Wrong response to attacks
Will the attack in Nice, France, finally be the turning point? We all know it is time to ban airplanes (like those used in the 9/11 attack), small boats (like those used in the attack that almost sank the USS Cole), knives (like those used in the gruesome London attack and countless other beheadings), pressure cookers (like those used by the Boston Bombers) and, obviously, now we need to ban big trucks.
Nonsense. If this is really to be the turning point, it is time we come to our senses, drop the PC rhetoric and focus on the root cause of these increasingly frequent atrocities. For starters, we should identify who is doing/urging/ordering the killing and respond accordingly. Or, we can just continue to talk about banning guns.
Randall Poulton
Winterport
Marble for Senate
I am proud to support Dennis Marble, who is running as an independent for Maine Senate District 10. I have volunteered for Marble since January and have witnessed him knock on hundreds of doors across Hampden, Newport, Glenburn and more. He is, above all, a good listener, intent on hearing the concerns and values of the people in his community.
In contrast, incumbent Sen. Andre Cushing has demonstrated he is more concerned with the wishes of out-of-state corporations and lobbyists. He operates a political action committee that has received $28,000 from out-of-state corporations and special interests this election cycle. Corporate donors to the PAC include Wal-Mart, Visa, AT&T, Spectra Energy and big pharmacy companies such as AstraZeneca. As a candidate, Cushing also has received more than $4,000 in personal contributions from lobbyists and special interests.
Additionally, Cushing’s voting record shows he is not in the corner of middle-class families. He opposed LD 76, which would have brought local property tax relief to middle-class families, while voting to eliminate the Maine estate tax, LD 1622, to help the ultra wealthy. Cushing has furthered the governor’s agenda of increasing the burden on local communities, which put a huge financial weight on school systems such as Newport, the very town Cushing lives in.
Marble will never let big corporations or lobbyists from away influence him. He will always listen to and work for Maine people. That is the kind of representation Mainers need in Augusta, which is why Marble will have my vote on Nov. 8.
Walter Cupples
Hampden
Support for Davitt
During my eight years serving in the Maine House, I have worked with many lawmakers from various backgrounds. During my final term, I’ve had the pleasure of serving alongside Rep. Jim Davitt, D-Hampden. He has stood out as a particularly thoughtful, hard-working representative who brings a broad range of experience in serving the people of Hampden and Newburgh.
A Bronze Star veteran of Vietnam, Davitt has led important efforts to support Maine service members, veterans and their families. As a member of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, Davitt brings his background as an attorney and professor of justice studies to crucial policy discussions about keeping our communities safe. And as a former small business owner, he has a valuable perspective on making our state more prosperous.
As his colleague in the Legislature, I have valued Davitt’s leadership, and I am glad to support him as he runs for re-election. I hope readers in Hampden and Newburgh will join me.
Adam Goode
State Representative
Bangor
Condemn Trump
As an unaffiliated voter, I declined supporting former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the last presidential election. Then and undoubtedly still, I simply disagreed with his positions and policies, but at this moment I write in appreciation of him. It appears that Romney is one of the few members of his political party who possess the ethical backbone and moral clarity to directly rebuke Donald Trump for what he is — a dangerous, narcissistic, and unprincipled demagogue. He is an embarrassment to his party and to our nation.
Romney has rightly observed that Trump is a man who denigrates women, most viciously those who dare to challenge him, is advocating a religious test for entry into our country; is proposing U.S. isolationism through a fortress mentality of physical, social and economic wall building; is disparaging of immigrants; and is an individual who has selfishly served no one but himself in his lifetime. Romney and a few other noble conservatives have spoken bravely; these values, attitudes and behaviors are absolutely contrary to American values regardless of political party.
It is surprising that those with some semblance of having a working moral and ethical compass, as exemplified in our state’s proud reputation of Margaret Chase Smith, remain on the sidelines. This is especially true of Sen. Susan Collins, whose complicit silence becomes more reprehensible by the day.
It’s time for all Americans and especially our acknowledged leaders to follow Romney’s example and soundly reject the politics of division, bigotry, intolerance and hate.
Neal Guyer
Thomaston
Snowmobile damage
One of the groups against a national monument in the Katahdin region is the Maine Snowmobile Association. Concerning this, I have the following questions.
First, how many miles of snowmobile trails are there in Maine? If it is true that there are hundreds of miles, then what more does the association want?
Do snowmobilers always respect the environment? The answer here is no. Years ago there was a snowmobile trail next to a hill in Eagle Lake that offers beautiful views of that lake and the surrounding region. While the trail was in a good scenic location for some snowmobilers, that was not good enough. So they left the main trail and made other trails on top of the hill. Adding insult to injury, they dumped litter on top of the hill.
While the association may view a national monument as a threat, it is possible that the biggest threat facing the association is the unpredictable nature of climate change. Who says that 10 years from now there will be enough snow on which to ride snowmobiles?
Irvin Dube
Madawaska
Protect the loons
When is man going to stop interfering with nature? Maine has the largest lakes, and they provide a quieter nesting place for the loons, with more safety and less human interference such as pollution, boating, than they will find in the much more highly populated area of southern Massachusetts. Why can’t nature be trusted to know what is best for it?
Patricia Watt
Greenville