Park doesn’t compute
Numbers are an unusual creation in that you can make them sing almost any tune you want them to. Take the numbers that are spouted by the national park crowd (see the Dec. 17 OpEd by Sean Faircloth, for example). They claim that adding a new national park in Maine will give us as many as a thousand new jobs. No new recreational opportunities, we are just going to rename thousands of acres of existing forestland.
What they don’t count is how many forest industry jobs we will give up to set this land aside for them. Another thing they don’t consider, will the jobs created pay as much as the jobs we will give up?
Here are some numbers to remember: The average size of a national park is 895,000 acres. Maine has more than 30,000 jobs in the forest products Industry that pay over $30,000.00 a year. If you take 10 percent of Maine’s forest out of production, it stands to reason that Maine would lose 10 percent of its forest industry jobs. That’s 3,000 jobs at $30,000.00 a year and we would replace those with 1,000 jobs at half the salary. It does not compute.
Chris Shields
Greenville
Normal Cuban relations
Last Wednesday, President Barack Obama moved to finally normalize relations with Cuba, eliminating the embargo and other sanctions. This is way overdue. The 50-year-old failed policy has been counterproductive and has punished both Cuban and American citizens.
It took little time to hear from an outraged crew of anti-Castro, siege mentality legislators in Washington. They assert that dealing with the Cuban government is unprecedented and morally weak.
Ironically, we have had no problem with having diplomatic relations with difficult nations such as “Communist” China, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia. Even during the height of the Cold War, it was no problem for any American to go to the Soviet Union. We had no problem with having regular relations with Haiti’s murderous Papa Doc. Likewise, no problem with Pinochet’s Chile and his dirty war or South Africa during apartheid. We had relations with all these nations so that we could have influence and dialog.
So what is our problem here? That joining with Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and every other nation on Earth in having diplomatic relations will be the end of the Earth? That maybe we will finally give Guantanamo back to its rightful owners? That the Cubans will force us to have national health care? That profits of U.S. cigar manufacturers will be diminished?
Or maybe, is it just that the political clout of right wing Republican legislators from Florida and New Jersey will be lost when this 50-year-old failed policy and political third rail is eliminated. These political dinosaurs will only be satisfied when the U.S. Marines bring back Fulgencio Batista and Robert Vesco.
Young Cubans both here and in Cuba care little of the politics of 1950s and ‘60s. They want regular relations with the United States now. We should let them have it.
Greg Rossel
Troy
Marathon bomber justice
I’d like to comment on a recent BDN news article on the Boston Marathon bomber suspect, “Accused Boston Marathon bomber says he’s satisfied with defense lawyers.” When I read the piece I couldn’t believe what I was reading; not to mention the feelings of anger that I felt.
Where is this country headed when we need to be sure that someone that killed three people is satisfied with his lawyers? He would have been put to death immediately in many other countries. That is the justice he deserves.
God bless America now, we need your help.
Robert Beaulieu
Mapleton
Christmas cornerstone
When you think of the birth of Jesus, in the same thought think of the risen Christ, “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Born of the grave, if you please. This Christmas, start with the Resurrection — that’s the cornerstone of Christmas. “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). On the third day God raised him to life: “Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee” (Hebrews 1:5).
When you agree with God that you are a sinner and trust that Christ died and was raised again for you, personally, you will be born again. Instantly. You will have, “passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). You will know, “the peace of God which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). He is risen.
Blessed Christmas.
Arnold Stevens
Lovell