Do the right thing
I have to admit that, although a registered Democrat, I had been planning on taking the pragmatic way out by voting for Angus King in November (while holding my nose, to be sure). This was because I was afraid of a repeat of the events that made Paul LePage governor — how could we afford to do that again in the senate race?
Things are so bleak right now, and the idea of sending someone like Charlie Summers to Washington was the most horrible thing I could imagine.
But this morning I watched Matthew Dunlap’s speech from the Democratic convention last weekend and he changed my mind. In it he said, “meeting the Tea Party halfway will still take us back half a century.” Truer words were never spoken, and now that is the most horrible thing I can imagine. I’m actually embarrassed to think that I was going to give in instead of gearing up for the fight. Now, though, instead of holding my nose in November, I’ll work until then to convince my Democrat friends to do the right thing along with me.
Kelly Hewins
Corinna
Camera shots
Daryl DeJoy’s statements about compensatory coyote reproduction and the futility of killing coyotes in order to kill more deer are truths that should be reinforced in the public mind ( June 1 BDN OpEd).
The so-called “blood sports,” of long tradition in Maine, are here to stay for many more years. Nonetheless, the killing of wild animals for pleasure no longer passes everyone’s sportsmanship test.
Hunting seems headed, way down the road, the way of bear baiting, dog fighting and more. Hunters of good conscience will admit in private that what they do is a throwback to a primitive age, that their “sport” must eventually give way to the sanctions of modern culture.
Would you consider trading your rifle for a camera, old sport?
Willard Morse
Pembroke
Wind power
Gov. LePage is right in questioning the government subsidies and viability of industrial wind power projects on Maine mountains. But he fails to take into account that other energy sources, including fossil fuels and nuclear, also rely on government subsidies and other kinds of preferential treatment. Furthermore, large-scale, industrial energy production, whatever the resource, requires large-scale energy investments and destroys our environment.
What is lost in the exchange between industrial wind advocates and the fossil fuel interests favored by the governor is that we do have less destructive alternatives.
Energy conservation through building weatherization, more energy-efficient modes of transportation and more clustered community designs can reduce the total amount of energy that we consume. We need to insulate our homes, use more hybrid vehicles, use railroads and mass transportation whenever possible and reduce suburban sprawl.
Small-scale, localized energy production methods, such as solar panels and small windmills on homes and other buildings, would produce at least some of the energy we need at the place where it is being used, cutting down on the need for expensive investments for electric transmission facilities, while feeding any excess into the electric grid.
Large-scale industrial energy projects mainly benefit the large corporations that promote them as our only energy alternatives. They are not our only alternatives. If we pursue smaller-scale, less-destructive alternatives, we will do more to combat global warming while having fewer other negative effects on the earth on which we depend for our very existence.
John Maddaus
Orono
Wind power, no free lunch
Free power from wind sounds almost too good to be true. Unfortunately, it is — there’s no free lunch.
Consider the wind project at Passadumkeag Mountain. Within an eight-mile range of the mountain, there are at least eight beautiful lakes affected, lakes classed as significant or outstanding by the 1987 Maine Wildlands Lake Assessment. Scenic views will be affected, sound and light pollution introduced and wildlife habitat, including those of bald eagles, degraded and fragmented.
If landowners like me want to sell, property values may decrease, perhaps by as much as 15-40 percent, as has happened in other states. Furthermore, tourists avoid wind tower areas.
Who benefits from the Passadumkeag Mountain project? None of the electricity will be used in Maine. It’s contracted to an out-of-state company and will be sent to a Massachusetts electric company to boost their green quotient. Profits go to a private equity company in Texas, which invests in oil and natural gas as well as wind. As for job creation, short-term construction jobs exist, but long term, very few Mainers will find technical jobs with wind companies.
When I travel, people I speak to universally love Maine. However, soon I may hear, “Oh yes, I used to vacation in Maine, but now there are so many wind towers that it’s not pleasant and pristine like it used to be.” Maine’s primary industry is tourism. I resent out of state companies stomping all over us, damaging our economy, our land and our wildlife to generate profits.
Helen Klocko
Old Town
Transit of Venus
I brought out my Jason 454 Discover telescope — that I bought at Value House in 1977 — around 5 p.m. June 5. I had no idea when the transit of Venus was going to take place. At latitude 44.830N and longitude -68.940W, the coordinates of my house in Hermon, I saw the transit of the planet Venus across the sun.
Around 6:10 p.m. I viewed contact, in which the outer edge of Venus hit the outer edge of the sun, and at 6:27 p.m. Venus was totally surrounded by the sun. I kept on viewing to around 6:50 p.m., when the clouds came rolling in. What an awesome event to witness live; I even made my wife come outside to view it. I wonder how many people in Maine actually viewed it.
This event will not happen for another 105.5 years, on December 11, 2117, but will not be able to be viewed in Maine until December 8, 2125. I will remember this event, along with the time I saw Haley’s Comet in 86, the rest of my life. How cool is that?
Terry White
Hermon
Lights out
My husband and I drove on Route 1A from Bangor to Ellsworth June 3 in pouring rain. We noticed cars coming in the opposite direction without any lights on and started counting them. Expecting a dozen or so, we were shocked to count 47. That meant they had no taillights on for the cars behind them. Many other cars just had their automatic running lights on, also, with no taillights.
This is a real safety issue. Drivers being aware of lights will reduce accidents.
Doris Masten
Hancock
Ms. Hewins, I agree that we Democrats should vote for Matt Dunlap in the primary.
Come November we will have to look at the polls and vote strategically. There are tens of thousands of Libby Mitchell supporters who look at Paul LePage and wish they had voted for Elliott Cutler. Quite frankly, Angus King is a more acceptable choice than was Cutler.
Willard Morse- “Hunters of good conscience will admit in private that what they do is a throwback to a primitive age, that their “sport” must eventually give way to the sanctions of modern culture.
Would you consider trading your rifle for a camera, old sport?”
I LOVE my hunting. So the answer to your question? Ummm, no
I get the tracking and watching but never got the killing. this isn’t the 1850’s. We have grocery stores everywhere.
I have nothing but respect for the families that feed the family through a garden and hunting but personally, taking a trip far out of the way just to kill an animal is kinda dumb. the need for an animal head seems kinda silly
‘Yea, yea, Gronk, we get it, you killed a deer with very little skill on your part”
At least use a bow. I wish the Deer had Uzi’s. I would watch that, rooting for the animals.
Great thing about America,choice!If you want to go hunting go hunting.If you don’t,stay home…
I was responding to a POST. I don’t have a personal vendetta out, I never even talk about it. It’s part of this discussion and i’m entitled to my opinion. I’m not calling for a ban I kjust think people can find something g better to do then kill animals. I know all about population control and other factors. The problem is that blood lust appears to be the only REAL factor.
I’ll have you stay out of my neighborhood as well. Don’t need anymore people ill-equipt to handle guns running around.
Of course most gun owner’s are very responsible but just like everything else, it’s not the good stuff you hear.
I mean really, you can’t even tell what something is but you’re apt to shoot anyway because ya’ll don’t have the sense to make sure it’s not a person. THAT”S the sole purpose of wearing orange?? How intelligent do you think that makes hunter’s appear?
You’re getting a little hysterical ;I can almost hear your voice getting higher. Sorry, but I’d much rather eat my venison than the junk at the grocery store- which by the way was also ” killed” and probably in a much less humane manner. Hunting isnt going away. And I won’t ask you into my cabin to see my trophy horns on the walls.
I will repeat what you OBVIOUSLY didn’t read .
I have no qualm with anyone who hunts for food.I have several relatives that do just that.
Someone coming to the state with the sole purpose of killing an animal and having a head are the people I was referring to. I mean how masculine can you really feel. A helpless animal and a gun Oh yea, that’s a fair fight. Tell me you use a bow. I may regain a modicum of respect for you.
By the way, the tough redneck talk?? Does that ever work on anybody?
Sounds hysterical to me. I like to use a camera, but also like my rifle, shot 6 deer last season.
6???
She lives in Mississippi.
You obviously know nothing about hunting if you think it’s easy to bag one. With a gun or bow. Oh yea, and the ” tough redneck talk” works well for this female. :)
Please, It’s pretty obvious you’re female. The point was the cool tough guy/girl doesn’t impress.
I’m thinking you like a little country music. A new theme song perhaps.
So much cooler online.
ha ! Good one! Even I laughed at that. Mr. Marrow- I wasn’t trying to impress you or anyone. Way too old for that. We are all here to simply state our opinions. Mine are the love of hunting and the taste of venison. Excuse me if I get overly defensive when someone attacks the sport I love. Have a great day!
To gamey for me. My mom’s sister always had plenty of real mince meat around. used to eat it right out of the jars.
I’m from Northern Maine. I really do understand the sport. I just don’t care for the idea of killing animals. Matter of fact recently i’m having difficulty eating meat at all. All I can think is “I’m eating the flesh of an animal, YUCK Not to mention that meat doesn’t properly digest until it rots in one’s stomach. YUCK, YUCK”
Energy conservation through building weatherization, more energy-efficient modes of transportation and more clustered community designs can reduce the total amount of energy that we consume. We need to insulate our homes, use more hybrid vehicles, use railroads and mass transportation.
The average car on the road is 11 years old.. Who will pay for Hybrids?
Remolding communities?Who will pay for this?
There are buses in Bangor. How many people with cars do you think ride a bus? Most of the country isn’t designed like New York
Are you perhaps referring to the railroad to nowhere in California?
The typical BAT bus rider is a person with a driver’s license in a two-wage household where one wage-earner drives to work. I got this from a transportation planner at Bangor Area Comprehensive Transportations Systems (BACTS). A two-adult household saves nearly $7000 a year when one adult uses public transportation instead of a car to get to work. This money goes back into the local economy. You don’t need the population density of New York for public transportation to work. In a city like Bangor, it is one of the most effective economic stimulants we have, plus it reduces carbon emissions and conserves energy. It’s a win-win-win. Now let’s get extended evening hours.
I don’t care were you got the stats I rode the bus from 08-11 and I can tell you that almost all do not have car. It is primarily poor people on the bus. I saw an id shoot a gun off once. I stood at Pickering square watching the animals get on and off jthe bus. yelling and swearing. Looking for a fight. I have friends that will walk to work because of the people on the bus.
Ride the bat for a week. Then tell me what you’ve described is true.
Don’t you think if the demand were there they would extend the hours.
What you’ve described sounds like someone putting out propaganda
I have ridden the BAT for the past five years, thank you very much, approximately 300 times a year. The bad behavior you describe is mostly attributable to people hanging out in Pickering Square, not bus passengers. And there is widespread support for extended evening hours among the many passengers with whom I engage in civil conversation.
Then you know as well as I that most riders do not come from two income families nor do they have cars. If you take the buses out of town you’re less apt to see those i’m referring to. Stillwater, gotta love the people nodding out after a pick up from Acadia. Airport mall, favored route of your local shoplifter, that and Broadway. and Brewer. TJ Max, Marshall’s, Mardens and really any dollar store.
Of course there are good people taking the bus. I’ve never stated otherwise. The problem is that as in so many other cases the bad is a lot more obvious than the good.
We really don’t have an argument here. Improvements in public transportation will encourage more of those you characterize as “good” people to use it. Of course the bus will always be used by those who don’t have an economic choice, but it is called public transportation because it’s available to everyone. My beef is with those who equate public transportation with welfare, and sterotype bus passengers as losers.
“Good” was a poor choice of words.
I’m very aware of addiction and mental health issues but there comes a line where a person is just “unscrupulous” and not to be trusted. That, is not the other guy on the bus’s problem or responsibility. They just want to feel comfortable and safe.As I said, I was on the Bus when the mor-on fired a gun off by accident. There has been more publicity recently on Pickering Square. (as though this spring were any different then any other)
How about this one. There’s a little old woman that takes the bus quite often. She uses depends. She was almost always soiled when I saw her.She takes a seat in the bus, thereby wiping her urine all over the seat. This doesn’t mean she’s a bad person but I would really like to see things like that addressed. I pointed it out. I suspect nothing was ever done.Worked out particularly well on the cloth seats on the brewer bus. Been awhile since I’ve taken a bus. Gee wonder why.
I don’t know about reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy. I have watched the buses at Pickering Square stand and idle their engines, spewing their pollutants all over the square. I have sat and waited to pick up my children at the Middle School and watched the buses, about 8 of them at once, park about 8 – 10 minutes before dismissal times and run those engines. This is not conserving energy and definitely not reducing carbon emissions. It is polluting the environment in which these students walk to their waiting rides. And yes, most of the cars waiting to pick up the students also idle their engines contributing to the pollution. Not exactly a win-win-win situation in my humble opinion.
Kelly Hewins:
We may want to go back a half century in time when people stood on their own two feet and whole populations were not at the taxpayer’s entitlement teat. There was a time when people would do whatever it took to get by. Today the first choice is to put out their palms to say they are entitled. Think back a half century when Maine was a proud state; proud of its work ethic and accomplishments, compared to where Maine is today floundering as a welfare state. Think back when families were as important as alternate lifestyles. Yes, going back a half a century in some eyes would be moving forward.
Well said.
Only if you like hateful things being said.
The truth hurts.
It’s not the truth I see. I’m proud to be from Maine and I’m proud to say I’m from Maine. I don’t make sweeping and baseless generalizations about my neighbors. I see the lot of them have an amazing work ethic and a great attitude. The loud and hateful ones are the very small minority.
All good and well. A half century ago the average HS grad or even dropout could find work in manufacturing with wages that would support their family. They got medical coverage as part of their benefits package.
Today our once proud shoe manufacturing plants are all but shut down. Moved to Asia. Our once proud textile industry has packed up and moved to Asia and Latin-America. Our once proud steel industry has packed up and gone to Asia.
And by all means, we should blame jobs going over seas on those who happen to be on welfare. It must be their fault.
Sure we can. They obviously voted in all those politicians that gave tax breaks to the supper wealthy. Which gave them the wearwithall to pay for the dismanteling of US factories and the building of factories overseas. All hail Reaganomics!!!! All hail Bushanomics!!!!
Then go back. The rest of us will remain here and continue to evolve.
Based upon your knuckle dragging posts you are the one who needs to evolve the most
….
Oh for the days before we compiled $15 trillion in federal debt!
Oh for the days when the Dr. said Cancer you made funeral arrangements.
Oh for the days when we went to war and actually kicked some but to the point that the losers didn’t ever want to do that again.
Oh for the days when if you told a teacher to go ‘F’ themselves there were responses that made you not want to do that again.
Oh for the days when every holiday weekend we counted the dead from car accidents in the 500 plus range.
Oh for the days, there were good ones and bad ones, which will never change. Our kids and grandkids will be looking at today saying oh for the days.
Going back 50 years also means our social progress goes back. Rights for women, civil rights, etc. Can we find a candidate that is socially progressive and fiscally responsible? Is there anyone out there?
think about it, that what the old white men want.
Boy, that’s a prejudicial sexist racist statement!
White — it’s very cool! Our solar system is an amazing thing.
Willard Morse
For every one that you save, I’ll eat three.
you eat coyote?
Tase like cheekin!
Kelly Hewins – Dunlap is wrong on the Tea Party, just like most hard left Democrats. But, let’s just say that he is right when he said “meeting the Tea Party halfway will still take us back half a century.” Would you rather go back 50 years or continue with the push into the abyss?
Dunlap was only wrong as to distance the Tea Party would sale us backwards through the winds of time. They wish to travel back 80 years, back to 1932, before the New Deal, when one third of the nation was mired in poverty. Privatizing Social Security and Medicare will surely return us to those desperate times. You may long for the Great Depression, but I do not.
There is no push towards the abyss beyond where the Tea Party is trying to drag us to. They’re extremists, plain and simple.
Amen EJ!
Going back isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes you have to go back a bit before you can move forward on the right path. America has been hurtling down the wrong road for decades now and its time to get thing set right.
The entitlement teat is exactly the right term for it too. The Welfare system needs a total overhaul because its completely out of control just like the rest of our government. Its done nothing but create more dependents that we the tax payers have to support, but can’t claim on our tax return. Of course if we did reform the system the Left wing socialists would never win an election.
Now THAT would be change we can all live with.
You are correct, kind of like when you get hung up, you back up and make another run at it…
John Maddaus – Granted, oil is subsidized, but only to the tune of 13% of all energy subsidies. But, the subsidies for oil come back to the government 4 fold, plus the produce many more jobs than wind will ever produce. The subsidies for wind and solar are nothing more than giveaways. And these monstrosities that are ruining the natural beauty in Maine won’t pay for themselves until they’re worn out and need replacement, even with the subsidies.
Helen Klocko – You are spot on. I grew up in Maine and love to visit from time to time, but will not spend my hard earned money to vacation with the turbines. It brings a tear to my eye every time I see how these costly monstrosities are ruining one of the most beautiful states in the nation.
Why subsidize what’s profitable?
In the case of oil, it’s more of an investment than a subsidy. In the case of wind and solar, it’s a giveaway.
The Taxed Enough Already people are representing the squawkers, also, but the latter do not even relaize it.
It is a law in Maine that headlights must be on when the wipers are going–guess not everyone is aware of it after all these years?
Willard Morse – Thanks for trying to force your views on hunters. I carry a camera…..and a rifle. And I don’t need others around me to wear orange, the safety doesn’t even come off until I have positively identified my target and the safety of the shot.
Doris Masten great letter! I have noticed it more as well, people do not put their lights on in rainy foggy weather. I learned in drivers ed that when the windshield wipers went on so did the lights. Isn’t this what we pay law enforcement for!
Just curious, webmaster, as to why the comment from this poster on Monday’s letters was flagged for review.
Probably because you spoke the truth. BDN really frowns on the truth, don’t you know.
Sensitive too…LOL
Helen Klocko, thanks for taking the time to write about Grid scale Wind destroying Maine. God Bless
Willard Morse, when I can eat the pictures I take with my camera, maybe then I can put down the rifle. Until then, don’t judge others for a way of life you don’t understand.
Helen Klocko’s observations about the ill-sited Passadumkeag Mountain industrial wind project are correct. One affected body of water she failed to mention is Porter Pond. Porter is classified as a “Remote Trout Pond” and is therefore, by law, supposed to be preserved “as is”.
Considering the energy it takes to work and come up with the taxes and pay the electricity bill, nobody can tell me it doesn’t cost more energy to run the windmills than they return.
Helen Klocko – Please name an ugly place in the state you would consider suitable for wind power.
As an anti wind activist who has never been a political activist I think we are lucky to have LePage speak out against wind but we need action as well- legislation to stop the continued ruination of lakes, forests, people’s health and bribes from the greed not green oriented wind companies and people like Baldacci and Angus King- who brought this murderous atrocity to the beautiful State of Maine..besides killing birds and bats in numbers I also agree with the other topic discusses that wild animals should be able to live their lives and not be slaughtered..who are we to judge the eco-system and think we can create our own? That ties back in to the ineffective wind industry as well- please people of Maine force lePage and other politicians to reverse the Expedited Wind Law that Baldacci snuck in rapidly and put a moratorium on all projects that have not gone up yet..the hysteria around needing wind farms matches that of the witches burned to the stake..as my relative Samuel Sewall a judge in Mass repented after he sent women to their death I think the Mainers who allowed themselves to be bribed and have no voice with the gag agreements they signed will repent what they have allowed to be done to our amazing State.
Hewins: “Things are so bleak right now, and the idea of sending someone like Charlie Summers to Washington was the most horrible thing I could imagine.”
And why do you think things are so bleak? Do you know what $15 trillion looks like? That is the amount of our federal debt as of today, although when you tally the unfunded mandates we have piled up, the amount is closer to $100 trillion. Take a look:
http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html
Hope that woke you up.
Summers will go to DC to cut the size and scope of the federal budget. No other candidate in this race can be trusted to acccomplish this critically important task.
Turn your glasses around, Ms. Hewins – you seem to be looking at everything backwards.
No one that has pledged to Norquist, is fit to State of Maine.
I hunt birds and used to hunt deer. Unless you’re a vegan you should not complain about my free-range, organic meat eating habit. That said, I disagree with the bounty hunting on coyotes. This is unnecessary killing for pleasure. Studies also show that the deer population problems are mostly weather and habitat problems. Coyotes mostly eat rodents ect. or perhaps injured deer.
I disagree. On my property I have seen coyotes take down many a deer, – it’s an awful thing to witness.
I didn’t say coyotes never take down a deer, they do. It is still not the major reason for the decline in deer population. The bounty on the coyote is what gives all hunters a bad name. It essentially shows people and teaches our children that if we do not like something… kill it.
Mr. Morse,
Forget the science foolishness. It isn’t practical when it comes to controling coyote populations. What we should do is put the coyote under the control of the Federal Government. In 5 years they will be extinct. Just look at what they have done to the Atlantic Salmon populations.
Kelly Hewins….You have it half right. I am an Independent. I like Matt Dunlap and if Angus King were not running, Matt Dunlap would be my choice. That said Angus King is my choice.
However, what Matt Dunlap stated about the Tea Party is not true we would not have been brought back. The Republicans used the Tea Party in 2010. Where was the Tea Party in this election cycle? They got thrown overboard by the Republicans. Not all people in the Tea Party were on the same page. Some were Republicans, Independents and even some Democrats. Once it was clear who was affiliated with who it kind of fizzled. So in my view it would be the Republican party that you would have to hold your nose for.
The Republicans may tout the “Tea Party”…there is no Tea Party or few remnants. They have no power, no organization and no influence.