Support the festival
It is very disappointing that the BDN would choose to publish a letter equating panhandling with the Bucket Brigade at the American Folk Festival. Being asked to show support and appreciation for an event one is attending hardly compares to someone approaching someone else for money for their own personal use.
Apparently the letter writer does not appreciate the Folk Festival. He can choose not to attend again, thus avoiding being asked for his support. His presence will not be missed by those of us who are looking forward to, and happy to support, this wonderful event.
Jo Ann Higgins
Bangor
Double dipping
Bangor runs a school system. Why can’t it run a recycling system — which of course it has been trying to do for years. But why not a better one, where households receive cash back for recycling? It’s being done in the United States. It would be a wonderful service for our Chamber of Commerce to add to our welcoming basket to new and potential new residents.
It is my understanding the city is considering single-stream recycling again, and it may pay the third party a fee to administer the program. In addition, that third party will get the commodities, recyclable materials, for free.
To me that’s double dipping. That would be like Quirk Auto getting its new Subarus free, a 100 percent profit, plus receiving fee income from the city to do it.
As in Texas, where a large, well-funded citizen group to oppose materials recovery facilities, like EcoMaine in Saco, one leader has stated that the facilities continue a culture of disposability rather than a culture of sustainability. Furthermore, he states little education has transpired in municipalities to inform citizens of blue bins, which from my experience is true here in Bangor.
Reasons to oppose single stream include contamination by mixing clean paper and cardboard with food waste and broken glass, which results in more waste; having to truck unsorted recyclables to Massachusetts; and continuing the culture of disposability by throwing everything into one bin without regard as to where it ends up.
Jay Dresser, past member of the Bangor Recycling Committee
Bangor
BIA weeds
For the last two months, I have watched the weeds conquer and take over the plants and bushes that were added to new rotary at the Bangor International Airport last fall. I stopped there recently and weeded for an hour, figuring it was city and taxpayer money that paid for the plants, so I was making sure my money was put to good use.
Miraculously, the very next day, a crew was out weeding that area. If I knew it only took an hour of my time to get it done, I would have donated that time months ago. Thanks to whomever for taking over and finishing the job. Might be a tad easier if the city maintains it from spring moving forward next year.
Jennifer Theriault
Bangor
Oops, citizens
I just received a government mandated “annual wellness examination.” Several questions have nothing to do with health. This info, combined with the National Security Administration monitoring of our phone calls and the census question must have a goal: Maybe dossiers on each of us subjects. Oops, citizens.
We must show identification to fly, to cash a check, to check into a motel or hospital, but in this nation with millions of illegals, we are guilty of racism, ageism or just mean if we want proof of who people are before they can vote.
Our culture has embraced the corrosive practice of political correctness and the divisive practice of multiculturalism. What became of the founders “toward a more perfect union” or “from the many one”?
Our congressional representatives long ago surrendered all their responsibilities to the executive branch; they defend neither the people nor the Constitution. Sadly, it seems that Democratic Republics seem to harbor self-destructive sentiments. Survival is dependent on the people.
William D. Duddy
Dedham