While my children and I walk our street, they can’t help but notice how the road is laced with trash. As the snow banks slowly melted away, more trash seemed to appear from the wood line.

This problem doesn’t lie only on our street; this problem affects our community, our state, country and world.

With minds like a sponge, our children react and respond to our every action. So we must instill good values in them. They need to be aware of the immediate effects that litter has on the environment, wildlife and their habitat.

The children should also be mindful of the long-term effect that litter has on our way of life. The trash we toss on the ground taints our drinking water, disturbs the stability of our soil and the quality of the air we breathe.

The winter snow is out the door and spring is in the air. With so much bad news on the television, we should shut the TV off and step outside.

Spring is a great time to take walks with our children. While shedding those winter layers and all those holiday cookies, we can clean up our streets from the eyesores of cans, bottles, cigarette butts and other litter that people so carelessly toss out there vehicle windows.

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After a few days of work, our streets will be clean and the winter blues will be gone. Not only are we doing a feel-good deed, but good values will be imbedded in the minds of our children forever.

Chris Duquette

North Berwick

 

Bottle law keeps roads clean, so don’t let it be overturned

 

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The April 8 Portland Press Herald column, “Bottle bill not as efficient as it once was,” still recognizes that the law was successful in getting beverage containers off our roads.

That was the original reason it was passed and remains the only incentive for removal of this blight on our beautiful state.

Those who gather them get their exercise, and some donate the redemption fees to charitable organizations. It’s a win-win-win situation!

Walt Johansson

Pemaquid

 

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South Korean trade pact bad deal for Americans

 

President Obama is expected to send the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement to Congress for approval very soon. Just like with NAFTA, proponents of the Korea FTA claim it will increase exports and support jobs. However, even the federal government’s own U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) predicts that this pact will increase the U.S. global trade deficit — which means losing far more jobs than are created.

The USITC study further suggests that the jobs likely to be lost under this agreement are in decent-paying fields such as manufacturing and high-tech. These are precisely the types of jobs we should be working fervently to protect and multiply domestically.

They employ skilled workers who would otherwise be left to fight for low-paying scraps left for Americans after the continued pillaging of our nation that is outsourcing.

Rather, our government should be attempting to cease the flow of decent jobs to other countries, many of which exploit their workers in shameful ways along with their complicit employers — some American companies included.

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The Economic Policy Institute, a D.C.-based think tank, estimates that the Korea FTA will cost the U.S. a net 159,000 jobs within just seven years of the deal taking effect. In this time of economic precariousness, we can hardly afford to be shedding these jobs, further diluting the potency of our domestic economy.

Maine has lost 31,000 manufacturing jobs since the passage of NAFTA. With more than 10,000 Mainers currently working in sectors that the USITC identifies as “at-risk” under the Korea agreement, it would be irresponsible for Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to do anything other than openly oppose the Korea-U.S. FTA. Maine simply can’t afford to lose more good-paying jobs to another flawed free trade agreement.

Eric Poulin

Portland

 

Delays in bridge repairs hurt businesses in Kittery

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I live in southern York County and am tired of the rest of the state taking from us and giving little in return by comparison.

A state-maintained bridge in Kittery on the U.S. 1 bypass has been closed since last year. There are businesses that rely on the traffic count passing their businesses.

Sue’s Seafood in Kittery is one such business. She has seen the traffic rate drop by 85 percent to 90 percent and is holding on by the skin of her teeth. Sue was told this month that the bridge, which was to be completed by May, now may not be open until June or July.

Needless to say, on the seacoast the summer is when the bulk of our revenue is made. We were told that this bridge is delayed because the same crew that was working in Kittery is now working on the Eastern Trail overpass in Kennebunk, a foot-and-bicycle path over the Maine Turnpike.

I would like to know who the politician is who has these priorities all wrong. Is the pathway being completed over I-95 timed with a photo opportunity of spring greenery while Maine businesses suffer?

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In addition, farther south on Route 1, the Memorial Bridge connecting Kittery and Portsmouth, N.H., will be under construction soon and will have a negative effect on businesses in southern York County as well. The businesses in the Kittery corridor need the state’s help before they go under!

It’s no wonder Maine ranked at the bottom of Forbes’ list of all 50 states as the worst place to do business!

Charles Limoggio

Eliot

 

What about places with doors labeled ‘Buoys’ and ‘Gulls’?

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Transgendered boys and girls are confusing everyone, and those facilities that have to offer restroom accommodations have been put in a legal quagmire and are vulnerable to all kinds of lawsuits.

King Solomon would offer a solution to this problem. This solution would eliminate the need for the MCLU and expensive lawyers.

He would decree that those who have an Adam’s apple would be sent to the men’s room. All others would use the alternative.

A little common sense and the problem is resolved.

Nick Pappas

Cape Elizabeth

 


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