I must respectfully disagree with my colleague, who characterizes gun ownership as being about "self-defense". I too have learned to shoot, and understand that target practice and hunting can be engaging experiences. Guns, by themselves, don't scare me.

But guns ownership needs to be redefined as a privilege, awarded to those who have indicated their understanding of safe storage and usage, have passed reasonable background checks, and who are accountable for the guns that they own or use.

Nobody questions the right of the state to license drivers -- making sure that we know the rules of the road, understand the perils of drinking and driving, realize that we must STOP when we reach a stopped school bus. We don't challenge the right of the state to require eye tests, to regulate driving by those who have had seizures, etc. What's different about guns?

At one time, guns appeared to be practical means of protest. The revolutionary war was just behind us, and owning guns seemed like a kind of insurance policy. Times are very different today. I can recall hearing loud arguments coming from an apartment in the building behind our house. I worried about possible abuse, and on more than one occasion called the police. What if the man, or woman, in those disputes had a gun? What if verbal anger was expressed in a deadly gunshot?

Guns belong in locked cases, far from the ammunition they require. They belong far from people who have not proven themselves worthy of the privilege of gun ownership. And guns that are not suitable for target practice or hunting (automatic weapons, for example) have no business being in any home.

I'm frightened by the recent Supreme Court ruling, but, frankly, I'm not surprised.

During my military service and employment with security firms, firearms have played a significant role. I am also a hunter and target shooter. Guns are not a mystery to me, nor do they disturb me, unless they are pointed at me in a threatening fashion and I find that highly irritating.

Subsequently, I followed the recent Supreme Court deliberations over the challenge to the D.C. gun-ban law with great interest. My reaction to the decision was relief that the right of Americans to personal protection had finally been upheld at the highest level.

It appears to me that this decision was the result of a "strict constructionist" approach and that made the results even more interesting since the split vote placed "Swing Voter" Justice Kennedy with the majority.

I just finished reading an editorial that attempted to use the Second Amendment decision to bolster the concept that the Constitution is a "living document" that must be modified to reflect the "changing moral landscape of today". That, by the way, was one of the terms used in the majority opinion (written by Justice Souter) to justify another Supreme Court decision to overturn a death penalty imposed upon a convicted child rapist by a Louisiana Court ( again, the majority decision was supported by Justice Kennedy). Somehow allying "strict constructionist" and "progressive" interpretations of the Constitution just don’t add up for me.

But what does work for me is the concept that law abiding citizens must be allowed to defend themselves and their families. Unfortunately, our law enforcement systems are designed for the investigation of a crime and the apprehension of a supposed perpetrator. Unless a victim is lucky enough to have a law enforcement professional available at the onset, the police offer little or no protection from a determined criminal.

Is society in general now in danger because of this decision ? No. If you are a convicted felon, are under the scope of a protection from abuse decree, are mentally unstable or are disqualified under numerous other limitations, then current law prevents you from possessing a gun. Both common sense and state law require a background investigation and waiting period before a purchase of a firearm can be completed. I have held a Permit to Carry Concealed Firearms for years and that is not an easy document to obtain, either.

I firmly believe that anyone who owns a firearm should be thoroughly schooled not only in safety requirements but also in the laws and regulations surrounding its use (hunting regulations, for example). Of course this does not always happen. The National Rifle Association and many other national and local organizations (Boy Scouts, gun clubs, professional trainers, etc.) are sources for this needed training.

It is a good thing that this Supreme Court decision finally addresses a specific right contained in the Constitution in a manner that defines individual rights without denying individual states their regulatory role.

All life on Earth depends on the ocean. Even yours.

I'm often struck that when policy makers worry about Climate Change they don't also talk about Ocean Change. Ocean IS climate - the two are in an inseparable dance that creates the conditions for life on Earth.

We have been hearing news lately about the Russians, and the Scandinavians, and the North Americans all vying for control of Arctic natural resources. I did not realize the immediacy of the competition until I saw this website with graphic video of melting polar ice:

www.livescience.com

The summer of 2008 may be the first time in human history that the North Pole is ice free - meaning that the ice pack is broken up and ships are free to transit Arctic waters, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

But it's not just about polar bears, folks.

The ocean is the big sink. Ultimately, all the byproducts of our civilization find their way to our oceans - heat, pollution, plastics. But that sink is now filled to the brink and we are starting to discern recognizable change.

As the Pepsi generation is well familiar, carbonated water creates a mild acid. Carbon from the atmosphere is absorbed by seawater. The vast volume of water on earth has been mitigating the effects of our industrial revolution for centuries, but that buffering may now be fizzed out. And a little change goes a long way to tip the balance.

Ocean scientists hypothesize that seawater will become 10% more acid by 2050. That great a change in PH is enough to destroy all the coral reefs on the planet! However, that's not the show stopper. We might not like a world without coral, or polar bears. But we can't live in a world without zooplankton. These tiny animals are the basic food-stuff of the sea, and without them the entire ocean food-web collapses. When you look at zooplankton under the microscopic you see that most of them are tiny crustaceans with tiny calcium shells. Calcium dissolves in high PH.

A marine ecologist friend, who has been working at Biosphere Two, will soon be publishing a paper on primary productivity in the face of elevated seawater acidity. I'll post it when it's out.

Meanwhile, NOAA fishery scientists from Woods Hole, MA recently reported that primary productivity (the food that the fish eat) in the Gulf of Maine appears to be trending down over the last decade. Let's hope that trend reverses sometime soon.

WATERVILLE — The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig that roamed Waterville for a month was captured Saturday when police used a Taser to disable the feeding swine ... Waterville Deputy Police Chief Charles Rumsey said Monday that someone who had been feeding the pig french fries called police around 6 p.m.

Source: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com ...

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Maine's lobster industry is looking a lot like the stock market these days. Since the early 1990s, the industry has enjoyed record catches and strong demand. But the good times might be over ... In 2007, the total harvest fell by nearly 23 percent, according to preliminary figures released by the state – from 73 million pounds in 2006 to 56 million pounds last year. Total revenue declined 16 percent, from $297 million to $249 million.

Source: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com ...

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People are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of local foods. When available, they tend to be healthier, better for the environment (using less petroleum to reach us), and sometimes even cheaper. According to Packaged Facts (www.packagedfacts.com), sales of locally grown foods in the United States are expected to rise from about $4 billion in 2002 to $7 billion by 2011.

This time of year, many of us buy local foods through farmers' markets and farmshares. These are an invaluable resource, and one we would not want to do without. Of course, it isn't always possible to predict what might be available through these venues. And then there is the convenience factor: we have grown spoiled by the ability to buy a head of lettuce at 10 pm on a Tuesday night at the nearby supermarket. Needless to say, our 10 pm supermarket lettuce is far less likely to be grown in state. Until recently, local farmers simply have not had the capacity to provide supermarkets with the volume they need to keep us supplied with produce.

Bowdoinham's newly established "Locally Known" (www.locallyknownfoods.com) group is hoping to keep us supplied with fresh, local 10 pm supermarket lettuce. Locally Known greens come from fields cultivated by Atlantic Organics, a farm located near Merrymeeting Bay. According to an article in Monday's Boston Globe:

At full capacity, Locally Known expects to harvest about 60,000 pounds of greens each week, including spinach, arugula, and baby kale. The produce will supply retailers such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Hannafords.

It is exciting to have an increasing number of options for purchasing local produce.

It is also particularly timely, given the recent flooding in the Midwest. It is estimated that upwards of 10% of the farmland supplied by the Mississippi River is currently underwater. This has already forced corn prices up (now at an all-time high of $8 a bushel), and will likely have the same effect on soybeans and wheat. According to the World Bank, food prices have already risen 83% worldwide in the last three years. This is thought to be related to supply-decreasing weather problems in the world's major food-producing regions, coupled with increasing global demand. This has lead to scarcity and rioting in many areas of the world.

While we have yet to experience food-related rioting here in the United States, we have felt the impact of rising food prices. And there is a chance that scarcity may at some point become an issue in the future. Obviously, it is not always feasible to rely on someone in other parts of the country (or the world) to raise our food. It makes sense to support efforts such as Locally Known, and get to know other local growers through farmshares and farmers' markets.

When possible, it also makes sense to learn how to grow our own food--and teach our children how to grow food as well--whether at home or through community and schoolyard gardens.

The more self-reliant we are, the better off we will be.

Barak Obama seemed a bit bewildered. I’m sure he hadn’t given it much thought. But suddenly people were asking him “Why don’t you wear a flag on your lapel? Don’t you love your Country?” Of course he loves his Country – it’s a given that anyone who serves in an elected office has to love their country. Why else would one take on the personal sacrifice that comes with public service?

But it has become pro forma today for politicians to wear a flag pin in their lapels. When everyone does it, I’m not sure what it means.

Lapel pins should mean something! They should be a subtle form of expression, sort of like “wearing your heart on your sleeve” only cooler than that. It’s just a small bit of decoration but it can also offer a hint of the individual.

I have two lapel pins – one is a halibut and the other is a humpback whale. When I go to meetings, one other is on my suit coat.

The halibut is a symbol of my work over the last 15 years – to restore groundfish in New England. Halibut are mighty fish – when you catch one you know it. And yet fishermen in dories fishing with hooks collapsed that population in 19th century. It is so easy to underestimate our collective power to do harm.

The humpback is my symbol for the whole of marine life. You would think that an animal that large would be an apex predator, but they are not. They occupy a niche right at the center of the marine food web. Humpbacks are intelligent creatures, minds in the water – they observe, they are curious, they are conscious of what’s around them. We humans harm them in many ways but they don’t fight back (they could) and they don’t run away. They just endure.

So. Perhaps now you have a glimpse of a crusty old guy – all from a small lapel pin.

Maybe I should get a tattoo next.

I have written a couple of times about the "Energy Room" my wife and I are building on the front of our house. I have received a couple of comments asking for details of this room and will be glad to oblige as the building progresses. At this time we are looking at a big hole in the ground. This is step one. I will repeat that it is our goal to cut our oil use in our house "at least" in half.

I plan to keep accurate records of the cost of construction but I must admit right up front that I also plan to cheat. I don't intend to include cost of gas used to go to the lumber yard and back. I won't include the cost of diesel to run my tractor. I am planning post and beam construction of our room and I have the capability of sawing my own beams from my own trees. I have so far scrounged 6 large insulated glass panels for the cost of free. These will make most of the glass on the front of my building and will save substantial cost. My wife and I will provide all labor for the construction including pouring of concrete, wiring, and plumbing.

My cellar hole that we look at outside our front door took four days to dig with my small Kubota tractor. In the past I have rented an excavator to dig a cellar hole but this hole is much smaller and I am trying to save on the cost. Today I spent the first actual money on the building by buying some 2x10's for the footing forms and a load of 3/4 stone for drainage which I picked up and trucked myself with a small dump trailer which is borrowed. I used my 13MPG Dodge truck to haul it all. This is a great truck but at 13MPG I only drive it when I have an actual reason. I'll post some photos when I figure out how and will write updates as needed.

I read todays post by Peter Cutler and agree completely but we simply MUST do more to cut our use of oil as even if drilling started tomorrow - which it won't - then conservation is the first and perhaps equally important step. If everyone could save half of their heating oil then we would be a long ways toward not needing the imports.

A few decades ago Maine had no oil shortage. America produced most of its needed supply by drilling and refining within its own geographical boundaries . Maine also had hydroelectric sites and as the years passed a nuclear power plant was added along with biomass power producers such as MERC and the plant at the Sappi Westbrook mill. Many homes were heated by wood or coal. In the 1950’s my family lived three miles from town and I and others walked, rode a bicycle or sought rides from friends or parents to attend work, school or recreational activities.

All of these things together helped make the cost of energy affordable for Maine and the Nation.

But today, Augusta is desperately seeking additional Federal funding to help supply heating oil to people whose incomes fall short of enabling them to heat their homes and at the same time meet a multitude of increasing costs of living, all of which are affected by the skyrocketing price of crude oil.

There has not been a new oil refinery built in this country for over thirty years. Existing wells have been capped and exploration is severely limited by regulations imposed at the insistence of environmental lobbyists. The vast majority of our oil is imported from countries who, charitably can be described as not having our best interests in mind.

How to improve this dire situation?

With our energy profile currently overly-dependent upon petroleum, it would seem to make sense to pursue with haste alternative energy sources while increasing our domestic oil producing and refining capacity. I don’t see this happening without strong and creative actions from our political leaders at all levels.

Unfortunately, the immediate reaction from Gov. Baldacci and our entire Congressional delegation was to repudiate the concept of initiating offshore drilling because that could possibly damage Maine’s fishing industry, overlooking the fact that Maine’s fishermen are already severely hampered by Federal regulations and further frustrated by overfishing near our territorial limits by foreign ships and crews.

I use this example to help identify the problems we face in utilizing our bountiful natural resources to ease our energy problems.

In addition, wind power projects are blocked here in Maine by conservation groups (Friends of the Appalachian Trail, for one) who object to windmills on grounds varying from ruining the “esthetic value” of our mountains to speculation on the devastation of migrating birds encountering the towers. Sen. Ted Kennedy has repeatedly blocked windmills being located offshore and visible from the Kennedy compound on the Massachusetts coastline. And nuclear power is an unacceptable option for some, although there are foreign countries (France, for one) who have safely and economically embraced that source of power. Hydroelectric plants, once plentiful here in Maine, now are few in number and are still decreasing, the dams creating that source of power now termed “destructive” for impeding the “natural flow” of rivers.

One last issue: we should not overlook the possibility that a concentrated effort to weaken the economy of the United States through oil price manipulation might be an additional tactic utilized by radical elements of Islam in the ongoing war against the West. After all, one of the most effective tactics resulting in the fall of the USSR was pressure on many fronts that undermined the already shaky Soviet economic structure.

These examples indicate that our politicians and administrations, at all levels, Federal and State, have studiously avoided the mounting energy problem for decades, unwilling to alienate blocks of voters whose support helps them maintain their myriad and bountiful privileges.

An individual can save money on a personal basis by restricting his or her use of energy, but I doubt if conservation alone is going to influence the rising costs of gasoline, heating oil and electricity that produce negative effects on our economy . The growing energy needs of nations such as China and India will more than make up for any reductions achieved by America’s citizens.

For many of us on fixed incomes the price of implementing alternative energy systems such as solar, wind power or geo-thermal systems, with any cost savings a decade or more in the future, is sufficient reason to swallow hard and bear the increasing costs of heating and transportation.

It appears to me that increasing our stores of domestic petroleum, coal and natural gas is a necessary stopgap measure because without such actions our national economy and accompanying welfare is in continuing danger from outside influences – some of whom would be delighted to see us fall from our position of global influence and power. We need time to study, choose and develop alternative energy sources.

Only if we can unite in applying pressure to our political class, will they begin to seriously address our future. But we must agree to act en masse, insisting that our needs be recognized and acted upon by our “leaders” at all levels and voting out those who seek only the privileges of their political status rather than focusing on the welfare of the nation and its citizens as a whole.

Read an article in the past couple of days that the Christian Civic League has dropped their effort to repeal Maine's gay rights laws. I normally just plain don't comment on gay rights. It's sort of like holding a hand grenade in your hand, pulling the pin, releasing the spoon and then not throwing it. But this article prompts me to make the rare exception. Well here goes.

I have to start by explaining that I'm a bigot. I believe that every adult human on the face of this earth is a bigot with a possible few exceptions (Mother Teresa comes to mind). Those who claim they aren't bigots have to add the term liar to their profile. I'm also an overweight, middle aged, white male who is a flaming heterosexual. Have been ever since I knew the difference and won't apologize for it. I sit around the picnic table with the boys at work and we make politically incorrect comments. We don't discriminate because we slam every racial and ethnic group as well as politicians and TV personalities equally. We even slam each other and I can - and often do - take it as well as I can dish it out. So what does all this have to do with gay rights you ask? Simply that I don't think that I or you or the Christian Civic League has the right to tell any adult what other consenting adult they can select as their lover or life partner. You don't tell me and I don't tell you. I and the CCL don't have the right to tell you where you can live, what job you can hold and so on. This is basic human decency and even a bigoted, overweight, flaming heterosexual white male such as myself can realize this. Whether or not you like someone else's choice in partner or not has nothing to do with anything. I'm glad that the CCL is unable to raise enough money and volunteers to run their petition campaign. It means that people in Maine are solidly in the camp of human decency and plan to stay there. Perhaps the CCL can do some good in the state by turning their efforts to helping the poor or spending time with elderly shut ins. Their efforts so far were something I don't consider Christian or Civic. WWJD?

As the political season develops and Barak Obama’s star rises, I am encountering people willing to vote for a white man for president but not for a black man.

The reluctant ones are greatly outnumbered, but their number is not so small that they can, or should, be ignored. So far no one has bluntly said race is the obstacle or used any ugly words, but the message is clear. Sometimes the person is a little startled by the idea but quickly buttons down and changes the subject. Other times I hear muffled anger in the person’s voice followed by disapproval of someone who supports Obama, such as Tom Allen.

How should a person respond in such a situation? I have a few ideas, and they are below. I'll add to them as new ones occur to me. Also I'd like anyone reading this to weigh in. Add suggestions or react to mine.

First suggestion: Say nothing. This is the first response of most Mainers, who are usually polite and restrained folks. Silence is not an altogether bad idea. After all, sex, religion and politics are touchy subjects. The problem is it goes nowhere.

Second suggestion: Rebuke the other person. This is a bad idea. If you ever hoped to bring him around, a reproach will send him into the bunker where he will start shooting back. And you will look like a zealous college freshman out to right all wrongs before lunch. This idea is worse than the first one. It isn't just unproductive; it will set the whole business back at least a decade.

Third suggestion: Enroll the senator in the South Boston Hibernian Society and change his name to Barry O’Bama. That’s ridiculous and it will offend everyone. (So what's wrong with a little comic relief?)

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The other day I slammed Chrysler pretty hard - deservedly so I believe - but now I want to offer some hope for the domestic industry. Ford is offering their Escape Hybrid SUV that gets up to 34 MPG. Although I'm not personally an Escape type of customer, for the family that wants to drive this type of vehicle it is a pretty good offering. More importantly, it shows that Ford is making some moves to face the future of selling cars in the USA. The former Ford SUV of this style got fairly poor mileage - a couple of my friends drove them and complained of the cost even at $2.00 gas - but when Ford can transform their guzzler into getting 30+ MPG then they deserve some credit. Now if they could turn their Focus into 45-50MPG then perhaps I would consider looking at another Ford again. I must admit to a bias against Ford. I once owned a 1993 Escort wagon - Mazda designed - which I consider to be about the best car I have ever owned. I drove it for 207,000 miles before I sold it to the kid down the road and it never left me stranded. I then made the tremendous mistake of purchasing a Ford Windstar which was quite simply the most unreliable vehicle that I have ever owned in my life - including junkers I owned as a kid. I have purchased 2 new vehicles since the Windstar and was so upset with Ford that I wouldn't even walk onto the lot of a Ford dealer. With offerings like the Escape, maybe this could change.

I'm admittedly a high mileage junkie. I own a Dodge 4WD truck which only gets about 13MPG and I really like it but I only put about 3000 miles on it last year and the year before I put under 600. I only use it when I have to tow my tractor or snowmobiles around or go get a load of lumber at the mill. It's really great for this use and is the 3rd Dodge truck I have owned. My daily drivers are a Scion XB (my wifes' car) which gets 38-40MPG and a Chevy Aveo which also gets 38-40MPG. I really like the Scion a lot and like the Chevy fairly well. The Aveo is made by Daewoo but Chevy is smart enough to import and sell them with their bow tie on the front. For a domestic manufacturer, Chevy seems to making the right moves to stay in business. They offer several cars that top 30MPG - which I consider the minimal acceptable. I have read articles where they are developing smaller engines for the Aveo and other future cars to offer even better mileage. I remain hopeful. My first ever new car about 24 years ago was a Chevy Sprint which got mid 50's MPG and I would be tickled pink to see Chevy offer something like this again. Maybe I will just have to pick up a Smart car in a year or two when my older son starts to drive. I drive by one on the way to work and think that I wouldn't mind driving one. I would just like my dealer to be in the state somewhere so I didn't have to go to Mass. for service.

I don't know what will be available in a couple of years when I start to look for my next car. I like to hope that I will at least be offered some competitive choices from the domestic 3. Chevy and Ford at least seem to be making some right moves. Dodge offers exactly nothing in their car line that I could afford to fill with gas. Even though I really like my Dodge truck, if I wanted to replace my truck then I could now buy a used one for pennies on the dollar from people who cannot afford to run them any more. If Dodge doesn't do something quick then they will just go out of business and my current truck may be the last Dodge that I will ever own.

My daughter and I picked up our first share of the season at New Elm Farm in Freeport yesterday. We arrived early and thus had a few minutes to chat with Cordelia (the owner). Cordelia told us that she has twice as many farmsharers as last year, and ended up having to turn people away. Despite this, she won't likely make money this year. She calls it her "labor of love." I told her that I've had to view my medical practice the same way:).

We noticed that their strawberries are starting to ripen, and Cordelia said she hoped to be able to have some for each of the farm sharers next week. We always associate strawberries in Maine with the fourth of July, so this was exciting news.

This week our farmshare included:

* 8 radishes
* 3 shallots
* 3 heads of bok choy
* 2 heads of lettuce
* 1 bunch of kale
* 1 bag of mesclun mix

Cordelia also let Sophie cut some flowers (cosmos, daisies and irises) and select a morning glory to plant at home.

Last night we made the following with our farm share bok choy, inspired by a recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (Mark Bittman; Wiley Publishing, 2007):

Bok Choy & Broccolini with Sun Dried Tomatoes

1 head of bok choy, thoroughly washed
1 head of broccolini, thoroughly washed
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup low sodium organic vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of capers, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup pitted olives, drained, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained, rinsed and chopped
1/2-1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Separate bok choy stems from leaves. Separate broccolini stems from florets. Cut stems into 1/2 inch pieces. Heat oil over medium-high heat in stainless steel pan. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add broccolini stems. Saute for 3 minutes, then add bok choy stems. Saute for 3 minutes, then add broccolini florets. Once the stems and florets are slightly tender, add bok choy leaves and broth. When greens are tender, add capers, olives and tomatoes. Cook until most of broth is evaporated. Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

We had this dish with a French lentil and fresh herb soup, followed by (store-bought) organic strawberries that had been lightly marinated with balsamic vinegar and just a dash of fresh pepper. Delicious!

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Recreational fishermen are up in arms! Soon they’ll be protesting in the streets of Augusta, pounding on the doors of the Legislature. Liberté! Equalité! Fraternité! Unite against bureaucracy!

So what’s the fuss? Because a recent federal law now requires NOAA Fisheries to establish a registry of recreational saltwater anglers by 2011. The law empowers NMFS to charge a minimal fee. However, states that have a pre-existing recreational saltwater license system are exempt. In anticipation, the Baldacci administration is proposing a Maine saltwater license, to cost between $15 and $25 annually, which will supersede a federal license. The new state revenues will be earmarked to improve saltwater access and facilities for recreational fishermen.

Good reason to burn the Governor in effigy! Not really. Recreational fishermen, as an interest group, have got to be smarter than this.

The first reason to support the Maine Department of Marine Resources license proposal is just too obvious. If the State does not do this, the Feds will – count on it. A registry is national law. Future fees collected by the Feds will not be spent in Maine – count on that too.

Second reason is that saltwater angling is increasing in popularity. You have to stand in line some days, shoulder to shoulder, to go striper fishing on the Mousam and Ogunquit Rivers – from June right through to October. On weekends there is a virtual boat parade of recreational craft trolling the Saco. Look at the license plates of the cars parked bumper-to-bumper on the shoulders of the road – half of them are from out of state! You can bet that this added traffic costs Maine residents. So why shouldn’t non-residents pony up through a license fee?

The third reason is the most important though. Fact is that saltwater recreational fisheries are growing every year, in size and impact on the resource. The current system for collecting data on recreational effort, MRFSS, is just not working. The polling is too random. Therefore, when fishery scientists do stock assessments on species like striped bass, cod, haddock or black back flounder, they can make a pretty accurate estimate of catch by commercial fishermen, but only a guess of catch by recreational fishermen.

When the numbers are uncertain, science advice to managers is usually very conservative. The law now requires that scientists and managers set firm caps on fishing effort annually. These caps will not be exceeded. In the future, managers will have a pretty good idea of how much catch to allocate to commercial or charter vessels. But unless they have accurate data on recreational landings, the catch limits on personal recreational fishermen will be conservative. That means that in the future, without good data, chances are that recreational fishermen could be bumping up against limits on catch and they wouldn’t have the tools or information to negotiate something more appropriate.

So what’s the cost of ignorance? Compare that to an annual investment in a saltwater license. $15 is less than the price of a tank of gas for an outboard, for pity sake.

A recent article in the USA Today where Chrysler execs were bragging about their Aspen and Durango Hybrid vehicles available in mid 2008. Mileage of about 20 is mentioned in the USA article with a purchase price of only about $45,000. I put this in perspective with an article in this weeks Forbes magazine where it is predicted that the domestic auto industry will cease to exist within a few years due to incompetence in the executive suites. I originally thought that the Forbes article was a bit extreme but the Chrysler announcement proves me wrong again.

Lets look at Chryslers move. Chrysler brags that their Durango will be about $8,000 cheaper than comparable vehicles from GM at only about $45,000. Considering the millions that were spent on developing these vehicles, it would take at least moderate sales to provide a profit on their investment.

Who will buy one?

Environmentalists won't buy one. At 20 MPG for the hybrid version, it is far too little mileage to satisfy them. A large SUV seems to be the #1 target of environmental wrath.

Working folks won't buy one. At $45,000 there aren't many working people who will plunk down their hard earned cash for a Durango Hybrid when they are having a hard time paying the oil bill or buying another box of Corn Flakes for the kids. I am busy watching the dedicated truck driving working folks around me who swore they wouldn't buy a car turn around at $4.00 gas and buy a Toyota or Nissan high mileage vehicle.

Families might buy a few but at $45,000 there are a lot of choices in vehicles and many of them get better than 20MPG right out of the box without the complexity and probable maintenance of the Durango Hybrid. I don't think that families will buy enough to allow Chrysler to turn a profit on their investment.

Retirees? Maybe, but a lot of them are on a fixed income that doesn't allow for a $45,000 dollar 20MPG anything.

How about the working rich? Now there is the obvious target audience. With money to burn, however, they can buy the Porsche Cayenne and tow their 2 snowmobiles at 140 miles per hour to northern Maine for a day of sledding and they simply don't care what the price of fuel is as long as it is still at the pump.

Chrysler has invested their money in a pig-in-a-poke. Put lipstick on it and it is still a pig.

Cerberus Capital bought Chrysler from Daimler then put Bob Nardelli in charge. Bob made a strong effort at running Home depot into the ground with incompetent management and Cerberus is allowing him the opportunity to do the same at Chrysler. I feel great sympathy for the thousands of employees who will ultimately lose their jobs when Cerberus writes off their investment and sends Bob away with a bonus and a handshake. Of all the big three from Detroit, Chrysler seems to have the least acknowledgement of the new reality of selling cars in this country. Chrysler doesn't have a single vehicle in their lineup that can be said to actually get high mileage. Business as usual isn't going to work. A $45,000, 20 MPG Durango isn't going to save Chrysler. Forbes may be all too right when they predict the end of the domestic industry and flat out incompetence from the management team will be the reason why.

When putting together two of my recent blog entries I was hopeful that they might result in opening a dialog with people reading them.

I admit that the pieces were written with the idea in mind of encouraging participation. They contained opinions that evidently were disturbing to at least two respondents, judging from the vituperative nature of some of the postings I received from them.

My intent was to encourage a meaningful, civil exchange of ideas and/or opinions from my readers and in that effort I appear to have failed miserably, judging from the overwhelming pejoratives and invective that characterized some responses.

I will always welcome a contribution that features reasons for one’s position on issues and facts to bolster it, as well as remarks from someone who disagrees with me and will take the time to explain to me (without personal accusations, vilification or fanciful distortion of what I have written) the basis for their disagreement.

Name-calling, labeling, belittlement and attempts to twist my words to fit another’s personal beliefs bore me and I will simply erase the posting from the “Comments” section of the blog.

One contributor complained that the subject material I was writing about would not appeal to anyone and demanded that his personal issues be addressed. That is not going to happen. I request that responders keep their comments germane to the subject of the particular piece, although something that piques my interest could be the subject of a following blog.

I am new at this blog business and it seems that my intent to use my writing to entertain and stimulate thought and conversation has so far not yielded the results that I desired. It is my challenge to do a effective job and I will work toward that goal in future articles.

However, I am who I am. Perceive me as you will, but do not expect space on my blog unless you are willing to offer civil and intelligent comments.

I had the pleasure to visit with my uncle Dave this weekend and he gave me some details on his new house. Located on the edge of Hinesburg, Vermont, it is part of a development of six homes with a goal of being energy neutral - producing as much energy as they consume. My Uncle Dave had just received his year end report from the local utility and was pleased to report that he had produced a little more electricity than he had consumed for the year. This includes his heat which is electrically driven.

Their house is a well insulated, passive solar house with solar electric on the roof and uses a geothermal heat pump system for space heating. The solar electric is a grid tie system and feeds his neighbors when their house isn't using all of it's output. The geothermal system pulls heat from the earth which makes it tremendously more efficient during Vermont's cold winters than a regular heat pump. Cooking is done with propane which is about the only energy that is not produced by the house systems.

Dave contracted to buy the house long before the current oil price runup and has just lived there for a year. He and his wife are strong environmentalists and believe in putting their money where their beliefs are. The cost of the house is such that most people would not justify it even at todays oil prices.

Sometimes there are more important things than money and sometimes the money just comes along later. Dave and his wife believe that their efforts are a small part of what is required to save the world but it doesn't hurt to have free heat at the same time.

While some people will just complain about the price of oil, others will take steps to cut their dependence. The individual reasons are perhaps less important than the final results. Whether you think that oil is just too expensive, whether it is environmental concern, or perhaps the politics of the oil market that bother you, there are steps that can be taken right now to reduce or eliminate your use of oil. At the current price and an average useage of 1000 gallons per year, Daves house will save him about $4600 dollars this winter. Even if your own concerns are more toward saving money than saving the environment, saving energy can still be a good investment.

... Allen referred directly to his political rivals. He briefly mentioned Ledue’s excitement without criticizing his primary opponent, but he reiterated some of the criticism he has had for Sen. Collins, whom his campaign expects to face in November ... Allen linked Collins to Bush and Cheney, saying she has voted for their economic policies 100 percent of the time, and to McCain, an ally of Collins whom he said would continue those policies.

Source: http://www.bangornews.com ...

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SENTENCING

To discuss whether Maine is using its tax dollars wisely in its present corrections system, it is necessary to be familiar with these facts relating to Maine’s seven(7) state prisons.
(There are presently 15 county jails in Maine with a daily in-house population averaging 1,838 inmates. Facts concerning the use of tax dollars for county jails is for a later discussion.)

1. There are seven (7) state prisons in Maine designed to house a total of 1853 prisoners. Three of these prisons were designed to provide for minimum security, two for medium security, and one, at Warren, Maine for maximum security of the inmates housed in the facility.
There are no readily available figures for the cost of construction for the minimum and medium security prisons, although today it would cost Sixty Five Thousand ($65,000) Dollars for each bed in a medium security facility. The cost of construction in the late 1990s and the addition in 2002 to the maximum security prison in Warren, Maine designed to house 922 inmates totaled Seventy Two Million($72,000,000) Dollars, or Seventy Seven thousand Six($77,006) Dollars for each bed.

2. In the past 20 years, the average daily population in Maine’s state prison has grown 74 percent. As of April 2008, 2,222 persons were in state prisons or 369 over the intended total capacity of the prisons.
Of the 2,222, only 762 were imprisoned for what can be characterized as a violent crime. Except for the 42 inmates serving a life sentence, and, possibly, the 141 inmates sentenced to 45 years, the remaining 98% of the inmates will return to community life.

3. During each session of the state Legislature, new crimes are enacted or there is new laws enacted toughening the punishment for existing crimes. For example, in the 2004 legislative session, seven (7) new crimes were enacted and in the 2006 legislative session new laws toughened the punishment for a wide range of existing crimes.

4. In 2001 Maine had the highest annual cost per inmate of any state: Forty Four Thousand Three Hundred Thirty Nine ($44,379) Dollars, as compared to the national state average of Twenty Two Thousand Six Hundred Fifty ($22,650) Dollars, and the average Federal cost of Twenty Two Thousand Six Hundred Thirty Two
($22,632) Dollars. With rising costs the present annual cost per inmate in a state prison in Maine is approximately Sixty Six Thousand ($66,000) Dollars. This is roughly double the state’s per capita income.

If you are not shocked by these figures, you should be!

Why has our state prison population grown? Two nationally recognized reasons: (1) “There isn’t a person in public office that’s not sensitive to the accusation of being soft on crime. But you don’t have to be soft on crime to be smart in dealing with criminals.” Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, The Columbus Dispatch, January 26.2008. This “sensitivity” has been apparent for at least the last 30 years and is also true of persons seeking public office. To avoid “political death” is was deemed necessary to clearly demonstrate that the public office seeker was “tough on crime”: would support longer and harsher sentences for existing offenses and enactment of new crimes. Rehabilitation of a offender was no
longer an important consideration, rather the correction system became viewed as a system solely for punishment of a wrongdoer.
(2) “We are jammed up with this situation now because we have fallen in love with one of the most undocumented beliefs: That somehow you get safer if you put more people in jail”. California Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, Associated Press December 6. 2007.

As stated by Texas State Senator John Whitmore , Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. on January 21, 2007 ”If we don’t change the course now, we will be building prisons forever and ever --prisons we can’t afford.”

Has and is Maine “being smart” in the use of the taxpayers’ dollars in its dealing with criminals? Do we continue to build more prisons? Should there be a complete reconsideration of what conduct is criminal? Should all criminal violators be imprisoned? Could the tax dollars used for the imprisonment of certain violators be better and more effectively used by keeping them in the community with sufficient supervision and supportive services to allow them to be contributing member of society?
We now have laws mandating that the Court impose a certain minimum sentence for a certain offense, including crimes for which the sentence is a fine, regardless of any other circumstances. Is this not similar to requiring that all stores sell only size 8 shoes so that, as in mandating minimum sentences, we can proclaim that all residents in Maine are treated equally? Is it an equal protection of the laws to remove sentencing discretion from the courts so that the Court can no longer consider real differences in people and circumstances when imposing sentences?

Do you care enough to think about and become involved in discussions for changes to our present penal system so that we are really “being smart” in the use of our tax dollars?

My neighbor Mary is the author of the "The Frugal Family's Kitchen Book." She is also a regular blogger. So I was not surprised to see her featured in this week's Portland Press Herald, discussing ways to keep costs down in the kitchen.

Mary is quoted as saying,

"What is really funny now is listening to people with all these exciting new tips that are as old as my mother's."

It is funny--and a bit sad. We are a nation of extremes. When we are flush with cash (and oil, and food), we forget to be mindful. Then things shift, and we feel scared...and we decide to be frugal again.

The thing is, most of us still have plenty. We do not need to revert back to eating "Spam," as seems to be a recent trend. We can find delicious, nutritious foods that are not costly. Bulk grains...legumes...seasonal produce: it is possible to eat well when costs are up. We do not need to feel scared. We just need to pay attention to what we are putting into our mouths--and the mouths of our families.

Something we should probably be doing anyway.

I'm changing the World. I'm saving the environment, adding to biodiversity, creating World Peace, saving money on health care, reducing dependance on foreign oil, and creating beauty for the Earth. It's not hard and anyone with a little time and determination can do it too.

I'm not talking politics either. I'm tired of what the politicians promise and what the self absorbed think of everyone elses flaws, wants and needs. My votes don't change the World. Not a single politician has ever taken my advice.

You too can change the World and it doesn't matter what religion, race, gender or political slant you have. Young and old, rich or poor can all bring peace, prosperity and health to our world.

It's simple - plant a garden. Even a Tomato plant in a pot on your porch will save gas, bring health to you and your family, clean the air, provide food for the hungry and a sense of peace to the World.

Think of the miracle of the seed as you plant it and remember to weed your own life as you weed the garden. Smile and breathe as you watch your plan for peace grow and evolve. Appreciate the fresh water that nutures and sustains us and be thankful for the fruit of the harvest. Share this with your neighbors and find common ground.

Then bring a child to the garden and teach them the lessons found there. As a garden grows, so will a new and better world.

While I was growing up in Maine, and actually through the sixties and into the early seventies, I knew people who owned lakeshore camps. In those days Maine had a sizeable middle class, supported by manufacturing jobs that provided decent wages. These days I don’t know anyone who can afford such a “luxury” unless the property has been passed down through the family – and in many cases these long-time owners are selling to get out from under an increasing property tax burden.

The “bargains” are of course snapped up by people from other states whose residents enjoy better-paying jobs and less onerous taxes.

In years past, Maine people also enjoyed a reputation for independence gained through hard work and enterprise, traits that earned their own rewards.

I could not help but notice that in the primary election yesterday for the future Congressional seat the Democratic winner was the candidate who made the most promises for handouts ( sorry, “deserved assistance”), while stirring the simmering pot of class warfare. This is the same individual who helped build the current welfare haven that draws the social misfits to the unlimited benefits developed and proffered by the socialists who have infiltrated Maine since the “revolutionary days” of the sixties. No residency requirements here in Maine, nor is there a time limitation for the benefits period. Just show up with your hand out.

A lot of people in government and the “helping services” make a very good living from the bounty collected from the people in Maine who work and contribute to the State coffers. Some of these hard-working contributors work two or more jobs to keep up with the demands of the spendthrifts in charge.

It seems a bit disjointed that the many of the best jobs in Maine are held by folks who don’t actually produce a product, but spend most of their time “administering”, collecting and spending hard-earned money from those who can no longer afford a camp on a quiet lake.

The siren song of Socialism, currently billed as “entitlement”, masks the corruption of a ruling class created to oversee “equality”. Independence and self-sufficiency are their greatest fear and therein the reason for their encouragement of division and dependency.

Indeed, the fall elections will provide a vital turning point for the people of Maine.

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Mrs. Clinton finally did what everyone was pressuring her to do. With grace, a positive attitude and a message of unity, she accepted defeat with complete contradiction as to how her detractors describe her.

Her campaign is fundamentally over, but I suspect many in her party may come to regret it although Mr. Obama will do a great job. Those outside of her party, know her strength. Those who dislike her the most began last year constantly repeating their rhetoric: “ we would love to go against her in the general election”. That alone tells astute individuals a lot. (The lady doth protest too much, methinks.)

Most people are hoping for the best no matter what the results of the election are. This election should be easy for Mr. Obama to win, but it won’t be. Will Hillary Clinton become the next Vice President? Even Ronald Reagan knew what to do when he wanted to assure himself that he would become the next President.

The Department of Energy filed its application this past Tuesday (June 3rd) with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the licensing of a high level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Work began to scope the Yucca site more than 30 years ago, and 20 years ago the DOE was scheduled by law to begin accepting waste from commercial nuclear power plants like Maine Yankee in January 1998. The deadline passed. Maine, along with dozens of other states and the nuclear power producers, sued the DOE for the failure to meet the deadline, thus costing ratepayers the expense of storing “used fuel” on site. Maine’s lawsuit was near the head of the line. It is small consolation that we won the argument, for there is still no place to send Maine Yankee’s high level radioactive waste.

The Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday released a report slamming Bush and Cheney for their Iraqi prewar claims. I am not one to defend either man as I feel their prewar lies would be a better term but I am here now to comment on the Congress that failed to do their job in the weeks leading up to the Iraqi war.

There were not that many in either house of Congress who had the backbone to stand up in the weeks before the Iraqi war and question the statements being made by Bush and Cheney. Both Democrats and Republicans were in a rush to war and feared the political ramifications of asking pointed questions of Bush's supporting so called facts in selling the Congress on his war. Congress is supposed to be a part of a system of checks and balances and when they play politics first and simply rubber stamp whatever the President says, then they are not serving the citizens or their country.

Many of the members of the Senate (lack of) Intelligence Committee that released this report had access to the raw intelligence that Bush and Cheney did and simply failed to do their job by not questioning the President before the war instead of waiting until after thousands of Americans have been killed or injured in this generations on going version of Vietnam. Closing the barn door after the war has broken out does no one any good.

A recent editorial in the Portland Press called gas merely annoying while saying heating prices are scary. It takes the position that you can "only do so much" with heat.

I couldn't disagree more strongly.

Home heating oil can be severely restricted and in some cases entirely eliminated. I currently own and maintain two separate homes - one of which is rented out. The rental is about 1400 square feet and is rented by a single Mom with two children. She recently filled her oil tank and figures her entire useage last winter at about 200 gallons with oil being the sole source of heat. The previous tenants liked the house a little cooler and went through a complete winter on less than 150 gallons. My personal house is about 2300 square feet and I use about 450 gallons with oil being our only heat.

Neither house uses any high technology - yet. The rental is super insulated and passive solar. It has a built on sun room. It's Monitor heater barely runs on a cold winter day and shuts off for most of the day when it's sunny out. It is also cool in the summer and quiet. My personal house is older and just normally insulated. It is also passive solar and the Monitor heater seldom runs on a sunny winter day. Both houses have good windows and doors.

My wife and I think that 450 gallons is too high a figure to heat our house so we plan to do something about it instead of just saying how nothing can be done. Our goal is to cut our oil consumption at least in half. We plan to reinsulate a section of our attic which has always leaked more air than the rest. We have also discussed for some years adding a sunroom onto our house but felt that the cost wouldn't pay off with savings. $4.50 oil has made us rethink. We now plan to add an "Energy Room" to the front of our house with both passive and active solar for heat as well as a chimney so we can burn the half cord or so of wood we get each year from cleaning up around the place. The cellar under this energy room will have bulk storage for the collected solar heat so we can extend the benefits through the nights and cloudy days. We will also incorporate solar domestic hot water while we're at it.

We are planning a substantial expenditure of money to reduce our dependence on oil. At a 50% reduction in use and current prices, it will take quite a few years to break even on our investment.

I somehow believe that current prices are low compared to what we will be seeing in a few years and we cannot afford to sit idly and wait. We also think that a little more work after our energy room may allow us to achieve a much greater than 50% total savings. This is the decision that all Maine citizens must make. Are you going to do nothing until you are simply bulldozed over by high energy prices or are you going to be proactive so you can survive and thrive during these times?

There is a great deal that all homeowners can do to save on energy. Caulking, insulating your attic, and adding insulated curtains to your windows are some of the simplest steps. Wood stoves and pellet stoves will be the answer for some. Solar heat is perhaps the best long term solution because after the initial investment then the fuel is free. It may be wise to incorporate several methods of heat into your home so that you can take advantage of changing prices and supplies.

What you cannot afford to do is nothing.

Marine fisheries are a multi-billion dollar industry. The New England Fishery Management Council serves, in effect, as the board of trustees for the production line and operations of this industry.

Individually, Fishery Management Council appointees are civic-minded citizens of the fishing community, responsible representatives of the fishing industry, or career employees of the marine resource agencies of five NE states. Without exception, these people serve with the best of intentions. Collectively, however, the group would be laughed out of any corporate board room, as rank amateurs.

Amateurism was in full display when the New England Fishery Management Council met this week in Portland.

The problem for groundfish goes back decades. Too many boats were built to catch fish in the 1980s, before we fully understood the limits on a sustainably managed resource. Managers institutionalized the problem in 1995 by qualifying four-times too many of these vessels for permits to pursue groundfish in a targeted fishery. Meanwhile, from 1990 to 2003, managers consistently ignored or fudged scientific recommendations to curb overfishing, allowing these stocks to descend into chronic depletion.

Then, in 2003, a federal court ruling ordered managers to restore groundfish stocks consistent with scientifically derived standards under the law. Rebuilding must be completed by 2014. That’s the law – but you’ve never seen such foot-dragging!

The final stage of this court-ordered remedial action, a year-five reassessment of stock status and updating, is due for May 2009. The Fishery Management Council this week missed a critical deadline in that process. They stepped away from their collective responsibility under the law, because difficult decisions were outside the comfort zone of too many council members. It's become predictable.

Real businessmen take decisive action when faced with hard choices. In the 1990s, and at numerous junctures since then, real business mangers would have recognized that far too many boats were chasing too few fish. They would have placed a premium on maximizing the value to the industry (and nation) by growing the resource, restoring it to its full potential as quickly as possible.

Skillful planners would have acknowledged the disparity between capital investment and available opportunity. They would have created a master-plan to guide vessel owners on where to invest or disinvest – in effect providing a road-map for an orderly economic progression to a more desirable capital structure over the long-term.

In contrast, for years fishery managers on the New England Council have procrastinated, obfuscated and deflected blame for their collective misjudgment onto the science and law that should serve as their guideposts.

Citizens of Maine are rightfully concerned that groundfishing is disappearing from the Maine coast, and that the supporting infrastructure is collapsing. It’s true. But law and science have not made this tragedy. Years of chronic depletion has deprived Maine fishermen of opportunity far more than conservation measures. Capricious management has perpetuated an unstable and unpredictable business context that has disadvantaged the most capable small-businessmen/fishermen, exhausting their resources.

The lack of professional vision was on full display at the New England Fishery Management Council again this week in Portland. For those who would like to believe in the nobility of governance, it was a sad dereliction of responsibility.

I am having dinner at the Turkish restaurant, Mediterranean Grill, and there is a piece of me that does a slow motion dive to the memories of what my mother used to cook. This dive here in Freeport, Maine, in a restaurant where the owner, a Turk, is married to a Chinese. And before my mind starts running, I say to myself that I, born and raised in Pakistan of Turkish parents, married my soul-mate who grew up in South Portland and gifted me a wonderful father-in-law who is 100% Finnish. I am an immigrant in Maine; one of many who belong here in Maine; we belong to the Maine ocean and sky, long before and long after the immigration debate.

Yes, America belongs to the world and the world belongs to it.

So as the talking heads holler and scream about the dead immigration bill and what immigration is and is not, I want to tell them that Fr. Rene McGraw, a Benedictine monk from Saint John’s University who taught me Tolstoy, Heidegger and Nietzsche once said this to me, “Kerem, the light of the world is born from everywhere.”

Yes, America belongs to the world and I belong to it.

Build the walls on the border. They will break through it. Amnesty? Amnesty from what? We are ALL part of A LIVING social fabric; this fabric that clothes us. Ask us; those who came to live here even though we were not born here? Today, already there are graduated and comprehensive steps to acknowledge and attain the right of being part of that alive social fabric; work permits, work visas, green card permits, citizenship papers. Ask us. Since when did the nation-state get defined by the few? Ask us.

Yes, there are no easy answers but that is why I came to America; to ask, to seek, to be. I came, regardless of manifest destiny, to create, to extend beyond the limitations of my past, to be a world citizen on my own terms.

My Ellis Island was the JFK International Airport. Seventeen and a half years old and I landed in this country ready to live.

Yes, America gave birth to me. And there is a whole world of us, us immigrants, birthing America everyday.

Several recent articles outline the current turmoil in the new car market. All are a direct result of the surge in energy prices. An earlier post of mine lists the energy crisis as a life changing event and the automotive market can serve as exhibit #1. Although the articles vary somewhat in their numbers, I think I can safely say that during the month of May, for the first time in history, the domestic industry sold less that half the cars in this country. Sales of trucks, SUV's and large cars plummeted while small cars nearly doubled their share of the market. The Honda Civic was the best selling vehicle in May, replacing the leader of 31 years, the Ford F150. Meanwhile, GM announced the closing of 4 truck plants and ponders the sale or closing of the Hummer Brand. CEO Rick Wagoner says that gas prices aren't coming down. Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford, says that the energy crisis will cause Ford to not return to profitability in 2009 as originally predicted. If that doesn't change the lives of the affected people then I don't know what will.

The greater disease is our country's high use of energy. The current automotive market is simply a symptom of this disease. Our politicians can only point the finger of blame at the oil executives while failing to enact more than a token energy policy.

As a registered Republican who tends to vote Democrat, I have followed this presidential election with more interest than I usually do. Although I believe that John McCain is a fine and honorable man, I feel he represents politics as usual and that this country simply can't take any more of this. This leaves me with the Clinton/Obama decision. Now that Obama seems to have clinched the Democratic nomination the natural question is who will be his VP?

When I first thought of Clinton as Obama's VP, I immediately dismissed the idea with the thought that he simply didn't need that type of confusion hanging over his leadership but as I thought of it some more my reasons against it seem to fade and I say why not?

Clinton could keep her dedicated supporters from jumping to the Republicans. She is certainly experienced in Washington politics - for better or worse - and could provide needed advice to Obama as he settles into the presidency. Obama's major problem would be to keep Clinton from overshadowing his presidency. He would have to take firm control of the office and clearly present his platform as his own to the country while still seeking and using advice and guidance from Clinton.

Yesterday I was the unwilling recipient of an automated telephone call urging me to decline if offered the opportunity to sign a petition urging the recall of a new tax (imposed by the Democratic majority and one lone so-called Republican in the wee hours of the morning on the last day of the most recent Legislative gathering) requiring additional fees from the sale of soda, beer, wine, flavored water and other items – plus a cut of any health insurance settlements.

The consequences of repeal of this tax would be dire indeed, the message stated. I was warned that the neediest people would lose their health insurance, adults and children would flood emergency rooms and that repercussions might topple our entire health care system.

The described villain is the new tax instigated to prop up the massive failure of the government-created Dirigo health insurance initiative. The estimated $70 million raised would effective double the subsidy provided to 13,000 Dirigo members, plus another 5,000 MaineCare recipients, to over $120 million dollars. Do the math on this one, folks. It is a pretty expensive now, let alone with the increase.

And this is a program that was initially sold to the public as a self-supporting undertaking.

I am one of the people who firmly believe that Maine government receives more than enough money to fulfill its obligation to take care of the most pressing needs of its citizens if it would only learn to prioritize spending and practice some fiscal responsibility.

It sits ill with me that the movement against the citizen initiative to repeal this tax is spearheaded by unions and other special interest groups and is in great part funded by out-of-state donations from advocates of “universal health care”.

Even more unsettling are the scare tactics of misinformation, distortion and downright untruths that were also employed by the socialist brigades who managed to narrowly defeat the last TABOR initiative.

These attempts to repress the right of citizens to take part in government are the result of the inroads socialists have made here in what used to be a bastion of independence, free-thinking and self-reliance.

The simple fact is that socialism is the most easily corruptible of political philosophies, since a ruling class is required to dispense the “benefits” that an all-powerful government leaches from its productive citizens. Once in power and maintained by a carefully constructed electoral base comprised of special interest groups whose fortunes depend upon keeping their benefactors in office, these parasites are very difficult to dislodge.

Those who benefit most from Maine’s unfair tax burden are those who always fight hardest against any effort to bring tax relief.
Take the time to learn about the organizations opposing the efforts initiated by taxpayers and small business operators to rein in runaway spending. Don’t be fooled by the class-warfare tactics perfected and employed by those who stand to lose if taxes are repealed.

By the way, even without this new money no current participants in Dirigo (which, being a closed-enrollment program is something most of us cannot benefit from) or their families will lose their health insurance.

I don’t need anyone directing me on whether or not to exercise my right to sign a petition. How about you?

We are aware there is a growing awareness nationally that the present state and federal penal systems are not meeting the desired goals of reducing recividism and preparing criminal offenders to become responsible members of our society. Our prisons are over crowded and the cost in taxpayers dollars required to maintain our present system is becoming economicaly prohibitive.

We recognize that prisons are necessary for some but not all criminal violators.
Based on factual data applicable to the State of Maine, discussions would include cost of capital investment in a prison; present population of state prisons and county jails; annual cost of incarceration for each inmate; number of inmates in state prisons for non-violent crimes and for violent crimes; average length of incarceration; effect of incarceration on families, particularly on minor children with a parent in prison, on probation or on parole; effect of mandatory minimum sentences and should they be repealed; effectiveness of court initiated programs providing alternatives to incarceration and community initiated post-release and other programs designed to assist transition from prison and whether these and similar programs should be introduced in our system and funded with our tax dollars rather than using those dollars for incarceration.

Ideas are needed and welcomed on how to make a case to the next Legislature that would ensure its receptiveness to changes in our present system.

From the deck of a boat it all just looks like water. But from a fish eye view, this is a wonderful place.

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is at the ecological heart of the Gulf of Maine. This is where cold nutrient-rich water, pushed south by the Maine Coastal Current, washes over deep basins, boulder fields, sand banks and dramatically rugged terrain. Plankton blooms support prolific populations of bait fish. Forage draws cod and flounder, tuna, sharks, whales, porpoise, dolphins, seals, sea birds and diversity of species that all come there to feed.

This is the fountainhead for life in the Gulf of Maine.

Nestled into the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, 900 square miles between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is an urban sanctuary. Designated by Congress in 1991, Stellwagen is surrounded by the 6 million persons of the Boston metro-region. One of the ten best places in the world to watch whales is within sight of the Boston skyline.

This is where human population meets ocean wilderness head-on. Industrial development, shipping, and commercial fishing compromise every aspect of ecology. A sanctuary in name only, without protection it is approaching crisis.

Over 200 people have labored for six years to craft management recommendations for Stellwagen. But the management plan has been released without any regulatory proposals. The Sanctuary System will be making a presentation and soliciting public comment on Thursday evening:

JUNE 5 -- 6:30-9:30 p.m.
University of Southern Maine Law School
Talbot Lecture Hall
88 Bedford Street, Portland, ME

This is New England’s National Marine Sanctuary. The planning issues are ones that we will soon confront in coastal Maine as well.

I attended a gathering of family and friends and inevitably the conversation turned to the price of oil. I was stunned to hear that almost none at this gathering had plans to do anything in their personal lives to control their energy costs.

People need to realize that the cost of energy is a life changing event.

You can be proactive or you can have these changes shoved down your throat but they will occur. If you plan and adapt then it can have minimal damage to your life but those who refuse to make changes will suffer. This winter will be the first real test. The cost of heat will be a shock to many who have reached the point that they cannot simply write a check and call it good.

There are many who can burn wood. Some will convert to pellets or corn. Others will again start to use the baseboard electric they have ignored for years. All who do not produce their own energy will find the cost substantially higher and for some it will be beyond their ability to pay.

Those who think this is simply a bubble need to think again. What you pay now is cheap compared to what you will face in the future. It is time to change your life to cut your energy use.

NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine -- Police said the seven-vehicle pile-up on the Maine Turnpike Thursday morning was caused by a dog crossing the road ... The accident happened in the southbound lane between exit 75 in Auburn and exit 63 in Gray around 8:30 ... Dan Paradee, spokesman for the Turnpike Authority, said Troopers told him a Ford Taurus pulled over into the breakdown lane after seeing a black Lab run across the road into northbound traffic.

Source - http://www.wmtw.com

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The issues for the Democratic party regarding the delegates is not going away. This, of course, is the way it should be. Determining the candidate is what the national convention is for. But clearly a decision as to how to proceed at this point did have to be made.

Would a credible solution have been to act early on and remove the Democratic State party officials who made the decision to have early elections?

This is not rhetorical. I am looking for us to have dialogue on where we should go from here. Some are suggesting a Clinton / Obama ticket. Others are suggesting we end it here. I see that there were rules made and violated but that was done by the leadership and the members, of course, want their vote counted. There may not be a way to appease everyone, but is the present solution the closest we will get to consensus?

... Maine's Legislature passed the tax on beer, wine, sodas and other syrup-based drinks to help fund the approximately $50 million annual operating budget of the state's Dirigo Health program. The bill will increase the 25 cents per gallon tax on beer to 54 cents per gallon, and the 30 cents per gallon tax on wine to 65 cents per gallon. A 42- cent tax will be assessed on a gallon of soda, and simple syrup will be taxed $4 a gallon. The taxes are expected to take effect in late July, Augur said.

Source - http://www.redorbit.com

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