Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

May 7, 2010

Letters to the editor, May 7, 2010
State workers helpful and courteous

I am a graduate of the Women, Work and Community New Ventures program and have recently started a single-member LLC.

Having heard some people disparage state bureaucracy and decry their dealings with state employees, I was not bursting with enthusiasm when I looked on the state website to find out how to file the appropriate articles of incorporation.

I must say that the website is well organized, the search engine brings up relevant sites and documents and much of the language is everyday English instead of legalese, not what I was expecting.

I created two small issues with my application. I realized that I had to call the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions on one of them and my expectation was that it would take hours and much hassle to get the issue fixed.

The staff at the department answered the phone quickly, were friendly, fixed the issue for me immediately and were proactive in giving me information on the process. Again, not what I was expecting.

A staff person from the department called me on the other issue, fixed it immediately and completed the application approval process for me in just a few minutes.

There may be problems in some areas of state government with the level of customer service that is provided to residents of the state, but my experience was that the state employees were some of the best service providers I have encountered in years.

Kerry Corthell

Scarborough

Cyclists often permitted to use all of travel lanes

I am writing regarding Carol Watson's recent letter to the editor ("Bicyclists ignore own advice to 'share the road' with cars," April 3).

First, Ms. Watson gets a few facts wrong.

Under state law, cyclists are only required to ride as far right as "practicable" and are allowed to use as much of the traffic lane as necessary in order to avoid dangerous conditions. Also, Maine has no laws requiring cyclists to ride single file.

There are many reasons for a cyclist to be riding farther left in the lane.

There could be loose sand, gravel, potholes, broken glass or other hazards near the edge of the road. There might be cars parked next to the road -- cyclists need to leave at least 5 feet when passing parked cars in case an inattentive driver suddenly opens the door.

Also, when the lane is not wide enough for a car and bicycle to share (minimum 14 feet), cyclists should ride near the middle of the lane to discourage overtaking motorists from squeezing by unsafely.

The same laws apply whether or not specifically marked bicycle lanes are present. There are no laws requiring cyclists to use bike lanes and, since they often contain many of the hazards mentioned earlier, cyclists may use the regular travel lane in order to stay safe.

Motorists should also note that in Maine, cyclists "ha(ve) the rights and (are) subject to the duties applicable to the operator of a vehicle." This includes the right to use the entire lane of travel.

Please remember that cyclists are legitimate users of the road and should be treated in the same manner as any other slow-moving vehicle. Follow at a safe distance and pass only when it is safe to do so.

Scott Harriman

Portland

New health care plan violates the Constitution

"Reinterpreting" America's Constitution makes as much sense as rewriting the Ten Commandments or the Golden Rule.

The Framers considered, debated and chose each phrase, each word with great care. They knew exactly what they meant to say and said it precisely, using the language as it was written at the time. They also understood that the Constitution must change with changing times, so they created a mechanism for amendment.

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