Capehart and LeClair for city council
Bangor voters should cast their votes for Gary Capehart and Paul LeClair for Bangor City Council in November.
I personally know the character, abilities, beliefs and traits of these two fine gentlemen. They are strong in accountability and finances, have lifelong experiences in dealing with people and possess the ability to work in harmony, objectivity and unity with others. They would bring experience and knowledge to the council in dealing with taxpayers money.
Both are aware of city needs: avoiding property tax increases, bonding questions, infrastructure and neighborhood improvements. Both are highly supportive of our fire and police departments and would ensure they are staffed and budgeted for our safety.
Both men are military veterans. Capehart served in the Marine Corps, and LeClair served in the Navy.
Both men are a needed asset to the operation of our city council.
Charlie Birkel
Bangor
Celebrate UMaine’s 150th birthday
As a proud alumnus, I served this year as a co-chair of the University of Maine 150th anniversary celebration committee. The original land grant institution was established as the College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts in 1865, as a result of the Morrill Act signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862.
Throughout the year, numerous events have celebrated the legacy — the difference — that the UMaine faculty, students, alumni and staff have made in the state and beyond. And now, the biggest anniversary event yet is coming up.
Homecoming Weekend at UMaine is Oct. 16 to 18 and will feature alumni reunions and a Division I football game against Yale. It’s also Family and Friends Weekend, featuring a lobster bake. And in honor of UMaine’s 150th, we’re holding an Open University Day.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, nearly 30 of UMaine’s state-of-the-art research, teaching, athletic and cultural facilities will feature free public tours, demonstrations, performances and presentations, led by our top students and world-class faculty.
If it has been a while since you’ve visited Maine’s land grant institution or have yet to explore the state’s flagship university, I invite you to join us Oct. 17. Even if you are already familiar with a particular UMaine program, academic area or facility, I encourage you to explore the vast scale, scope and depth of the excellence that is UMaine.
As an open house at Maine’s land grant university, it will be a homecoming like no other. I look forward to greeting you on campus.
Charles V. Stanhope
UMaine Class of 1971
Southwest Harbor
Responsible hunting
Last year, as my spouse and I were working on our property cutting wood, we discovered a hunter was not far from us. With hunting season starting again, hunters need to remember a hunting license does not give them the right to hunt on someone else’s land.
Also, no hunters I have spoken with know that a purple vertical stripe 1 inch in width and 8 inches long means no hunting without owners’ permission, which is redundant because the law already specifically states hunters need permission.
Mary Ryan
Winterport
Violence begets violence
I wonder about this gun control cry after yet another senseless, ruthless killing of innocents. What causes a human being to do such a thing? The liberals use it as an argument to call for new legislation designed to control the flow of arms. Meanwhile, look at Chicago, which has the toughest gun control laws in the nation and the worst statistics of shootings. It seems they focus on the end result instead of the root cause of the problem.
I wonder at what point will we look in the mirror and realize perhaps the root cause of this human destruction is the constant bombardment of messages of violence from Hollywood, video games and the media. Our kids are exposed to violence on TV, their iPhones and the books they read on a constant basis. Yet, the media and liberals never point to Hollywood as the root cause.
Can a slightly demented person distinguish between a shoot ’em up video game and a shoot ’em up at a school? Could it possibly be that liberals need Hollywood in order to help fund their campaigns and stay in office? Could it be that by going after the National Rifle Association they are damaging conservatives? Is that the reason they look the other way and try to blame the gun manufacturers?
How about if the BDN actually does a study on this issue and either confirm my suspicions or reject them on the basis of valid data in the study.
James Noyes
Brooklin
Thibodeau’s record
I was pleased to read Maine Senate President Mike Thibodeau has embraced working with his opponents for the good of all Mainers.
I am still troubled, however, that he opposes increasing our minimum wage, wants to close health centers offering pregnancy prevention services, voted against increasing childcare for working parents, refuses to support Medicaid expansion and stood with Gov. Paul LePage when he wanted to impose harsh penalties on families who rely on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Andrew Stevenson
Belfast
No sympathy for the rich
When I read Noah Smith’s Oct. 4 OpEd, “The rich get hit harder by inflation than the poor,” I thought at first it was satire. Then, as I continued reading, I realized it was a serious piece based on very flawed thinking.
He states that “ Sanchez and Zhu found that the prices of education, entertainment and medical care have gone up hugely since 1980” and compares that to the smaller increases in the prices of clothing, electricity, new cars and public transportation. Even though people of all financial means can cut back on the costs of entertainment, the rising costs of education and medical care affect the poor disproportionately.
As politicians try to shame the poor for their lack of ambition and inability to improve their position, education and medical care are a necessity just to hold onto whatever dignity and status they have.
Maybe his final argument that we are creating a “society in which respect is increasingly reserved for only a few rich people” is valid, but we do not have to sympathize with the unfortunate rich people who are having to suffer with the growing expenses of a rich lifestyle.
Patricia Clark
Unity