What a joke
I have a suggestion for the BDN that would probably increase their circulation. Create a joke or laughter section and move everything the president says to that section. Every time I read something he says, I can’t help laughing, as they are truly from the mouth of someone who is not in touch with reality. Just a thought.
Richard Barclay
Holden
Calling shenanigans
I would like to call shenanigans on the robocalls happening in our state. All too often, we get a robocall on a cellphone with either a random in-state number or worse — a trusted number. We answer, only to hear that an “extended warranty offer” on a vehicle that doesn’t exist and that this warranty is about to expire. A sales call.
The devious tactics these companies or individuals use is a method known as “ caller ID spoofing.” This means the caller uses technology to fake the number calling you. It can appear as any person or any entity in our state. It may look like your church, friend or sister is calling you; the call is answered, only to play a pre-recorded sales pitch.
State Sen. Justin Chenette has introduced legislation, LD 277, to stop these frauds from contacting Mainers in this way. This measure will protect us from these nuisance calls, while keeping legal those informational call systems such as school cancellations, emergency calls, etc.
I truly hope that we can find some legislative relief from these time wasting disruptions, which amount to verbal junkmail. Other states have made or are making strong moves with proposals for fines up to $25,000 for intentional “spoofed” calls. It is time we collectively hang up on these irritating and phantom phone calls and put some legal teeth behind protecting us from remote hucksters and digital vultures.
Adam Kirkland
Milford
Carbon tax bill would pay dividends
Climate change is a polarizing issue everywhere, including Congress. So far it has been impossible to pass bipartisan legislation to address it. Citizens Climate Lobby, a national nonpartisan organization, is working on this. They helped bring about last month’s introduction of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act by a bipartisan group in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill would reduce carbon pollution and bring climate change under control by charging a fee on fossil fuels.
The “dividend” is where every citizen could get a payment equal to about $500 per year, to offset the rise in prices resulting from the fee. The entire amount of money raised by the fee imposed on fossil fuels would be returned every year to us in the form of the dividend, keeping our overall yearly expenses from increasing. The idea is to make the energy market gradually drive down the use of fossil fuels, while accelerating development of alternative energy sources, without causing financial hardship to the average citizen.
The bill would create and estimated 2.1 million new jobs over the next decade and gradually reduce the $240 billion lost each year because of air pollution-related health and environmental costs, like those because of the mercury in Maine’s freshwater lakes and streams, and Maine’s high childhood asthma rates.
Bob Lodato
Charleston