Drive, don’t talk
Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio, D-Sanford, introduced LD 246, an Act to Prohibit the Handling of a Mobile Telephone While Operating a Motor Vehicle. In my opinion, and I am sure that of many other readers, this is one of the most significant and meaningful bills to be introduced to the Legislature this year.
I know I am not the only Maine driver who has witnessed many near misses of other vehicles, other objects and pedestrians by people who insist on making and answering cellphone calls while driving. Indeed, the BDN has printed stories over the past years documenting collisions by distracted drivers using cellphones. They only need to pull over when it is safe to do so and use their phones.
Texting while driving is illegal, but using a cellphone for verbal communication is just as risky and more so because there are more people doing it. I hope others will give strong support to this legislation.
Bill Shook
Bangor
Don’t change Maine
I am responding to the many letters that are supporting a national park here in Piscataquis County by Mainers who live in different counties throughout the state. My issue is that I grew up here, a very young “fisherwoman” with my mother. I have camped, fished, walked, hiked, swam, snowmobiled, skied and generally lived my childhood years in Elliotsville.
I just was wondering what was, and is, so wrong with the way things are. We have always had access, all of us, to the lakes and streams in Maine, whether the paper company owned them or a millionaire owns them. The streams and lakes are ours to use.
Now, if someone buys this land and then, wanting a tax break, gives it to the federal government, supposedly creating maybe 20 jobs or even less, are you willing to be driving, as you can now, and instead of unspoiled wilderness — where just this year I saw four young deer just looking at me and a bald eagle in a bog just hanging out — see a four-lane highway and fast-food wrappers, coffee cups and plastic bags, hurling down the road as traffic rushes by, heading for the park?
There’s a reason people come to Maine: to enjoy what we have in abundance, the mountain views from the winding roads, the guy splitting his winter wood in the yard, the farmer plowing his rocky fields, the old bridges with kids fishing off the side or swimming in the pools below. Anyone can come and enjoy these benefits now. It doesn’t need a label other than the Highlands of Maine. The choice is ours, but which would you chose?
Julie Harrington
Parkman
Parents and education
The Feb. 10 OpEd, “Schools can do more to engage parents,” adds light to an important topic and goes to the heart of the Parent Teacher Association — parents as active participants in their children’s education. The phrase “parent engagement” needs to be a meaningful part of conversations about education and not just a buzzword.
Not all parents can take part during the school day. Not all parents can do homework assignments with their children. But all parents need to talk with their children about school, be clear that in their home that education is highly valued and stay aware of what their children are doing at school. Sending children to school ready to learn and knowing their efforts at school have value at home go a long way toward increasing student success.
Ginny Mott
President
Maine Parent Teacher Association
Lakeville
Raising wage doesn’t help
According to Andy Schmidt’s Feb. 10 OpEd, “Raising the minimum wage helps everyone,” if we raise the minimum wage to help low-income employees, employers (businesses) can offset the increase labor cost by raising consumer prices. And, because all businesses will be forced to raise minimum wages — hence their prices to offset labor cost — whatever drop in demand there is will be offset by the increased spending of minimum-wage employees.
In other words, we increase the minimum wage, which drives up prices, which increases the cost of living for everyone. So in the end, the minimum-wage earner winds up no better off than when they were earning $7.50 per hour because of the increased cost of living, and now they are paying more taxes.
Meanwhile, people on fixed incomes have it harder because of higher living cost.
Who exactly does this help except the government, which gets more revenue?
David Smith
Newport