Letters to the editor, Week of October 20, 2016

Theriault and solar, my choice, Glowa

To the editor:

I was very disappointed in our current Maine Representative for Albion, Benton and China, Tim Theriault. He essentially voted against the Solar bill LD1649, “An Act To Mordernize Maine’s Solar Power Policy and Encourage Economic Development” during the last legislature. This win-win bill would have lead to a big ramp-up of solar in Maine. This bipartisan bill had support from Maine solar companies, the environmental community, workers, towns, community leaders, and many others.

This bill passed in the Maine House and Senate but was vetoed by the governor. The night before the legislature was to attempt to override the vote. I spoke with Tim and he said that he “Supported Solar” and he even has solar panels on his own home. He did not say to me, “but I do not support this bill.” He did say this to my wife when confronted in the statehouse the next day before he “walked” with five other representatives. He can say, “I didn’t vote against it.” He just didn’t vote and the veto was sustained. Bummer! We need a legislator who can stand up for what they believe and vote against Gov. LePage on bills like this that have bipartisan support. This is why I plan to vote for John Glowa. I hope and expect a new solar bill like this will pass in January by a veto proof majority.

Bob OConnor
South China

Clarifies candidate’s visit

To the editor:

Mr. Glowa, this letter is to clarify your response to Mr. Carrol White printed in The Town Line on October 13, 2016. I was one of quite a few people sitting around the campfire the evening you came campaigning. First of all, you should have assumed that some sort of function was taking place and excused yourself saying that you could return to discuss your campaign at another time. We were not having an alcohol-consumed party as you try to make it out but rather we were all family members gathered around grieving the death of our dad, husband and grandfather that passed away the morning before. Yes, it is true some of us were having an alcoholic beverage but is it a crime and should that have even entered into your response at all? The only reason you would have brought this matter up, in your response, would be to make the readers believe we were a bunch of rowdy drunks.

Some of us commenced to ask you questions regarding your thoughts on subjects that were important to us. We asked you questions regarding hunting, fishing, trapping, our governor’s accomplishments and how you felt about the North Woods National Park not the North Woods National Monument (two entirely different things) to which you replied it was a “no brainer.” A “no brainer” in your mind perhaps but that was not our sentiments. Because the majority of us did not agree on any subject we discussed you became very rude, defensive and almost to the point of being confrontational. You were asked to leave because our conversations were obviously going nowhere. You did not leave as asked and at that point you were ordered to leave….you still did not go. You left only after one of my siblings escorted you to your vehicle.

Is the main goal of your campaign to insult peoples’ intelligence because our philosophies differ or to ridicule us for consuming alcohol on private property? Regardless of your answer I can guarantee that everyone there that evening will not be voting for you on election day. Our votes will go to [Tim] Theriault. He is someone we could trust to tell the truth and would not become rude and confrontational should it be we disagreed.

Laura Pierce
China

Rebuttal to the rebuttal

To the editor:

I re-iterate again the fact that this country is on a Titanic path, and to be concerned about the wolf population in Maine is ridiculous. We have those who, even with the Obamacare nonsense, can’t afford medical care; we have families going hungry, businesses that can’t afford the premiums required to cover their employees and the on-going mess concerning abortion rights. For John Glowa to state that he never advocated bringing wolves into Maine doesn’t square with what he has been advocating for years. I have a copy of an email sent by Glowa congratulating Tim Theriault on his election to the House [of Representatives] and suggesting a multi-faceted submission of wildlife legislation. Glowa founded the Maine Wolf Coalition and this has been his major concern for a number of years, and has been frustrated by the legislature for not acting on his wishes.

He also writes: “it is my hope as one of your constituents, that unlike your predecessor, you make your mark in the legislature and do more than just keep your chair seat in the State House warm for the next eight years.” There are very few people that were more dedicated than Dave Cotta in his legislative duties during the time he served, as well as his answering the call from his country during the Vietnam era. I can assure you that he didn’t just keep his seat warm. A sophomoric political statement and confirms your propensity for personal attacks.

Then, there is the Carroll White situation. I wasn’t there, but I have known the family for over 50 years, and during my 22 years of serving on every elective and appointive position in town, his father-in-law, Roy Dow, was one of the most honest, good and hard-working men I’ve ever known. When you arrived, the family was celebrating his life after the funeral, and you stated, “a number of people were sitting around a campfire consuming alcohol.” My goodness, they were having a drink which, if I’m not mistaken, is perfectly legal. Why would you say that? Are you suggesting that there was too much alcohol involved which caused the confrontation? You also state that the last five to six years you were employed you were given so little work that you had nothing to do some 90 percent of the time, and you were not proud of that. This brings up the questions of why you were not given any work to do, and why did you stay in such a situation?

Tim Theriault needs no further accolades from me, they’ve already been stated and he deserves to be re-elected.

Don Pauley
China

A nation for all peoples

To the editor:

I am writing in response to Mr. Gene V. Graves letter in the October 13, 2016, issue of The Town Line, entitled “Christians Need to Get Involved.” While I applaud Mr. Graves for urging ordinary people to get involved in our political process, I object to him perpetuating the falsehood that the United States is somehow a “Christian Nation” and that our Founding Fathers were all of the Christian religion or based our nation on “Christian principles”.

This is a myth spread by the Christian Religious Right, and not only is it insulting to those who do not fall under the Christian persuasion, it is downright false.

John Adams said, “The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”

And Thomas Jefferson, who published his own bible (the “Jefferson Bible”) in which he removed all of Jesus’ miracles and all references to the resurrection, once wrote in a letter to John Adams, “The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus by the Supreme Being in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. … But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding….”

Thomas Paine, author of the The Age of Reason, was a deist, called Christianity “a fable” and made a public confession of faith where he said, “I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and in endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.”

Were there Christians among our Founding Fathers? Of course. And I’m not saying otherwise. I’m simply pointing out that our Founding Fathers believed many things and to imply that they were of a single religion is not only not true, but unnecessarily limiting.

In fact, our Founding Fathers went to great lengths to ensure that we would not be considered a Christian Nation, but a nation for all peoples. I would challenge Mr. Graves to find a single mention of God anywhere in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. Our Founding Fathers very intelligently used the term “Creator” in the Declaration of Independence rather than God because even atheists can recognize nature as their creator (lower case ‘c’ though), and the term excludes no one.

And that is why I dislike this myth that we are a Christian Nation: because it is exactly opposite to the spirit our Founding Fathers intended. It excludes rather than includes.

People should be ashamed of spreading this falsehood in an era of information where ignorance is so easily rectified. I recommend Mr. Graves meet Google and do some research into the actual founding of our great nation.

Eric W. Austin
South China

Stan Zeigler supporter

To the editor:

I’ve known Stan Zeigler, of Montville, for a long time. He is running for the Maine House in District #96.

When I first met him he was working in the woods of northern Maine as a professional logger. He then worked for several years with handicapped and abused teenagers. He often took the young people on supervised trips in order to broaden their horizons. One of his traits is to do more for others than is expected, without being showy about it.

In the late 1970s, Stan went back to school in marine technology at the University of Southern Maine. He got a job on ocean-going vessels as a seaman and proceeded to work his way up the ladder to third mate, then second mate, first officer, and, in his last service, as captain of the Research Vessel Marcus Langseth. He has seen a lot more of the world than most of us, but his anchor is here in Montville, where he built his house with his own hands and lives with his wife, Bernice.

About 20 years ago, part of the aluminum roof on my barn blew off in a January storm. There was a crop of hay inside and animals to feed. The roof had to be repaired before the next storm. Stan was home from the sea and came every day up a ladder in the cold wind until that roof was nailed down again. He never asked for anything, and he has been equally generous with his time with many others.
Stan’s main policy concern is with rising local property taxes. Most Mainers have been squeezed by increasing property taxes in recent years. The statistics show that middle and lower income Americans now typically pay a larger percentage of their incomes in taxes – when you include all taxes – federal, state and local – than do the wealthiest Americans. It’s no secret that the after-tax income of the top one percent has skyrocketed. The candidate at the top of the Republican ticket this year has pronounced himself smart for paying little or no federal income taxes, even though he is one of the wealthiest men in the country. His and Governor [Paul] LePage’s solution to our economic problems is more tax cuts for upper income people. Please vote for someone who will work hard for real tax fairness, Stanley Paige Zeigler.

Eugene Bryant
Palermo

Vote No on Question 3

To the editor:

As a former member of the NRA and owner of a pistol and rifle, and also passed a background check, the following dawned on me.

Question 3 needs to be defeated because, too late for me and others who passed, but in my opinion this law is a government “stealth” way to keep records on all us law abiding citizens. Why? Just like in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the regime feared a possible uprising. How to be ahead of this possibility? Have all citizens register their weapons. By the late ‘30s, with all gun owners registered, the Gestapo quickly confiscated all the registered guns, claiming “national security.” Sound familiar? Vote “No” on Question 3, and remain free.

Frank Slason
Somerville