MDOT keeps wasting time, money on South Bristol bridge
Livermore Falls townspeople no doubt are thrilled to receive a $400,000 state cash infusion; state Rep. Jeff McCabe, D-Skowhegan, is disappointed he can’t get similar treatment for his townspeople. Yet quietly in South Bristol, a multi-million-dollar bridge and right-of-way improvement project moves forward.
When Maine Transportation Commissioner David Bernhardt was appointed, he promised improved efficiencies within the department.
The bridge design for Maine Department of Transportation Project No. 016750 has been in progress since 2000 (12 years), with multiple meetings, changes of designers from HNTB Corp. to CHA Inc., different recommendations, multiple changes of project management — an incredible waste of time and taxpayer money.
Adding insult to mismanagement, the design will destroy the character of an incredibly beautiful New England town: South Bristol. It is overdesigned and overkill. This design will devastate South Bristol’s tourist industry, impacting fishermen, handymen, restaurant owners, boatyards and B&Bs.
Please take a look at southbristolbridge.org — a picture is worth a thousand words.
Thomas Czyz
Falmouth
Elect Troy Haines in House District 7
I write today to endorse Troy Haines to be the State Representative for District 7. Although I am not Democrat, I have worked with Haines in the past and can assure Republicans and independents that he will fight just as hard for your interests as he would for a Democrat.
As a former policy staffer for Sen. Olympia Snowe for 5½ years and an intern for Sen. Susan Collins, I learned from two of the most efficient, hard-working legislators in the United States. Time after time, they put the interests of their constituents and their state above their political party.
Haines would do the same. He’s a person who can work across party aisles to find commonsense solutions. He’s advocated for a number of critical issues facing Maine: health care reform, a jobs agenda, workers’ rights. Most importantly, he’s a small business owner, so he understands the struggles facing small businesses. My only regret is that I don’t live in District 7, so I ask Republicans and independents who live in that district to please cast a ballot on my behalf and elect Haines.
Gregory White
Brunswick
Rights of couples
With reference to the ongoing controversy over same sex marriage, the rights of couples need not be a problem. Just maintain the separation of church and state.
A civil union is a contract among two persons and their civil government that establishes their legal relationships, rights and obligations. A marriage establishes and recognizes a relationship specified by the couple’s faith or religion.
A marriage and a civil union should be separate and independent agreements.
Roger Hewett
Portland
Improving veterans’ health and well-being
Thank you for your coverage of the lack of a permanent physician in the Calais VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic. We are committed to hiring a suitable full-time provider for the Calais clinic. Finding a highly qualified physician to permanently staff the clinic in Calais has always been our goal. Recruitment for the position has been ongoing since it became vacant over a year ago.
Our lack of success in finding a replacement is an indication of the challenges in recruiting medical professionals in rural parts of our state.
VA Maine Healthcare System is committed to providing high-quality care to our nation’s veterans, and care will continue to be provided in Calais by interim providers until a permanent replacement is hired.
Although this solution is not our preference and is understandably frustrating for patients, we feel that veterans will continue to receive the outstanding health care that they have become accustomed to during this transition period.
VA Maine Healthcare System provides healthcare to roughly 40,000 veterans in the state of Maine through a main hospital campus in Augusta, eight full-time community based outpatient clinics and three part-time access points that are geographically scattered around the state.
We appreciate the interest and support of Maine’s congressional delegation in seeing this issue through to resolution. All stakeholders, from members of the delegation, to veterans service groups and, most importantly, to the veterans themselves, have the same goal — improving veterans’ health and well-being. We continue to use everything within our disposal to bring this issue to closure and bring provider stability to this important clinic.
Ryan Lilly
Director of VA Maine Healthcare System
Augusta
Support Dan Levesque
Having been in business for the past 30 years, I remember business friends that have helped me along the way. When I first met Dan Levesque, he was in charge of the J.P. Levesque sawmill operations in Ashland and Masardis. The facility was organized, efficient, clean and well-orchestrated.
I was involved with moving all the chips that the mill produced, so being involved on a daily basis with the mill and Levesque, we developed a good business relationship.
He is someone who effectively owned and operated a successful business and managed approximately 285 employees. I am more than confident he will have the stamina and determination to do what is right for the working families and businesses in District 34.
Steve Theriault
Fort Kent
Literacy success
When the Maine Department of Education unveiled its new literacy plan, Literacy for ME, recently at the Lewiston Public Library, we had two goals in mind: Share the details of this plan and prepare all Maine residents to help implement it.
We are dedicated to getting the entire state involved in building local plans for literacy that will promote the success of both children and adults.
Under Literacy for ME, local Maine communities will take charge in developing their own comprehensive literacy plans, with support from the department. The Maine DOE will explain the process of comprehensive literacy planning at six regional meetings held between Sept. 19 and 28 in Presque Isle, Machias, Bangor, Augusta, Lewiston and Portland.
We encourage Maine schools to take the lead in forming literacy planning teams, and we request that each team be comprised of members that represent the birth-to-adult continuum within your community.
K-12 educators, early childhood educators and providers, adult and family literacy educators, literacy specialists, parents, school and community librarians, health care providers and community and business partners are all invited to the meetings. Teams of four to eight members should register online by Sept. 17. Details about the meetings can be found at www.maine.gov/doe/literacy-for-me.
Join us as we promote this important investment in Maine’s future.
Susan Bennett-Armistead, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Literacy
University of Maine
“A civil union is a contract among two persons and their civil government that establishes their legal relationships, rights and obligations. A marriage establishes and recognizes a relationship specified by the couple’s faith or religion.”
I’d be fine with this set up, but it’s not the current set up, so until then, gay couples should have access to civil marriage. The government doesn’t legislate what religious marriage means. Marriage in the context in which we’re voting refers to the right to have a civil marriage contract between two men or two women.
Not only that, but there is NO SUCH legal classification as a “civil union” in Maine. It’s a moot point for us.
Thomas Czyz- We have done such a great job getting our kids to college that we know have three civies walking around with a set of blueprints for every one guy with a shovel. We have five “inspectors” for every one equipment operator. The “white hats” will have meetings about changes in the plans until there is no money left to buy concrete or steel.
Is this like three guys standing around smoking cigarettes talking to the one guy who’s down in the hole?
I agree with wolfndeer-that’s not the way it is now and the easiest way to ensure civil marriage for same-sex couples is to allow them to obtain that legal contract that is current available for opposite-sex couples.
God prefers same sex marriages over opposite sex marriages. He only intended man and woman to reproduce, but not to be in relationships with eath other.
Why does God allow couples past child-bearing age to marry?
I just don’t get that any one mere mortal can begin to presume and actually tell us that God prefers this or God doesn’t like that.
Exactly.
You haven’t met Senator Santorum. He tells us he speaks for God.
FORMER Senator Santorum (Thank God!) I believe Michelle Bachman also speaks with God, at least that is who told her to run for president.
FORMER Senator Santorum told me that he spoke with God, and God denied ever encouraging Bachman to run for President. The actual words spoken to her were “the next time you see me comin’, you better run!” (with apologies to Dylan and “Highway 61 Revisited”)
I’m so glad that Axis of Evil (Santorum, Bachmann, and Perry) have faded into the sunset. Can you imagine what would have happened if they had said the awful things about Jews, women, or blacks as they did about gays?
I would not wave good-bye to Santorum just yet. The Republican Party will get worse before it returns to sanity.
Romney will likely lose worse than McCain did. Tea Partiers will be convinced that this is because he was too liberal! They will be determined to nominate one of their own in 2016, will succeed, and will likely face a landslide defeat.
I really hope you are wrong, but the Republican party does seem to be getting more and more extreme. However, even Santorum’s home state of PA didn’t vote for him in the primaries, so I’ll take that as a good sign.
The problem is that the soul of the party now resides in the South and it is white southerners who are most likely to believe that the President is a Muslim, a socialist, and a native-born Kenyan.
I think that the moderates in both parties should break off, form their own party, and decimate the two party system we have going by presenting candidates that actually care about the country and not just about screwing over the other party.
But has it really always been between a man and a woman?
Only a liar would answer yes to your question.
Why was cp444’s comment flagged? There was nothing in it that violated the rules.
I agree with you … there wasn’t anything that violated the terms or rules for posting. Do they ever overturn a flag?
This is silly. A comment about “Marriage has always been between a man and a woman” is flagged but a comment mentioning “the fuss about suicide queens” is left. Not that I think EITHER should be flagged-we need to know what people are thinking, but it’s inconsistent.
I used to flag some but I don’t anymore….. I prefer they stay up for everyone to read. I always wait for comment by other opposers asking them to be civil and refrain from incindiary statements …. sadly there aren’t any.
Cut and paste. Again. Nothing new under the sun.
Ryan Lilly, Dr. Bennett-Armstead: good letters.
Roger Hewett: you advocate separate but the labels and benefits are by no means equal. And, a church wedding is invalid without a state marriage license.
I can’t help but wonder exactly what the bond in a civil union would be called? Would we be “united”? That doesn’t quite seem to fit the bill. Would we be unionized? No, I think that term is already taken. Would we be CUd? That might work except seeing it written out reminds me of contented cows, scratch that.
And what about the proposal? Does the party of the first part get down on bended knee and ask the party of the second part if he/she will unite?
You know, I can’t help but thinking that churches do not own the word so let’s just keep using the word marriage to describe that legal bond between to consenting, committed and loving adults, no matter what their sex is.
It didn’t seem to bother homosexuals to change other “terms that are already taken”.
Where exactly does the “gay” term come from anyway? You’re the most unhappy lot I’ve ever seen, with dispositions like little ankle bitters.
FYI, I’m heterosexual, happily married for 30 years and just don’t think anyone has the right to tell anyone else what to do. Live and let live, mind your own business etc. It’s the people who go around trying to legislate their morals on others that are the ankle biters. ;)
Then you just happen to know unhappy gay people. Just like there are happy straight people, there are happy gay people too! In fact, I’m one of them! (Except when that sand hippie was chosen by the judges over Todd Oliver’s ventriloquist dog in America’s Got Talent a couple of weeks ago- though the dog was MUCH better).
As for the use of the word “gay,” you must understand that English is dynamic and that words change meanings over the years. “Gay” is an interesting word-you should look up the history of it.
And, really, calling us names is rather rude.
What names did I call you?
Isn’t homosexual the correct unoffensive term?
How would I have ever guessed that America’s Got Talent is on your list of entertainment?
If they’re all so happy, then why all the fuss about the suicide queens?
Oh, silly, you know what name! Maybe you’ve lost track? EVERYONE watches AGT!!! And EVERYONE is happy! YAY!
“then why all the fuss about the suicide queens?”
That has to be one of the sickest and most offensive comments that has been left on BDN in a long time….. however it does provide proof of the kinds of people and the attitudes and comments LGBT hear on a daily basis.
For you to use the deaths of others (predominantly teenagers) …. whose deaths have caused parents, siblings and family members etc. unimaginable grief…. to further your biased comments against LGTB human beings …. is truly disgusting.
Again Celer’s comments are ignored by posters like cp444, EJ, GodisTrue, abbyisgod, dirigodad …. your Silence is Deafening.
I agree. It’s hypocritical for them to accuse us of spreading hate because we call out certain people for things they say. Yet this is written by someone who supports their side and they have NOTHING to say.
People on our side say nasty things about God, religion, and the Bible and I call them out on that because it’s disrespectful. Someone on our side called me out because of a term I used for straight marriages that was on-par with “sodomy-based.” But there is ZERO action from those who oppose-SSM when someone talks about “the fuss about suicide queens.”
Why is that? Did they all stop reading their email at 4:45 p.m. yesterday? Probably not. The only conclusion is that these compassionate Christians condone such behavior from fellow opposers and, because they have ignored THIS comment, they don’t care about the young people who feel they have no other option but to kill themselves. Good job, people.
Coming from someone so selfish and ridiculous that they believe others having equal rights will somehow take away from their own freedoms. Why are you such a busy body that you care about the make up of families that you don’t even know exist?
You have equal rights.
Yay! War is peace! Hate is love! Yay!
I presume you fear that when same sex marriage passes (as it will in what will be a high turnout election), you will be forced to marry someone of the same sex? If not, then what does it matter to you that homosexuals will be given the same rights as we heterosexuals?
No worries.
It’s always good to have a positive outlook, as you do. You may turn out to be a victim of your own liberal media polls come November though. You just can’t tell how people will vote once they are alone in the voting booth.
Just because you type it, it doesn’t mean it’s true.
Roger I agree with you only if every heterosexual couple in the state who has not been “married” in a church is no longer recognized as a married couple and is in turn recognized only as a member of a civil union.
Somehow I don’t think the majority of couples who were married by a civil officiant would be willing to give up the benefits and proctections they are reciving via the that civil license. Especially when they realize how many of benefits and protections they will have to give up.
I think if you ask struggling families why they are hurting and what is tearing them apart at the seams ….. they would tell you that providing basic needs: housing, food, fuel and clothing along with finding enough work to cover those basic needs is what they have lost.
Marriage has not always been one man and one woman. I see you are awake and just as miserable as ever. Have a wonderful day Mr. cp444 and God Bless you. I will be busy at my work, caring for and teaching troubled youth as my way of being a productive part of a working society.
To my fellow readers and supporters of Jesus words to love one another, please ignore this man. He feeds from your arguments. If you dont feed him he will go away.
Have a good day.
Thomas Czyz: I must agree…the proposed bridge is ugly.
Mr. Hewett: you’re right…they should be separate arguments. And they were, but some people still wouldn’t allow it. Pity.
Where is the link to the National news section?
Roger Hewett, I have stated many times that it would be fair and Constitutional for us to eliminate civil marriage altogether, and institute civil unions for everyone who wants the 1,100+ benefits and privileges our government extends based on marital status.
However, the reality is that civil marriage is the name for this legal arrangement nationwide. It is far simpler to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples than it would be to rewrite thousands upon thousands of laws nationally.
There is nowhere in this nation where civil unions convey the same benefits of civil marriage; offering this lesser solution to same sex couples will not pass Constitutional scrutiny, for our 14th Amendment demands we extend protections equally to all Americans.
I am voting YES on 1 in November, because all Maine families deserve civil marriage to protect the lives they build together, and the children they raise together.
But your god is meaningless. Why is it the only thing you use to beat on people?
Families are indeed hurting, being torn apart at the seams, and because your monstrous beast of a deity tells you through the writings of power-hungry men that they’re bad people, you take joy in seeing them hurt, being torn apart at the seams… and you only wish to keep it going.
Skrewww your god. It’s a myth and can heal nothing.