Proud of firefighter help
I am appalled that the Bangor firefighters will no longer be able to wear their uniforms or use their equipment as part of their endless work collecting for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. What is the matter with this city? The new rules say Bangor firefighters can’t fundraise while on-duty, meaning they can’t wear their uniforms, but this doesn’t make sense.
I come from a long line of firefighters, including the fire chief in Bangor, Chief Herbert P. Constantine, Lt. John Constantine and, in Portland, my brother Lt. Michael J. Constantine, along with his son,Michael Constantine Jr., and two nieces who married Bangor firemen who are now both retired.
Listening to many stories of the fire department as I grew up as a child, fire chiefs, lieutenants, etc., were picked from inside the city department and not from out of state. Was there no competent candidate within the Bangor Fire Department to replace the outgoing fire chief? I highly doubt that very much.
These men put their lives on the line every day for this city, and they certainly are not living in Judson Heights or a swanky condo. They are ordinary men and women making a living that most of us wouldn’t think of taking on. Had there been women in firefighting when I was younger, you can bet that I would have been right there taking the test to carry on that willingness to save lives.
Someone needs to smarten up and let these firemen do their jobs as they have done whether on the clock or off. They don’t get paid to do this, they do it because they want to.
Sandra Constantine McGrath
Bangor
Vote Smith
I would like to encourage everyone to vote in the primaries as it’s our best chance to make sure the best candidates for every office compete for our votes in November.
An example of such a candidate is Owen Smith, who’s running for Waldo County commissioner for District 1. He’s been serving the county for most of his life, most recently as director of the 911 center for the past 15 years. He’s also been chairman of the Waldo County Safety/Department Heads Association for the past six years, a sign of how much his peers respect his hard work, dedication and leadership qualities.
He’s worked well with his colleagues from around the state, president of the Maine Emergency County Communications Association for three terms, and a voting member of the executive board of directors for the Maine County Commissioners Association. He knows how to get things done.
Smith’s a strong believer in county government, and he’s seen how much it affects all our lives. He’s lived here in Waldo County his whole life and is known for his good humor, his caring, and his dedication to his job. He’s a great guy whose qualifications are outstanding. If you agree with me, vote for Smith; but agree or not, let’s all vote in the primaries to get the best people for these important jobs.
James Kocot
Belfast
Support Cain
I moved to Maine from Michigan as a primary care health care provider with a plethora of experience addressing violence as a public health issue.
I called Emily Cain’s office when she was the Democratic minority leader of the House because she had long worked on these issues. Not only did she call me back, but she arranged a face-to-face meeting despite that being the day of the new budget presentation and all of that pomp and circumstance. We talked over lunch, and immediately she demonstrated not only knowledge of public health, violence and policy issues but also spoke openly about the political issues at play and how she was already working to address them.
When I met Cain, she seemed the rare individual who is driven in a way that energizes and inspires. I walked away thinking she’ll end up a senator or governor or, dare I say it, president — not because she is a hungry politician but because as people come to know her and watch her work they’ll hope that she continues to lead.
At any rate, she worked successfully in a bipartisan way to change and improve Maine’s laws with regard to violence, and she did so with the LePage administration, one of the most divisive in Maine’s history. Cain has always been a voice for her constituents, and that’s why I’m supporting her in the Democratic primary on June 10.
Patrick McFarlane
Orono
Paying for extras
We are fast approaching voting day, when we must decide on the Bangor municipal and school budgets. I am having a hard time digesting the requested increases by both committees. I do not believe that the school committee has addressed the tough, unpopular issues such as sports programs and extracurricular activities that are funded under the budget.
I know it’s difficult to be the one that has the moral courage to suggest that perhaps non-core education programs be funded by boosters and fundraising efforts. Other schools do this now. Let’s be honest. The Bangor taxpayer can no longer be the “end all, be all” for every program that comes down the road.
Perhaps we need a two-tier school tax program — one for taxpayers with children in the school system and a lower rate for those who do not.
I also have issue with the library funding by the city. I am curious as to the patronage of the library. Who is actually using it as a book depository and research center, and who simply needs to get off the street for a while? With the advent of the computer and Internet, the library has become quite obsolete for research, and e-readers and such have become the norm as of late.
Could the library operating hours be reviewed, thus possibly eliminating the need for so many staff positions and decreasing the expense for exorbitant electric usage?
The time has come for a reckoning of our needs as taxpayers. People should ask themselves: When will it be enough? How much more can they afford or want to spend on extras?
Wayne LeVasseur
Bangor