good, except a lot of your fellow travelers (esp. here in Maine) want to eliminate PBS and NPR.
They don’t want to eliminate it; they want to pull the taxpayer funding. Most of PBS and NPR are already funded by private donations. They could survive without taxpayers money.
Oh God, breaking out the George Soros.
Bravo Gary. You bet it is a threat to democracy. But the even bigger threat to democracy are the people that actually believe what is in the ads that are run. I do not understand why they do not see that they are being manipulated.
Many seem to search for information or misinformation that affirms what they suspect or want to believe.
exactly..
And it is better when Obama, Pelosi, and Reid do the same thing?
What really cracks me up is when Romney, Boehner, Cantor and their ilk stand up in front of people, tell them how they are going to screw them royally and they cheer raucously (sp?)
How about the fact that everyone is being manipulated. I believe that I am not but I am biased.
Anyone that believes that they are not being manipulated are not being honest with themselves.
Yup. If you really believe anything in any ad anywhere you have been manipulated.
Gary, I agree. The supreme court needs to be scrapped all together. 9 people with no idea what mining or working a 40-80 hour week is about should have no say over the voice of the people. Pathetic.
You do understand that the U.S. Supreme Court is established by the Constitution?
Carl — maybe prostitution should be legalized, it could be controlled, no STD’S, and taxed. You may have a good idea here. We all know it is going to happen anyway why not have society benefit from it, with the tax money going to food banks etc.
To Jennie Garden RN. I am sure that in your heart, you believe all that Davita has sold in their bill of goods. They are a For Profit company and therefore are very skillful in salesmanship. Your sincere desire as an RN is to do the best you can for your patients. The priority in your clinics will change from patients first to profits first. Running the leanest possible dialysis operation will be of the utmost importance to your managers and Davita. I have spoken with advocates who work with harmed and dismissed patients from Davita clinics. I have also spoken with many of those patients. Patients were dismissed without cause or notice, because they spoke out about their care. They were escorted out of different Davita clinics all across the US by uniformed security or police, and left on their own to find their own dialysis care……some ended up in acute care dialysis in hospitals. Their caregivers and social workers were complicit in this abusive treatment. They broke every HIPPA law there is by spreading nasty gossip about those patients and blackballing them from surrounding dialysis clinics. They labeled patients as crazy or non compliant. DAvita is number 1 in the country for dismissals. Their threshhold is low for dismissals. Time is money. Engaged and empowered patients are a “problem” for them, consuming way too much time ($$$).
I have no bone to pick with any EMMC nurse who has signed with Davita. I am sympathetic for them, because dialysis is their specialty and they love working in that field. Currently EMMC dialysis nurses have a voice and unity with the MSNA, and they can effectively advocate for their patients. You also have dedicated managers and a local board of directors who are invested in both EMMC and the community. It is very important for all of the nurses who have signed on with DAvita to learn about their grievance procedure, their policies and where they come from(no local governence), their staff mix and nurse to patient ratios, their policy regarding dismissals, their history of patient harm, their outcome measures in states like California and Texas, their CEO (who by all appearances seems unstable and ego maniacal), their history of lawsuits by harmed patients and ex employees, Davita lawsuits against former employees including nephrologists, their “one stop shopping” sales training, cherry picking privately insured patients (more $$$$), patient retaliation and discrimination…the list is endless. It is also very important for your nurses to find out about Davita’s policy regarding REUSE. Will you be comfortable in asking a patient to sign a waiver of liability so you can practice REUSE of dialyzers on them? It is well known that REUSE can cause infections, blood clots and sickness from chemicals used to flush dialyzers, yet DaVita continues the practice of REUSE.
Please Jennie, come to the public hearing on July 10, 10am, at the Spectacular Events Center in Bangor, and bring your colleagues. I believe you will get a thorough education about the real Davita. I am confident that EMMC can do anything as well or better than Davita, and I know that patients and their safety are EMMC’s priority. In the end, this has to be entirely about the PATIENTS!
Sincerely, Kathy Day RN Patient Safety Activist