Stray rifle fire
The interview with the Bucks Mills Road resident, who described her quiet afternoon being shattered by rifle fire from an unknown source and then finding a bullet hole in her minivan, in the May 28 BDN article reminded me of a similar incident I had several years ago in Windham.
I was escorting a communications technician so he could inventory communications gear in my employer’s electric utility substations on a beautiful October day. We stopped for lunch at a Windham substation. Our lunch was disturbed by rifle fire, which, because I was near an energized electrical substation, was too close for my comfort.
I called the Windham Police Department, and a Windham police officer came to meet me. I showed him the car on the opposite side of the road from us. He questioned the people and returned to tell me “they were sighting in a new hunting rifle.”
Dennis Marrotte
Westbrook
LePage veto threat
A May 29 BDN article indicates Gov. Paul LePage indiscriminately will veto all legislation sponsored by a Democratic member of the Legislature, until legislation is passed to eliminate Maine’s state income tax. This example of LePage’s approach to governance is misguided, unproductive and irresponsible. The governor would garner more support in the Legislature if he outlines how the state fiscally and realistically can replace the revenue that would be lost if Maine’s state income tax is eliminated.
Maine residents are fortunate that a significant number of representatives and senators in the Maine Legislature decide issues based upon prudent judgment and do not allow party affiliation to bias their focus to legislate responsibly.
Maine’s residents should contact their representatives and senators when they vote to oppose legislation that’s counter to their party affiliation, to show their actions and convictions are noticed and appreciated.
Anthony Filauro
Millinocket
Wood or coal
Mary Booth said in her May 28 BDN OpEd that “wood-burning power plants emit about 50 percent more carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour than a coal plant; 3,000 pounds for wood as compared to 2.000 pounds for coal.” Without a discussion of the stoichiometry involved, this statement leaves lots of questions. Also, is the point of reference for anthracite or bituminous coal? And what is the BTU content of the coal? Indeed, power plants pay for coal based on BTU content by sampling each load delivered.
Without the scientific facts discussed, this is just another bare pollution claim from those who would have us freeze to death in the dark.
William W. Gorman, Jr.
Seal Harbor
Brewer school system
Brewer voters will be voting June 9 on three crucial issues facing our school system. First is the school budget, which has been approved by the Brewer City Council.
The second is a charter amendment that would continue the amendment passed in 2012 by the voters requiring the school superintendent to reside in Brewer and given three years to move. Brewer voters approved several years ago such an amendment requiring the city manager to reside here, and now is the time to stand tall in support of the superintendent residency to require the school administrator to live in Brewer and given three years to move.
The third also is an amendment for a procedure to recall school committee members, which already is in place for city councilors.
Keeping in mind the superintendent is Brewer’s highest paid official, I don’t think it is asking too much for that individual to reside in our community. The argument being made is the pool of possible candidates for the top job is so small that the residency requirement stymies the opportunity in selecting the best candidate.
The bigger issue at this time is the unfortunate conduct by three members of the school committee not to extend the superintendent’s contract. Superintendent Jay McIntire, who leaves at the end of this school year, has done an excellent job in taking care of our educational system. When Jay was hired, he immediately moved with his family right into this city. It spoke volumes about Jay and Brewer.
Larry T. Doughty
Brewer
LePage unfit for office
Once again, I have opened my newspaper and turned on my television to find myself embarrassed by this state’s government.
Paul LePage once again has made the argument against himself and his policies through his own childish antics. No amount of negative comment from Democratic representatives could ever have proven their point about him better than the spectacle he made of himself during his press conference Friday.
I don’t care what his policies are, his behavior has proven he isn’t worthy of the office he holds. If the residents of this state really wanted to restore our reputation of common sense and decency, then the first step we should consider is removing him from office.
The man doesn’t even realize that the very worst thing he could have done to hinder his legislative objectives was to stand at a podium for an hour and scream threats. But there he is anyway and the rest of us get to watch him make a fool of himself and us.
I’m done with LePage. I do not use the honorific “governor.” He is not fit to have it.
Kevin Gardner
Corinth
Identity theft
The BDN recently reprinted a good report from The New York Times titled “ The allure of stealing children’s identity,” and it shared tips on how to protect children. What the report didn’t say is that illegal immigrants are a major market for stolen Social Security numbers, and children are a prime target.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, states with high levels of illegal immigration have high levels of job-related identity theft. Arizona estimates that 1 million children in the state have had their Social Security numbers stolen.
The Obama administration seems more interested in providing illegal immigrants with amnesty and another path to citizenship than in prosecuting them for identity theft. Journalists continue to idealize illegal immigrants and their personal stories, minimizing the connection to fraud and perpetuating the myth that illegal immigration is a victimless crime. The open borders and cheap labor agenda continues to be well served by the Obama administration and mainstream media.
Julie Tosswill
Hope