My bid? No Trump
Many of us gave several years of our life to serve our country. Donald Trump did not, yet he feels free to criticize those who did, including U.S. Sen. John McCain.
Trump is a loud-mouthed, arrogant slob. We don’t need a president of his ilk.
Ben Hoffman
Bradford
Rockport revaluation flawed
A recent Rockport property revaluation by the Massachusetts-based KRT Appraisal has decreased the value of large waterfront estates by as much as 40 percent. As a result the more modest property owner will be compelled to make up the $41 million difference in lost revenue.
According to a July 21 BDN article, Michael Rogers, municipal service supervisor for the Maine Revenue Services, indicated the sharp drop in Rockport waterfront values is an aberration. Bob Gingras of Kennebunk-based Russell/Parker Appraisal Company said he has not seen such a sharp difference as KRT has shown in Rockport in the 29 towns he assesses.
Homeowners not on the water may be feeling pretty smug with a decrease in assessments from 3 to 14 percent. But looking at the entire town appraisal, property owners on the waterfront streets of Beauchamp Point Road, Calderwood Lane and Hayfield Way are seeing their assessments decrease by as much as $1 million, some as high as 40 percent based on a cursory look.
If the KRT assessment is accepted as valid, the selectmen will need to set a new mill rate — at least 4 percent increase — to accommodate the $41 million in lost revenue from the waterfront properties.
Watch out, Village and West Rockport, that 4 percent decrease in valuation is soon to be eaten up and then some. Taxpayers will be paying more for the waterfront estates’ windfall. Residents should call their selectmen to reconsider this flawed revaluation.
Carol Latta
Rockport
Air show admission
I am responding to a BDN article about Conrad Lebourdais boycotting the upcoming Great State of Maine Air Show and his demand for free tickets for World War II veterans. While he is correct previous air shows sponsored by the military at the former Naval Air Station Brunswick were free to attend, they were anything but free to put on, supported primarily by tax dollars.
The civilian air shows in 2011 and 2012 were organized by the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority and admission fees were charged but did not turn a profit. This year, we contracted with the Air Show Network, a professional air show organizer, to put on the Sept. 5-6 show.
There are substantial costs associated with putting on an air show, including but not limited to paying for performers, as well as fuel, hotels, public safety, fire rescue, fencing, security, insurance and marketing. The cost of hosting the military Blue Angels and the F-22 alone is more than $100,000.
As a veteran, I have benefited from this country’s support of my service. I received my education through the GI Bill, was able to purchase my home with a Veterans Affairs loan and hope to access my Veterans Affairs medical benefits after retirement. I do, however, recognize a private enterprise cannot provide services for free.
I would hate to deprive veterans the opportunity to attend this amazing show, and Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority gladly will buy a ticket for any veteran who cannot afford the $25 admission. Veterans should contact our office at 798-6512 for help.
Steven H. Levesque
Executive Director
Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Brunswick
Vote against hunger
Many families benefit from food assistance programs, and I know one of them. She is a college student working toward a degree in the medical field, which in our state is in desperate need of more people. She also works as a home health aide, taking care of mentally disabled children. Her husband is a low-wage worker who struggles to make ends meet. They have a son for whom they hope to give a good and healthy life, like all parents.
That’s why I support the Summer Meals Act and the Stop Child Hunger Act. For my friend and her family, who are working to better themselves and build a future for their children, the least we can do as a society is ensure young people who reach for their dreams never have to go hungry.
The Summer Meals Act allows summer programs to provide food to low-income children. The Stop Child Hunger Act provides an electronic benefit transfer for purchasing food over the summer. We’ve seen the alternative to this in the past: kids who miss meals each day during the summer because their parents can’t afford to feed them.
For the sake of my friend, her family and each of the up to 3 million children per day who have relied on a summer meals program, I urge U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, U.S. Sen. Angus King and U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin to support these bills and vote against hunger.
Gail Crowley
Bangor
Fight climate change
In a July 17 BDN column, Reuben Hudson, a post-doctoral fellow in chemistry, described his research investigating how maple sap can replace petroleum in the production of plastics.
This illustrates the need to protect our natural resources and assure our maple trees continue to thrive and produce sap. But there have been several studies, done by the National Forest Service and the Maine Climate Institute, showing the rapid migration of sugar maples northward as our winters warm as a result of climate change.
Maine’s economy historically has thrived because of its natural resources, yet the effects of climate change threaten our abundance. We need market forces to stall and even reverse the effects of climate change, while promoting vibrant, economically viable communities.
A revenue-neutral fee and dividend on fossil fuels at the point of extraction that starts low and rises predictably over time is just the right price signal because it reveals the fuels’ true cost to society. The revenue can be 100 percent returned as a dividend to citizens, with less than 0.5 percent used to administer the program through a monthly direct deposit system for most people.
Entrepreneurs and inventors such as Hudson and his colleagues stand a better chance of bringing their innovations to market in Maine in a market where coal, oil and gas don’t get to freely dump carbon pollution into the atmosphere. A revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend will not only fight climate change, it will drive private research and development to create new products that benefit Maine.
Connie Potvin
Hampden