Take waterfront fence down
The Waterfront Concerts season for 2016 has concluded. In the blue tarp days, the precedent was set for the removal of the tarps in the off-season. When will the fencing be removed to restore a view of the Penobscot River and the waterfront on which the city has spent so much money, restoring it so that residents and visitors alike can once again see the Penobscot from both sides of the river?
Michael P. Gleason
Bangor
Don’t text and drive
Another person suffered serious injuries reportedly because of texting while driving, as reported in a Sept. 5 Bangor Daily News article. Yet, both state and federal agencies charged with promoting highway safety persist in addressing the gravity of the issue through the newspaper and television media, overlooking the fact that drivers don’t read newspapers or watch television while driving. As a result, such effort has little more than a token effect, if that. Radio airplay is the only viable solution to the problem: People need to be reached while they’re driving and that means messages over the radio.
Here are four messages they need to receive:
The National Safety Council estimates that cellphone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.
Nearly 330,000 injuries occur each year from crashes caused by texting while driving.
One in four car accidents in the United States is caused by texting while driving.
Texting while driving is six times more likely to cause a crash than driving drunk.
Phil Tobin
Ellsworth
Proud to serve with Davitt
As House chair of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Democratic Rep. Jim Davitt of Hampden over the past two years. His expertise has been invaluable in crafting legislation on key issues. Davitt is running for re-election in the race for House District 101.
As a lawyer and professor of justice studies, he brings an especially valuable perspective on serious issues such as the drug crisis and domestic violence prevention.
Davitt has worked hard to build relationships across the aisle to implement common-sense solutions to some of the most pressing challenges our state faces. He’s led efforts to support our law enforcement officers as they combat drug trafficking and advocating for measures to help law enforcement agencies recruit and retain the dedicated officers who keep our state safe.
Davitt is deeply committed to working in a bipartisan way to keep his district and all of Maine a safe place to live, work and raise a family. I am proud to serve alongside him.
Rep. Lori Fowle
Vassalboro
LePage over the line
For the past six years, the people of Maine have endured the unprecedented irrational behavior of our governor. But this latest tantrum directed at Rep. Drew Gattine of Westbrook was proof positive that Gov. Paul LePage is not fit to govern anything.
He has crossed the line. LePage is an egotistical, vain, crude, incompetent buffoon.
The ball is now in the Legislature’s court. The punishment, regardless of party, should be swift and severe. If they do nothing but a slap on the wrist, it is time for serious evaluation of the people we elect and send to Augusta to represent us.
Donald Madden
Milford
Fogelman for House District 137
Democrat Laurie Fogelman is running to represent the best of our Maine values in Maine House District 137, which encompasses towns in Penobscot, Hancock and Washington counties.
The district’s representative, Republican Rep. Lawrence Lockman, is a divisive man intently focused on anti-worker, anti-social service and anti-family initiatives. He failed for many years to fulfill his obligation to society by not paying income taxes. Lockman has consistently voted against programs that could help his district, such as the minimum wage and Medicaid expansion.
Incredibly, he once said that that if women have the right to abortion then men should be free to rape women. Lockman refuses to reject the kind of abuse dished out by the filthy-mouthed man in the governor’s chair and actively promotes racism. There is a far better choice.
Fogelman has worked to ensure that Mainers in all towns, large and small, are provided the opportunity to flourish. Fogelman supports the right of every Mainer to decent housing, decent jobs with livable wages, adequate health care and food on the table regardless of their circumstances in life. Fogelman has been a champion of women’s rights, single mothers and children, as well as those in the LGBT community.
She is past president of the Ellsworth Rotary. She has fought domestic violence and knows how to improve our society for all by insuring that the state treats all of its people with the dignity and respect they deserve. Fogelman is the only responsible and mature candidate in the race for District 137.
Duane Lugdon
Bradley
Adults fail to do the right thing
So now we’ve decided to leave Gov. Paul LePage’s words “ the enemy right now … are people of color or people of Hispanic origin” echoing through school hallways. And we accept these to be the last words on the subject — as spoken by the most powerful person in the state.
It’s clear that Maine’s adults are incapable of holding themselves accountable. And our children have noted our convenient justification of racism. And they get that, suddenly, the abuse and violence of “c—sucker” and “right between the eyes” is allowable.
We’ve worked hard to raise responsible, kind and peace-loving kids. And right now, it seems they’re better equipped than most adults to do the right thing. So, maybe we should let them show us the way.
Every single elected representative in this state owes every single resident of this state a thorough explanation as to why they disagree or agree with the governor’s statement regarding “the enemy.”
Maine’s grown-ups have failed. But Maine’s youth can help correct our mistakes because they have an opportunity to steer the future by contacting their legislators and asking, politely, for the truth.
Lisa Wilson
Yarmouth