Reducing the number of pedestrian collisions
Many find it infuriating that there is a steadily increasing number of collisions involving pedestrians in Maine, and an effort to diminish these issues is insufficient.
Data from the Maine Department of Transportation shows that the highest number of accidents involving a pedestrian occur in November and December when the amount of daylight is low. There is also an increase in these incidents in July and August, where people tend to walk; most crashes occur between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. when visibility becomes limited. Collisions are more likely to occur in urban areas where more vehicles and more people are walking outside. The number of incidents involving pedestrians has significantly increased in recent years.
What can we do to prevent or reduce pedestrian collisions? Create more space on the road for people who walk or bike and add more sidewalks to cities where most accidents occur. Maintain sidewalks as often as possible to keep the paint lines on roads and crosswalks visible. Motorists need to slow down and put their cell phones down as well as paying attention to the roadway and what is on it.
There are laws against using a cellphone while driving; it is also common sense. Pedestrians should wear bright colors, a reflective vest, and use a flashlight as the driver may not see them if they are wearing darker clothing. As a result, awareness and education of road laws and safety measures may reduce vehicle-pedestrian related accidents significantly in Maine.
Sean Savoy Jr
Eddington
Mainers should oppose NECEC
Having lived in Maine my entire life, one of the greatest things about the state is that it contains one of the last true wildernesses around. The proposed Central Maine Power corridor would drastically change an area hardly touched by man in western Maine. The corridor would also lessen the value of the pure natural sights that tourists from thousands of miles away come to see.
The proposed corridor is an extremely bad deal for Maine based on the fact that Massachusetts along with Hydro-Quebec are the beneficiaries, while our state is left with the damage and destruction. The construction and clearing of the corridor would harm the animals in the area immensely. The construction could take the animals out of the safe dense forest they are used to living in, into a town or into an area too small for the population — forcing them onto roads more often with an increased likelihood of being hit or killed.
Soon this issue will likely be placed directly into the hands of a Maine voter. Most residents of Maine seem to be against this proposal for clean energy. I believe the continued resistance against the corridor will soon put an end to all talks and discussions of ruining Maine land for Hydro-Quebec to make money while providing Massachusetts with cheap, clean energy.
Robert Tomilson
Veazie
A reality check
My Republican friends seem to have short memories as they have enabled questionable actions from a very untrustworthy president. Numerous bankruptcies, a fraudulent university, beauty pageant scandals, a failed airline, numerous sexual assault allegations, apparent m afia ties and racial discrimination allegations within the rental units he owns are but a few of the president’s pasts “accomplishments”.
Then we hear him belittle political opponents like a school yard bully; swear, rant and insult at a prayer meeting, and disrespect decorated veterans, military personnel and dedicated civil servants.
If this is the new conservatism, I think we need a reality check! President Trump has continued economic growth, but at what costs? We have a growing federal deficit, soaring healthcare and drug costs, a dismantling of environmental protections that will threaten our resources as well as our health, crumbling infrastructure and long term problems with Social Security and Medicare. And Trump gets strong approval ratings from a large swath of America? I find this perplexing.
This is not a good direction, no matter how Trump’s media friends spin it. It means that we as Americans are failing to hold our leaders accountable. We have lost the civil and moral compass that should guide not only our public officials but all of us. Let’s bring back decency, look for common ground, and respect our differences. It will make us a greater nation, and it’s the right thing to do.
Alan Chubba Kane
Gouldsboro
What makes other countries happy
The United Nations issues a World Happiness Report annually — I suggest you read Wikipedia’s description. The U.S. is listed as the 19th happiest country. The following countries have better ratings, and they have something in common — they all have universal health care: Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Charlie Cameron
Addison
National debt perspective
I would like to comment on Michael Cianchette’s column in the Feb. 29-Mar. 1 weekend edition of the BDN, in which he scolds the Democratic presidential candidates for allegedly wanting to add trillions to the national debt.
Once upon a time, long ago, the Republican Party did indeed advocate fiscal restraint by government, but this has hardly been the case in recent decades. Consider the facts: Ronald Reagan increased the national debt by 186 percent, George H.W. Bush by 54 percent, Bill Clinton by 32 percent, and George W. Bush by 101 percent. Yes, Barack Obama increased the debt by 74 percent, but this included an expensive bailout of the U.S. auto industry from the great recession of 2008. And the debt is likely to increase even faster under Donald Trump, who in 2017 gifted corporate leaders with a $1 trillion tax cut.
Phil Locke
Bangor
Coronavirus concerns
There are a lot of internet memes going around mocking Vice President Mike Pence’s appointment as coronavirus czar. While funny, the situation is serious. Making Pence the coronavirus czar is not simple incompetence.
Now, everything from the scientists who are actually capable of dealing with the pandemic must go through Pence’s office. We will likely hear nothing critical of the administration’s policies. We will likely not know how devastating Trump’s proposed cuts to the Centers for Disease Control have been. Like with climate change, it could be just another attempt to replace science with political dogma.
James Buttitta
Hermon