Abe’s election wisdom
It was during much the same kind of critical election year we just faced that Abraham Lincoln made his earthy comment on responsibility at the polls: “It is the people’s business. The election is in their hands. If they turn their backs to the fire and get scorched in the rear, they’ll find they have got to sit on the blister.” In this case, for four more years.
Harold B. Plourde
Millinocket
Hospital of choice
I had a choice for my operation. I could have gone to Bangor, to Portland or to Boston. I did have a choice, but I opted to go to the hospital in my home town, in the St. John Valley, at Northern Maine Medical Center. I have not stopped thanking my lucky stars ever since.
The quality of care that I received at our hospital was absolutely amazing, and I’m talking about every phase of my experience. From the doctors, the nurses, the operating room staff, the recovery room staff, the physical therapy staff, the CNAs and even the dietary staff, their level of expertise was, and is, awesome. The care I received was first rate, and I am sure I would not have been better treated anywhere else.
In an age where many are only doing what is best for themselves, we have in our Valley a hospital full of people who are dedicated to helping others in need. I witnessed these people at work firsthand, and I saw that, to them, it was more than just a job. This hospital, run by our friends and neighbors, is a gem of an institution right here in the St. John Valley and I for one plan to sing its praises to anyone who will listen.
Richard Fortin
Fort Kent
Energy misunderstanding
Paula Moore’s critique of Maine’s wind industry, “ Wind Is Not a Success” (BDN, Nov. 17) relied on some flawed arguments. To say that Maine’s wind farms deliver “25 percent of their promised capacity” reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how renewable energy sources work. Such a percentage, called capacity factor, describes how wind turbines don’t generate at full power 24/7. The fact that the wind doesn’t always blow is not a surprise. Wind farms are designed, sited, and costed with this factor in mind.
That taxpayers foot the bill for tax credits and transmission infrastructure is not unique to wind energy. Virtually all electricity generation is to some degree subsidized by tax dollars. That some of Maine’s wind energy is exported is similarly unremarkable. If it isn’t displacing fossil fuel generation in Maine, it will be doing so in another state, and global climate change doesn’t care about state borders.
The supposed “enormous community strife” caused by Maine’s wind turbines contradicts my experience in Denmark and Holland, where the prevalence of wind turbines has somehow not caused health, environmental, or economic problems. Regarding wind turbines turning Maine into an “industrial wasteland,” I invite anyone with that view to compare the view of a wind farm to that of a conventional power station.
I have a bias in this topic since I am doing my PhD on wind turbines, but I chose my topic for a reason. The industry numbers and peer-reviewed literature show that wind turbines are one of the very best options we have for cost-effective, low-carbon electricity.
Matthew Hall
Orono
King and clowns
The people of Maine (where I lived for 17 years) deserve a firm handshake, a slap on the back and hearty congratulations. Recently on NPR I heard an interview with U.S. Sen. Angus King, and was stunned at his calm demeanor, logical presentation of facts, and rationality.
What an incredible difference from the hysterical mendacity and obfuscation of the clowns in the Senate from Texas. If only we had a Senate full of people like King.
Benjamin Liles
Salado, Texas