Government-controlled electricity would make matters worse

Rep. Seth Berry and a number of supporters, like Ethan Strimling, are pushing a referendum drive creating a politically elected board to provide most of the electricity in the state. Although CMP has not had the best of years, if you want to make things substantially worse, sign the petition for government-controlled power.

The takeover would be done by invoking the state’s eminent domain power which would require Maine taxpayers to pony up the fair market value for CMP and Versant (old Bangor Hydro). The estimate for that is $13.5 billion (with a B). Legal costs and yearly maintenance would raise that number substantially.

In 1973 the state held a similar referendum on public power. Maine voters wisely defeated it by almost 23 points, 61.3% to 39.7%. Let’s not even go there. Don’t sign the petition.

Joe Mackey,
South Portland

This is Putin’s war

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There are times when comments are made that are just baffling and beyond comprehension. Such was the case in a letter to the editor in The Times Record on Friday, March 18, titled “Our inept response to Ukraine.”

One of the questions raised was “if America did not enter World War II….would all of Europe now be controlled by a dictator? Would more or fewer minorities have been killed?” Trying to parse that comment on any level is baffling. What does that even mean?

It was also stated that President Biden has allowed the murder of women and children in Ukraine. Nowhere is the name Putin mentioned, or Trump who was the best apologist for and champion of Putin’s maniacal despotism.

Finally, the commentary ended by saying “And what about those men who fought in World War II? My guess is they are all in Heaven, watching our inept response to Ukraine with tears flowing.” I would ask how those same men (and women) would feel about Bush’s failed 20-year war in Afghanistan and the “no WMD” war in Iraq? How would they feel about Trump’s holding up military aid to a besieged Ukraine with a blackmail attempt on the Ukraine president, and Trump’s attempted overthrow of our Democracy that those WW II soldiers gave their lives to preserve?

The fact is that this is Putin’s war and the lives that are being lost are his murders. President Biden, thankfully, has allies that have a say in how this war is responded to. They live right next door to this war which we are only an ICBM or more away from. They also suffered directly through WW II. Trump has recently called Putin a “genius”. Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News and Tucker Carlson are the best propaganda weapons of support that Putin has to justify his mass murder. This is the current reality.

Jeffrey Runyon,
Brunswick

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