Most of us understand that higher taxes won’t make our economy stronger and would instead create more hardships for Americans. Unfortunately, one person who doesn’t understand that is our president.

President Obama’s recent budget for 2012 includes new energy taxes that will raise prices on oil and gasoline without solving our energy crisis.

Industry experts say that these new taxes will eliminate new and existing jobs and may prevent new projects from proceeding, which would decrease revenues paid to the government. These taxes will make our economic challenges worse — especially for Maine.

As we all know, the climate of our region causes Mainers to use considerably more oil to heat their homes as compared to Americans in almost all other states. In addition, many of us commute long distances to work.

Increased prices for oil and gasoline will have (and are already having) a significant impact on this state’s already fragile economy and on its hard-working residents. In fact, these new fees constitute a “hidden tax” on us all, and they would be felt at every level, as the price of food and other goods will also rise to accommodate the higher taxes.

It’s clear that Obama just wants to raise taxes for this vital industry, especially given his past support for cap-and-trade legislation.

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But Americans rejected the cap-and-trade scheme because they knew that higher energy bills weren’t the answer. It’s just common sense: Real solutions to our energy and economic challenges won’t come in the form of higher prices and new taxes.

Lisa Martin

Portland

It should be obvious to everyone now that the Obama administration’s policies have been undermining our energy security. This administration is pushing a 2012 federal budget that is proposing some $90 billion in new taxes on domestic oil and gas firms even as gasoline prices spike and billions of our hard-earned dollars flow to foreign despots.

Making matters worse, President Obama and his regulators have virtually shut down new drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, our most important source of domestic energy, because of the horrendous safety record of one foreign-owned company — BP.

Gas prices in Maine are averaging nearly $3.50 per gallon and going up fast. This state already pays more for electricity, petroleum and natural gas than the U.S. average.

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Now, consider that the business sector consumes more than half of our state’s energy and you have a recipe for economic havoc. What Maine needs, and what the nation needs, are abundant and affordable supplies of domestic oil and natural gas.

At the consumer level, the rising cost of gasoline and heating oil will put a major brake on a state economy that is barely treading water. Three-fourths of Maine households use heating oil to warm their homes.

According to the Office of Energy Independence and Security, the statewide average cash price for No. 2 heating oil in late February was $3.37 per gallon. Maine residents will inevitably have to cut back their spending with local businesses to pay for their higher gas and heating oil bills.

Our elected officials in Washington and Augusta need to address our energy policies with a sense of high urgency. They should reject the Obama administration’s destructive tax and regulation program aimed at U.S. energy producers. If we don’t act soon, it may be too late.

William Hamill

Yarmouth

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Column about federal law on marriage was offensive

 

I was offended by Cal Thomas’ anti-gay column in the Press Herald on March 3 (“Ducking DOMA act of arrogance”). First off, Thomas pays no mention to the fact that the government will continue to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act; they’d just stop defending it in court.

But let’s move on. DOMA was passed in 1996. Let alone that very few politicians are still in office who voted for DOMA, it’s more than likely if something like DOMA were to be brought up in the 112th Congress, it would barely make it out of the House and be killed in the Senate.

Thomas thinks the country’s views (especially the rapidly progressing view on homosexuality) were the same then as they are now. This is false. People’s views change. Young people are generally more tolerant than older ones. The values of grandparents don’t apply to today’s youth.

An Associated Press poll released in August showed that 52 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage. Not a large majority, but a majority nonetheless. For us young people, it’s not even an issue.

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I have many friends, gay, straight and bisexual. It’s simply not an issue to us, just how race was no longer an issue for most young people in the late 1960s and early ’70s.

Denying the rights of marriage to gay couples, but giving them to straight couples, is un-American and unconstitutional, and creates inequality in a nation that has struggled with so much of it in the past.

It’s sad that the so-called “freest country in the world” still is struggling to deliver freedoms to a prominent minority.

President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder are absolutely right to stop defending this unconstitutional “law.”

They just need to stop enforcing it, too.

Anthony Emerson

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Portland

Falmouth-Noble story took time to be complete

 

The score doesn’t tell the whole story — but you did!

I held my breath as I read your article about the March 1 Falmouth-Noble playoff hockey game (“Yachtsmen cruise just a bit too easily”).

An 11-0 shutout looks pretty bad on paper, and I feared Noble would get as beat up in the press as it did on the ice. What a wonderful surprise it was reading your accurate description of the game!

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Thank you for seeing past the score and reporting the whole story. A little background information went a long way.

Losing three of its best players last month, including its goalie, required Noble to go to its bench to some less-experienced players.

In fact, replacement goalie Alex Wiggin had only played six games as goalie in his high school career — and he made an amazing 38 saves! That would be impressive number even for a seasoned goalie.

Additionally, two of Noble’s players were injured during the game and were unable to continue to play.

It was a pleasure to see a team that worked so hard get the recognition it deserved, despite what the scoreboard said.

Becky Brown

Sanford

 


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