It doesn't really prove your point. It was a sham law suit that was dropped by 6 of the 7 plaintiffs and is currently under appeal. If you shoot somebody you are a criminal. Read it and weep>>>>>>>>>
crim·i·nal
[krim-uh-nl] Show IPA
–adjective
1. of the nature of or involving crime.
2. guilty of crime.
3. Law . of or pertaining to crime or its punishment: a criminal proceeding.
4. senseless; foolish: It's criminal to waste so much good food.
5. exorbitant; grossly overpriced: They charge absolutely criminal prices.
–noun
6. a person guilty OR convicted of a crime. (emphasis mine)
So by this line of thinking Charles Manson wasn't a criminal until AFTER he was convicted. Is that what you mean? Gein, Bundy, Dahmer and Gacy were not criminals until AFTER they were caught and convicted?
By the prevailing liberal logic here, since the SJ editorial staff said Palin "found herself in the media cross hairs", we can now assume if she is shot then it is the fault of the SJ editorial staff?
what does that tell you about how the majority of Americans feel about what the current administration has done to our country over the past two years?
I know you are not accustomed to reading that! So in order to prevent you from having a coronary, let me qualify the statement. I too think that it's a bit ridiculous that citizens have assault rifles, and grenade launchers. It's true that the Founders could not foresee the future. They recognized that fact. That is precisely WHY they created an amendment process. If the Constitution is properly amended to forbid assault rifles, grenade launchers, et al., I would support it and defend it as vehemently as I defend the Constitution as it now exists. But let me play devil's advocate for a moment. If we agree that the purpose of the second amendment was to ensure that the government could not take muskets away from the citizenry. And if we agree it was because they believed that the citizens should be able to defend themselves from criminals and a government that has overstepped it's boundaries. Then it must be clear that for the government to limit citizens to pistols and hunting rifles while the government itself has assault rifles and grenade launchers, is a contravention of the framers intent.
Never has, never will. People will do what they want to do. I think society is better served by making cannabis legal and safe. This would remove the rebel mysticism and teenage use would actually decline. Look at all the crime associated with the drug trade. It is a direct parallel with the crime associated with the prohibition of alcohol. Alcohol was legalized and all that crime went away. Obviously there are still societal problems associated with alcohol but we are working on them and gaining ground. We can apply all those lessons learned to the legalization of marijuana. Much of our prison space is occupied by people convicted of drug crimes associated with marijuana. Legalization of of marijuana would go a long way towards reducing prison overcrowding. It's a victim-less crime. If I choose to smoke pot in a responsible manner, I am not hurting anyone.
...You or anyone Joe, er, Voisine. I'm a registered Independent who, if I had to pick a party would be a Libertarian. I was simply pointing out that both of the major parties THINK they are right and infallible. Both major parties have some things right and some things wrong. In my mind.) And that both major parties are fully capable of stretching and twisting the truth to their own ends as well as out-and-out bold face lying. I forgive you your rant. That's what is nice about the blogs. We all get to blow off steam so we can be civil in public.
I'm not even a Republican. I was simply pointing out that different groups have varying definitions of stealing. I too am disappointed by the selection of Nutting.
... when planning a large outdoor event like this, early registration acts a as a guaranteed minimum in the event of bad weather. The early registration is also a good indicator of total registration for planning purposes.
No Veritas - the failing Dirigo Health is stealing from tax-payers and unpaid healthcare organizations all over the sate. But you knew that. You were just playing dumb, right?
...that either you Jeremy or the letter writer have every right to form an NPO to support the arts in L/A. If you did so, than everyone that cares about the arts would have an outlet for their voluntary, tax-deductible donations.
I am no fan of the idea of diversification for the sake of diversification. I wish the Catholic Charities of Maine would have found other ways to spend their time and money, and now I wish they spend more of it to help with the Somali immigrants. But...
How can we blame these Somali immigrants for wanting to make life better for their children and themselves? How can we blame them for fleeing refugee camps when given the opportunity? How can we blame them for fleeing hunger, poverty, and racial oppression? We are the ones with the torch burning in the harbor. The promise of religious and political freedom. The promise of of a better life. The promise of the American dream, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
This is, as a nation, what we are all about. This is how and why our nation was founded. This is exactly what makes our nation great.
Let's give these people a chance for Pete's sake. We do not encourage them to assimilate by beating them down. We encourage them to assimilate by teaching them the meaning of the American dream, by showing them what is great about being an American, by showing them what is great about our American culture. We exasperate assimilation problems by being unkind.
Look back at the history of Irish immigrants too America. They were fleeing poverty, famine, and English oppression. They were unwanted, disliked, and cursed by the existing population. Now several generations later, we celebrate their heritage every year and some of our most venerated American families are of Irish descent.
What about the in-flux of French-Canadian immigrants? No jobs in Canada. Not enough fertile, affordable, farmland. They too saw the promise of America and came by the thousands. Many of that first generation still do not speak English, though they have been here for forty or fifty years or more.
Let's not expect more from the Somalis than we got from our own parents and grandparents. Give them a chance. Reach out to them with an open hand don't beat them down with the back of your hand. Peace.
...is to give them fair and open competition. The good schools will keep students, the under-performing schools will loose students. Then it will become painfully obvious which administrators and teachers are sub-par performers. This is perhaps why teachers and teachers unions are against (afraid of) vouchers, charters, and magnets.
a·gen·cy
[ey-juhn-see] Show IPA
–noun, plural -cies.
1. an organization, company, or bureau that provides some service for another: a welfare agency.
2. a company having a franchise to represent another.
3. a governmental bureau, or an office that represents it.
4. the place of business of an agent.
5. Indian agency.
6. an administrative division of a government.
7. the duty or function of an agent.
8. the relationship between a principal and his or her agent.
9. the state of being in action or of exerting power; operation: the agency of Providence.
10. a means of exerting power or influence; instrumentality: nominated by the agency of friends.
Vote for a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or whatever you want. Do not vote for incumbents. They have had their chance and have screwed it up. If they will not legislate congressional term limits, then we must enforce them at the ballot box.
Vote for no incumbents. Vote for a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or whatever you want. Do not vote for incumbents. They have had their chance and have screwed it up. If they will not legislate congressional term limits, then we must enforce them at the ballot box.
Vote for no incumbents. Vote for a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or whatever you want. Do not vote for incumbents. They have had their chance and have screwed it up. If they will not legislate congressional term limits, then we must enforce them at the ballot box.
Vote for no incumbents. Vote for a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or whatever you want. Do not vote for incumbents. They have had their chance and have screwed it up. If they will not legislate congressional term limits, then we must enforce them at the ballot box.
The State legislature has become a parasitic plague of overspending on the citizens of Maine. A clean sweep is in order. Vote for Democrats, Republicans, or Independants as you choose, but don't vote for incumbents.
My line of thinking is this...DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY INCUMBENT. Be they Republican or Democrat or something else. Clean house and start over. No one gets re-elected.
As a career soldier I say, "No draft." It is essentially forced labor. The reason our armed forces are the best his because every one "wants" to be there. They volunteered for it. They "want" the training it takes to become the best. The all volunteer force is far superior to the forced labor force. Having said that, more Americans have to have a little skin in it. They need to feel it more personally.
The recession started when Bush was in office. Okay, I'll buy that. The last two years of his term there was a liberal congress. I submit that it was the liberal congress that was primarily responsible for the start of the recession. (Although I was no fan of Bush.) Bush's (extreme) conservatism kept it under control until just before he left office. Now, with a liberal congress and a liberal executive branch the control is gone and we are in a free fall economy. At some point it has to stop being Bush's fault and start being Obama's fault for not fixing it. So we can better understand, tell us when that point is. When a baseball pitcher gets pulled from the game, if the runners on base score a run they are his fault. If the relief pitcher allows other runs to score, they are the relief pitchers fault. Were is the cut off point? When is it Obama's fault? Where are the jobs? Where is the change? Obama has a friendly congress and isn't getting it done. When is it his fault. Please tell us.
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But you are wrong. In the first place, all climate change skeptics are not republicans. In the second place if you actually bothered to read something other than this blog and comic books you would come to understand exactly how wrong you are.
You are correct of course Rino. We should cut pollution. We should limit our use of fossil fuels. But we should do it in a way that makes sense. Not with legislation that won't stop global warming, but will make the rich even richer. Not with legislation that is going to put an additional $3000/year burden on each and every American family. If we are going to spend money on global warming we better spend it to prepare for it. Because it's either going to happen or it's not and there is not a damn thing we can do about it. If the earth wants to get warmer it will. I'd just like to point out that the global warming alarmist scientists are the same ones that were squawking about the impending ice age back in the '70's. If there is climate alarm they keep getting their government grants. By the way, it has just been announced that Pres. Obama will not make his planned speech in Copenhagen.
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poorman - you are the one that is wrong. You and Al Gore. He cancelled his speech in Copenhagen by the way. Did you know that? These "scientists" and others have a lot of money at stake. That is why they have lied. That is why Al Gore lied. He hass already amassed a personal fortune of over 100 million dollars from the global warming hoax and stands to make Billions with a "B" if cap and trade become reality. If you ever want to know the truth about something, just follow the money.
I want health care for everyone. I do. But the federal government screws up everything it touches! Just look how badly they are screwing up the effort to establish healthcare legislation. The way they are mucking about and tit-for-tat -ing is exactly the same way they would administer a healthcare program, a lot of noise and not much accomplished. Medicare and Medicaid are both screwed up. If it's to be government run it must be at the state level. Even if sponsored by the federal government.
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Mr Drane - please provide a link to a site that demonstrates that U.S health care is closer to a third world county than it is to Europe. People come from all over the world to receive health care in the United States.
I want health care for every one! But a government run plan is NOT the answer. Trying to totally revamp the system in one massive piece of legislation is NOT the answer. Fining people too poor to buy health care is NOT the answer.
Here is a good start. The city council should pass an ordinance that says every empty building in the city must be brought up to code within 2 years or heavy fines will be imposed.
That new city council just has to DO SOMETHING! Anything. Doing nothing is no longer an option. Try something. If it doesn't work, try something else. Or come up with a comprehensive plan and implement it. The time for hand-sitting is long over.
You see Mr. Martin, it's actually quite easy to demonize catholics. Like shooting fish in a barrel. In fact, I'd be MOST afraid to meet my maker if I WAS a catholic, for that religion has surely done the most to subvert, and pervert what was Jesus' original intent. And all in the name of PERSONAL power and glory and greed.
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I can't believe she was even elected again after quitting last time. "When the going gets tough, Bernier quits."
Sometimes I think the voters of Lewiston get exactly what they deserve.
tron - While I don't disagree with you about local and federal governments -- you certainly can not deny that the state government is bloated. Way too many workers, most over-compensated compared to non-government counterparts.
You must have the mental acuity to differentiate between a NEWS show and an OPINION show. Once you have that figured out, Mr. Kullson, you will realize that you are wrong.
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Hannity, Beck, et al are OPINION programs. They are not NEWS programs. When the NEWS comes on Fox it is fair and balanced. When the OPINION shows come on, people express their OPINION. Just like on CNN and MSNBC etc. The difference is when the NEWS comes on CNN and others - the NEWScasters are obviously bias in the liberal direction. That does NOT happen on NEWS programs on Fox.
I imagine it's hard to keep up Lil when you only have three brain cells and you use two of those to blink your eyes.
A liberal is someone so open-minded that their brain has fallen out.
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So your solution is a heavy handed government that requires your employer to involuntarily take money from you and send it to them? They will then take that money and spend it on people who are perfectly capable of working, but choose not too.
And that model should be adhered to throughout government infrastructure. i.e. A school superintendent should not make more than a city manager, as is the case in Lewiston.
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That's easy dr dosh. Get yourself elected to federal office or join one of the several branches of the military.
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"A liberal is someone who is so open-minded that their brains have fallen out."
"If you're not a liberal when you are twenty, you don't have a heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're forty, you don't have a brain.
So if it was called civil union but extended all the rights and benefits of marriage, you and all other gays and lesbians and the entire gay and lesbian lobby would be totally satisfied?
Lil, do you even know what a teabagger is? Do you know what teabagging is? Or are you just spouting off blindly as usual? Just for fun tell me what you think it means.
Clinton "did not have sexual relations with that woman." Clinton was impeached. Al Gore lost to G.W. Bush. Liberals are overzealous in there criticism of G.W. Bush. Incivility in American politics ensues.
It should be done here as it is in other places in the world, i.e. The Netherlands.
The church may perform (or not perform) marriages as it sees fit. If a church performs a marriage, the state does not recognize that union. It was a religious ceremony, not a civil proceeding. The state recognizing the church's marriage is tantamount to me calling myself a judge, appointing some jurors, pronouncing you guilty, and demanding that the state puts you in jail.
If you want to have the state recognize your union, then you must participate in a civil proceeding. If you want the church to recognize your marriage then you must have a religious ceremony. That the state vests power in a religious institution is ridiculous and possibly unconstitutional.
Marriage is a religious concept. Civil union existed long before marriage did. The pursuit of happiness is a right that should not be impeded by government or the church. Judgement of other people is reserved by God, for himself.
Just to add some context - someone earning 31k to 54k is taxed at a 42% rate. The national sales tax is 19%. They pay for a liter of gas what we pay for a gallon (presumably tyhe difference is all tax).
They do euthanize, and it is very socialist. BUT no one is homeless and no one is hungry.
OR - We could cut back the pay for all state senators and represenatives and that of all their staffs. We could insist that every state senator and represenative trim their staff by 20%. We could trim every tax payer funded social welfare program by 5% and force those programs to find and eliminate their own inefficiencies. ALL of that should be done before we make our children's education suffer.
tron, you and lil are both very dramatic. So much so, that it is actually difficult to have an intelligent conversation with you. So I won't bother any longer.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 3:
“ [The Congress shall have power] To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes; ”
Since healthcare does not involve commerce between nations or states or native American tribes, how can it possibly be covered by the commerce clause?
Based on their experiences with the government of England, the framers were distrustful of a powerful central government. Everything they did was to stop the federal government from having too much power. The federal government has usurped power from the states for decades and it's contrary to the intent of the founding fathers. Federal health care is just one more usurpation of that power.
To be clear, I think everyone deserves health care. I believe everyone has a right to health care. It's just not the federal governments job to do it.
The tenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Since the Constitution does not delegate health care to the United States, it is reserved to the states, or to the people.
Federal involvement in health care is unconstitutional. Why is any discussion needed beyond that?
Maine has the 16th highest gasoline taxes in the country. A five cent increase would put us in 9th place. Considering that our major highway is a toll road, this is absolutely ridiculous. I am wondering if all the monies collected as gas taxes are actually being used for infrastructure maintenance? And if yes, has it always been that way? I wonder exactly what Maine did with it's share of economic recovery money from the federal government? Why does it has to be taxes or bad roads. How about cutting 5% from social programs that only benefit SOME people and put it towards the roadways which benefits EVERY one?
I think it's very cynical to think that because people WILL pay that you should MAKE them pay. It's a senseless and self-defeating money grab.
The fact of the matter is that because there are so many FREE on-line news sources as soon as you start to charge, people will go elsewhere. Since your hit count will go down, so will your advertising revenue. You will either have to revert to free content or fold your on-line content due to lack of revenue.
In fact I subscribe to the printed version of SJ. But only for the weekend editions. I never have time to read the paper during the week. I do, however, have time to surf the SJ during breaks at work. The SJ though, continues to send me newspapers throughout the week even though they don't charge us for a full subscription and even though we have called them several times. Monday's paper is still in it's plastic wrapper and will go straight to the recycle bin.
I presume they continue to send me these FREE newspapers because they need to keep there distribution (hit count) up so that their advertising rates don't drop off.
Lewiston and Auburn is the fourth New England community we have lived in since I retired from the U.S. Army in 1995. It is the first one that feels like home. We have been here for five years and now have our roots firmly set in the banks of the Androscoggin.
What we have noticed since living here is that the money is in Portland, Yarmouth, Falmouth, etcetera and of course that the politicians are in Augusta. In between is Lewiston and Auburn seemingly always catching the droppings from the other two.
But it seems we are always in our own way. The conjoined downtown areas could be, and should be one of the great tourist draws in the state, yet Lisbon Street and the mill area lay fallow and the river front is (still) largely undeveloped. Why? I think because we continually make it such a difficult place to invest and develop.
The mill burning down should never have happened. It should have been torn down and/or redeveloped years ago. There is really no good reason why the river front has not been redeveloped and turned into an attraction by now. "L/A, It's happening here!" has turned into any empty promise and source of humor throughout the state. Our collective governments have let us down.
There could be and should be enough jobs in Lewiston and Auburn for everyone that wants to work. There could be and should be an attractive water front with free events every week in the summer to bring people in to town. There could be and should be "rainy day" attractions that bring vacationers from the coast and mountains and campsites when it's not a good day to be at the ocean or lake. The sad truth is that in Lewiston and Auburn, it's not happening here.
But it could be and should be.
Build it, and they will come. And so will the railroad.
Moving forward is not rushing, but calling for a vote on a (large) novel size bill just hours after is presented certainly is. It gives us the sense that the liberals in congress are trying to hide something. And as it unfolds and we are learning more about the proposed bill, it turns out they were.
Joe, You are being over dramatic. I have clearly stated that I do good things with my money. You are just being an ass. I also clearly stated that I am not upset about people needing help or asking for help, only those that demand help, and a government that steals from me on their behalf. It's MY money. I earned it. (A concept that may be alien to you.) I should get to decide what to do with it. Again you are either intentionally acting ignorant or are indeed actually ignorant. And yes Joe, there are people who left to their own devices will not give any body any thing. But by-and-large most people want to help their fellow man. We just need the government to leave us enough resources to do that. I once again renew my invitation.
Joe, I simply extended an ivitation and restricted no one's rights. It is clear by your response here that you neither understood what I said nor are capable of formulating an intelligent response. I now re-extend that invitation.
Joe, In the first place you are spouting incoherent jibberish. Are you an illegal immigrant by chance? And/or on public assistance? There are places children with cancer can go to get free treatment. St. Judes Hospital, to which I donate money every year, for example. But I CHOOSE to give that money, and am glad to do it. I would give more if you would get your hand out of my pocket and leave me more to give. I give hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars every year Joe, to help people less fortunate than I am. And I love doing it. And that Joe, is the way America is supposed to work. Those that are fortunate help those that are less fortunate. VOLUNTARILY. It happens everyday in America. Many don't give, or give more, because the government hasn't left them enough to feel comfortable, because the government has to support you and your ilk. And Joe it's ok to need help. It's ok to let us know you need help. It's ok to ASK for help. But I rankle when some one DEMANDS help. I rankle when an overly liberal government FORCES me to help. I rankle when the leeches who have figured out how to get something for nothing don't even try to help themselves, but instead demand that I do it for them. And Joe I am not a manager. I am guy WORKING every day for 8-10 hours so that I can pay my own bills, and feed my own children, and save a little for retirement, and yes Joe, give some to those that are less fortunate.
Just to clarify -- HEALTH CARE in the United States is not broken. It's the best in the world. People come to the U.S. in droves to receive our health care. What is broken is the HEALTH INSURANCE industry. It's easy for you jobless leeches to sit your unemployed asses at home and blog about how every one deserves health insurance. Those of us working 40 - 60 hours a week to provide for our families and make ends meet are just wondering how much you think you can take (steal) from us before we get pissed off and say enough is enough? If you look at other countries that have socialized medicine, you will see that the (working) citizenry is taxed at a rate well above sixty percent. I, for one, am not able (or willing) to bear that burden. If you want to talk about rights then I say --- I have a right to keep the money I have worked hard to earn. I have a right to decide to whom, and when, I give that money to some one else. I have a right, when I do give that money to some one else, to put controls on how they spend that money. I have a right to demand that they spend it on food staples and not luxury items like steak and lobster, which I myself can not afford. -- I challenge all of you not working, not supporting yourselves or your families, or your hordes of illegitimate children to just shut up. Stop talking, stop blogging, and in the name of all that is good, for Pete's sake stop demanding more. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
They did pony up - when it was time to study and get good grades so they could get into a good college. When they had to work hard at the junior levels of a company and worked their way up to the top. When they had to risk evrything they owned to start a new business and work a hundred hours a week to make sure it didn't fold. They earned what they got. Now earn what you want.
It has nothing to do with being cranky and hateful. It's about being fed up with people that come to this country and then complain that it's not good enough. It's about being tired of being forced to take care of people that won't take care of themselves. If you are here legally, speak english and are gainfully employed, Welcome! The land of opportunity embraces you. You have the opportunity to make everything of yourself that you are capable of. Those that came looking for a free ride or a new market for their criminal activities need to leave.
In the first place, Thou shalt not kill, is a commandment from god. There is no such commandment about being gay. In the second place what christians are doing has nothing to do with love. It is motivated by hate, ignorance, intolerance, other very un-christian reasons. I have yet to hear one of you "loving" christians offer a prayer for a gay person or couple.
"...Christ gave his apostles and their successors the authority to teach and guide people in matters of faith and morals..." The key words being "teach and guide", not force it upon them. If we count the times the bible says something about homosexuality being bad and the times the bible says "love thy neighbor", or "turn the other cheek", or "judge not your fellow man"... I wonder which would win.
"How un-christian to judge others and how un-American to deny them their persuit of happiness."
And quite frankly Stacy, the modern religions stole marriage from the ancient polytheistic religions as a way of helping to convert the pagans. Along with moving Christ's birthday to match (more closely) the winter solstice, an ancient pagan celebration. And conveniently the ascension of Christ also closely matches the pagan celebration of the spring equinox. Funny that.
In the Netherlands, and I believe in other European countries, it is as you suggest. You can get married at the church, but the government does not recognize that union. If you want the tax and business advantages of the union you must also go to city hall for a civil proceeding.
Yes, God forbid we have anything like development or progress here in Lewiston. Heck we don't need the jobs or the tax dollars a new hotel will bring. But at least the unemployed will have a cool place to see the fireworks. As long as we have our priorities in order.
In the first place, I am far from being a Republican and in the second place, what the hell are you talking about? What would be illegal about hiring someone from Lewiston that cares about the city?
triumph - I agree MANY homosexuals, perhaps the majority, have no choice, they were born that way. But not ALL homosexuals were born that way. For a good number of them they have chosen it is as some sort of exotic fetish. That's what causes the problems for the others. There is a difference between being a homosexual and having homo-erotic sex.
I understand better now. My apologies. I'm still glad he's gone. In the search for a new city manager I hope you consider someone born and raised in Lewiston, that has a true deep commitment to the city and the community. Someone who is not just interested in the pay check and the wielding of personal power.
Isn't this the same council that recently voted to renew his contract. If they had voted to not renew, couldn't we have avoided paying him 100 grand for doing nothing? For those of you that feel sorry for Bennett, don't. He is laughing all the way to the bank. I personally am glad to see him gone. Too many big mistakes, too arrogant.
And I would add that, throughout history, many hundreds more people have been killed in the name of god and/or cristiananity then ever were sacrificed because of all the pagan and non-thiestic religions combined. I don't think any have ever been killed in the name of atheism. Christianity is without a doubt one of the most evil inventions of man.
I am simply curious if all the state senators and represenatives are also taking a furlough day. Are they suffering the same effective pay cut as other state workers? Talk about a drag on our economy....Maine has senators and represenatives at over a thousand times the rate of the federal government. Let's rewrite the state constitution and have say one senator per county and one represenative per 50 thousand citizens. How much tax money would that save?
Joe - NAZI's are socialists. NAZI is a German acronym for National SOCIALIST Party. The current liberal, SOCIALIST, administration are the ones taking us a step closer to Naziism everyday. As the government takes over more and more companies and more and more aspects of society (i.e. healthcare) the people become more and more dependant on the government. When the people are wholly dependent on the government, the government has all the power and the people have none. It was exactly this situation that our founding fathers braved the oceans to come here and start a new country to get away from. It was the British government enacting laws that made the colonists more dependant on the Crown and it's good graces that led to the revolt which has made us all free. We are slowly reverting back to that same untenable situation.
Joe - Don't look now but your ignorance is showing. NAZI is a German acronym for the National SOCIALIST Party. It is the current administration that takes us a step closer to that every day.
Mr. Duncan, I have been reading your posts for several months now and never felt moved to respond. This time I will. It's not particularly an original thought, I am sure many people have thought it. But the words are mine. YOU ARE AN IDIOT!
And...If you can't quickly and effectively get your children under control then YOU NEED TO LEAVE and take your children with you! Even if it means you miss the rest of the movie or don't get dessert. Put your meal in a box and go!
Being from away, this to me, illustrates what I see as a very typical Maine mentality. We complain about no jobs, we complain about high prices and the economy and as soon as someone comes along to try to help we slap them in the face.
Speaking of cost cutting -- If the U. S. Legislative Branch had Senators and represenatives at the same rate that the State of Maine had state senators and rtepresenatives in it's legaslature, there would be 37,000 U.S. Senators, and 690,000 U.S. Represenatives. I wonder if a re-write of our State Constitution is not in order. I bet we could cut our senators from 35 down to say 16. (One per county) and our represenatives from 151 down to say 52 (One per 25,000 people) How much money would that save. How much more efficient would our state government be?
But Laura if tradition is tradition, you still wouldn't be able to vote in the next election. You probably would not have dared to speak up as you did, because women simply do not do that sort of thing.
Why is it sad? You didn't comment how sad it was when soldiers died in combat. You didn't comment on how sad it was that some old guy died. Michael Jackson contributed nothing of any great significance to the world. He's a pedophile. Damned to burn in hell. Wooo-hooo!
Why should god bless michael jackson? in the first place he is onl;y an entertainer. he didn't give us world peace or cure a disease or fight for his country. he is a pedophile. he is going to hell. why do you people worship celebraties so much?
Recent Comments
So...
When do the tax payers receive their rebate?
Similar to...
...illegal immigrants?
OK, I read it...
It doesn't really prove your point. It was a sham law suit that was dropped by 6 of the 7 plaintiffs and is currently under appeal. If you shoot somebody you are a criminal. Read it and weep>>>>>>>>>
crim·i·nal
[krim-uh-nl] Show IPA
–adjective
1. of the nature of or involving crime.
2. guilty of crime.
3. Law . of or pertaining to crime or its punishment: a criminal proceeding.
4. senseless; foolish: It's criminal to waste so much good food.
5. exorbitant; grossly overpriced: They charge absolutely criminal prices.
–noun
6. a person guilty OR convicted of a crime. (emphasis mine)
Speaking of history...
Didn't Anglo-Saxons essentially do the same thing to Native Americans? Didn't they run them off their land, violate treaties, and and commit genocide?
You're kidding right?
So by this line of thinking Charles Manson wasn't a criminal until AFTER he was convicted. Is that what you mean? Gein, Bundy, Dahmer and Gacy were not criminals until AFTER they were caught and convicted?
As usual...
George is off topic.
Soooo....
By the prevailing liberal logic here, since the SJ editorial staff said Palin "found herself in the media cross hairs", we can now assume if she is shot then it is the fault of the SJ editorial staff?
So Mr. Hart...
what does that tell you about how the majority of Americans feel about what the current administration has done to our country over the past two years?
I agree with you tron...
I know you are not accustomed to reading that! So in order to prevent you from having a coronary, let me qualify the statement. I too think that it's a bit ridiculous that citizens have assault rifles, and grenade launchers. It's true that the Founders could not foresee the future. They recognized that fact. That is precisely WHY they created an amendment process. If the Constitution is properly amended to forbid assault rifles, grenade launchers, et al., I would support it and defend it as vehemently as I defend the Constitution as it now exists. But let me play devil's advocate for a moment. If we agree that the purpose of the second amendment was to ensure that the government could not take muskets away from the citizenry. And if we agree it was because they believed that the citizens should be able to defend themselves from criminals and a government that has overstepped it's boundaries. Then it must be clear that for the government to limit citizens to pistols and hunting rifles while the government itself has assault rifles and grenade launchers, is a contravention of the framers intent.
The Point Remains...
abolish the DoED. The rectification of a mistake that should have never happened is long overdue.
Prohibition doesn't work.
Never has, never will. People will do what they want to do. I think society is better served by making cannabis legal and safe. This would remove the rebel mysticism and teenage use would actually decline. Look at all the crime associated with the drug trade. It is a direct parallel with the crime associated with the prohibition of alcohol. Alcohol was legalized and all that crime went away. Obviously there are still societal problems associated with alcohol but we are working on them and gaining ground. We can apply all those lessons learned to the legalization of marijuana. Much of our prison space is occupied by people convicted of drug crimes associated with marijuana. Legalization of of marijuana would go a long way towards reducing prison overcrowding. It's a victim-less crime. If I choose to smoke pot in a responsible manner, I am not hurting anyone.
I DON'T HATE...
...You or anyone Joe, er, Voisine. I'm a registered Independent who, if I had to pick a party would be a Libertarian. I was simply pointing out that both of the major parties THINK they are right and infallible. Both major parties have some things right and some things wrong. In my mind.) And that both major parties are fully capable of stretching and twisting the truth to their own ends as well as out-and-out bold face lying. I forgive you your rant. That's what is nice about the blogs. We all get to blow off steam so we can be civil in public.
Why have you addressed this rant at me?
I'm not even a Republican. I was simply pointing out that different groups have varying definitions of stealing. I too am disappointed by the selection of Nutting.
Who? Me?
Because I don't care enough about the arts to form an NPO or to have money taken from my taxes for the arts.
Also Bob...
... when planning a large outdoor event like this, early registration acts a as a guaranteed minimum in the event of bad weather. The early registration is also a good indicator of total registration for planning purposes.
NEWS FLASH - Veritas Wrong Again!
No Veritas - the failing Dirigo Health is stealing from tax-payers and unpaid healthcare organizations all over the sate. But you knew that. You were just playing dumb, right?
Seems to me...
...that either you Jeremy or the letter writer have every right to form an NPO to support the arts in L/A. If you did so, than everyone that cares about the arts would have an outlet for their voluntary, tax-deductible donations.
Whereas stealing by progressives...
...is called what? Dirigo Health?
To Those Who Disagree...
Please post a response. Rebuff my opinion or defend yours. An intelligent discourse is what is needed. Not unmitigated hatred and bigotry. Let's talk.
It Takes Time
I am no fan of the idea of diversification for the sake of diversification. I wish the Catholic Charities of Maine would have found other ways to spend their time and money, and now I wish they spend more of it to help with the Somali immigrants. But...
How can we blame these Somali immigrants for wanting to make life better for their children and themselves? How can we blame them for fleeing refugee camps when given the opportunity? How can we blame them for fleeing hunger, poverty, and racial oppression? We are the ones with the torch burning in the harbor. The promise of religious and political freedom. The promise of of a better life. The promise of the American dream, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
This is, as a nation, what we are all about. This is how and why our nation was founded. This is exactly what makes our nation great.
Let's give these people a chance for Pete's sake. We do not encourage them to assimilate by beating them down. We encourage them to assimilate by teaching them the meaning of the American dream, by showing them what is great about being an American, by showing them what is great about our American culture. We exasperate assimilation problems by being unkind.
Look back at the history of Irish immigrants too America. They were fleeing poverty, famine, and English oppression. They were unwanted, disliked, and cursed by the existing population. Now several generations later, we celebrate their heritage every year and some of our most venerated American families are of Irish descent.
What about the in-flux of French-Canadian immigrants? No jobs in Canada. Not enough fertile, affordable, farmland. They too saw the promise of America and came by the thousands. Many of that first generation still do not speak English, though they have been here for forty or fifty years or more.
Let's not expect more from the Somalis than we got from our own parents and grandparents. Give them a chance. Reach out to them with an open hand don't beat them down with the back of your hand. Peace.
The best way to bring public schools to standard...
...is to give them fair and open competition. The good schools will keep students, the under-performing schools will loose students. Then it will become painfully obvious which administrators and teachers are sub-par performers. This is perhaps why teachers and teachers unions are against (afraid of) vouchers, charters, and magnets.
Horns
K0NPHL1C7 Don't they sell louder horns?
AGENCY
a·gen·cy
[ey-juhn-see] Show IPA
–noun, plural -cies.
1. an organization, company, or bureau that provides some service for another: a welfare agency.
2. a company having a franchise to represent another.
3. a governmental bureau, or an office that represents it.
4. the place of business of an agent.
5. Indian agency.
6. an administrative division of a government.
7. the duty or function of an agent.
8. the relationship between a principal and his or her agent.
9. the state of being in action or of exerting power; operation: the agency of Providence.
10. a means of exerting power or influence; instrumentality: nominated by the agency of friends.
VOTE FOR NO INCUMBENTS
Vote for a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or whatever you want. Do not vote for incumbents. They have had their chance and have screwed it up. If they will not legislate congressional term limits, then we must enforce them at the ballot box.
The point is still the same Tron...
...188,000 new government employees on the doll.
NO INCUMBENTS
Vote for no incumbents. Vote for a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or whatever you want. Do not vote for incumbents. They have had their chance and have screwed it up. If they will not legislate congressional term limits, then we must enforce them at the ballot box.
NO INCUMBENTS
Vote for no incumbents. Vote for a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or whatever you want. Do not vote for incumbents. They have had their chance and have screwed it up. If they will not legislate congressional term limits, then we must enforce them at the ballot box.
NO INCUMBENTS
Vote for no incumbents. Vote for a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or whatever you want. Do not vote for incumbents. They have had their chance and have screwed it up. If they will not legislate congressional term limits, then we must enforce them at the ballot box.
VOTE FOR NO INCUMBENTS
The State legislature has become a parasitic plague of overspending on the citizens of Maine. A clean sweep is in order. Vote for Democrats, Republicans, or Independants as you choose, but don't vote for incumbents.
VOTE FOR NO INCUMBENTS
I agree Mr. Lewis. A clean sweep is in order.
VOTE REPUBLICAN?
My line of thinking is this...DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY INCUMBENT. Be they Republican or Democrat or something else. Clean house and start over. No one gets re-elected.
The hell you say. Did you
The hell you say. Did you sleep through those eight years?
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There is bowing and then
There is bowing and then there is ass-kiss kowtowing. Our president chose the latter.
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As a career soldier I say,
As a career soldier I say, "No draft." It is essentially forced labor. The reason our armed forces are the best his because every one "wants" to be there. They volunteered for it. They "want" the training it takes to become the best. The all volunteer force is far superior to the forced labor force. Having said that, more Americans have to have a little skin in it. They need to feel it more personally.
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What? _______________________
What?
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The recession started when
The recession started when Bush was in office. Okay, I'll buy that. The last two years of his term there was a liberal congress. I submit that it was the liberal congress that was primarily responsible for the start of the recession. (Although I was no fan of Bush.) Bush's (extreme) conservatism kept it under control until just before he left office. Now, with a liberal congress and a liberal executive branch the control is gone and we are in a free fall economy. At some point it has to stop being Bush's fault and start being Obama's fault for not fixing it. So we can better understand, tell us when that point is. When a baseball pitcher gets pulled from the game, if the runners on base score a run they are his fault. If the relief pitcher allows other runs to score, they are the relief pitchers fault. Were is the cut off point? When is it Obama's fault? Where are the jobs? Where is the change? Obama has a friendly congress and isn't getting it done. When is it his fault. Please tell us.
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Relax. Drink the cool-aid
Relax. Drink the cool-aid and everything will be fine.
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But you are wrong. In the
But you are wrong. In the first place, all climate change skeptics are not republicans. In the second place if you actually bothered to read something other than this blog and comic books you would come to understand exactly how wrong you are.
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You are correct of course
You are correct of course Rino. We should cut pollution. We should limit our use of fossil fuels. But we should do it in a way that makes sense. Not with legislation that won't stop global warming, but will make the rich even richer. Not with legislation that is going to put an additional $3000/year burden on each and every American family. If we are going to spend money on global warming we better spend it to prepare for it. Because it's either going to happen or it's not and there is not a damn thing we can do about it. If the earth wants to get warmer it will. I'd just like to point out that the global warming alarmist scientists are the same ones that were squawking about the impending ice age back in the '70's. If there is climate alarm they keep getting their government grants. By the way, it has just been announced that Pres. Obama will not make his planned speech in Copenhagen.
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I don't watch TV. I think
I don't watch TV. I think for myself. A concept, I am sure, with which you are not familiar.
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poorman - you are the one
poorman - you are the one that is wrong. You and Al Gore. He cancelled his speech in Copenhagen by the way. Did you know that? These "scientists" and others have a lot of money at stake. That is why they have lied. That is why Al Gore lied. He hass already amassed a personal fortune of over 100 million dollars from the global warming hoax and stands to make Billions with a "B" if cap and trade become reality. If you ever want to know the truth about something, just follow the money.
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Lou, I want health care for
Lou,
I want health care for everyone. I do. But the federal government screws up everything it touches! Just look how badly they are screwing up the effort to establish healthcare legislation. The way they are mucking about and tit-for-tat -ing is exactly the same way they would administer a healthcare program, a lot of noise and not much accomplished. Medicare and Medicaid are both screwed up. If it's to be government run it must be at the state level. Even if sponsored by the federal government.
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Mr Drane - please provide a
Mr Drane - please provide a link to a site that demonstrates that U.S health care is closer to a third world county than it is to Europe. People come from all over the world to receive health care in the United States.
I want health care for every one! But a government run plan is NOT the answer. Trying to totally revamp the system in one massive piece of legislation is NOT the answer. Fining people too poor to buy health care is NOT the answer.
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True PW -- no one has ever
True PW -- no one has ever been killed in the name of atheism.
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Here is a good start. The
Here is a good start. The city council should pass an ordinance that says every empty building in the city must be brought up to code within 2 years or heavy fines will be imposed.
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That new city council just
That new city council just has to DO SOMETHING! Anything. Doing nothing is no longer an option. Try something. If it doesn't work, try something else. Or come up with a comprehensive plan and implement it. The time for hand-sitting is long over.
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You see Mr. Martin, it's
You see Mr. Martin, it's actually quite easy to demonize catholics. Like shooting fish in a barrel. In fact, I'd be MOST afraid to meet my maker if I WAS a catholic, for that religion has surely done the most to subvert, and pervert what was Jesus' original intent. And all in the name of PERSONAL power and glory and greed.
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Eliminate federal income
Eliminate federal income taxes altogether. Go to www.fairtax.org
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Health care is not broken.
Health care is not broken. Health insurance is. Feel free to move to Europe.
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Keep your filthy catholic
Keep your filthy catholic hands off of my soul, thank you very much.
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I can't believe she was even
I can't believe she was even elected again after quitting last time. "When the going gets tough, Bernier quits."
Sometimes I think the voters of Lewiston get exactly what they deserve.
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The earth's average global
The earth's average global temperature has not increased for the last 11 years.
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tron - While I don't
tron - While I don't disagree with you about local and federal governments -- you certainly can not deny that the state government is bloated. Way too many workers, most over-compensated compared to non-government counterparts.
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So the guy that gets so
So the guy that gets so angry that he throws a temper tantrum and murders entire cities full of people...we should listen to him?
How un-American of you to deny a fellow citizen their own pursuit of happiness Bob. Get over it. Come down off of your high horse. You'll be fine.
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You must have the mental
You must have the mental acuity to differentiate between a NEWS show and an OPINION show. Once you have that figured out, Mr. Kullson, you will realize that you are wrong.
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Lil, You are such a total
Lil, You are such a total blithering idiot!!
Hannity, Beck, et al are OPINION programs. They are not NEWS programs. When the NEWS comes on Fox it is fair and balanced. When the OPINION shows come on, people express their OPINION. Just like on CNN and MSNBC etc. The difference is when the NEWS comes on CNN and others - the NEWScasters are obviously bias in the liberal direction. That does NOT happen on NEWS programs on Fox.
I imagine it's hard to keep up Lil when you only have three brain cells and you use two of those to blink your eyes.
A liberal is someone so open-minded that their brain has fallen out.
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So your solution is a heavy
So your solution is a heavy handed government that requires your employer to involuntarily take money from you and send it to them? They will then take that money and spend it on people who are perfectly capable of working, but choose not too.
I invite you to emigrate to France.
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How much savings could be
How much savings could be realized in Auburn and Lewiston were on the same contract?
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And that model should be
And that model should be adhered to throughout government infrastructure. i.e. A school superintendent should not make more than a city manager, as is the case in Lewiston.
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That's easy dr dosh. Get
That's easy dr dosh. Get yourself elected to federal office or join one of the several branches of the military.
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"A liberal is someone who is so open-minded that their brains have fallen out."
"If you're not a liberal when you are twenty, you don't have a heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're forty, you don't have a brain.
Lil - I actually agree with
Lil - I actually agree with you on this one...but you are still an obnoxious, loud-mouth, sarcastic, wing nut.
"A liberal is someone who is so open-minded that their brains have fallen out."
"If you're not a liberal when you are twenty, you don't have a heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you are forty, you don't have a brain."
So if it was called civil
So if it was called civil union but extended all the rights and benefits of marriage, you and all other gays and lesbians and the entire gay and lesbian lobby would be totally satisfied?
Lil, do you even know what a
Lil, do you even know what a teabagger is? Do you know what teabagging is? Or are you just spouting off blindly as usual? Just for fun tell me what you think it means.
A liberal is a person so
A liberal is a person so open minded that their brains have fallen out. Proof positive.
I don't think anyone expects
I don't think anyone expects it to become part of the official curriculum. But there will certainly be activist teachers that will teach it.
And tron - what you said is indicative of exactly what heterosexual parents are concerned about.
?
?
Clinton "did not have sexual
Clinton "did not have sexual relations with that woman." Clinton was impeached. Al Gore lost to G.W. Bush. Liberals are overzealous in there criticism of G.W. Bush. Incivility in American politics ensues.
"A liberal is someone so
"A liberal is someone so open-minded that their brains have fallen out."
Unknown
So if you had all those
So if you had all those rights and benefits without marriage? You'd be ok with that?
It should be done here as it
It should be done here as it is in other places in the world, i.e. The Netherlands.
The church may perform (or not perform) marriages as it sees fit. If a church performs a marriage, the state does not recognize that union. It was a religious ceremony, not a civil proceeding. The state recognizing the church's marriage is tantamount to me calling myself a judge, appointing some jurors, pronouncing you guilty, and demanding that the state puts you in jail.
If you want to have the state recognize your union, then you must participate in a civil proceeding. If you want the church to recognize your marriage then you must have a religious ceremony. That the state vests power in a religious institution is ridiculous and possibly unconstitutional.
Marriage is a religious concept. Civil union existed long before marriage did. The pursuit of happiness is a right that should not be impeded by government or the church. Judgement of other people is reserved by God, for himself.
Just to add some context -
Just to add some context - someone earning 31k to 54k is taxed at a 42% rate. The national sales tax is 19%. They pay for a liter of gas what we pay for a gallon (presumably tyhe difference is all tax).
They do euthanize, and it is very socialist. BUT no one is homeless and no one is hungry.
http://www.taxarticles.info/2009/06/tax-rates-imposed-on-individual-paye...
Submitted for your consideration.
OR - We could cut back the
OR - We could cut back the pay for all state senators and represenatives and that of all their staffs. We could insist that every state senator and represenative trim their staff by 20%. We could trim every tax payer funded social welfare program by 5% and force those programs to find and eliminate their own inefficiencies. ALL of that should be done before we make our children's education suffer.
tron, you and lil are both
tron, you and lil are both very dramatic. So much so, that it is actually difficult to have an intelligent conversation with you. So I won't bother any longer.
Commerce among the several
Commerce among the several states is not the same as interstate commerce.
Article I, Section 8, Clause
Article I, Section 8, Clause 3:
“ [The Congress shall have power] To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes; ”
Since healthcare does not involve commerce between nations or states or native American tribes, how can it possibly be covered by the commerce clause?
Based on their experiences with the government of England, the framers were distrustful of a powerful central government. Everything they did was to stop the federal government from having too much power. The federal government has usurped power from the states for decades and it's contrary to the intent of the founding fathers. Federal health care is just one more usurpation of that power.
To be clear, I think everyone deserves health care. I believe everyone has a right to health care. It's just not the federal governments job to do it.
Medicare should never have
Medicare should never have happened and steps should be taken to abolish it now.
The tenth amendment of the
The tenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Since the Constitution does not delegate health care to the United States, it is reserved to the states, or to the people.
Federal involvement in health care is unconstitutional. Why is any discussion needed beyond that?
Maine has the 16th highest
Maine has the 16th highest gasoline taxes in the country. A five cent increase would put us in 9th place. Considering that our major highway is a toll road, this is absolutely ridiculous. I am wondering if all the monies collected as gas taxes are actually being used for infrastructure maintenance? And if yes, has it always been that way? I wonder exactly what Maine did with it's share of economic recovery money from the federal government? Why does it has to be taxes or bad roads. How about cutting 5% from social programs that only benefit SOME people and put it towards the roadways which benefits EVERY one?
Joe, You are quite simply
Joe,
You are quite simply looney toons. I can't even tell what you are saying anymore.
I think it's very cynical to
I think it's very cynical to think that because people WILL pay that you should MAKE them pay. It's a senseless and self-defeating money grab.
The fact of the matter is that because there are so many FREE on-line news sources as soon as you start to charge, people will go elsewhere. Since your hit count will go down, so will your advertising revenue. You will either have to revert to free content or fold your on-line content due to lack of revenue.
In fact I subscribe to the printed version of SJ. But only for the weekend editions. I never have time to read the paper during the week. I do, however, have time to surf the SJ during breaks at work. The SJ though, continues to send me newspapers throughout the week even though they don't charge us for a full subscription and even though we have called them several times. Monday's paper is still in it's plastic wrapper and will go straight to the recycle bin.
I presume they continue to send me these FREE newspapers because they need to keep there distribution (hit count) up so that their advertising rates don't drop off.
Please tell me if I am off base here.
Lewiston and Auburn is the
Lewiston and Auburn is the fourth New England community we have lived in since I retired from the U.S. Army in 1995. It is the first one that feels like home. We have been here for five years and now have our roots firmly set in the banks of the Androscoggin.
What we have noticed since living here is that the money is in Portland, Yarmouth, Falmouth, etcetera and of course that the politicians are in Augusta. In between is Lewiston and Auburn seemingly always catching the droppings from the other two.
But it seems we are always in our own way. The conjoined downtown areas could be, and should be one of the great tourist draws in the state, yet Lisbon Street and the mill area lay fallow and the river front is (still) largely undeveloped. Why? I think because we continually make it such a difficult place to invest and develop.
The mill burning down should never have happened. It should have been torn down and/or redeveloped years ago. There is really no good reason why the river front has not been redeveloped and turned into an attraction by now. "L/A, It's happening here!" has turned into any empty promise and source of humor throughout the state. Our collective governments have let us down.
There could be and should be enough jobs in Lewiston and Auburn for everyone that wants to work. There could be and should be an attractive water front with free events every week in the summer to bring people in to town. There could be and should be "rainy day" attractions that bring vacationers from the coast and mountains and campsites when it's not a good day to be at the ocean or lake. The sad truth is that in Lewiston and Auburn, it's not happening here.
But it could be and should be.
Build it, and they will come. And so will the railroad.
Moving forward is not
Moving forward is not rushing, but calling for a vote on a (large) novel size bill just hours after is presented certainly is. It gives us the sense that the liberals in congress are trying to hide something. And as it unfolds and we are learning more about the proposed bill, it turns out they were.
And of course calling people
And of course calling people names is not disagreeable at all.
Joe, You are being over
Joe, You are being over dramatic. I have clearly stated that I do good things with my money. You are just being an ass. I also clearly stated that I am not upset about people needing help or asking for help, only those that demand help, and a government that steals from me on their behalf. It's MY money. I earned it. (A concept that may be alien to you.) I should get to decide what to do with it. Again you are either intentionally acting ignorant or are indeed actually ignorant. And yes Joe, there are people who left to their own devices will not give any body any thing. But by-and-large most people want to help their fellow man. We just need the government to leave us enough resources to do that. I once again renew my invitation.
Joe, I simply extended an
Joe, I simply extended an ivitation and restricted no one's rights. It is clear by your response here that you neither understood what I said nor are capable of formulating an intelligent response. I now re-extend that invitation.
Joe, In the first place you
Joe, In the first place you are spouting incoherent jibberish. Are you an illegal immigrant by chance? And/or on public assistance? There are places children with cancer can go to get free treatment. St. Judes Hospital, to which I donate money every year, for example. But I CHOOSE to give that money, and am glad to do it. I would give more if you would get your hand out of my pocket and leave me more to give. I give hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars every year Joe, to help people less fortunate than I am. And I love doing it. And that Joe, is the way America is supposed to work. Those that are fortunate help those that are less fortunate. VOLUNTARILY. It happens everyday in America. Many don't give, or give more, because the government hasn't left them enough to feel comfortable, because the government has to support you and your ilk. And Joe it's ok to need help. It's ok to let us know you need help. It's ok to ASK for help. But I rankle when some one DEMANDS help. I rankle when an overly liberal government FORCES me to help. I rankle when the leeches who have figured out how to get something for nothing don't even try to help themselves, but instead demand that I do it for them. And Joe I am not a manager. I am guy WORKING every day for 8-10 hours so that I can pay my own bills, and feed my own children, and save a little for retirement, and yes Joe, give some to those that are less fortunate.
Just to clarify -- HEALTH
Just to clarify -- HEALTH CARE in the United States is not broken. It's the best in the world. People come to the U.S. in droves to receive our health care. What is broken is the HEALTH INSURANCE industry. It's easy for you jobless leeches to sit your unemployed asses at home and blog about how every one deserves health insurance. Those of us working 40 - 60 hours a week to provide for our families and make ends meet are just wondering how much you think you can take (steal) from us before we get pissed off and say enough is enough? If you look at other countries that have socialized medicine, you will see that the (working) citizenry is taxed at a rate well above sixty percent. I, for one, am not able (or willing) to bear that burden. If you want to talk about rights then I say --- I have a right to keep the money I have worked hard to earn. I have a right to decide to whom, and when, I give that money to some one else. I have a right, when I do give that money to some one else, to put controls on how they spend that money. I have a right to demand that they spend it on food staples and not luxury items like steak and lobster, which I myself can not afford. -- I challenge all of you not working, not supporting yourselves or your families, or your hordes of illegitimate children to just shut up. Stop talking, stop blogging, and in the name of all that is good, for Pete's sake stop demanding more. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
They did pony up - when it
They did pony up - when it was time to study and get good grades so they could get into a good college. When they had to work hard at the junior levels of a company and worked their way up to the top. When they had to risk evrything they owned to start a new business and work a hundred hours a week to make sure it didn't fold. They earned what they got. Now earn what you want.
It has nothing to do with
It has nothing to do with being cranky and hateful. It's about being fed up with people that come to this country and then complain that it's not good enough. It's about being tired of being forced to take care of people that won't take care of themselves. If you are here legally, speak english and are gainfully employed, Welcome! The land of opportunity embraces you. You have the opportunity to make everything of yourself that you are capable of. Those that came looking for a free ride or a new market for their criminal activities need to leave.
When our founding fathers
When our founding fathers guaranteed us the right to bear arms it was primarily to have the means to fight an oppressive government.
In the first place, Thou
In the first place, Thou shalt not kill, is a commandment from god. There is no such commandment about being gay. In the second place what christians are doing has nothing to do with love. It is motivated by hate, ignorance, intolerance, other very un-christian reasons. I have yet to hear one of you "loving" christians offer a prayer for a gay person or couple.
Just to clarify, if
Just to clarify, if something goes wrong, a missed or wrong diagnosis for example, can the patient sue and for how much?
Just to clarify Tony, if
Just to clarify Tony, if something goes wrong, a missed or wrong diagnosis for example, is the patient allowed to sue, and for how much?
"...Christ gave his apostles
"...Christ gave his apostles and their successors the authority to teach and guide people in matters of faith and morals..." The key words being "teach and guide", not force it upon them. If we count the times the bible says something about homosexuality being bad and the times the bible says "love thy neighbor", or "turn the other cheek", or "judge not your fellow man"... I wonder which would win.
"How un-christian to judge others and how un-American to deny them their persuit of happiness."
And quite frankly Stacy, the
And quite frankly Stacy, the modern religions stole marriage from the ancient polytheistic religions as a way of helping to convert the pagans. Along with moving Christ's birthday to match (more closely) the winter solstice, an ancient pagan celebration. And conveniently the ascension of Christ also closely matches the pagan celebration of the spring equinox. Funny that.
In the Netherlands, and I believe in other European countries, it is as you suggest. You can get married at the church, but the government does not recognize that union. If you want the tax and business advantages of the union you must also go to city hall for a civil proceeding.
And who the hell is Mabel?
And who the hell is Mabel?
Yes, God forbid we have
Yes, God forbid we have anything like development or progress here in Lewiston. Heck we don't need the jobs or the tax dollars a new hotel will bring. But at least the unemployed will have a cool place to see the fireworks. As long as we have our priorities in order.
It is my belief that Bennett
It is my belief that Bennett wasted more city funds than he saved. Including his paycheck and now his severance package.
It was a good move! The
It was a good move! The previous council should be ashamed for not having done it sooner, and for agreeing to that ridiculous buy out clause.
Liberals are so open minded
Liberals are so open minded that their brains are falling out.
How UN-Christian to judge
How UN-Christian to judge others and how UN-American to deny them their own pursuit of happiness.
So what you are saying then
So what you are saying then Ray, is that you really don't want the Irish at YOUR church.
Because now he can take a
Because now he can take a vacation for a year and still get all pay and benefits.
In the first place, I am far
In the first place, I am far from being a Republican and in the second place, what the hell are you talking about? What would be illegal about hiring someone from Lewiston that cares about the city?
How UN-Christian to judge
How UN-Christian to judge others and how UN-American to deny others their own pursuit of happiness.
triumph - I agree MANY
triumph - I agree MANY homosexuals, perhaps the majority, have no choice, they were born that way. But not ALL homosexuals were born that way. For a good number of them they have chosen it is as some sort of exotic fetish. That's what causes the problems for the others. There is a difference between being a homosexual and having homo-erotic sex.
I understand better now. My
I understand better now. My apologies. I'm still glad he's gone. In the search for a new city manager I hope you consider someone born and raised in Lewiston, that has a true deep commitment to the city and the community. Someone who is not just interested in the pay check and the wielding of personal power.
And how UN-Christian to
And how UN-Christian to judge others and how UN-American to deny someone else their own pursuit of happiness.
Isn't this the same council
Isn't this the same council that recently voted to renew his contract. If they had voted to not renew, couldn't we have avoided paying him 100 grand for doing nothing? For those of you that feel sorry for Bennett, don't. He is laughing all the way to the bank. I personally am glad to see him gone. Too many big mistakes, too arrogant.
Of course there is always
Of course there is always the possibility that Walt Pulkinen is so ignorant that he doesn't even know what a theocray is.
And I would add that,
And I would add that, throughout history, many hundreds more people have been killed in the name of god and/or cristiananity then ever were sacrificed because of all the pagan and non-thiestic religions combined. I don't think any have ever been killed in the name of atheism. Christianity is without a doubt one of the most evil inventions of man.
OBAMA - One Big Ass Mistake
OBAMA - One Big Ass Mistake America
OBAMA - One Big Ass Mistake
OBAMA - One Big Ass Mistake America
I am simply curious if all
I am simply curious if all the state senators and represenatives are also taking a furlough day. Are they suffering the same effective pay cut as other state workers? Talk about a drag on our economy....Maine has senators and represenatives at over a thousand times the rate of the federal government. Let's rewrite the state constitution and have say one senator per county and one represenative per 50 thousand citizens. How much tax money would that save?
Joe - NAZI's are socialists.
Joe - NAZI's are socialists. NAZI is a German acronym for National SOCIALIST Party. The current liberal, SOCIALIST, administration are the ones taking us a step closer to Naziism everyday. As the government takes over more and more companies and more and more aspects of society (i.e. healthcare) the people become more and more dependant on the government. When the people are wholly dependent on the government, the government has all the power and the people have none. It was exactly this situation that our founding fathers braved the oceans to come here and start a new country to get away from. It was the British government enacting laws that made the colonists more dependant on the Crown and it's good graces that led to the revolt which has made us all free. We are slowly reverting back to that same untenable situation.
Joe - Don't look now but
Joe - Don't look now but your ignorance is showing. NAZI is a German acronym for the National SOCIALIST Party. It is the current administration that takes us a step closer to that every day.
Mr. Duncan, I have been
Mr. Duncan, I have been reading your posts for several months now and never felt moved to respond. This time I will. It's not particularly an original thought, I am sure many people have thought it. But the words are mine. YOU ARE AN IDIOT!
Let's NOT re-elect ANYONE
Let's NOT re-elect ANYONE currently in federal office from Maine. They have let us down in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
And...If you can't quickly
And...If you can't quickly and effectively get your children under control then YOU NEED TO LEAVE and take your children with you! Even if it means you miss the rest of the movie or don't get dessert. Put your meal in a box and go!
Being from away, this to me,
Being from away, this to me, illustrates what I see as a very typical Maine mentality. We complain about no jobs, we complain about high prices and the economy and as soon as someone comes along to try to help we slap them in the face.
Speaking of cost cutting --
Speaking of cost cutting -- If the U. S. Legislative Branch had Senators and represenatives at the same rate that the State of Maine had state senators and rtepresenatives in it's legaslature, there would be 37,000 U.S. Senators, and 690,000 U.S. Represenatives. I wonder if a re-write of our State Constitution is not in order. I bet we could cut our senators from 35 down to say 16. (One per county) and our represenatives from 151 down to say 52 (One per 25,000 people) How much money would that save. How much more efficient would our state government be?
I wonder if lawmakers will
I wonder if lawmakers will exempt their own benefits from this taxation. How about that of their staffs? Hitler was a socialist too.
Yay! More pedophiles in
Yay! More pedophiles in Lewiston/Auburn. You can never have too many!
But Laura if tradition is
But Laura if tradition is tradition, you still wouldn't be able to vote in the next election. You probably would not have dared to speak up as you did, because women simply do not do that sort of thing.
Why is it sad? You didn't
Why is it sad? You didn't comment how sad it was when soldiers died in combat. You didn't comment on how sad it was that some old guy died. Michael Jackson contributed nothing of any great significance to the world. He's a pedophile. Damned to burn in hell. Wooo-hooo!
Why should god bless michael
Why should god bless michael jackson? in the first place he is onl;y an entertainer. he didn't give us world peace or cure a disease or fight for his country. he is a pedophile. he is going to hell. why do you people worship celebraties so much?
What is your point?
What is your point?
Another dead pedophile ---
Another dead pedophile --- so what?