Blue Angels Cmdr. Voss volunteered to be relieved of his duties because of a mistake at an air show on May 22 in Virginia. His resignation should give the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority pause to reconsider having the Blue Angels come to Brunswick in August.

MRRA’s hyping the Blue Angels is contrary to its plans to “represent … a unique opportunity to establish: (c)enters of excellence for … environmental sustainability, and ‘green’ community development.” Sponsors of Blue Angels shows must provide 48,600 gallons of fuel for a weekend show, the exact opposite of being “green.” Incidentally, the Navy scheduled 38 Blue Angels shows and 53 practice sessions in the U.S. in 2011.

Should any state agency promote the consumption of such large quantities of fuel while Maine taxpayers are struggling to pay for higher costs of home heating oil and gasoline at the pump?

While social and civilian needs are being gutted and slashed, where are the spending cuts for the military? Perhaps cutting frivolous military air shows may be a modest, but very symbolic place to begin austerity for the Pentagon.

Cancelling the Blue Angels’ show would reduce the Navy’s carbon footprint and global warming. As ironic as it may seem, Gov. LePage (with pressure from the Legislature) could go down in history throughout the world as an environmentalist by instructing MRRA to call off the Blue Angel show biz.

Thomas C. Sturtevant, board member
Maine Veterans for Peace
Winthrop

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