Wages federal, state issue
In regard to the minimum wage issues that Bangor City Councilor Joseph Baldacci has proposed, this issue belongs at the federal and state level of government. Once acted upon by the federal and/or state level, then either the U.S. Department of Labor and/or the Maine Department of Labor respectively manage and enforce such actions.
Most of us at the local level are not thrilled with the fact that Washington, D.C., has been on steroids, usurping states rights and local autonomy. Having stated this, local government officials respect the higher jurisdictions that have the traditional and ultimate authority.
Joe Baldacci is playing into a very popular theme, especially now that Portland has raised the issue. Many have suggested it is just for political reasons. Perhaps there is an element of that, and nobody should be shocked by this possibility. But I know that Joe genuinely cares about the welfare of Bangor and its people.
Let’s face it, most of us are concerned about jobs and the health of our employment picture in Bangor as it relates to both wages the general condition of our fragile economy. The policy question about whether the Bangor City Council addresses this labor law issue should be determined before any public forums on the particulars of Joe’s draft ordinance.
David S. Nealley
Bangor City Council
Banks vs. guns
I think we all know the saying: “Guns don’t kill people, people do.” It seems obvious that the opposite is true for banks. “Bankers don’t cheat people, banks do.” No banker has gone to jail for cheating the system, falsifying foreclosure documents or rigging the market.
Gun owners should incorporate their weapons as banks and thus be immune from prosecution. The gun pays the tax-deductible fine. But if your negligence causes the death of a couple of dozen people, you may want to incorporate your gun as a coal company instead.
Ralph Grimes
Stockton Springs
Computer scams
Thanks to Russ Van Arsdale for his Feb. 8 article regarding computer scams. These people have been calling me for the last five years and don’t take no for an answer. “Phillip” claims to be from Hewlett-Packard, and I need to enter a code on my computer for them to check for viruses.
Alarms immediately went off in my head that this was wrong. I contacted my tech guy, and he — like Van Arsdale — told me that there is no way for someone to know your computer has a virus unless they are on that computer.
When I told “Phillip” about this the next time he called, he said that wasn’t true. I even flat out told him that this was a scam and not to call again. But they still do. They’ve even called at our camp. And when my husband told them that there was no computer on the premise and no Internet service — both true — “Phillip” called my husband a liar.
I’ve signed up for the do-not-call list, but that doesn’t seem to stop these people.
Carol Morrison
Millinocket
Molesters among us
This concerns the issue of where registered sex offenders can and cannot live, which is at issue in East Millinocket. It does make sense to keep registered sex offenders from living close to schools, where they can sit in their own house and watch children the same way recovering alcoholics steer clear of bars. But who actually believes a sex offender is going to let a few blocks or a mile stop them from offending, and how often does one who is not an employee offend on or near school grounds? Snatching, by the way, represents a small minority of sex offenses against children.
The fact is that sex offenders come in two varieties: the ones who have been caught and the ones who have not. I believe most have never been caught, and they can live anywhere they want.
Furthermore, some of you reading this may have a friend or relative who acts as though your child or children are extra special, and when they have sold you on how wonderful and trustworthy they are, you might find yourself tempted to allow them to spend time alone with your child or even have her/him for overnights. This is the way most child sex offenders operate. Not uncommonly, these people are pillars of the community.
The way to stop sex offenders is for adults to recognize grooming behavior, and a great source of guidance in this area is Carla Van Dam’s “The Socially Skilled Child Molester.”
Mary Offutt
Deer Isle