Road funding failures
Our leaders in Washington, D.C., last year passed a sizable transportation bill with imaginary funding. This spending will be paid for by our children and grandchildren as has been the norm coming out of Washington.
Of course the reason for this lack of leadership is our chosen representative’s fear of not getting re-elected. Should we not tire of seeing our elected leaders tripping over themselves to get to a camera or microphone when they secure spending today that gets paid back by our grandchildren?
Big Energy had no problem showing some backbone to raise gas prices 60 cents a gallon because of low prices last winter. Although unpopular, the federal gas tax should have been raised when the bill was passed. Twenty-five cents a gallon would have repaired a lot of deteriorating roads and bridges across this country and Maine and create much-needed jobs.
Richard Ginn
Bucksport
Don’t judge poor
In reply to the June 21 BDN article, “LePage threatens to end state control of food stamp program in Maine,” I wonder if our governor has looked at the list of accepted and unaccepted foods.
His general statement of energy drinks is understood to be all energy drinks. Under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, however, there are different classifications of energy drinks. Those with a nutrition facts label are allowed. Those not allowed have a supplement facts label. There is a difference. One has a point of nutritional balance and one does not. The generalization of one item, that has two different classifications, is in no way a fair representation of a food that needs to be restricted.
Our governor ran on the fact that he grew up poor and understands the poor working family and their issues. The way he has acted during his term has shown that he has apparently forgotten his roots.
The majority of people on food stamps are hard working and try to do the best that they can on their limited income and the stipend of food stamps. Not everyone is buying energy drinks or junk food. Those that do, may have a reason to. Or maybe they are buying treat items for their children that month.
We do not know each person’s budget, family composition or situation. Who are we to judge the poor and what they purchase? Yes, it’s tax dollars that they are spending. But that is pennies from the taxes we pay. Where is the outrage over big companies and their tax credits and special treatments? That is where the taxpayers are hit hard.
Debra Lord
Brewer
Sad about solar
Many of us are sad that electricity produced by solar voltaics is not going to be publically supported in Maine by the program proposed by LD 1649. We think of solar as the power source that will give us a viable alternative to the well-subsidized fossil fuels that are driving climate change and are a serious source of water and air pollution.
Pollution used to be considered “the smell of money” in paper company towns, so, out of consideration for this lack of sensitivity, state support for solar installation has been promoted largely as a job creator, a logic that seems to work well for lowering the taxes of the rich.
And though this reasoning recently worked for state support for failing biomass, solar installation jobs are perceived as being niche work for customers who can afford to put up some money themselves, and represents an element of widespread class resentment.
There is also a problem with our faith in solar power: It would take huge surfaces covered with photovoltaics to give us much of the power we need to replace fossil fuel use, carbon dioxide generation, and our transportation and heating oil consumption. Cutting back our high fossil fuel energy use, to the point where solar and wind could actually cover our needs, does not seem to be considered.
We seem unable to realize that cutting back and learning how to use electric power when it is there is really called for, and should be subsidized, incentivized, publicized public policy. Put climate change on the table. We can’t keep hiding from it.
Beedy Parker
Camden
Attend band concert
What better way to spend a warm summer evening than to attend a Bangor Band concert at the waterfront; excellent music, an enthusiastic audience and playing children.
If you missed the concert last Tuesday night, be sure to take in the others that are coming along weekly.
Bill and Ruth Shook
Bangor
Yes on school funding
I’m a political science teacher at Winslow High School and have taught in Maine schools for the last 31 years. My family has a long history in education with both of my parents also being teachers.
I’m writing to ask Mainers to support the question on the November ballot that will “Stand Up For Students.”
Stand Up for Students is about tax fairness and adequately funding our public schools. We want to give every kid, no matter where he or she lives, the opportunity to learn and grow. We want our students to stay in Maine and to build futures here. We want to attract new families who will want to send their kids to schools in this state.
This ballot question will ask the wealthiest Mainers to chip in a little more so that our schools are properly funded. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of seeing those with the highest incomes getting tax break after tax break, with the promise that the economy will magically improve.
I’m tired of seeing important programs like industrial arts, foreign language, or music being cut due to lack of funds. I’m tired of state government ignoring its obligation to fund education at the level that the people told them to. I’m tired of local governments being pitted against their schools, fighting for resources, because the state won’t fund its share.
And I’m tired of knowing that there are students in this state who don’t have the same opportunities as others, simply because of their address. Please support our students and public schools.
Michael Thurston
Whitefield